514 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



It was, therefore, agreed, in return to Yafoiis's melTage 

 by Ouftas, to anfwer. That, after fo long a reign, and fo 

 much bloodfhed, the king would do well to retire to fome 

 convent for the reft of his life, and atone for the many great 

 iins he had committed ; and that he fhould leave the king* 

 dom in the hands of his fon Tecla Haimanout, as the an- 

 cient king Caleb had refigned his crown into the hands of 

 St Pantaleon in favour of his fon Guebra Mafcal. As it was 

 not very fafe to deliver fuch a melFage to a king fuch as 

 Yafous, it was therefore fent to him by a common foot-fol-^ 

 dier, who could not be an objed; of refentment. 



The king received it at Tchekla Wunze, the ifland iii 

 the lake Tzana, where he was then refiding,. He anfwered: 

 with great fharpnefs, by the fame meflenger, " That he 

 had been long informed who thefe were that had feduced 

 his fon, Tecla Haimanout, at once from his duty to him as 

 his father, and his allegiance as his fovereign ; that thoughi 

 he did not hold ^hem to be equal in fan<ftity to St Pantaleon^, 

 yet, fuch as they were, he propofed immediately to meet 

 them at Gondar, and fettle there his fon's coronation." 



This ironical mellage was perfe(5lly underftood. Thofe- 

 of the court that were with Tecla Haimanout, and the inha- 

 bitants of the capital, met together, and bound themfelves 

 by a folemn oath to live and die with their king Tecla Hai- 

 manout. The feverity of Yafous was well known ; his pro- 

 vocation now was a juft one; and the meafure of vengeance 

 that awaited them, every one concerned knew to be fuch: 

 that there was no alternative but death ox vidory. 



NEITHER: 



