76 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



diately founded another in AbylTmia, to repair that lofe 

 which Chriltianity had fuffered in Egypt. 



Being now advanced in Ufc, he would wiUingly have 

 dedicated the remainder of it to thefe purpofes, when he 

 was awakened from his rehgious employments by an a- 

 larm of war. The rebels of Hadea, by changing their 

 chief, had not altered their difpofitions to rebel, and, fee- 

 ing the king given to other purfuits, they began to afTociate 

 and to arm. The governor, whom the king had created 

 after the death of Mihico, gave the king a very late notice 

 of this, which he diircmbled, as he was the queen Helena's 

 father : but having, under pretence of confecrating the 

 church of St Cyriacos, alTembled a fufficient number of 

 men whom he could truil, he made a fudden irruption in^ 

 to the rebel provinces before they had united their forces. 

 The firll that the king met to oppofe him was an officer of 

 the rebel governor of Fatigar, who imagined he was enga- 

 ging only the van of a feparate body of Zara Jacob's troops, 

 not believing him to be yet come up in perfon with fo fmall 

 a number ; But being undeceived, he beftirred himfelf fo 

 courageoufly, that he reached the king's perfon, and broke 

 his lance upon him ; but, in return, received a blow from 

 the lance of the king which threw him to the ground ; at 

 the fight of which his whole party took flight, but were o- 

 vertaken and put to the fword almoft to a man ; nor was 

 the king's lofs confiderable, his number being fo fmall. 



Upon this defeat, Hiradin, the governor's brother, decla- 

 red liis revolt, and advanced to fight the king at the pafiage 

 of the river Plawafli. Zara Jacob, much ofiTended at this 

 frefli delinquency, fen* an officer, called Han Degna, who 



3 found 



