lie gave ine tó join the king. I am a ftratlgef, and liable
to err, whilft, for the fame r'éàfón, I am entitled to all yo u r
protections and fórgiven'nèfs. I am, moreover, the kin g s
firanger, and as fuch, érititled to fométhing more as long as,
I conduit my.felf with propriety to every one. I have never
fpoken a word but in Guebra Màfcal’s praife, and in this I
have done him no more than juftice; his impatience perverted
what I had faid ; but the real truth, as I fpoke it, remains
in the Cars o f the k in g and o f thofe that weie by-
ilauilers, to whom I appeal-
E v e r y thing Went after this in the manner that was to*
be wiflied. Guebra Mafcal and 1 vowed eternal, friendihip to-
èach other, o f which Kefla Yafous profelled himfelf the
guarantee. All this paffed while-1 Was binding up. his head ;
he went again to the king- fo r my own part, tired to-
death, low in fpirits, and cmling the hour that b rought mò to
fuch a country, I almoft regretted I had not died that day in,
the field o f Serbraxos. I w ent to bed, in Ayto Engedan’s tent,,
refufing to go to Ozoro Efther, w ho had fent for me. I could
not help lamenting how well my apprehenfions had been,
verified, that fome o f our companions at lait night’s fuppcr,
fo anxious for the appearance o f morning, ihould never
fee its evening. Four o f them, all youn g men, and Of great
hopes, were then ly ing dead and mangled on the field ; two,
others befides Engedan had been alfo wounded. I had, however,
a found and iefrelhing lleep. I think madnefs would
have been the confequence, i f this neceffaiy refreihment
had failed me ; fuqhwas the horror I had conceived o f my
prefent fituatioh-
On the 2ill, Engedan was conveyed jn a litter to Gondar;
and early in the morning o f that day arrived an ollicer from
Powuffen, together with three or four priefls. He brought
with him twenty or thirty kettle-drums belonging to the
king, with their mules, and as many o f the drummers as
were alive, th e enuud was lliaiii propofals o f peace, as ufual,
and great profefiions o f allegiance to the king. As Powuf-
fen s attack, however, that day, had fomething very perfOn-
al in it, and that the ftory o f Theodorus was founded upon
a fuppolition that the k in g was to be flam on the field o f
Serbraxos, little anfwer was returned, only the red flag was
fent back with a meflage, That perhaps, from the good fortune
that had attended it, Powuflen might yvifli to keep it
for Theodorus his fucceffor, but it was never after feen or
heard of.
G u s h o likewife, and Ayabdar, fent a kind o f embaffy to
inquire after the k in g ’s health and fa fe ty ; they wilhed him,
in terms o f the greateft rcfpeft, not to expofe himfelf in the
fleld as h e had done in the laft battle, or at leaft, i f he chofe
to command his troops in perfon, that he ihouid diftinguifh
himfelf by fome horfe, or drefs, as his predeceffors ufed to
d o ; and they concluded with fevere reflections on Michael,
as not fufficiently attentive to the fafety o f his fovereign,
Gracious meflages were returned to thefe two, and they all
were difmiffed with the ufual prefents o f clothes and
money.
About eleven o clock in the forenoon I received an orv
der from the Ras to attend him, and, as I thought it was
about the affair o f Guebra Mafcal, I went very unwillingly.
I was confirmed in this by feeing him waiting with many
: A a 2 of.