264- TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



of their priefts reviling and undervaluing his religion and 

 government. He therefore banifhed them the kingdom ; 

 but, inftead of obeying, they joined the Baharnagafh, then 

 confederated with the Turks and in rebellion againft his 

 fovereign, as we have already mentioned. Sertza Denghel 

 ieems to have fcarcely fet any value upon them after this, 

 and made very little ufe of them during his long reign. 

 Upon the infant Jacob's being put upon the throne they 

 all adhered to him ; and, after Jacob's banifhment, part of 

 them had attached themfelves to Za Denghel, and behaved 

 with great fpirit in the battle of Bartcho. 



Upon Jacob's reftoration they had joined him, and witfi 

 him were defeated at the decifive battle of Lebart, being all 

 united againft Socinios ; fo that, on v;hatever fide they de- 

 clared themfelves, they were conftantly beaten by the cow- 

 ardice of the Abyftinians with whom they were joined. Yet, 

 tho' they had been fo often on the fide that was unfortunate, 

 their particular lofs had been always inconliderable ; becaufe, 

 whatever was the fate of the reft of the army, none of the 

 country troops would ever ftand before them, and they made 

 their retreat from amidft a routed arrny in nearly the fame 

 fafety as if they had been conquerors ; becaufe it was not, 

 for feveral reafons, the intereft of the conquerors to attack 

 them, nor was the experiment ever likely to be an eligible 

 one to the afTailants. 



Socinios followed a condud oppofite to that of Menas. 

 He determined to attach the Portuguefe wholly to himfelf, 

 and to make them depend upon him entirely. For this rcafon 

 he made great advances to their priefts, and fent for Peter 

 Paez to court, where, after the ufual difputes upon the 



4 pope's 



