THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 121 



ately proclaimed, and brought from the mountain of Ge- 

 ihen. 



Although Naod was in the prime of Hfe, and vigorous 

 both in body and mind, yet fuch were the circumftances of 

 the kingdom at his acceflion, that it feemed a talk too ar- 

 duous for any one man. The continual intrigues of the 

 emprefs, the quantity of Mahometan gold which was cir- 

 culating on every occafion throughout the court, the little 

 fuccefs the army had in Adel, as alfo the treachery of Za 

 Saluce, and the untimely end of the young prince, who 

 feemed to promife a remedy to the misfortunes, hadfodif- 

 united the principal people in the government, that there 

 did not fcem a fufTicient number of men worthy of truft to 

 allifl the king with their councils, or fill, with any degree 

 of dignity, the places that were vacant. 



Naod was no fooner feated on the throne than he pu- 

 blilhed a very general and comprehenfive amnefly. By pro- 

 clamation he declared, " That any perfon who fhould up- 

 " braid another with being a party in the misfortunes of 

 " pall times, or fay that he had been privy to this or to that 

 " confpiracy, or had been a favourite of the emprefs, or a 

 *' partizan of Za Saluce, or had received bribes from the 

 " Moors, Ihould, without delay, be put to death." This 

 proclamation had the very bell effe(5l, as it quieted he mind 

 of every guilty perfon when he faw the king, from wlunn 

 he feared an inquiry, cutting off all pollible means by 

 which it could be procured againll him. Andreas a monk, 

 a man of quality, and of very great confequence in that 

 country, a relation of the king by his mother, having af- 

 fedted to talk lightly of the proclamation, the king fent for 



Vol, II, Q^ 3 him. 



