THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 467 



and undertake the cure of the king. Pafchal very readily 

 complied with this, upon condition that he fhould be al- 

 lowed to take for his companion a monk of his own Order, 

 friar Anthony ; to which Hagi Ali readily confented, hap- 

 py in being enabled to carry two phyficians to his mailer 

 imiead of one. •;? ~ 



n 



The French conful was foon informed of this treaty with 

 the friar Pafchal • and, having very eafy means to bring Ha- 

 gi Ali to his houfe, he informed him, that neither Pafchal 

 nor Anthony were phyficians, but that he himfelf had a 

 man of his own nation, whofe merit he extolled beyond any 

 thing that had hitherto been faid of Hippocrates or Galen. 

 Hagi Ali very willingly accepted of the condition, and it was 

 agreed that, as Verfeau had not appeared, Brevedent above 

 mentioned fhould attend the phyfician as his fervant. 



This phyfician was Charles Poncet, a Frenchman, fettled 

 in Cairo, who was (as Mr Maillet fays) bred a chymift and 

 apothecary, and, if fo, was neceffarily better fkilled in the 

 effects and nature of medicine than thofe are who call 

 themfelves phyficians, and pradtife in the eaft. Nothing 

 agamft his private character was intimated by the conful 

 at this time ; and, with all deference to better judgment, I 

 mult ftill think, that if Poncet did deferve the epithets of 

 drunkard, liar, babbler, and thief, which Maillet abundant- 

 ly beftows upon him towards the end of this adventure, 

 the conful could not have chofen a more improper perfon 

 as the reprefentative of his mafter, nor a more probable 

 one to make the defign he had *in hand mifcarry ; nor 

 could he, in this cafe, ever vindicate the preventing Pafchal's 

 journey, who mufl have been much fitter for all the em- 



3 N 2 ployments 



