THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 513 



fence, and kept him conftantly with him as a companion. 

 At laft, not knowing how to reward him fuffici entry, Abre- 

 ha defired him to afk any thing in his power to grant, and 

 he would fatisfy him. Abou Thaleb, taking him at his 

 word, wilhed to be provided with a man, that mould bring 

 back forty oxen, the foldiers had ftolen from him. 



Abreha, who expected that the favour he was to afk, was 

 to fpare the Temple, which he had in that cafe refolved in 

 his mind to do, could not conceal his aftonifhment at fo filly 

 a requeft, and he could not help reflifying this to Abou Tha- 

 leb, in a manner that mewed it had lowered him in his ef- 

 teem. Abou Thaleb, fmiling, replied very calmly, If that 

 before you is the Temple of God, as I believe it is, you fhall 

 never deftroy it, if it is his will that it fhould Hand : If it is 

 not the Temple of God, or (which is the fame thing) if he 

 has ordained that you mould deftroy it, I fhall not only aflift 

 you in demolifhing it, but fhall help you in carrying away 

 the laft ftone of it upon my moulders : But as for me, I am 

 a fhepherd, and the care of cattle is my profeflion ; twenty 

 of the oxen which are ftolen are not my own, and I fhall 

 be put in prifon for them to-morrow ; for neither you nor I 

 can believe that this is an affair God will interfere in ; and 

 therefore I apply to you for a foldier who will feek the 

 thief, and bring back my oxen, that my liberty be not ta- 

 ken from me. 



Abreha had now refrefhed his army, and, from regard 

 to his gueft, had not touched the Temple ; when, fays the 

 Arabian author, there appeared, coming from the fea, a 

 flock of birds called Ababil, having faces like lions, and 

 each of them in his claws, holding a fmall ftone like a pea, 



Vol. I. 3 T which 



