A violent divute now arose about the succession to the throne. In the first stage of his sickness, the late king had nominated his son Jacob as his successor, though then a boy of only seven years of age ; but as he felt his dissolution approaching, he gave the prefer ence to his nephew Za Denghel, ‘%ho had reached the years of manhood, and had already displayed the ac tivity and talents necessary for goyerning a turbulent people. This appointment gave great offence to the queen, and to many ol the principal nobility, who had ex pected to engross, during the minority of Jacob, all the power and prerogatives ol the crown. Regardless, therefore, of Sertza D.-nghers will, the queen, in con junction with Kusla Wahad and Has Athanasius, her sons-in-law, immediately proclaimed the infant Jacob king, and confined Za Denghel to an island in the lake Tzana. An attempt was made at the same time to seize the person of Socinios, the natural son of Facilidas, who might likewise have pretended a right to the throne; but alarmed by the fate of Za Denghel, Socinios had withdrawn from the power of his enemies ; and Za Denghel himself soon found means to escape, and took refuge among the inaccessible mountains of Gojam. Jacob continued till the age of seventeen a passive tool in the hands of his tutors ; but finding that they still wished to prolong their dominion over him, lie took the government into his own hands, and banished one of their number to the kingdom of Narea. By this bold exer cise of power, lie so alarmed and exasperated his tutors, that they immediately entered into a conspiracy to de pose him, and to raise his rival, Za Denghel, to the throne. So effectually had the latter concealed his re treat, that he was not discovered without much difficulty. Jacob, finding that his fall was determined, fled from his palace with precipitation; but, being overtaken on the borders of Samen, he was brought back to the new sovereign, who, with a clemency unusual in Abyssinia, contented himself with banishing him for life to Narea. No sooner was Za Denghel established on the throne, than he gave great offence to his subjects by his avowed attachment to the church of Rome.
The catholic missionaries were now all dead, and their religion was languishing for want of support, when Peter Paez, a man of prudence and talents, was sent on this mission, and arrived in Abyssinia in the year 1600. Instead of intruding himself immediately into the royal presence, Paez quietly took up his residence at the convent of Fremona, wisely judging, that the most certain method of succeeding in the grand object of his mission, was to recommend himself, by his utility and conciliating deportment, to the people whom he had come to convert. With this view, he applied ly to the study of the Geez, or learned language of the Abyssinians ; and, having soon attained such pro ficiency as to surpass the natives themselves, he opened a school, to which Portuguese and Abyssinians were admitted promi,connsly. The rapid progress of scholars acquired him general applause ; and, lour years after his am v2i, he was sent for by the king, who honoured hint with the most distinguished attention and regard. Two of his pupils, whom he had brought along with him, vanquished, in a religious dispute, the ablest theologians of the kingdom ; and Pacz himself, after celebrating mass, pronounced a sermon in the Geez language, admired for its eloquence and the purity of its diction. So powerful was the effect which it pro
duced on Za Denghel, already partial to the church of Rome, that he immediately embraced the catholic re ligion, issued proclamations forbidding the observance of the Jewish Sabbath, and wrote letters to pope Cle ment VIII. and Pnilip III. of Spain, requesting them to send mechanics to instruct his people in the arts, and Jesuits to teach them divinity.
The Abyssinians, ever prone to revolt, and less easily converted than their sovereign, were instantly in arms. A traitor, named Za Selasse, under pretence of religious zeal, prevailed on the Abuna to excommunicate Za Denghel, and absolve his subjects from their allegiance. He then proceeded to Gojam, a province remarkable for its aversion to the catholics, where multitudes of rebels flocked round his standard, eager to vindicate the established religion of their country, against the in novations of foreigners, and the prejudices of their king. Za Denghcl on his part was equally zealous ; and, being naturally fond of war, hastened to meet the rebels with what forces he could raise. His troops, who thought themselves under no obligation of fidelity to an excommunicated monarch, deserted him in great num bers on his march ; and even those who followed him to the field, left him in the heat of battle, surrounded by his enemies, by whom, after performing prodigies of valour, he was overpowered and slain. However un popular his attitchment to the church of Rome may have rendered this prince while alive, the report of his death, and particularly of the heroism which he displayed in the fatal engagement, excited against the rebels such a general indignation, that they did not venture to name any successor to the vacant throne.
Socinios, called also Susnus, and Melee Segued, was already in possession of the empire ; and, advancing rapidly with a mighty army, compelled the Ras Athana sins to acknowledge him as sovereign, and join him with the forces under his command. When he made a similar proposal to Za Selasse, that traitor first amu sed him with an equivocal answer, and then marched against him with his whole army ; while Socinios, hap pening to fall sick, and hieing unable to confide in Atha nasius, withdrew to the mountains of Amhara. Za Selasse opposed Socinios, in the expectation that Jacob mould revive his pretensions to the crown, under whom he hoped to enjoy all the privileges of sovereignty. A messenger at length arrived from Jacob's camp, inform ing Selasse that he was then in Dembea. and promising him the highest honours if lie would aclmowledge and support his claim. The traitor readily complied ; but happening soon alive to be defeats 1 by Socimo.,, witl the loss of the greater part of his army, he n as colc11:. received by Jacob, and immediately revolted to rival. Jacob, who was now joined by Athanasius, pox sessed an army said to have amounted to thirty time the number of that of Socinios ; but, being drawn Ly that experienced general into a disadvantageous situa tion, his army was defeated with great slaughter, and he himself perished in the field.