s, left orphans at an early age, had been
adopted by an uncle who was a learned man and a philosopher. Desiring
greatly to undertake a voyage to Abyssinia to study the geography of
the country and unwilling to interrupt the education of his two young
charges, he took them with him, that they might continue their studies
under his care. His work finished, he set sail for home with the two
boys, but the boat, having put into a port for provisions, was set
upon by savages, and everyone on board was killed.

Now, it happened that the boys had landed and were reading together
under a tree on the shore. The savages had pity on their youth and,
instead of killing them, carried them off and presented them to their
King as slaves. The boys, who were intelligent and lovable, soon
gained the affections of their barbarian master. Arrived at manhood,
they were given positions of trust in the kingdom and loaded with
every honor. Frumentius, the elder, was especially beloved by the
King, over whom he gained a great influence for good. But the King
fell sick and, being near to death, called his wife, to whom he had
left the guardianship of his young son. "Let Frumentius help you in
the government," he said; "he is wiser and more faithful than any in
the kingdom."

The Queen Mother accordingly appointed Frumentius as the tutor of the
young King, and Governor of the State, while his brother AEdesius was
given a less important position. Frumentius, whose earnest desire was
to see the land that he governed Christian, summoned all the Christian
merchants who came to trade in the country and, giving them presents,
begged them to build houses of prayer and to do their utmost to win
the barbarians to the Faith. There were many conversions, and by the
time the young King had reached his majority, several Christian
communities were scattered throughout the State.

His task being now at an end, Frumentius asked leave to return to his
own land with his brother AEdesius. They had a hard task to persuade
the King and the Queen Mother to let them go, but at last they
prevailed.

Frumentius, whose heart was yearning over the country to which he owed
so much, had come straight to the Patriarch of Alexandria to beg of
him that he would send a Bishop to preside over the growing number of
churches in Abyssinia and to preach the Faith in the districts where
it was not yet known.

The Patriarch and the Bishops had followed the story with the greatest