Page:Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile - In the Years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772, and 1773 volume 3.djvu/439

 THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 415

others, had nothing to lofe but Netcho's old cloak and the carpet. His fears, however, made him think otherwife, nor could he banifli his appreheniions of the crooked knives, and, what he called, the operation. Netcho having ordered- and converfed with his men in his own language, which I did not underftand, faid after, with great compofure and firm tone of voice, That he had come to lodge in the market-place of Dara that night, and would not be put out of his quarters by boys of the character of Mehedin and Confu ; that, in his prefent circumftances, with the few troops he had, he did not feek to fight, but even with this force, fuch as it was, if attacked, he would not decline it. — Whatever country, or whatever diflance of time and place heroes live at, their hearts are always in unifon, and fpeak the fame language on fimilar and great occafions. There old Netcho, without having ever heard of Shakefpeare, repeated the very words that, 300 years ago, our great king Henry V. did before the battle of Agincourt :—

The fum of all my anfwer is but this, We would not feek a battle as we are; Yet, as we are, we fay we will not fhun it.

So tell your mailer-

Shakespeare..

We had not advanced but a few paces, before two of the- town came to us ; the noife of our approach had been heard, and all the dogs had been barking for half an hour. Soon after, arrived a fon of Negade Ras Mahomet, who af~ fured us all was in peace; that they had been expecting us and Ayto Adigo with us; that he heard nothing of Guebra Mehedin, only that he had retreated with great precipitation

homewards