THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 467 



and undertake the cure of the king. Palchal very readily- 

 complied with this, upon condition that he Ihould be al- 

 lowed to take for his companion a monk of his own Order, 

 friar Anthony ; to which Hagi Ali readily confented, hap- 

 py in being enabled to carry two phylicians to his maftcr 

 inflead of one. 



The French conful was foon informed of this treaty wdth 

 the friar Pafchal ; and, having very eafy means to bring Ha- 

 gi Ali to his houfe, he informed him, that neither Pafchal 

 nor Anthony were phyficians, biK that he himfelf had a 

 mian of his own nation, whofe merit he extolled beyond any 

 thing that had hitherto been faid of Hippocrates or Galen. 

 Hagi Ali very willingly accepted of the condition, and it was 

 agreed that, as Verfeau had not appeared, Brevcdent above 

 xnentioned fhould attend the phyfician as his fcrvant. 



This phyfician was Charles Poncet, a Frenchman, fettled 

 in Cairo, who was (as Mr Maillet fays) bred a chymill and 

 apothecary, and, if fo, was necellarily better Ikilled in the 

 cfFedls and nature of medicine than thofe are who call 

 themfelves phylicians, and pra6tile in the eaft. Nothing 

 againlt his private chara(5Ver was intimated by the conful 

 at this time; and, with all deference to better judgment, I 

 mull ftill think, that if Poncet did dcferve the epithets of 

 drunkard, liar, babbler, and thief, which Maillet abundat;t- 

 ly bellows upon him towards the end of this adventure, 

 the conful could not have chofen a more improper perion 

 as the rc{)rcfcntative of his mailer, nor a more probable 

 one to make the delign he had in hand mifcarry ; nor 

 could he, in this cafe, ever vindicate the preventing Pafchal's 

 journey, who mull have been much fitter for all t' .c em- 



3 N 2 ployments 



