XXXI
The letter of the Emperor was as follows : “ Praise be to God alone_
from the presence of the Negush-Negashi, from the Emperor of the Chris tians and Turks , Successor of the Lord of the World, who is constitutedfor the affairs of this world and for the affairs of the Faith, as concernedwith the business of the creature, by which God hath adjusted and putinto good order men, and hath enlightened the land and the provinces. Heis brave in council, perfect in prudence, and profitable; on which account hehath left a memory that is spread abroad over the whole earth, and onaccount of his justice, goodness, and beneficence, he is dwelling in theempire of the antiquity of time, having the generation of his father, grand-father, and great grandfather. He is the metal of liberty, beneficence,and bounty. Our Lord, the supreme Emperor and honourable King nowhappily reigning, is the hill of the Creature through the magnificence bywhich they are distinguished in particular and in general; bearing such andso great marks of his favour, that they exceed in number the stars them-selves, and the multitude or density of the clouds. He is adorned with somany qualifications, that scarcely any one who breathes this air can equalhim, in respect of which all other men would appear vile. He is of suchsublime eminence, that all Kings would be eager to imitate him, but wouldnot be able to attain it, because they would find him of all the princes ofChristendom the most noble, and truly he is the greatest of all the princes ofthe Nazarene faith, and the most excellent since the time that he was bap-tised.* He is the defender of the Evangelical law, the Propagator of justicebetween Christian and Turkish souls. He is established in the Christian nation in the city of Gondar, which is guarded and protected by the Em peror , Tasu Adiam Sagadson of the Emperor Bagatta Masick Sagad. JMay his days be multiplied and his justice, and may the nights of his pros-perity be continually renewed, through the excellence of Jesus Christ andhis Mother. So be it. The Emperor salutes the three physicians, and begs
* I have a strong suspicion that this first part of the title is the fabrication of the Monksthemselves,
t The name of this prince was Yasous, and the title taken on his coronation was AdamSegued.
t Bacuffa, it should be ; and Malec Segued was the title he assumed.