THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 243 



One day, when I was Handing by the king in the palace, 

 lie afked, in difcourfe, " Whether I, too, was not drunk in 

 the quarrel with Guebra Mafcal, before we came to blows?" 

 and, upon my faying that I was perfectly fober, both before 

 and after, becaufe Anthule's red wine was finifhed, and I 

 never willingly drank hydromel, or mead, he afked with a 

 degree of keennefs, " Did you then foberly fay to Guebra 

 Mafcal, that an end of a tallow candle, in a gun in your 

 hand, would do more execution than an iron bullet in his ?" 

 — " Certainly, Sir, I did fo." — "And why did you fay this ?" 

 favs the king dryly enough, and in a manner I had not be- 

 fore obferved. " Becaufe, replied I, it was truth, and a pro- 

 per reproof to a vain man, who, whatever eminence he 

 might have obtained in a country like this, has not know- 

 ledge enough to entitle him to the truft of cleaning a gun 

 in mine." — " O! ho! continued the king; as for his know- 

 ledge I am not fpeaking of that, but about his gun. You 

 will not perfuade me that, with a tallow candle, you can 

 kill a man or a horfe." — " Pardon me, Sir, faid I, bowing 

 very refpeetfully, I will attempt to perfuade you of nothing 

 but what you pleafe to be convinced of: Guebra Mafcal is 

 my equal no more, you are my mafter, and, while I am at 

 your court, under your protection, you are in place of my 

 fovereign, it would be great prefumption in me to argue 

 with you, or lead to a converfatir.-n againft an opinion that 

 you profefs you are already fixed in." — " No, no, fays he, 

 with an air of great kindnefs, by no means, I was only a- 

 fraid you would expofe yourfclf before bad people ; what 

 you fay to me is nothing." — " And what I fay to you, Sir, 

 has always been as fcrupuloufiy true as if I had been fpeak- 

 ing to the king my native fovereign and mafter. Whether 



H h 2 I can 



