THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. Gc)t. 



The king, upon this, ordered Alio Fafil to defend him- 

 felf ; and things were upon this footing, the affair likely to 

 end in oblivion, though not by forgivennefs. But, a very 

 Ihort time after, the prince of Zague's eldefl fon came pri- 

 vately to Michael's tent in the night ; and, the next morn- 

 ing, when the judges were in his tent, Michael fent his 

 door-keeper (Hagos) reckoned the braveft and moft fortu- 

 nate in combat of any private man in the army, and to 

 whom he trufted the keeping of his tent-door, to order Alio 

 Fafil to anfwer at the inftance of the prince of Zague, then 

 waiting him in court. Why he had murdered the prince his 

 father ? Fafil was aftoniflied, and refufed to come : being a- 

 gain cited in a regular manner by Hagos, he feemed defi- 

 rous to avail himfelf of the king's permiflion to defend 

 himfelf, and call together his friends. Hagos, without gi- 

 ving him time, thruft; him through with a lance ; then cut 

 off his head, and carried it to Michael's tent, repeating what 

 palled, and the reafon of his killing him. 



As a re'fufal in all fuch inftances is rebellion, this had 

 palled according to rule : a party of Tigrans was ordered 

 to plunder his tent; and all the ill-got fpoils wliich he had 

 gained from the poor inhabitants of Begemder were aban- 

 -doned to the foldiers. Fafil's head was given to the prince 

 of Zague, as a reparation for the treaty being violated ; the 

 iilver nagareet and fpears were returned ; and, higTily as this 

 affair had been carried by Ras Michael, the king never after 

 mentioned a word of it. But this was univerfal'ly allowed 

 to be the firft caufe ef their difagreement. 



Mariam Bahea, feeing no other way to favc his province 

 ^rom ruin but by bringing tlie afKiir to a Ihort iffue, rc- 



j-S 2 folved 



