THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 421 



them, which had been the practice to his time, and had oc- 

 caiioned the death of above fixty of thefe unfortunate prin- 

 ces within the laft hundred, years. 



To mount Wechne he alfo fent his own fon David, and 

 with him all his brothers ; and, fo far from being murder- 

 ed, we lliall find them moftly alive attending an extraordi- 

 nary feftival made for their fakes by Facilidas's grandfon ; 

 an accident fo rare, that it feems Providence had permitted 

 k in favour and vindication of truth and innocence, and to 

 flamp the lie upon the patriarch's fcandalous afperiions. 



The third falfehood is, that Facilidas turned Mahometan, 

 and got doctors from Mocha to inflruct him in the Koran. 

 We have already feen what gave rife to this, if it indeed 

 had any foundation at all ; but it is a well-known fact, thaf r 

 though he governed the church, during a whole reign, 

 mildly and judicioufly, without any mark of bigotry, never 

 were two princes better affected to the Alexandrian church 

 than Facilidas and his fon ; and never were two that had 

 better reafon, having both feen the diforders that other reli- 

 gions had occafioned.. 



We fee throughout all this piece of the patriarchs, a felf- 

 fufficient mind, gratifying itfelf by difgorging its paffion 

 and malice. If Alphonfo Mendes had no regard, as it feems 

 indeed he had not ; if he had no reverence to higher powers, 

 fuch as fcripture had taught him to have ; if he was too 

 enlightened, or too infatuated, to take our Saviour's precepts 

 for his rule, and, fhaking the dull of Abyflinia from his i'ect y 

 remit them to a judge who will, at his own time, fcparate 

 good from evil, (till he mould have had, at leafr, a brotherly 



love 



