THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 5% 



when the laft confpirators were feized. Both thefe he fen= 

 Kneed immediately to lofe their eyes. 



These hunting-matches, fo punctually obferved, and io 

 eagerly followed by a man already paft the flower of his 

 youth, had, in their firft appearance, nothing but found po- 

 licy. The king's tide was avowedly a faulty one ; and the 

 many confpiracies that had been formed had fhewn him the 

 nobility were not all of them difpofed to bear his yoke ; 

 nothing then was more political than to keep a confiderable 

 number of them employed in field - exercifes, to be in- 

 formed of their inclinations, and to attach them to his per- 

 fon by favours. At the head of this little, but very active 

 army, he was ready in a moment to fall upon the difafieet- 

 ed, before they could collect ftrength fumcient for refin- 

 ance. Time, however, fhewed this was not entirely the rea- 

 fon of thefe continual intervals of abfence for fo long a time 

 in the Kolia, 



Notwithstanding the misfortune that had befallen the 

 Trench ambaflador, M. du Roule, at Sennaar, in the reign of 

 Yafous I. and Tecla Haimanout his fon, under Baady el 

 Ahmer, there had Hill remained below, in Atbara, fome.of 

 thofe miflionaries who had courage and addrefs enough to 

 attempt the journey into Abyflinia, and they fucceeded in 

 it. Ouftas had probably been privy to their arrival in Ya- 

 fous's time, and had, equally with him, a favourable opinion 

 of the Romiih religion. 



These miflionaries, though Yafous was now dead, were 



perfectly well received by Ouftas ; he had given them in 



charge to Ain Egzie, an old and loyal fervant of Yafous, 



Vox. II, 4 C and 



