394 



TRAVELS TO DISCOYE^R 



er, and the enemy were everywhere trodden down and de*^ 

 llroyed by the victorious horfe, till night put an. end to the 

 purfuit. 



M£LCA Christos, in the beginning of the engagemenr, ^ 

 faved hirafelf by the fwiftnefs of his horfe ; but 8000 of the 

 mountaineers were llain upon tlie fpot, among whom was 

 Bicanc, general to Meica Chriftos, an exqcllent officer both 

 for council and the field, and, feveral other confide-rable 

 perfons, as well inhabitants of Lafta as others, who had ta.-. 

 ken that fide from dillike to the king and his jueafure^. . 



Next morning the king went out with his fon.to fee the ■ 

 field of battle, where the prince Faciiidas is faid-to have 

 fpoke to this effe<^-in name of the army : -"Thefe men, 

 whom you fee flaughtered on the ground, were neither Pa^ 

 gans nor Maliometans at whofe dx^ath we fliould rejoice — 

 they were Chriftians, lately your fubjeds and your coun- 

 trymen, fome of them yoiir> relations. This is not vidory 

 which is gained over ourfelves. In kilhng thefe you drive 

 the fword into your own entrails. How many men have 

 you flaughtered ? Kow many more have you to kill ? We are 

 become a proverb even among the Pagans and Moors for 

 carrying on this war, and for apoilatizing, as they fay, from 

 the faith of our anceftors." — The king heard this fpeech: 

 ■without reply, and returned manifeftly difconfolat€ to Dan-, 

 caz ; though many times before he had feaiied and trium- 

 phed for the gaining of a lelTer vi(5lory. 



' AiFTfiR his arrival at Dancaz, he had a conference with 

 the patriarch Alphonfo Mendes, who, in a long fpeech, up- 

 brai<ltd him with having deferted tli£ Catholic faith at the 



time 



