THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 245 



in Abyffinia. Nor can it ever be doubted, by any who know 

 the ignorance of thefe brutifh priells, but that the victory, in 

 thefe fcholaftic difputes, would be fairly, eafily, and com- 

 pletely on the fide of the children* 



Mass was then faid according to the ufagebf the church of 

 Rome, which was followed by a fermon (among the firft ever 

 preached in Abyffinia,} but fo far furpaffing, in elegance and 

 purity of diction, any thing yet extant in the learned lan- 

 guage, Geez, that all the hearers began to look upon this as 

 the firft miracle on the part of the preacher. 



Za Denghel was fo taken with it, that, from that inftant, 

 he not only refolved to embrace the Catholic religion, but 

 declared this his refolution to feveral friends, and foon af- 

 ter to Paez himfelf, under an oath of fecrecy that he mould 

 conceal it for a time. This oath, prudently exacted from 

 Peter, was as imprudently rendered ufelefs by the zeal of 

 the king himfelf, who being of too fanguine a difpofition 

 to temporize after he was convinced, published a procla- 

 mation, forbidding the religious obfervation of Saturday, 

 or the Jewiih fabbath, for ever after. He likewife ordered 

 letters to be wrote to the pope Clement VIII. and to Philip 

 III. king of Spain and Portugal, wherein he offered them his 

 friendfhip, whilft he requefled mechanics to ailift, and Je- 

 fuits to inflruct his people. 



These fudden and violent meafures were prefently 

 known ; and every wretch that had, from other caufes, the 

 feeds of rebellion fown in his heart, began now to pretend 

 they were only nourilhed there by a love and attachment 

 to the true religion. 



Many 



