THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 513
men wherever I may prefent myf&f. By Frank you mean one of the Romifh religion, to which my nation is as adverfe as yours ; and again, without having ever feen any of my countrymen but myfelf, you have difcovered, from that fpe- cimen, that we are all cowards and effeminate people, like, or inferior to, your boys or women. Look you, Sir, you ne- ver heard that I gave myfelf out as more than an ordinary man in my own country, far lefs to be a pattern of what is excellent in it. I am no foldier, though I know enough of war to fee yours are poor proficients in that trade. But there are foldiers, friends and countrymen of mine, (one prefents himfelf to my mind at this inftant*,) who would not think it an action in his life to vaunt of, that with 500 men he had trampled all yon naked favages into duft. On this Fafil made a feigned laugh, and fcemed rather to take my freedom amifs. It was, doubtlefs, a pallionate and rafli fpeech. As to myfelf, continued I, unfkilled in war as I am, could it be now without further confequence, let me but be armed in my own country-fafhion on horfeback, as I was yelterday, I fhould, without thinking myfelf overmatch- ed, fight the two befl horfemen you fliall choofe from this your army of famous men, who are warriors from their cradle; and if, when the king arrives, you are not returned to your duty, and we meet again, as we did at Limjour, I will pledge myfelf, with his permiflion, to put you in mind of this promife. This did not make things better.
He repeated the word duty after me, and would have re- plied, but my nofe burft out in a flream of blood ; and, that Vol. III. 3 T inftant,
- It is with pleafuie I confefs the man then in my mind was my brave friend Sir WiHIaa
Erfkint.
