THE SOUUCE OT THE NILE. 5?^ 



in fupport of their privileges and the freedom of their af-i 

 ffembUes. From the Itcheguc's houfe they ran to the Abu^. 

 na's, without fohciting or receiving any permilTion from 

 the king; and, upon interrogation, they fucceeded with the 

 Abuna to the height of theirwiflies ; for he anfwered ia 

 the precife words of their profeflion — ^" One God, of the 

 Father alone, united to a body perfe6tly human, confubftan^ 

 tial with ours, and by that union becoming the Meffiah ;" 

 in diredl oppofition to what was proclaimed by the king's 

 order at the gate of the palace the day bcfor^^ — PerfeA God 

 and perfect man, by the union one Ghrift, whofe body is 

 compofed of a precious fubftance, called Babery, not conJ 

 fubilantial with 'Ours, or derived from his mother. 



Had they ftopt here it had been well ; but the vidlory 

 was too great, too unexpected, and complete, to admit of 

 their fitting quietly down without a triumph. They return- 

 ed, therefore, from the Abuna's, frantic with joy, Ihoutingj 

 and finging, and more peculiarly one kind of fong, or hal- 

 lelujah, ufed always upon vicStories obtained over infi'dels. 

 As they pafTed the door of-the king's palace, fome of -the 

 ofEcers of thehoufehold, Azage Zakery, Azage Tecla Haim- 

 anout, and Badjerund Welleta David, .moderate -men, lovers 

 of peace, and inclined to no party, endeavoured to perfuada 

 them to content themfelves with what they had done, tD 

 difperfe, and each go to his home, before fome mifchief 

 overtook- them. But they were too high-minded. The^ 

 redoubled their fongs ; and, in this manner, again aliem- 

 bled in the Itchegue's houfe to deliberate on what further 

 they were to attempt ; when one of the monks, a. prophet; 

 or dreamer, declared, " That God had opened his eyes, andr 

 tbiat he thea faw a cherub with a flaming fword guarding^ 



the 



