THE SOURCE OF THE NILE, 331 
“ Qui crediderit et baptizatus fuerit falvus erit,” fays Al- 
varez. “ You fay right, anfwers the king, as to baptifm; 
thefe are the words of our Saviour; but this prefent ce- 
remony was lately invented by a grandfather of mine, in 
favour of fuch as have turned Moors, and are defirous a- 
gain of becoming Chriftians.” 
I suoutp think, in the firft place, this anfwer of the king, 
fhould have let Alvarez fee no baptifm was intended there; 
or, if it was a re-baptifm, it only took place in favour of 
thofe who had turned Moors, and muft therefore have been 
but partial. If this was really the cafe, what had the king, 
queen, and Abuna to do in it? Sure they had neither apof- 
tatized nor was the company of apoftates a very creditable 
fociety for them. 
ArvareEz, to perfuade us this is real baptifm, fays that 
eil was thrown into the pond before he came. He will not 
charge himfelf with having feen this, and it is probably a 
falfehood. But he knew it was an effential in baptifm in 
all the churches in the eaft; fo indeed is falt, which he 
fhould have faid was here ufed likewife: then he would 
have had all the materials of Greek baptifm, and this falt 
might have contributed to cooling the water, that had 
frozen under the rays of a burning fun. 
Atvarez muft have feen, that not only.men and women 
go to be wafhed in the pool, but horfes, cows, mules, and 
a prodigious number of afles. Are thefe baptifed ? I would 
wifh to know the formula the reverend baptift-general ufed 
en their occafion. 
Tt2 THERE 
