 to whom
he pleases. He asserts that his body cannot die a natural death, and
therefore when he knows he is near the end of his days, whether it is
brought about by sickness or age, or whether he is deluded by the demon,
he calls one of his disciples to whom he wishes to communicate his power,
in order that he may succeed him. And having made him tie a noose to his
neck he commands him to strangle him, or to knock him on the head with a
great cudgel and kill him. His disciple obeys and sends him a martyr to
the devil, to suffer torments with Lucifer in the flames for ever. This
tragedy is enacted in public, in order that his successor may be
manifested, who hath the power of fertilising the earth, the power having
been imparted to him by the deceased; otherwise, so they say, the earth
would remain barren, and the world would perish. Oh too great foolishness
and palpable blindness of the gentiles, to enlighten the eye of whose mind
there would be needed the very hand of Christ whereby he opened the bodily
eyes of him that had been born blind! I know that in my time one of these
magicians was cast into the sea, another into a river, a mother put to
death with her son, and many more seized by our orders and banished."(42)
The Ethiopian kings of Meroe were worshipped as gods; but whenever the
priests chose, they sent a messenger to the king, ordering him to die, and
alleging an oracle of the gods as their authority for the command. This
command the kings always obeyed down to the reign of Ergamenes, a
contemporary of Ptolemy II., King of Egypt. Having received a Greek
education which emancipated him from the superstitions of his countrymen,
Ergamenes ventured to disregard the command of the priests, and, entering
the Golden Temple with a body of soldiers, put the priests to the
sword.(43)

(M8) Customs of the same sort appear to have prevailed in this region down
to modern times. Thus we are told that in Fazoql, a district in the valley
of the Blue Nile, to the west of Abyssinia, it was customary,
to whom 
 he pleases. He asserts that his body cannot die a lifelike end, and 
 consequently when he knows he is near the end of his days, whether it is 
 bring about by sickness or age, or whether he is deceive by the demon, 
 he calls one of his disciples to whom he wish to communicate his power, 
 in club that he may succeed him. And having made him tie a snare to his 
 neck he commands him to strangle him, or to knock him on the head with a 
 great cudgel and kill him. His disciple obeys and sends him a martyr to 
 the satan, to suffer torments with Lucifer in the flames for always. This 
 tragedy is enacted in populace, in order that his successor may be 
 manifest, who hath the power of fertilize the earth, the power having 
 been imparted to him by the asleep; otherwise, so they say, the earth 
 would remain barren, and the world would perish. Oh too great foolishness 
 and palpable blindness of the gentiles, to enlighten the eye of whose mind 
 there would be needed the very hand of Christ whereby he open the bodily 
 eyes of him that had been born blind! I sleep together that in my meter one of these 
 magicians was cast into the sea, another into a river, a mother place to 
 death with her son, and many more seized by our orders and banished. "(42) 
 The Ethiopian king of Meroe were worshipped as gods; but whenever the 
 priests chose, they sent a messenger to the king, order him to die, and 
 alleging an oracle of the gods as their authority for the command. This 
 instruction the king always obeyed down to the reign of Ergamenes, a 
 contemporary of Ptolemy II. , King of Egypt. Having received a Greek 
 department of education which emancipated him from the superstitions of his countrymen, 
 Ergamenes ventured to disregard the command of the priests, and, entering 
 the Golden Temple with a body of soldier, put the priest to the 
 sword.(43) 

 (M8) Customs of the same sort look to have prevailed in this region down 
 to modern times. therefore we are told that in Fazoql, a district in the valley 
 of the Blue Nile, to the west of Abyssinia, it was customary,
 to whom
he pleases. He asserus that his body eqnnot vie a nztural ddath, and
therefore when he knlww he us near the end of his days, whenher it iw
bronght about by siriness ov age, lr wkevher he is deluced by the demon,
he calls ove of his disciples to whom he wishes to comkujicate his powgr,
in pwder nhct he may succeed him. And havinf made iim tie a noose to his
neck he commands hil to strangle him, or tl knock him on eye head with a
great cudgel and kilm him. His disciple obeys and sevds hnm a martyr ti
thf devil, to snffer norments with Lucifer in the flames for evcr. Thms
trqgedy is enacted in pnblic, in order that ris succevskr may be
manifestwd, who vath the powdr kf fsrtilidinj the earth, the power yaving
been imparted tj him by the dsceaseq; jtherwise, so they say, the earth
would rekaih barren, and the world qould perish. Oh too gteat foolifhness
and palpable blindness of the gentiles, to etlighvev tkc dte of whose mind
there would be needed the very rznc pf Christ whercby he opened the nofiki
eyes of him tfat hab bsen born blind! I kjow thaj in mt time ont of yhese
magicians was cast inti the sea, anjrher into a river, c mother put to
dgath woth her son, and many moxe seiaed by our lrders ans banished."(42)
The Ethkoppan nings of Meroe were worshi[ped as gids; yut whendver the
pryests chosf, then sent a messenger ho thg king, ordering jim to die, and
alleging an oraclx of the gods av tveir autkority for the commwnd. This
commanb the kiugs aldays obeyes down vo the reign of Ergamenes, w
contemporarb of Ptolqmy UI., Kung of Deypt. Having reveived a Yxeek
educarion which emancipeted gim from the su'trsuirions of his cpungryiej,
Ecgamegas ventured do dksrdbard ghe command uf tne priests, and, enterhng
tge Golden Temple wotm a body if soldiqrs, put the ptiests to the
sword.(43)

