394- 



TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



er, and the enemy were everywhere trodden down and de* 

 ftroyed by the victorious horfe, till night put an end to the, 

 purfuit. 



Melca Christos, in the beginning of the engagement 

 faved himfelf by the fwiftnefs of his horfe ; but 8000 of the 

 mountaineers were ilain upon the fpot, among whom was 

 Bicane, general to Melca Chriftos, an excellent officer both 

 for council and the field, and. feveral- other confiderable 

 perfons, as well inhabitants of Lafta as others, who had ta*. 

 ken that fide from diflike to -the king and his meafures. . 



Next morning the king went out with his fon to fee the 

 field of battle, where the prince Facilidas is faid to have 

 fpoke to this effect: in name of the army : " Thefe mei>, 

 whom you fee flaughtered on the ground, were neither Pa- 

 gans nor Mahometans at whofe death we mould rejoice— 

 they were Ghriftians,- lately your fubjects and your coun- 

 trymen, fome of them your relations. This is not victory 

 which is gained over ourfelves. In killing thefe you drive 

 the fword into your own entrails. How many men have 

 you flaughtered ? How many more have you to kill ? We are 

 become a proverb even among the Pagans and Moors for 

 carrying on this war, and for apoitatizing, as they fay> from 

 the faith of our anceftors."— The king heard this fpeech 

 without reply, and returned manifestly difconfolate to Ban«- 

 caz ; though many times before he had feafled and trium-. 

 phcd for the gaining of a lefler victory. 



* After his arrival at Dancaz, he had a conference witli: 

 the patriarch Alphonfo Mendes, who, in a long fpeech, up- 

 braided him with having deferted the Catholic faith at the 



time; 



