The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-04-17


name and not unknown since time long be-
fore the Christian era. Ethiopia, or as the
natives have it, Iterpayawan, seems to have
been the more ancient name, although it is
abundanty manifest that the Ethiopia Of the
ancients covered much larger surface than is
covered by the more modern name Abyssinia.
1t is now generally admitted that the Queen of
Sheba, who came to Jerusalem to "admire
the wisdom and splendor of Solomon, came
from some part of that country which is
bordered by the Red Sea in one direction, by
Egypt in another and by the Mountains of the
Moon in still another. 1t is notorious that
the traditions of the natives connect the
famous Queen with their country but whether
the Queen of Sheba was at the head Of the
entire people of that vast territory or at the
head Of only one of its tribes, is question
which is little likely ever to be satisfactorily
solved. IL is a well known fact that the
present Theodorus is usurper, that he has
not in his veins single drop Of the
blood of the ancient royal stock, and
that the representative Of the ancient line now
lives in neglect and poverty. 1t is also well
known that the ancient line claimed descent
from the questionable offspring of the Queen
Israel If there be no blood relationship be-
tween the present monarch and the ancient
line, and if The obscure chief Of the old line of
monarchs be the lineal representative Of the
offspring Of the Queen of Sheba's visit to Jeru-
salem, then it is manifest that the Emperor is
destitute of any claims to such illustrious de-
scent. When, too, ii is borne in mind that from
an early period it has been the boast of the
kings of the East, including under that name
the greater part OF Asia, that they have sprung
from the lons of Solomon, it may well be
doubted whether, either in the case of the En-
peror Theodorus or in the case Of the more
ancient but now dethroned line Of Abyssinian
rulers, there is any more truth in their alleged
descent from Solomon and the Queen of Sheba
than there would be in the claim We're, it set
the sun and moon or of marriage Of earth
and water 1t is much more likely to be fable
than truth, and is perhaps to be accounted for,
as in the case OF the Eastern monarchs, by the
great fame acquired by Solomon in his day and
by the subsequent diffusion of n vague and i'm
perfect knowledge of the Hebrew scriptures.
Abyssinia was not unknown to the early
Greeks and Romans. To the enterprise of the
merchants of Tyre it owes its conversion to
Christianity. IL is common opinion that the
a. AZ
the Emperor Constantine This is not, strictly
speaking, correct; for il was not until after the
first Council of Constantinoplc-a council which
assembled in 3Sl, which condemned the doc
trines of Arius and which confirmed the Trini-
tartan creed-that their conversion took place.
The characteristic features of the Abyssinian
Church are more easily understood when we
bear in mind the views Of Christianity which
were popular at the date Of its origin. Alex
andria, in Egypt, was the headquarters OF
Christianity in the East at this particular juno
ture 1t was through Egypt mainly that Abys-
snia received knowledge of the doctrines of
the cross. Abyssinia, therefore, became a
branch of that Coptic Church which, amid
since the days of st. Mark, aud whose T a
| triarch may be seen any day in an obscure
nook of the Coptic quarter in Cairo. The
Abuna or Bishop of Abyssinia has always
received his ordination at the hands of,
and been nominally subject to, the Patriarch
of Egypt, whose headquarters, formerly of
Alexandria, have now been permanently fixed
at Cairo. The influence which the Patriarch
is known to exercise in Abyssinia has invested
him with more Importance in the eye of Ismail
Pacha than was wont to be the case. The
Copts are more tcnderly cared for by the Vice
roy, because Coptic influence, it is hoped,
may yet he useful in advancing Egyptian
interests among the highlanders of Abyssinia.
Our correspondents letters have enabled us
to form tolerably accurate notion of the geo.
graphical and other features of that country.
Indeed, what with the knowledge we have
already derived from the explorations Of
Livingstone, Of Beke, OF Burton, of Speke
and Grant, of Sir Samuel Baker and his heroic
lady, il may safely be concluded that wher
! this expedition is ended and the official report:
are printed. and when DR.. Livingstone returns
as If from the grave, to tell us how he ''passed
along the northern end of Lake Nyassa ant
rounded the southern end of Lake Tanganyika,
and solved the mysteries of that wondrou'
water shed, Africa shall cease, throughout hel
entire length and breadth, to be the sealed
book she has been in all past time. or Abys
sinia, al least, we shall have little further t.
learn. Judging from what we do know, WI
must say ii in all honesty that, though tn
msaners were LIBERATED aud TleodQrus HANGS