[THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 2S7 



took, o£the fame materials, to build a palace for him at the 

 fouthmoft end of this peninfula, which is called Gorgora. 

 It was with amazement mixed with terror that they faw a 

 houfe rife upon houfe, for fo they call the different floreys. 



Paez here displayed his whole ingenuity, and the extent 

 of his abilities. He alone was architect, mafon, fmith, and 

 carpenter, and with equal dexterity managed all the inftru- 

 ments ufed by each profeflion in the feveral flages of the 

 work. The palace was what we mall call wainfcoted with 

 cedar, divided into Hate-rooms, and private apartments 

 likewife for the queen and nobility of both fexes that form- 

 ed the court, with accommodations and lodgings for guards 

 and fervants. 



As the king had at that time a view to attack the rebels, 

 the Agows and Damots, and to check the inroads of the 

 Oalla into Gojam, he faw with pleafure a work going on 

 that provided the moft commodious refidence where his oc- 

 cupation in all probability was chiefly to lie. His principal 

 aim was to bring into his kingdom a number of Portuguefe 

 troops, which, joined to thofe already there, and the con- 

 verts he propofed to make after embracing the Catholic 

 religion, might enable him to extirpate that rebellious fpi- 

 rit which feemed now univerfally to have taken pofTeiTion 

 of the hearts of his fubjects, and especially of the clergy, of 

 late taught, he did not feem to know how, that mofl dan- 

 gerous privilege of curfing and excommunicating kings. 

 He had not feen in Peter Paez and his fellow-priefts any 

 thing but fubmimon, and a love of monarchy ; their lives 

 and manners were truly apoftolical ; and he never thought, 

 till he came afterwards to be convinced upon proof, that 



L 1 2 the 



