47 S TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



The queen of Saba having made thefelaws irrevocable to 

 all her pofterity, died, after a long reign of forty years, in 

 986 before Chrift, placing her fonMenilek upon the throne, 

 who'fe pofterity, the annals of Abyflinia would teach us to 

 believe, have ever fincc reigned. So far we muft indeed 

 bear witnefs to them, that this is no new doctrine, but has 

 been ftedfaftly and uniformly maintained from their earli- 

 eft account of time; firft,when Jews, then in later days after 

 they had embraced chriftianity. We may further add, that 

 the teftimony of all the neighbouring nations is with them 

 upon this fubjecl, whether they be friends or enemies. They 

 only differ in name of the queen, or in giving her two 

 names. 



This difference, at fuch a diftance of time, mould not 

 break fcores, efpecially as we mall fee that the queens in 

 the prefent day have fometimes three or four names, and 

 all the kings three, whence has arifen a very great con- 

 fufion in their hiftory. And as for her being an Arab, the 

 obje&ion is ftill eafier got over. For all the inhabitants of 

 Arabia Felix, efpecially thofe of the coaft oppofite to Saba, 

 were reputed Abyffms, and their country part of Abyflinia, 

 from the earlieft ages, to the Mahometan conqueft and after. 

 They were her fubjects ; firft, Sabean Pagans like herfelf, 

 then converted (as the tradition fays) to Judaifm, during the 

 time of the building of the temple, and continuing Jews 

 from that time to the year 622 after Chrift, when they 

 became Mahometans. 



I shall therefore now give a lift of their kings of the 

 race of Solomon, defcended from the queen of Saba, whofe 

 device is a lion paffant, proper upon a field gules, and their 



1 motto, 



