The most striking and decisive of these sporadic contracts with the world abroad was the early pearance of Christendom in "Abys-sinza, It became of greatest import An astonishing fact indeed! About called Frumentius wandered up. the, Nile valley to Abyssinia, preaching the Lord's word. In less than twenty. years practically the whole of the [population was converted, But it did of stop at that: the whole of Abyssinian life became based upon God's word and Christendom! The Bible was promulgated as Constitutional Law, as Civil Code, Penal Code, Code of Procedure, as Taxation Law, Moral Code and everything. Since that time also. monarchism has been 9 power among the people and the stronghold of the realm, the rulers being re-farded—up to the present day!—as direct descendants of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon, whose pedlgree ts traced back through the Bible Unt the fathers with whom God has Jmade his Holy Covenant, The young Beautiful queen had crossed the Red Sea to Team wisdom of the wise icing. "She retarned bearing his child, Menelik I, of whom Solomon himself prophesied that "his seed would rule Abyssinia to all eternity!" Hence also the proud title of every Negus Negesti and also the very. present Emperor Halle Selassie I: "King of Kings of Ethiopia, Unconquered Lion jof Judah, Son of Solomon, Protector of Zion, and Instrument of the Holy Trinity!" Hence the two columns bearing, for now 40 centuries, the whole of the nation's life, "Throne and Altar," the latter prevailing.
Centuries passed, In their "happy valleys" the African mountaineers carried on their old cultured life, forgotten by their white Christian brothers abroad, as they had forgotten them. was Brought before the respective ruler, he of the convoked the high priests of the country and, having dis-[cussed with them the matter thoroughly, he answered the respective foreign diplomat. "Ishi naga!" That means: "Yes, to-morrow!" And that was also perfectly in accordance with the time-honoured Abyssinian etiquette. Never say no—that would be im: polite, barbarous and foreign. But naturally one may mean no; then one will say, with a polite bow and a Gignifed smile: "Ishi naga!"—"alright, tomorrow!" That can be tweatyhours, but it might also be day:, months, years, centuries. Who maws hat might happen in the mean-time? Only God! "Sker aukal™ "God "The deeply rooted conservatism and an unshaken, decisive influence of the Abyssinian-Christian priesthood in everything are the two main poles
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.