THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 4^3 



Abyffinian journies, none of rhcm, as far as I know, having 

 ever made one Itep towards that country ; nor is this in- 

 deed to be regretted by the repubhc of letters, becaufe, be- 

 fides a poor ftock of fcholaitic divinity, not one of them 

 that I faw had either learning or abilities to be of ths 

 linallell ufe either in i-eligion or difcovery. 



It was now the mofl brilliant period of the reign of 

 Louis XIV. almoft an Auguftan age, and generally allowed 

 fo, both in France and among foreigners. Men of merit, 

 of all countries and profeiTions, felt the effects of the liberalil 

 ty of this great encouragcr of learning ; public works were 

 undertaken, and executed fuperior to the boafled ones cf 

 Greece or Rome, and a great number and variety of noble e^- 

 vents conflituted a magnificent hiflory of his reign, in a feries 

 of medals. Religion alone had yet afforded no hint for thefe. 

 His conducT: in this matter, inftead of that of a hero, fliewed 

 hmi to be a blind, bloody, mercilefs tyrant, madly throwing 

 down in a moment, with. one hand, what he had, with the af- 

 fiftance of great miniftcrs, been an age in building with the 

 other. The Jcfuits, zealous for the honour of the king, their 

 great protector, thought this a time to ftep in and wipe' away 

 the ftain. With this view they fet upon forwarding a fcheme 

 which might have furnilhed a medal fuperior to all the 

 rcil, had its infcription been, « The Kings of Arabia and Sa. 

 .ba Ihall bring gifts." 



^ Father Fleuriau,, a friend of father de la Chaife, the 

 king's confeffor, was employed to direct the conful of Cairo, 

 that he fhould, in co-operation with the Jcfuits privately' 

 fend a fit perfon into Ab)'flinia, who might infpire the king 

 Qtthu country with a delire of fending an embaffy into 



2. France, 



