THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 5 S 9 



in fupport of their privileges and the freedom of their af- 

 femblies. From the Itchegue's houfe they ran to the Abu- 

 na's, without foliciting or receiving any permiflion from 

 the king; and, upon interrogation, they fucceeded with the 

 Abuna to the height of their withes ; for he anfwered in 

 the precife words of their profeflion — " One God, of the 

 Father alone, united to a body perfectly human, confubftan- 

 tial with ours, and by that union becoming the Mefliah ;" 

 in direct oppofition to what was proclaimed by the king's 

 order at the gate of the palace the day before — Perfect God 

 and perfect man, by the union one Chrift, whofe body is 

 compofed of a precious fubftance, called Babery y not con** 

 fubftantial with ours, or derived from his mother. 



Had they ftopt here it had been well ; but the victory 

 was too great, too unexpected, and complete, to admit of 

 their fitting quietly down without a triumph. They return- 

 ed, therefore, from the Abuna's, frantic with joy, fhouting, 

 and tinging, and more peculiarly one kind of fong, or hal- 

 lelujah, ufed always upon victories obtained over infidels. 

 As they pafTed the door of the king's palace, fome of the 

 officers of the houfehold, Azage Zakery, Azage Tecla Haim- 

 anout, and Badjerund Welleta David, moderate men, lovers 

 of peace, and inclined to no party,, endeavoured to perfuade 

 them to content themfelves with what they had done, to 

 difperfe, and each go to his home, before fome mifchief 

 overtook them. But they were too high-minded. They 

 redoubled their fongs ; and, in this manner, again afTem- 

 bled in the Itchegue's houfe to deliberate on what further 

 they were to attempt ; v/hen one of the monks, a prophet, 

 or dreamer, declared, " That God had opened his eyes, and 

 that he then faw a cherub with a flaming fword guarding 



the 