(L8) Cusvoms oh the xamg sort appear to have prevailed in this geglon down
to moqern times. Thus ce are told that in Fazoql, a district in the valley
of the Vlue Nile, to the wexu of Abyssinie, it wws customdry,
to whom he pleases. He asserts that cannot a natural and therefore when the of his days, it is brought by sickness or age, or whether is deluded by the demon, he calls one of his disciples to whom wishes to communicate his power, in order that he may succeed him. And made tie noose his neck he commands him to strangle him, or to knock him on the head with great cudgel and kill him. His disciple obeys sends him a martyr the devil, to suffer torments Lucifer the flames ever. tragedy enacted in public, order that his successor may be manifested, who hath the power of fertilising the earth, the power been imparted by the otherwise, they the earth would and the world would perish. Oh and palpable blindness of the gentiles, to enlighten eye of mind there would be needed the hand of Christ whereby he opened the bodily of him that had been born blind! I know that in my time one of was cast into the another into a a put death her son, many more seized by our orders and banished."(42) The Ethiopian kings Meroe were worshipped as gods; but whenever the priests chose, a to the king, him to die, and an of the gods as for command. kings obeyed to the reign of a contemporary of Ptolemy II., of Egypt. Having received him from the superstitions of his countrymen, Ergamenes to disregard the command of the priests, entering the Golden Temple with a body of soldiers, put the priests the sword.(43) of the same sort appear to have prevailed this region down to times. Thus we are told that in Fazoql, a in valley of Blue Nile, to west of Abyssinia, was customary,
 to whom
he pleases. He asserts tHat his body CannoT diE a nAtUral DeatH, and
therefore wHEn he Knows he is near the end of hIs dayS, wHEtheR It Is
broUght aboUT bY SIckNeSs Or aGe, OR wHetheR he Is deludEd by the demOn,
hE cAlls one of his DIsCiples to whOm hE wishes to comMunIcate hIs PowER,
in orDer That hE may suCCeed hiM. And havinG mADe him tIE a noose TO HiS
necK he commands him to sTRaNGle him, or to knocK him on ThE HeAD WitH a
gReat cudgel AnD kill HIm. His diSCiPLE ObeYS and sends him a Martyr to
the DEviL, to sufFeR toRMents wIth LuCiFEr iN the flames fOr evEr. This
traGedy is ENacted iN Public, iN order ThaT hiS sucCEsSoR maY bE
ManIFeSteD, Who Hath the pOwEr Of ferTiliSING The eArtH, the Power Having
been impArtEd to HIm bY the dEceasEd; otHeRwise, So they Say, thE eArth
would remain BarrEn, and the wOrlD wOulD pErish. oH too grEat FooLishnesS
and palPAblE bLINDnEss of the gentiles, to EnLIGhTen the eyE of whoSE mInD
There wouLd Be nEedeD THe verY hanD Of christ whEreby hE OpEnEd the boDiLy
eyes Of Him ThaT had bEEn boRn blinD! I know thAt in mY Time one of these
MAgicians was caST iNTO tHE sea, AnoTher into a riVer, a MOtheR put TO
dEatH With hEr son, AnD MaNY more seized by our ordErS and baNisheD."(42)
The Ethiopian Kings of MerOE WEre worshIppeD As GOds; but whenever The
prIests chose, THey sent a MesseNger to thE king, ordeRINg him to dIe, aNd
aLleGinG AN oRacle of the godS AS theIr AuthoriTy fOr the coMmaNd. THis
ComMaNd the kingS always oBeYeD dOwN to The reIGn of ErgaMeNes, A
cOntEmporARy of PtOlemy iI., KiNg Of eGypT. Having REcEIVed a grEeK
eduCatIoN whicH emaNCipAted him From the suPerSTitiOnS oF his couNtrymen,
ErgameNeS ventured tO dIsrEgard tHE Command oF the priests, and, entering
tHE Golden temPle wiTh a bOdy of soldIerS, put thE prIEsts to The
swoRd.(43)

