In the evening o f the 23d, when encamped upon the
Mogetch, came Sanuda, the pferfon who had made Socinios
king, and who had been Ras under him ; he was received
with great marks o f favour, in reward o f the treacherous
part he had adted. H e brought with him prifoners,
Guebra Denghel, the Ras’s fon-in-law, one o f the bell and
moil amiable men in Abyfllnia, but who. had'unfortunate-*
ly embraced the wrong fide o f the queftion ; and with him
Sebaat Laab and Kefla Mariam, both men o f great families
in Tigré. Thefe were, one after the other, thrown violently
on their faces before the king. I was exceedingly dif- .
trefTed for Guebra Denghel ; he prayed the k in g with the
greateft earneftnefs to order him to be put to death before
the door o f his tent, and not delivered to his cruel father-
. in-law. To this the k in g made no anfwer, nor did he
fhew any figns o f pity, but waved his .hand, as a fignuo carry
them to Ras Michael, where they were put in cuflody
and loaded with irons..
A b o u t two hours later came Ay to. Ay lo, fon o f Kaimatr
Eflitè, whom the k in g had named governor o f Begemder ;
he brought with him Chremation brother to Socinios, and
Abba Salama the Acab Saar, who had excommunicated his
father, and been inftrumental in his murder by Fafil. I
had a great curiofity to' fee how they would treat the Acab
Saat, for my head was fu ll o f what I had read in the European
books o f exemption that churchmen had in this
country from the jurifdiftion o f the civil power.
Aylo had made his legs to be tied under the mule’s Belly,
his hands behind his back, and a rope made fail to
them, which a man held in his hand on one fide, while an-
3 pther
other led the halter o f the mule on the other, both o f them
with lances in their hands. Chremation had his hands
bound, but his legs were not tied, nor was there any rope
made fail to his hands by which he was held. While they
were untying Abba Salama, I went into the prefence-chamber,
and flood behind the k in g ’s chair. Very foon after
Aylo’s men brought in their prifoners, and, as is ufual,
threw them down violently with their faces to the ground
their hands being bound behind them, they had a very rude
fall upon their faces.
T h e Acab Saat fofe in a violent paflion, he ilruggled to
get loofe his hands, that he might be free to ufe the a ft o f
denouncing excommunication, which is b y liftin g the right-
hand, and extending the fore-finger ; finding that impoffi-
ble, lie. cried out, Unloofe my hands, or you are all excommunicated.
It was with difficulty he could be prevailed
upon to hear the k in g, who with great compofure;
or rather indifference, faid to him, You are the firft ecclefiaf-
tical officer in my houfehold, you are the third in the
whole kingdom ; but I have not. yet learned you ever had
power to curfe your fovereign, or exhort his fubjedls to
murder him. Y ou are to be tried for this crime by the
judges to-morrow, fo prepare to ihew in your defence, up-
pon what precepts o f Chrift, or his apoftles, or upon what
part o f the general councils, you. found your title to do*
this..
L et my hands be unloofed, cries Salama violently ; I am-
a pr-ieil, a fervant o f God; and they have power, fays David,
to put kings in chains, and nobles in irons. And did not
Samuel h ew k in g A ga g to pieces before the Lord ? I excommunicate