THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 607 



kingdom by your own intentions when you made me 

 Iteghe. 



Whether the king was convinced or not, is not known ; 

 but he, from this time, defifted from his perfecution of Wel- 

 leta Georgis ; and this the queen often told me among 

 feveral anecdotes of that fmgular reign. She was my great 

 patronefs while at Gondar, and from her I received conftant 

 protedlion in the moft difaftrous times. To the credit of 

 the prophet, fhe continued regent full thirty years ; till the 

 folly and ambition of her own family gave her a mailer 

 that put an end to all her influence, except what fhe enjoy- 

 ed from exemplary piety, and the moll extenfive works of 

 charity and mercy. 



The king died after a vigorous reign, and after having 

 cut off the greatefl part of the ancient nobility near Gondar, 

 who were of age to have been concerned in the tranfadions 

 of the laft reigns. This has rendered his memory odious, 

 though it is univerfally confelTed he faved his country from 

 an ariftocratical or democratical ufurpation; both equally un- 

 conllitutional, as they equally llruck at the root of monarchy. 



The queen, with very great prudence, concealed the day 

 of the king's death ; nor did any one, after the lail experi- 

 ment, affect rafhly to believe that his death was real. Thus 

 all were upon their guard againft another refurredlion. In 

 that intei-val, fhe called her brothers from Kuara, and 

 ftrengthened her fon's and her own government, by putting 

 the principal offices of ftate into the hands of perfons attach- 

 ed to her family, fo that, though her fon Yafous was an in- 

 fant, no attempt was at that time made towards any refo- 



5 lution.. 



