70 MELAI, A TAT.E. May 1 8, 



the military rtofenicr, which, although the leaft in number, 

 was the moll formidable in power. My peaceful government 

 gave them no opportunity of enriching their rapacity with 

 the fpoils of war, which tliey had fo frequently done under 

 the reign of my father ; and tliey beheld with an indigna- 

 tion which they could not conceal, that it was poflible to pro- 

 teJl by political wifdom, what they imagined could be de- 

 fended only by the fword. My tieacherous vifier perceiving 

 thfir dllcontent, perfuaded them fecretly to petition for 

 war, and to demand at the fame time an addition to their 

 pay. Both of thefe requeOs, by his advice, I refufed ; 

 but fcarcely had I uttered the unforutnate denial, when he 

 ftood forth at their head in his native colours, and fpoke to 

 his fovereign ?n the tone of a rebel- 



I was now forced by necefTity, however reluftant, to try 

 the molt dreadful of all expedients, the uncertain iffue of a 

 civil war. Thofe of my fubjefls who remained faithful, 

 affeiiibled around me in a numerous body, the command of 

 which 1 entrulled to my fon. Twice was he viclorious j 

 but in the third engagement he fell. When his body was 

 brought to me, 1 threw myfelf upon it, and indulged in all 

 the extravagance of grief, till one of his flaves who was 

 the niofl: in his confidence, endeavoured to comfort me by 

 dilcoverjng a circumllance, v/hich added new horrors to my 

 unhappy fituation. He broncht me fome papers, which 

 Ihewcd but too clearly, that El>n MahtJii/J had alienated the 

 aflFeClions of my fon, by reprefenting the dangers to which 

 he was expofed from the influence of Gulmanac over his fa- 

 ther, and that nothing but tlieir difagrecment about 

 the partition of the provinces, had hitherto prevented 

 his open revolt. He had been compelled by hir. own 

 troops to this l.ill engagement, and had fallen by the igno- 

 rance of one of the enemies, in fpite of the caution of his 

 treacherous accomplice, who had exprefsly forbidden his life 

 to be taken. 



If the perfidy of my favourite had wounded me deeply, 

 what mull I have futfered from the fate of my ion, and 

 from the reilection, that his fate was no more than he de.- 

 ferved. I now at laft took up arms myfelf. My people ap- 

 peared tianfporled to fee me at their head. My forces were 



