THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 369 



'faint. He was a fcourge in God's hand, as is famine or the 

 plague, but that does not make either of them a wholefome 

 vifitation."— " What! fays he, Does not God call him his fer- 

 vant ? Does he not fay that he did his bidding about Tyre, 

 and that he gave him Egypt to plunder for his recompence? 

 Was not it by God's command he led his people into capti- 

 vity ? and did not he believe in God, when Shadrach, Me- 

 fhech, and Abednego efcaped from the fiery furnace ? Sure- 

 ly he mutt be a faint."—" I am perfectly fatisfied, faid I, and 

 give my confent to his canonization, rather than either 

 your majefty, or Abba Salama, mould excommunicate me 

 upon the queftion." He now laughed out, and feemed great- 

 ly diverted, and was going to fpeak, when Tecla Mariam, 

 and a number of others, came in. I withdrew to the fide 

 with refpeet, as the fecrctary had a fmall piece of paper in 

 his hand. He ftaid about two minutes with the king, 

 when the room filled, and the levee began. I wifhed Tecla 

 Mariam might not be the worfe for laft night's fitting up. 

 "The better, the better, fays he, much the better. You fee 

 we are becoming all good, day and night we are bufy about 

 religion." — " Are you upon Nebuchadnezzar to-day, friend? 

 faid I ; the king fays to me he is a faint." — " Juft fuch a faint, 

 I fuppofe, fays he, as our Ras Michael, who, 1 believe, is jea- 

 lous of him, for he is going himfelf to decide this difpute 

 immediately. Go to the Alhoa* and you will hear it." 



There was a number of people in the outer court of the 

 king's houfe, crying very tumultuoully for a convocation of 

 the church. At twelve o'clock there was no word of Mi- 



Vol. 111. 3 A chael 



•The largcft court, or outer Tpace, furrounding die king's, l.ojfe. 



