THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 31 



and, planting himfelf on a rifing ground, he began to ha- 

 rangue his foldiers with fo much eloquence and force of 

 reafoning, that they who before had only learned to admire 

 their king as a foldier, were obliged to confefs that, as an 

 orator, he as much excelled every man in his ftate, as he 

 did the lowefl man of his kingdom in dignity. He put his 

 foldiers in mind, " that this was not a common expedition, 

 ** like thofe of his predeceflbrs, marching through the coun- 

 •* try for the purpofe of levying their revenue ; that the in- 

 « tention of the prefent war was to avenge the blood of fo 

 ♦* many innocent Chriftians ilain in fecurity and full peace, 

 ** from no provocation but hatred of their religion : that they 

 « were inftruments in the hand of God to revenge the 

 " death of fo many priefts and monks who had been wan- 

 ** tonly offered as facrifices upon their own altars : that 

 «* they were not a common army, but one confederated up- 

 « on oath, having fworn upon the facramcnt, at the pall- 

 « age of the river Hawafli, that they would not return in- 

 « to Abyffinia till they had beat down and ruined the 

 " ftrength of the Mahometans in thofe kingdoms ; fo that 

 « now, when every thing had fucceeded to their wiflies, 

 "■ when every Mahometan army had been defeated as fooa 

 " as it prefented itfclf, and the whole country lay open to 

 ** the chaftifements they pleafed to inflict, to talk of a re- 

 " treat or forbearance was to make a mockery at once of 

 « their oath, and the motive of then- expedition. He fhew- 

 " ed, by invincible reafonings, the great hardfhips and dan- 

 « ger that would attend his retreat through a country al- 

 « ready wailed and unable to maintain his army ; what 

 « an alarm it would occafion in Shoa, to find him return- 

 « ing with an enemy at liis heels, following him to his 

 « very capital ; thai fuch, however, mud be the confe- 



" quence i 



