THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 513 



men wherever I may prefent myf&f. By Frank you mean one 

 of the Romifh religion, to which my nation is as adverfe as 

 yours ; and again, without having ever feen any of my 

 countrymen but myfelf, you have difcovered, from that fpe- 

 cimen, that we are all cowards and effeminate people, like, 

 or inferior to, your boys or women. Look you, Sir, you ne- 

 ver heard that I gave myfelf out as more than an ordinary 

 man in my own country, far lefs to be a pattern of what is 

 excellent in it. I am no foldier, though I know enough of 

 war to fee yours are poor proficients in that trade. But 

 there are foldiers, friends and countrymen of mine, (one 

 prefents himfelf to my mind at this inftant*,) who would not 

 think it an action in his life to vaunt of, that with 500 men 

 he had trampled all yon naked favages into duft. On this 

 Fafil made a feigned laugh, and fcemed rather to take my 

 freedom amifs. It was, doubtlefs, a pallionate and rafli 

 fpeech. As to myfelf, continued I, unfkilled in war as I 

 am, could it be now without further confequence, let me 

 but be armed in my own country-fafhion on horfeback, as 

 I was yelterday, I fhould, without thinking myfelf overmatch- 

 ed, fight the two befl horfemen you fliall choofe from this 

 your army of famous men, who are warriors from their 

 cradle; and if, when the king arrives, you are not returned 

 to your duty, and we meet again, as we did at Limjour, 

 I will pledge myfelf, with his permiflion, to put you in 

 mind of this promife. This did not make things better. 



He repeated the word duty after me, and would have re- 

 plied, but my nofe burft out in a flream of blood ; and, that 

 Vol. III. 3 T inftant, 



* It is with pleafuie I confefs the man then in my mind was my brave friend Sir WiHIaa 

 Erfkint. 



