THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 71 



cow and the ferpent, they were, by the king's orders, feized 

 and brought before himfelf fitting in judgment, with the 

 principal of his clergy, and with his officers of ftate, with 

 whom he afTociated fome ftrangers, lately come from Jeru- 

 falem ; a cuftom which prevails to this day. Thefe crimi- 

 nals were all capitally convicted, and executed. A procla- 

 mation from the king followed, declaring. That any perfon 

 who did not, upon his right hand, carry an amulet, with 

 thefe words, I renounce the devil for Chr'ijl our Lord^ fhould forfeit 

 his perfonal eilate, and be liable to corporal punifliment. 



It has been the cuftom of all Pagan nations to wear 

 amulets upon their arms, and dilTcrcnt parts of their bodies. 

 From the Gentiles this ufagc was probably firft learned by 

 the Jews. Amulets were adopted by the Mahometans, but, 

 till now, not worn in Abyffinia by any Chriftians. 



These executions, which at firft confifted of fcven peo- 

 ple only, began to be repeated in different places, and 

 at different times. The perfon employed as inquifitor, and 

 the manner this examination was made, tended to make it 

 ftill more odious. Amda Sion, the Acab Saat, was the man 

 to whom this perfccution was committed. He was the king's 

 principal confident ; of very auftcre manners : he neither 

 fhavedhis head nor changed his cloaths ; had no conne(5lion 

 with women, nor with any great man in court ; never faw 

 the king but alone, and, when he appeared abroad, was 

 conftantly attended by a number of foldiers, with drums and 

 trumpets, and other equipage, not at all common for a 

 clergyman. He had under him a number of fpies, who 

 brought him intelligence of any fteps taken in idolatry or 

 treafon ; and, after being, as he fuppofed, well informed, he 



V, ii. i. 3 went 



