THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 275 



at the head of his nobility, paffed the outer court, and came 

 to the paved way before the church. Here he was met by a 

 number of young girls, daughters of the umbares, or fu- 

 premc judges, together with many noble virgins Handing 

 on the right and left of the court. 



Two of the nobleft of thefe held in their hands a crimfon 

 cord of filk, fomewhat thicker than common whip-cord, but 

 of a loofer texture, flretched acrofs from one company to 

 another, as if to fhut up the road by which the king was 

 approaching the church. When this cord was prepared and 

 drawn tight about breaft-high by the girls, the king enter- 

 ed, advancing at a moderate pace, curvetting and Ihewing 

 the management of his horfe. He was flopped by the ten- 

 fion of this ftring, while the damfels on each fide afking 

 who he was, were anfwered, " I am your king, the king of 

 " Ethiopia." To which they replied with one voice, " You 

 " Ihall not pafs ; you are not our king." 



The king then retires fome paces, and then prefents him- 

 felf as to pafs, and the cord is again drawn acrofs his wav 

 by the young women fo as to prevent him, and the qucflion 

 repeated, "Who are you ?" The king anfwered, " 1 am your 

 " king, the king of Ifrael." But the damfels refolved, even 

 on this fecond attack, not to furrender but upon their own 

 terms ; they again anfwer, " You fhall not pafs ; you arc not 

 *' our king." 



The third time, after retiring, the king advances with 

 a pace and air more determined; and the cruel virgins, a- 

 gain prefenting the cord and aiking who he is, he an- 

 iwers, " I am your king, the king of bwn ;" and, drawir^g 



his 



