THE S O URCE OF T H E N IX E. 501 



in languages, negociations, and treaties, accompanied with, 

 proper dragomans and officers, was to be fent to Abyilinia 

 to cement a perpetual friendfhip and commerce between 

 two nations that had not a national article to exchange with 

 each other, nor way to communicate by fea or land. The 

 minifter, who mull have known this, very wifely, at giving 

 his fiat, pitched upon the conful M. de Maillet to be the 

 amabaflador, as a man who was acquainted with the cauies 

 of Poncet's failure, and, by following an oppofite courfe, 

 could bring this embaiTy to a happy conclufion for both 

 nations. 



Maillet confidered himfelf as a general whofe buiinefs 

 was to direct and not to execute. A tedious and trouble- 

 some journey through dangerous deferts was out of the 

 fphere of his clofet, beyond the limits of which he did not 

 choofe to go. Beyond the limits of this, all was defert to 

 him. He excufed himfelf from the embaiTy, but gave in a 

 memorial to ferve as a rule for the conduct of his fucceflbr 

 in the nomination in a country he had never feen; but this ? 

 being afterwards adopted as a well- confidered regulation^ 

 proved one of the principal caufes of the mifcarriage and; 

 tragedy that followed.. 



M. Noir du Roule, vice-conful at Damiata, was pitched 

 upon as the ambafiador to go to Abyilinia. He was a young 

 man of fome merit, had a confiderable degree of ambition, 

 and a moderate fkiil in the common languages fpoken in 

 the eaft, but was abfolutely ignorant of that of the country 

 to which he was going, and, what was worfe, of the cuftoms 

 and prejudices of the nations through which he was topafs,. 

 Like moll of his countrymen, he had a violent predilection 

 a~ for,: 



