THE SOURCE OF THE NTLE. 491 



Ing, he had found one of the king's toes, and part of his 

 foot, not quite covered with earth, from the haite the mur- 

 derers were in when they buried him ; thefe he had put pro- 

 perly out of fight, and conilantly ever after, as he faid, had 

 watched the place in order to hinder the grave from being, 

 dilturbed, or any other perfon being buried there. 



About the beginning of October, Guebra SelafTe, a fer- 

 vant of the king and one of the porters in the palace, came 

 on a meflage to the queen. It was a laconic one, but very 

 eafily underftood. — " Bury your boy, now you have got him ; 

 or, when I come, I will bury him, and fome of his relations 

 with him." Joas, upon this, was privately buried. As this 

 SelafTe was a favourite of mine, who took care of my fhoes 

 when I pulled them off to go into the audience-room, I 

 waited impatiently for this mefTenger's coming to my apart- 

 ment, which he did late in the evening. I was alone, and 

 he advanced fo foftly that I did not at firfl hear or know 

 him ; but, when the door was fhut, he began to give two or 

 three capers ; and, pulling out a very large horn, " Drink ! 

 drink ! G — d d — n ! repeating this two or three times, and 

 brandifhing his horn over his head. SelafTe, faid I, have you 

 loft your fenfes, or are you drunk ? you ufed to be a fobe'r 

 man." — " And fo I am yet, fays he, I have not tafled a mor- 

 fel fince noon ; and, being tired of running about on my 

 affairs, I am now come to you for my f upper, as I am fure 

 you'll not poifon me for my mailer's fake, nor for my own 

 either, and I have now enemies enough in Gondar." — " I 

 then afked, How is the king ?" — " Did not you hear, faid he — ' 

 Drink ! — the king told me to fay this to you that you might 

 know me to be a true meffenger." And an Irifli fervant 

 of mine, opening the door in the inflant, thinking it was 



3 Qj?, I that 



