576 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



turai death is not known. The hiflorian of his reign, a 

 cotemporaiy writer, fays, fome reported that he died of an 

 amputation of his leg by order of the king ; others, that he 

 was ftrangicd ; but that mofl people were of opinion that 

 he died of ficknefs ; and this I think the moll probable, for 

 had the king been earneftly fet upon his death, he would 

 not have allowed fo much time to pafs, after his coronation, 

 before his rival was interrogated ; nor was there any rea- 

 fon to allow him four days after his confeffion. David's mo- 

 deration after the death, moreover, feems to render this ftill 

 inore credible ; for he ordered his body to be buried in the 

 church of the Nativity, which he had himfelf built, with all 

 the honours and public ceremonies due to his rank as a no- 

 bleman and fubje6l, who had been guilty of no crime, in- 

 llead of ordering his body to be hewn in pieces, and Scatter- 

 ed along the ground without burial, to be eat by the dogs ; 

 the invariable punilhment, unlefs in this one inllance, of 

 high-treafon in this country. 



Posterity, regarding his merit more than his title, have, 

 however, kept his name ftill among the lift of kings ; and 

 tradition, doing him more juftice ftill than hiftory, has 

 ranked him among the beft that ever reigned in Abyllinia. 



DAVID 



