THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 129 



mc injuftice if you vvill not believe that I had rather obey 

 your commands than thofe of any general upon earth : 

 But, pray, what is the meaning of the Ras's fpeech to me 

 about both armies wilhing to fight at Serbraxos * ? Where is 

 this Serbraxos ?" — " Why, fays (lie, here, on a hill juft by ; 

 the Begemder people have a prophecy, that one of their go- 

 vernors is to fight a king at Serbraxos, to defeat him, and 

 flay him there : in his place is to fucceed another king, 

 whofe name is Theodorus, and in whofe reign all Abyfli- 

 nia is to be free from war, or from any trouble, ficknefs, or 

 famine ; that the Galla, Shangalla, and Mahometans are all 

 to be dcilroyed, and the empire of Abyflinia to be extended 

 as far as Jerufalem." — " All this deftruction and conquell 

 withou.t v/ar ! That will be curious indeed. I think 1 could 

 wifli to fee this Theodorus," faid I, laughing. " See him 

 you will, replied Ozoro Ellher ; peace, happinefs, and plen- 

 ty will lail all his reign, and a thoufand years afterwards. 

 Enoch and Elias will rife again, and will fight and deftroy 

 Gog and Magog, and all this without any war." — " On 

 which I again faid, that muft be cleverly managed. And 

 now, why does Ras Michael choofe to fight at Serbraxos ? I 

 do not think he is defirous to pay his court to the king 

 Theodorus, or any king brought him by Begemder." — 

 *' Y\^hy, fays flie, all tlic hermits and holy men on our fide, 

 that can prophecy, have allured him he is to beat the re- 

 bels this month at Serbraxos ; and a very holy man, a her- 

 mit from Waldubba, came to him at Gondar, and obliged 

 him to march out againft his will, by telling hun this pro- 

 phecy, which he knows to be true, as the man is not like 

 Vol. IV, R common 



Seibraxos, abbrevution for Serba Chriftos, the Crofs of Chrlfl. 



