THESOURCEOFTHENILE. 49 



The three children of the kmg of Ad^el, and his brother, 

 who had all been in the engagement, feeing the great in- 

 feriority of their troops, and terrified at the approaching 

 fate of their country, loading themfelves with the mod va- 

 luable of their eifedts, (which, in token of humility, they 

 carried upon their heads, fhouldcrs, and in their hands,) came 

 with thefe prefents before the king, who was fitting armed at 

 the door of his tent, and, without further apology, or aifu'- 

 rance given, threw themfelves, as is tlie cuilom of ALyf- 

 finia, at his feet, with their foreheads in the duft, intrcat- 

 ing pardon for what had hitherto been done amifs ; fubmit- 

 ing to him as his fubjedts, profeffing their rcadincfs to obey 

 all his commands, provided only that he would proceed no 

 further, nor wafte and dcflroy their country, but fpare what 

 Hill remained, which was, for the moil part, the property of 

 Arabian merchants who had done him no injury. 



But the king fccmcd little difpofcd to credit thefe alTu- 

 rances. He told them plainly, " That they, and all Ethiopia, 

 " knew the time was when they wxre under his dominion, 

 " paid him the fame tribute, and owed him the fame alle- 

 " giance with the refl of his fubjeds ; that neither he, nor 

 *' his predeceflors, at that time, had ever opprcfTed them, 

 *' but returned them prefent for prefent, gold for gold, ap^ 

 " parel for apparel, and dilmilTed them contentedly home 

 " whenever they came to pay their duty to them : That lately, 

 " from fuppofcd weaknefs in him, when he was young in 

 " the beginning of his reign, and encouraged by the great 

 " addition of their brethren, who flocked to them from A- 

 " rabia, they had, without provocation, thrown oif their al- 

 " legiance to him, upbraiding him as a eunuch, fit only to 

 " take care of the women of their feraglio, with many fuch 



Vol. II. G " taunting 



