officers were moftly difaffefted, engaged in private treaties,
and in daily expectation o f peace.
i A v e r y ffiort council was held at the k in g ’s ten t; all
that could be refolved upon had been already fixed the
S a y before, and little had happened fince to ocsafion any
alteration. A ll the young nobility were, as ufual, at Ozoro
Efther’s. It was with infinite pity I heard them thought-
lefsly praying for a warm and fair day to-morrow, the even
ing o f which many o f them were never to fee. ,
B e s i d e s the ftores that Ozoro Either always was provided
with, the k in g had ,fent her two live cattle, wine, brandy,
and hyd romel; and what was a very unufual conde-
fcenfion, the Ras-, immediately after council, came into the
tent, and brought with him a freffi fupply. He' was very
gracious and affable, faid a number o f kind things to everybody,
and aiked me particularly how we drank in England?
I e x p l a i n e d to him as w e ll as I could the nature o f our
toafts, and drinking to the health o f our miftreffes by their
names in bumpers ; that our fo.ldiers toafts on fuch a night
as that, i f the general honoured them as he did us now
with his company, would, be, A fair morning,-and fpeedy
fight o f our enemy. . He comprehended it all very eafily,
and when I faw he did fo, I aiked i f I ffiould give my toaft ?
and he and all the company joining in a loud cry o f approbation,
I filled a horn with wine,: and-ftanding up, for he
had forced us all to be feated, I drank, Long life to the king,
health, happinefs, and viftory, to you,-. Sir, and a fpeedy fight
o f k in g Theodoras. A violent ihout o f applaufe followed.
3 . He
He himfelf (the fobereft o f men) would drink his horn full,
which he did, with many interruptions from immoderate
fits o f laughter ; the horn went quickly round, and I ventured
to prophecy, that, in the thoufand years he is to reign,
Theodoras will never again be fo chearfully toafted.
T h e Ras then turning to m e faid, I wiffi I had 5000 o f your
countrymen, Yagoube, to-morrow, fuch as you are, or fuch
as you have defcribed them. I anfwered. Would you had
one thoufand, and I had twenty lives flaked upon the iilue.
Ay to Engedan upon this got up, and p a lin g acrofs the tent
in a very graceful manner, kiffed the Ras’s hand, faying, Do
not make us think youuirdervalue, or diftraft yourchildren,
by forming fuch a w iffi: Yagoube is one o f us, he is our
-brother, and he ih a l! fee and judge to-morrow, i f we, your
own fo'ns, are not able to light your battle without the aid
o f any foreigners. Tears, on this, came into the old man’s
•eyes, who took Engedan in his arms, and killed him ; then
recommending to us not to fit up late, he withdrew. A great
ideal o f buffoonery followed about toafts, and foon after
•arrived two officers from the king, defiring to know what
was the reafon o f that violent outcry ? by which he meant
the Ihout when we d rank fhe toaft. Ozoro Either anfwered,
We were all turned traitors, and were drinking the health o f
k in g Theodoras. But it was afterwards thought proper to
explain the whole matter before the meffengers went back,
and make them drink the toaft alfo.
T e c l a M a r i a m had not fpoken much, her father having
lent for her at that time to the king. Before ffie departed,
2 begged Ozoro Efther to apologife for me, that I had ab-
fented myfelf, and had not waited upon her in the morn-
V°l. IV. X ing>