THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 199 



of Mafuah and Arkeeko, though thefe places had been oc- 

 cupied by the Turks two years before. 



"When the arrival of thefe Portuguefe was intimated to 

 Claudius, he was exceedingly glad, as he confidered them as 

 an acceflion of ftrength. But when, on opening the letter, 

 he faw they were priefls, he was very much troubled, and 

 faid, that he wondered the king of Portugal fliould meddle 

 fo much with his affairs ; that he and his predeceffors knew 

 no obedience due but to the chair of St Mark, or acknow- 

 ledged any other patriarch but that of Alexandria ; ncver- 

 thelefs, continued he with his ufual goodnefs and moder- 

 ation, fince they are come fo far out of an honefl concern 

 for me, I Ihall not fail to fend proper perfons to receive and 

 condudt them. This he did, and the two bifliops and their 

 companions were immediately brought to court. It was at 

 this time that the difpute about the two natures began, in 

 which the king took fo confiderable a part. He was ftre- 

 nuous, eloquent, and vehement in the difcuffion ; when that 

 was ended, he ftill prefcrvcd his ufual moderation and kind- 

 nefs for the Portuguefe priefts.. 



NuGNEZ died in India, and Oviedo fucceeded him as pa- 

 triarch to Abyflinia, it having been fo appointed by the pope 

 from the beginning of their miflion, 



Clau'Dius had no children ; a treaty was therefore fet on 

 foot, at the inllance of the emprefs Sabel Wenghel, for ran- 

 foming the prince Menas who had been taken prifoner in 

 his father David's time, and ever fmce kept in confine- 

 ment among the Moors, upon a high mountain in Adel. 



The 



