THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 2 7? 



gufhcd out fo violently that it could not be ftanched, till 

 the king took the diadem from his head, and with it 

 bound up the wound ; which at that time was looked 

 upon as an omen that Lyfimachus was to be king, and fo 

 it foon after happened. 



The kings of Abyfilnia anciently fat upon a gold throne, 

 which is a large, convenient, oblong, fquare feat, like a fmall 

 bed-dead, covered with Perfian carpets, damafk,and cloth of 

 gold, with, fteps leading up to it. It is ftill richly gilded ; 

 but the many revolutions and wars have much abridged 

 their ancient magnificence. The portable throne was a gold 

 ftool, like that curule ftool or chair ufed by the Romans, 

 which we fee on medals. It was, in the Begemder war, 

 changed to a very beautiful one of the fame form inlaid 

 with gold. Xerxes is faid to have been fpe&ator of a naval 

 fight fitting upon a gold ftool*. 



It is, in Abyffmia, high-treafon to fit upon any feat of 

 the king's ; and he that prefumed to do this would be in- 

 ftantly hewn to pieces, if there was not fome other collater- 

 al proof of his being a madman; The reader will find, in 

 the courfe of my hiftory, a very ridiculous accident on this 

 fubject-, in the king's tent, with Cuangoul, king of the Ber- 

 tuma Galla. 



It is probable that Alexander had heard of this law in 

 Perfia, and difapproved of it ; for one day, it being extreme- 

 ly cold, the king, fitting in his chair before the fire, warm- 

 ing 



* Philoflrat. lib. ii. 



