var 



THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 331 



" Qui crediderit et baptizatus f uerit falvus erit," fays Al- 

 „rez. " You fay right, anfwers the king, as to baptifm; 

 thcfe are the words of our Saviour ; but this prefent ce- 

 remony was lately invented by a grandfather of mine, in 

 favour of fuch as have turned Moors, and are defirous a- 

 gain of becoming Chriftians." 



I should think, in the firft place, this anfwer of the king, 

 fhoukl have let Alvarez fee no baptifm was intended there; 

 or, if it was a re-baptifm, it only took place in favour of 

 th'ofe who had turned Moors, and muft therefore have been 

 but partial. If this was really the cafe, what had the king, 

 queen, and Abuna to do in it ? Sure they had neither apof- 

 tatized nor was die company of apoftates a very creditable 

 fociety for them. 



Alvarez, to perfuade tis this is real baptifm, fays that 

 oil was thrown into the pond before he came. He will not 

 charge himfelf with having feen this, and it is probably a 

 falfehood. But he knew it was an effential in baptifm in 

 all the churches in the eaft ; fo indeed is fait, which he 

 mould have faid was here ufed likewife : then he would 

 have had all the materials of Greek baptifm, and this fait 

 might have contributed to cooling the water, that had 

 frozen under the rays of a burning fun. 



» 



Alvarez muft have feen, that not only men and women 

 go to be wafhed in the pool, but horfes, cows, mules, and 

 a prodigious number of afles. Are thefe baptiied ? I would 

 wifh to know the formula the reverend baptift- general ufed 

 on their occafion. 



T t 2 There 