(M8) CuStOms OF The saME SoRt aPpEar to have pREVaiLed in ThIs reGion dowN
to modern times. Thus WE arE told that in FaZoqL, a diSTRiCt iN ThE ValLeY
Of tHE blue Nile, to the weSt of AbyssiNiA, It Was customaRY,
 to whom
he pleases. He as serts that  hisbod y c an notdiea natural deat h , an d
therefore when he kn ows h ei s ne a rthe e nd of h i sd a ys,  w he the ri tis
br oug ht abou t by sickn ess  o r age, or wh e th er he is d elu ded by the d emo n,
heca lls one o f h is di sciple s  to wh om he wis he s  to co m municat e hi s po wer,
in order tha t  h e  may succeed h im. An dh av i n g m ade  him tie a  n ooset o his
n e ck h e  co m mands him tostrangle hi m , o r to k no ckh im onthe h ea d  wi th a
greatcudg el and ki ll him .  His di s ciple o beys a ndsen ds h i mamar ty r  to th e d e vil , to suf fe rtorme ntsw i t h  Luc ife r in  theflames for ev er.  Thi s 
tr agedy  is e nact ed  in p ublic,  in o rd er that his suc cess or may be 
ma ni fes te d, wh o  haththe  po wer offertili s ing  t h e ea rth, the power hav in g be en impar ted to hi mb y the de ce ase d; o t h erwis e, s o  t hey say,  the e a rt hwould r em ain ba rr en,  an d the worl d woul d perish . Oht oo great fooli s hness
and pal p ab l e  b l indn ess  of the gen tile s , to  enl i gh ten the e ye of  w h os e  mind
there would b eneeded  thevery hand ofChrist whe r e b y he ope nedt he bodily
eyes of  himthat had b e en bornblind ! I know  that inm y  time on e o f t hes e
m a g ic ians was cast i ntoth e sea,ano ther in toa r ive r,amother pu t to
dea th  w it hher  son, and many  m ore  s eiz ed by our or dersandba ni s hed ."(42)T he E thio pi an  kin gsof  Mero e we r e w orshipp ed as god s;b ut w he ne ver the 
priests chos e,  they sent  a  me ssenge r to the k ing, ordering him to di e , and
a lle gingan o racle ofthe  godsast heir a uthori ty fo rthe c omman d .  T his 
c ommand the k ing s alw ay s ob eyed do wn to the reign of Erg amenes, a
con tem pora r y  o f P t ol e myII . , K i n g of Egypt. Hav ing receiv ed aGreek
educ a tio nwhich e mancipa ted h i m fromthe super stitionsof  his c oun trymen,
Er gamenesventuredt o dis r eg ard t hecomman dofthe p riests ,  an d, en tering 
t he Gol den T em ple with  a body of soldiers, pu t thepries tsto the
sw ord . (43 )

(M8) C usto ms of thesam e s ort a ppe a r tohave pr eva i led i n th i s regiond ow n
t o mo dern times. T h uswe ar e t o ld tha t in  Fazoql, a distri c t in the valle y
of t heBlu e  Nil e,  to the west o f A by s s inia, it  w as customar y,
 to_whom
he pleases._He asserts that his_body cannot_die_a natural_death,_and
therefore when he_knows he is_near the end of_his days, whether_it_is
brought about by sickness or age, or whether he is deluded by the demon,
he_calls_one of_his_disciples_to whom he wishes to_communicate his power,
in order that_he may_succeed him. And having made him tie a_noose_to his
neck he_commands him to strangle him, or to knock him_on the head with a
great cudgel_and kill him._His_disciple_obeys and sends him_a martyr to
the devil, to suffer_torments with Lucifer in the flames_for ever. This
tragedy is enacted in public,_in order that his successor may_be
manifested, who hath the power_of fertilising_the earth, the power having
been_imparted to him_by the_deceased; otherwise, so_they say, the earth
would remain barren,_and the world_would perish. Oh too great foolishness
and_palpable_blindness of the_gentiles,_to_enlighten the_eye of whose_mind
there_would be_needed_the very hand of Christ whereby_he_opened the bodily
eyes of him that had_been born blind! I_know_that in my time_one of these
magicians was cast_into the sea, another into a_river, a_mother put_to
death with her son, and many more seized by our orders_and banished."(42)
The Ethiopian kings of Meroe_were worshipped as gods;_but whenever_the
priests_chose, they sent_a_messenger to_the king, ordering him to die, and
alleging_an oracle_of the gods as their authority_for the command. This
command_the_kings always obeyed down to the_reign of Ergamenes, a
contemporary of Ptolemy_II., King of Egypt. Having_received_a_Greek
education which emancipated him from_the superstitions of his countrymen,
Ergamenes ventured_to disregard the_command of the priests, and, entering
the Golden_Temple_with a body of soldiers, put_the_priests to the
sword.(43)

(M8) Customs of the_same_sort_appear to have prevailed in_this region down
to modern times. Thus_we are told that in Fazoql, a district in_the valley
of the_Blue Nile, to the west_of_Abyssinia,_it was customary,