u. Knights of St. Anthony in -Ethiopia,

After the Death of St. Anthony the Hermite, whody’d about the Tear 357. many of his Difciples re*maining near JEthiopia, follow’d his Example and Man-ner of Life, and their Succeffors liv’d in great Aufte-rity and Solitarinefs in the Defart (therefore call’d An-chorites) till the Year 370. when ’tis faid John, Empe-ror of ^Ethiopia, erected them into a Religious Order ofKnighthood, under the Title and Protection of St. An-thony, Patron of his Empire, and bellow’d upon themgreat Privileges; and being thus inftituted, they re-ceiv’d St. Bajil’s Rule, and cohabited in Monalteries.Their Habit is black, with a blue Crofs Tau. Theirchief Seat is in the ijle of Tvieroe ; but in other Parts ofJEthiopia they have great Numbers of Convents, and nolefs than 2000000 of annual Revenue. The eldeft Sonsof Nobles and Gentlemen cannot be admitted, but thefecond Sons may ; and if a Man (except a Phyfician)have three Sons, he is bound to affign one of them tobe of this Order. Their Vow is to obferve conjugalChaftity ; to die in Defence of the Chriftian Faith ;to guard the Empire; to obey their Laws and theirSuperiors ; and to go to War when and whereloevercommanded: Moreover, they take an Oath not tofight in Wars between Chriftians, nor receive HolyOrders, or marry without Licenfe. They are of twoSorts: One employ’d in the Wars, the other who be-ing Old are exempted from Military Services, and re-tire themfelves under the Title and Profeffion ofMonks, to the Abbies where they firft took their Ha-bit ; before which they rnufl: forve three Tears again ftthe Arabian Pyrates about the Red Sea , three Tears againftthe T urkj, and three againft the Moors upon the Bor-ders of Borneo. When they come to be admitted intotheir Abbey, they are introduced in their MilitaryHabit, of which being difrob’d, the Religious one isPut on, viz. a black Gown reaching down to theGround, lined with blue, having a blue Crols fix’d tothe Breaft, and over that a black Cowle; they arcafterwards led to the Church, and there make their

Profeffion.