THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 507 



Frumentius (the apoftle of the AbyfQnians) came firft into 

 that country, a queen reigned, which is an abfolute contra- 

 diction to what we have already ftated, and would feem to 

 favour the ftory of queen Candace. To this I anfwer, 

 That though it be true that all women are excluded from 

 the Abyffinian throne, yet it is as true that there is a law, 

 or cuftom, as flri6tly obferved as the other, that the queen 

 upon whofe head the king mail have put the crown in his 

 life-time, it matters not whether it be her hufband or fon, 

 or any other relation, that woman is regent of the king- 

 dom, and guardian of every minor king, as long as me 

 fhall live. Suppofmg, therefore, a queen to be crowned by 

 her hufband, which hufband mould die and leave a fon, 

 all the brothers and uncles of that fon would be banifhed, 

 and confined prifoners to the mountain, and the queen 

 would have the care of the kingdom, and of the king, du- 

 ring his minority. If her fon, moreover, was to die, and a 

 minor fucceed who was a collateral, or no relation to her, 

 brought, perhaps, from the mountain, flie would (till be re- 

 gent ; nor does her office ceafe but by the king's coming of 

 age, whofe education, cloathing, and maintenance, fhe, in 

 the mean time, abfolutely directs, according to her own 

 will ; nor can there be another regent during her life-time. 

 This regent, for life, is called Itegbe ; and this was probably 

 the fituation of the kingdom at the time we mention, as hi- 

 ftory informs us the king was then a minor, and conse- 

 quently his education, as well as the government of his 

 kingdom and houfehold, were, as they appear to have been, 

 in the queen, or Itegbe' s hands ; of this office I fhall fpeak 

 more in its proper place. 



: 3 2 Meropiu? 



