THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 385 



After this, Scrca Chriftos ordered proclamation to be 

 made that prince Facihdas was king, at the palace of the 

 governor of Gojam, which Sela Chriftos had built near 

 the convent of Collela. As one article of it was the abo- 

 lifliing the Roman faith, the fathers ran precipitately into 

 the convent, and fhut the doors upon themfelves, fearing 

 they Ihould be infulted by the army of fchifmatics : but a 

 number of the Portuguefe, who lived in the neighbourhood, 

 being brought into the church with them, and there ha- 

 ving been loop-holes made in the walls, and abundance of 

 fire-arms left there in depofit by Sela Chriftos, the rebel go- 

 vernor did not choofe to attempt any thing againft them at 

 that time. On the contrary, he fent them word that he 

 was in his heart a Roman Catholic, and only, for the pre- 

 fent, obliged to diiTemblc ; but he would protect them to 

 the utmoft, defzring them to fend him the fire-arms left 

 there by Sela Chriftos, which they abfolutely refufed to do. 



Serca Chrtstos, apprehending that his army (ifnotadt- 

 ing under fome chief of the royal family) would forfake 

 him on the firft appearance of the prince, had recourfc to a 

 child of the blood-royal, then living in obfcurity among his 

 female relations, and this infant he made king, in hopes, 

 if he fucceeded, to govern during his minority. There were 

 many who expedted the prince would reconcile him to the 

 king, efpecially as he had yet preferved a lliadow of refpe(5t 

 for the Jefuits, and this he imagined was one caufe why 

 the fchifmatics had not joined him in the numbers necef- 

 fary. In order to fliew them that he defigned no reconcili- 

 ation with the king, and to inake fuch agreement impofli- 

 ble, he adopted the fame facrilegious example that had fo 

 ill fucceeded with Tecla Georgis. 



Vol. II. 3 C . Za 



