are perfectly ■well-informed as to the great kindnefs he did
all along fliew me, but this was entirely from his goodnefs,
and no m erit o f mine. I never did eat or drink with h im ; it
was an honour I could not have been capable o f afpiring
to. Cuftom has eftabliflied the contrary; and for me, I
faw no pleafure or temptation to tranfgrefs this cuftom,
though it had been in-my option, as it was not. I have, for
the moft part, feen him eat and drink; an honour I enjoyed
in common with his confidential fervants, as being an officer
o f his houfehold. The gold you mention, which f have
feveral times got from the late King and Ras el Feel, I con-
ftantly fpent for his fervice, and for my own honour. But
at prefent I am neither governor o f Ras SB Feel, nor have I
any poft under heaven, nor do I defire it. Yafine, I fup-
pofe, holds his from Ayto Confu his fuperior, who holds it
from the k in g by order o f Ras Michael, but o f this I kn ow
nothing. As for tricks on horfe'back, I know not what you
mean. I have for many years been in eonftant practice -Of
horfemanihip among the Arabs. Mine, too, is a country
o f horfemen ; and I profefs to have attained to a degree not
common, the management both o f ¡the lance and o f firearms;
but I am no buffoon, to fhew tricks. The profeffion
o f arms is my birth-right derived from my ancefiors, and
w ith thefe, at his defire, I have often diverted the king, as
an amufement worthy o f him, and by no means below me.”
« The k in g ! fays he in a violent paffion, and who then
am I ? a flave ! Do you know, with a ftamp o f m y foot I can
order youi to be hewn to pieces in an inftant. YOU are a
Frank, a dog, a liar, and a flave! Why did you tell the
Iteghe that your houfe was nobbed o f 50 ounces o f gold?
Any other k in g -but myfelf would order your eyes to be
4 pulled
pulled out in a moment, and your careafe to be thrown to
the dogs/’
I W h a t he faid ¡was true ; bad kings have moft executioners.
I was not, however, difmayed ; I was in my own
mind, flranger and alone, fuperiof to fuch a beaft upon a
throne. The Iteghé, faid I, is at prefent at Kofeam, and
w ill inform you i f I told her o f any gold that was ftolen from
me, except a gold-mounted knife which the late k in g gave
me at Dingleber the day after the battle o f Limjour, and
which was accidentally left in my houfe, as I had not worn
it fince he went to Tigré.” He fquirted at this moment an
arch o f tpbacco-fpittle towards me, whether on purpofe or
not jl do not know. I felt m y fe lf very much moved; it nar-
r.osyly miflèd me, At this inftapt an old man, o f a noble
appearance, who fat in a corner o f the room next him, got
up, and, in a firm toap» o f voice, faid, “ I can bear this no
long er; we ihall become a proverb, and the hatred o f all
mankind. What have you to do with Yagoube, or w h y did
you lend for him ? he Was favoured by the late king, but
not more than I have feen Greeks o r Armenians in all the
late reigns ; and yet thefe very people confefs, in their own
country, they are not worthy o f being his fervants. He is
a friend, not only to the k in g , but to us all : the whole people
love him. As for myfelf, I never fpoke to him twice
before ; when he might have gone to Tigré with Michael
his friend, he ftaid at Gondar. with us: fo you, o f all
others, have leaft reafon to complain o f h im, fince he has
preferred you to the Ras, jtfao’ you have given him nothing.
As for riding, I wifh Yagoube had juft rode with you as
much as with Tecla Haimanout, and you fpent as much
time with him as your predeceflor did; laft night’s difgrace
V o l. IV. Q ' would