THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 353 



gofpels before us."— After this, each man fwore perfonal o- 

 bedience, officers, priefts, and monks, according to their fe- 

 veral orders or conditions. 



The prince royal Facilidas, purely and fimply in the 

 form prefcribed, took this oath, without any addition or al- 

 teration. But Ras Sela Chriftos, heated with zeal, after re- 

 peating the formula, drawing his fword in violent paffion, 

 uttered thefe words, " What has paffed let it be paft ; but, 

 from this day forward, he that falls from his duty this (hall 

 he his judge*." 



This hafty fpeech, not well underftood, was thought by 

 fome to refle(5t on thofe he had difcovered to be in the con- 

 federacy with the rebel fon of Gabriel. As the court was 

 full of parties and difcontent, every one applied the threat 

 to himfelf, and all joined in a league to undo Sela Chriftos, 

 who had fo wantonly declared himfelf the leader and cham- 

 pion of perfecution. 



To this oath of obedience to the pope, he likewife added 

 one to the king, and to the prince his fuccelFor, Facilidas, 

 with a ftrange ciaufe, or qualiiication, which made what he 

 faid formerly ftill worfe: — " I likewife fwcar to the prince, 

 as heir of his father in this empire, as long as he Ihall hold 

 favour, and defend the holy Catholic faith ; and if he fhall 

 fail in this, I hereby fwear to be his greateft enemy." This 

 extravagant addition he infiftcd fliould be impofed upon all 

 the officers of ftate, and of the army then at court, and 



Vol. II. Y y therefore 



• It is apparently a fpeech in a paffion, for this Sela Chriftos was one of the mofl learned of 

 the Abjflinians ; yet the words themfelves, if literally trenflated, are fcarcely intelligible. 



