THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 



335 



againft his duty to God and his country. The king and his 

 brother might be right in embracing the Romifli religion, 

 becaufe they were convinced of the truth of it : he had 

 ufed, however, the fame means, and the fame application, 

 had heard the arguments of the fame fathers, which, un- 

 luckily for him, had convinced him their religion was not 

 a true, but a falfe one. For the fame reafons he continued 

 to be an Alexandrian, which his brother alledged had made 

 him a Roman. He, therefore, begged Af Chriftos to confi- 

 der, by a review of things fince David Ill's time, how 

 much blood the change would coft to the kingdom by the 

 attempt, whether it fucceeded or not ; and whether, after 

 that confideration, it was worth trying the experiment." 



This artful and fenfible meiTage, fent by a man of the 

 capacity and experience of Emana Chriftos, eafily convinced 

 Af Chriftos that it was not by argument Emana Chriftos 

 was to be brought to his duty ; but, like a good officer, he 

 kept up correfpondence with him, that he might be mailer 

 of the intelligence to what place he retired. 



Soon after Sela Chriftos had left Gojam to join the 

 king, by forced marches he furrounded Melca Amba, 

 where Emana Chriftos was, and had aflembled a number 

 of troops to defcend into the plain and create a diversion in 

 favour of Julius. The mountain had neither water in it 

 nor food for fuch a number of men, nor had Emana Chrif- 

 tos forces enough to rifk a battle with an officer of the 

 known experience of Af Chriftos, who had chofen the 

 ground at his full leifure, and with complete knowledge 

 of it, 



T ii sus m 



