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Maffudi, judging the king of Adel was beyond danger, fent 

 a trumpet to the Abyffinian camp, with a challenge to any 

 man of rank in the army to fight him in fmgle combat, 

 under condition that the victory mould be accounted to 

 belong to that army whofe champion was victorious, and 

 that, thereupon, both parties mould withdraw their troops 

 without further bloodfhed. It does not appear whether the 

 conditions were agreed to, but the challenge was accepted 

 ,as foon as offered. Gabriel Andreas the monk, who, in the 

 reign of Naod, had, by the king's order,, loft a part of his 

 tongue for giving it too much licence, offered himfelf firft 

 to the king, befeeching him to truft to him that day, his 

 own honour, and the fortune of the army. The king con- 

 fented without hefitation, with the general applaufe of all 

 the nobility ; for Andreas, though a monk, was a man of 

 great family and diftinction ; the moll learned of the court ; 

 liberal, rich, affable, and remarkable for facetious convert 

 fation ; he was, befides, a good foldier, of tried fkill and va- 

 lour, and, in flrength and activity, furpaffed by no man ia 

 the army.. 



Maffudi was not backward to prefent himfelf ; nor was 

 the combat longer than might be expected from two fuch 

 willing champions. Gabriel Andreas, feeing his opportuni- 

 ty, with a two-handed fword ftruck Maffudi between the 

 lower part of the neck and the moulder, fo violently, that 

 he nearly divided his body into two, and felled him dead to 

 the ground. He then cut his head off, and threw it at the 

 king's feet, faying, " There is the Goliah of the Infidels.'* 



This exprefiion became inftantly the word of battle, orfig- 

 nal to charge, The king, at the head of his troops, rallied. 



$ upon 



