THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 421 



them, which had been the pradice to his time,, and had oc- 

 cafioned the death of above fixty of thefe unfortunate prin- 

 ces within the laft hundred years. 



To mount Wechne he alfo fent his own- fon David, and 

 with him all liis brothers ; and, fo far from being murder- 

 ed, we fhall find them moftly alive attending an extraordi- 

 nary feftival made for their fakes by Facilidas's grandfon ; 

 an accident, fo rare, that it feems Providence had permitted. 

 k in favour and vindication of truth and innocence, and to 

 ilamp the lie upon the patriarch's fcandalous afperfions. 



Th e third falfehood is, that Facilidas turned Mahometan,, 

 and got doctors from Mocha to inftrudt him in the Koran. 

 We have already fecn what gave rife to this, if it indeed 

 had any foundation at all ; but it is a well-known fadt^ that, 

 though he governed the church, during a whole reign, 

 mildly and judicioully, without any mark of bigotry, never 

 were two princes better affected to the Alexandrian church 

 than Facilidas and his fon ; and never were two that had' 

 better reafon, having both feen the diforders that other reli- 

 gions had occafioncd. 



We fee throughout all this piece ofthe patriarchs, a felf- 

 fufficient mind, gratifying itfelf by difgorging its paffion 

 and malice. If Alphonfo Mendes had no regard, as it feems 

 indeed he had not ; if he had no reverence to higher powers,., 

 fuch as fcripture had taught, him to have ; if he was too* 

 enlightened, or too infatuated, to take our Saviour's. precepts 

 for his rule, and, lliaking the duft of Abyirmiairom his feet,, 

 semit them to a Judge who will, at his own time, ieparate 

 ^ood from evil, ftill he fliould h^ve.had, at leall, a brotherly 



love 



