^90 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



tent, as is ufual with officers returning from aft exped^ 

 tion, began to brag of his own deeds, and upbraided Mi- 

 chael, in a ftrain of mockery, that he was old, lame, and im- 

 potent. 



This raillery, though very common on fuch occafions, 

 was not then in feafon ; and the iaft part of the charge a- 

 gainft him was the moft oiFenfive, for there was no man 

 more fond of the fex than Michael was. The Ras, therefore, 

 ordered his attendants to pull Fafil off his horfe, who, feeing 

 that he was fallen into st. fcrape, fled to the king's tent for 

 refuge, with violent complaints againfl Michael. The king 

 undertook to reconcile him to the Ras, and fent the young 

 Armenian, commander of the black horfe, to defire Michael 

 to forgive Alio Fafil. This he abfolutely refufed to do, 

 alledging, that the paffing over Fafil's infolence to himfelf 

 would be of no ufc, as his life was forfeited for the deatfe, 

 ©f th^ pfinee of Zagiie. 



The king renewed his req^ueft by another meffenger ; for 

 the Armenian excufed himfelf from going, by faying bold- 

 ly to the king, That, by the law of all i"iations, the murderer 

 lliould die. To the fceond requcll the king added, that he 

 re^uiriC^V ooLy his fbrgivennefs of his infolenee to him, not 

 sf the death of the prince of Zague, as he would direcEt 

 what fhould be done when the nearcft of kin claimed the 

 fatisfa^5lion of retaliation^ To this Ras Michael fliortly rc- 

 glied, " I am here to do juHice to every one, and wilt 

 do it without any confideration or refpcd of perfons." And 

 it was nov/, for the lirft time, Abylliaia ever faw a king io- 

 licit the hfe of a fubjcd of his o^\n from one of his fervants^,. 

 a»U be nefuXedv 



Ths 



