88 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



The fanatic and ignorant monks, heated with the laft 

 difpute,were fired with rage at the indignity which they fup- 

 pofed was offered to our Saviour. But the king, flruck with 

 the beauty of the picture, and thinking blood enough had 

 been already fhedupon religious fcruples, was refolved to hu- 

 mour the fpirit of perfecution no farther. Some of the ring- 

 leaders of thefe diflurbances privately difappearing, the reft 

 faw the neceflity of returning to their duty ; and the pic- 

 ture was placed on the altar of Atronfa Mariam, and there 

 preferved, notwithflanding the de variation of the country 

 by the Moors under the reigns of David III. and Claudius, 

 till many years afterwards, together with the church, it was 

 deftroyed by an inroad of the Galla. 



In the mean time, the army from Dawaro had entered 

 the kingdom of Adel under Betwudet * Adber Yafous, and, 

 expecting to find the Moors quite unprepared, they had be- 

 gun to wafle every thing with fire and fword. But it was 

 not long before they found the inhabitants of Adel ready 

 to receive them, and perfectly inrtructed of the king's in- 

 tentions, from the moment he left Dawaro, to go to meet 

 his fon in Gojam. Indeed, it could not be otherwife, from 

 the multitude of Moors conflantly in his army, who, though 

 they put on the appearance of loyalty, never ceafed to have 

 a warm heart towards their own religion and countrymen. 

 Advanced parties appeared as foon as the Abyflinian army 

 entered the frontiers ; and thefe were followed by the main 

 body in good order, determined to fight their enemy before 

 they had time to ravage the country. 



A BATTLE 



* Betwudet is an officer that has nearly the fame power as Ras ; there were two of thefe, 

 and both being (lain at one battle, as we {hall fee in the fecjuel, the office grew into difufe as 



unfortunate. 



