the additions of Monf. l'Abbé Le Grand, very curious and entertaining, of which the following is a character:

It contains a narration of the endeavours of a company of miffionaries of the author's country to unite the Abyffins to the church of Rome. It was translated from the original Portuguese into French by l'Abbé Le Grand, who, as Lobo had extended it no farther than his own concern in the miffion, continued it down to the time when the Jefuits were finally driven out of Æthiopia, with the addition of fifteen differtations on fubjects relating to the hiftory, antiquities, government, religion, manners, and natural hiftory of Abyffinia, and other countries mentioned by the original author.

The preface, which bears stronger marks of Johnfon's hand than any part of the work, is calculated to attract attention and credit: it commends the unaffected fimplicity of the original narrative, and the learning of M. Le Grand; it acknowledges the omiffions and deviations which the tranflator thought it prudent to make, and it apologizes for any defects that may be difcovered. Johnfon's difquifitive propenfity just dawns in an obfervation on the erroneous method of the Roman church, in making converts; but there is nothing ftriking in the compofition.

Were we to reft our judgment on internal evidence, Johnson's claim to the title of translator of this work would be difputable; it has fcarce a feature refembling him: the language is as fimple and unornamented as John Bunyan's; the ftyle is far from elegant, and fometimes it is not even correct. These circumftances, together with frequent miftakes and various orthography, would almoft ftagger our belief, but

that we have the authority of Johnfon himfelf to rely on, who often acknowledged it for his own.

As this voyage to Abyffinia, notwithstanding the country and manners it defcribes are wonderful and interesting, has not been fo much noticed as Johnson's later and original productions, it may not be thought impertinent to give the outline of the relation.

About the beginning of the feventeenth century, the then reigning emperor of Abyffinia, for confiderations that favoured more of good policy than of religion, became a convert to the church of Rome : many of his fubjects had followed his example; and the miffionaries already in the country were in want of co-adjutors to extend their progress. Padre Jerome Lobo, who was then employed in the Eaft-Indian miffion at Goa, was one deputed to this enterprife, which, at length, proved too much for Romifh zeal and Jefuitical dexterity.

With much difficulty he and his companions reached and got footing in the empire, where they had to endure a climate rendered by exceffive heats and rains peftiferous, and to engage in perilous journies across defarts infested by banditti, in perpetual fear of them and of wild beafts, the tokens of whofe depredations marked their way. When they arrived at the habitations of the people, their dangers were changed, but not diminished; fometimes they could not obtain provifions, and at others, were confined to their houses by the dread of affaffination. Those who were to be their disciples, profeffed, it is true, a fuperftitious religion, in fome parts Judaical, in many others refembling that of the church of Rome; but it had had little effect on their minds: moral virtues they had fcarcely

C 4

fcarcely any; in focial affections they were miserably deficient, and their approaches to civilization and elegance were on a level with those of their fouthern neighbours at the Cape of Good Hope.

But labour and patience produced in time, a hope that the miffion would not be fruitlefs: the number of their profelytes was, at one period, fo great, that the corporal strength of the fathers was exhaufted in the exhortations previous to baptifm. We erected our tent,' fays Lobo, and placed our altar under fome great trees, for the benefit of the fhade; and every day before fun-rifing, my companion and I began to catechife and inftruct thefe new catholics, and used our utmoft endeavours to make them abjure their errors. When we were weary with fpeaking, we placed in ranks those who were fufficiently instructed, and paffing through them with great veffels of water, baptized them according to the form prescribed by the church. As their num⚫ber was very great, we cried aloud—those of this rank are named Anthony-thofe of that rank Peter ;— and did the fame among the women, whom we separated from among the men. We then confeffed them, and admitted them to the communion.

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с

After

mafs we applied ourselves again to catechise, to inftruct, and receive the renunciation of their errors, fcarce allowing ourselves time to make a scanty meal, which we never did more than once a day.'

Zeal equal to this, and rifing in proportion to the oppofition it met with, did thefe pious fathers exercise during nine years that they remained in Abyffinia. Their fuccefs was various and fluctuating; fometimes

it

gave them ground to hope that all would be con

verted,

verted, and sometimes their patrons and profelytes became their most inveterate perfecutors: their hardfhips were increased by civil commotions, and all their expectations were clouded by the death of the Emperor, whofe fucceffor was a bigot in the religion of the country. They then put themselves under the protection of a prince, who had emancipated himself from the power of Abyflinia, and thought, that as he had afforded them fuccour, they should be fafe in his dominions; but they were foon convinced of their error, by receiving orders to prepare to serve, or in other words become flaves to the Turks :--- a meffage,' fays Lobo, which filled us with furprise; it having never been known that one of these lords had ever abandoned any whom he had taken under his protection; and it is, on the contrary, one of the highest points of honour amongst them, to risque 'their lives and their fortunes in the defence of their dependents who have implored their protection: but neither law nor juftice were of any advantage to us, and the customs of the country were doomed 'to be broken when they would have contributed to ' our fecurity.'

From M. Le Grand's information it appears, that the conduct of these miffionaries in Abyffinia had been fuch as tended rather to exafperate than conciliate: they confidered themselves, not only figuratively, as the generals of Chrift's church militant, and propagated their faith by measures that rendered them and their doctrine odious. The peace of the country and their refidence in it were become incompatible: they were accordingly delivered into the hands of the Turks; and experienced, from a little troop fent to convoy them, greater humanity than the Abyffins had

shewn

fhewn them at Suaquem, an ifland in the Red Sea, terms of ransom were proposed to them, which, though exorbitant, they were forced to accept; and, after furmounting many obftacles and perils, that part of the miffion with which Lobo was engaged, returned to Goa.

The revenge, which it was reported in Abyffinia, the court of Portugal meditated, rendered a people naturally inhuman, ferocious: the remaining miffionaries experienced ftill harder fate than Lobo and his companions; many were put to death, and the whole fraternity fo completely extirpated, that, after many efforts, all attempts to make a catholic people of the Abyffins were abandoned, as chimerical and impracticable.

The differtations at the end of this work, and which Johnfon feems to eftimate highly, contain variety of information and controverfial learning, particularly refpecting the difference between the church that fent the miffion, and that which received it, and point out very clearly the inutility of endeavours founded on the principles of the Jefuits.

Having completed this tranflation, which I conjecture he was paid for by fome bookfeller of Birmingham, who publifhed it in an octavo volume, Johnson, in February 1733-4, left that place, and returned to Lichfield, from whence, in the month of August following, he iffued a propofal, foliciting a fubfcription to an edition of Politian's Poems *, with this title, Angeli Politiani Poemata Latina, quibus notas, cum

The propofal notifies, that fubfcriptions would be taken in by N. [Nathanael] Johnfon, who had fucceeded to his father's bufinefs.

• Hiftoria,