drid the distresses and necessities
of the mission of AEthiopia; but the fathers reflecting afterwards that I
best understood the Abyssinian language, and was most acquainted with the
customs of the country, altered their opinions, and, continuing me in
AEthiopia either to perish with them or preserve them, deputed four other
Jesuits, who in a short time set out on their way to the Indies.

About this time I was sent for to the viceroy's camp to confess a
criminal, who, though falsely, was believed a Catholic, to whom, after a
proper exhortation, I was going to pronounce the form of absolution, when
those that waited to execute him told him aloud that if he expected to
save his life by professing himself a Catholic, he would find himself
deceived, and that he had nothing to do but prepare himself for death.
The unhappy criminal had no sooner heard this than, rising up, he
declared his resolution to die in the religion of his country, and being
delivered up to his prosecutors was immediately dispatched with their
lances.

The chief reason of calling me was not that I might hear this confession:
the viceroy had another design of seizing my person, expecting that
either the Jesuits or Portuguese would buy my liberty with a large
ransom, or that he might exchange me for his father, who was kept
prisoner by a revolted prince. That prince would have been no loser by
the exchange, for so much was I hated by the Abyssinian monks that they
would have thought no expense too great to have gotten me into their
hands, that they might have glutted their revenge by putting me to the
most painful death they could have invented. Happily I found means to
retire out of this dangerous place, and was followed by the viceroy
almost to Fremona, who, being disappointed, desired me either to visit
him at his camp, or appoint a place where we might confer. I made many
excuses, but at length agreed to meet him at a place near Fremona,
bringing each of us only three companions. I did not doubt but he would
bring more, and so he did, but found that I was upon my guard, and that
my company increased in proportion to his. My friends were resolute
Portuguese, who were determined to give him no quarter if he made any
attempt upon my liberty. Finding himself once more countermined, he
returned ashamed to his camp, where a month after, being accused of a
confederacy in the revolt of that prince who kept his father prisoner, he
was arrested, and ca