THE SOURCE OF THE NILE, 3s 



and, planting himfelf on a rifmg ground, he began to ha- 

 rangue his foldiers with fo much eloquence and force of 

 reafoning, that they who before had only learned to admire 

 their king as a foldier, were obliged to confefs that, as an 

 orator, he as much excelled every man in his ftate, as he 

 did- the loweft man of his kingdom in dignity. He put his 

 foldiers in mind, " that this was not a common expedition^, 

 " like thofe of his predeceflbrs, marching through the coun- 

 " try for the purpofe of levying their revenue ; that the in- 

 " tention of the prefent war was to avenge the blood of fo 

 " many innocent Chriftians flain in fecurity and full peace, : 

 " from no provocation but hatred of their religion: that they 

 " were inflruments in the hand of God to revenge the 

 " death of fo many priefts and monks who had been wan- 

 " tonly offered as facrifices upon their own altars : that 

 " they were not a common army, but one confederated up- 

 " on oath, having fworn upon the facrament, at the pari- 

 w age of the river Hawafh, that they would not return in- 

 " to Abyffinia till they had beat down and ruined the 

 " ftrength of the Mahometans in thofe kingdoms ; fo that 

 " now, when every thing had fucceeded to their wifhes, 

 w when every Mahometan army had been defeated as foora 

 " as it prefented itfelf, and the whole country lay open to 

 " the chaftifements they pleafed to inflict, to talk of a re- 

 " treat or forbearance was to make a mockery at once of 

 " their oath, and the motive of their expedition. He fhew- 

 " ed, by invincible rc&fonings, the great hardfliips and dan- 



* ger that would attend his retreat through a country aU 

 " ready wafted and unable to maintain his army ; what 

 " an alarm it would occafion in Shoa, to find him return- 

 u ing with an enemy at his heels, following him to his- 



* very capital ; that fuch, however, mult, be the confe- 



w - cruence. ;; 



