AJ3FSSINIA. 265 



pillaged Yarvar. In 1530 he invaded the province of 

 Tigre and the King fled to Wogora, while in the year 

 1531 the Abyssinian king, still pursued by Mehemet, 

 sustained a third defeat at Dalakas, on the banks of 

 the Nile. 



Negadd-Yasus and many other heads of the nobility 

 perished beneath his eyes, and the brave monk, 

 Andreas, now well advanced in years, sought a 

 glorious death, being resolved not to survive the 

 disasters of his country. 



Other disasters followed, but King David continued 

 an heroic resistance until his death in 1540, the final 

 blow to him being the capture by the Turkish Vizier 

 Mudjid of the whole of his family, who were put to 

 the sword. 



The only one who escaped was his son Claudius, and 

 when he came to the throne the fall of the Abyssinian 

 empire seemed inevitable, especially as famine and 

 pestilence, which generally followed upon a prolonged 

 war in the East, were desolating the country. Clau- 

 dius, who had been very carefully brought up by his 

 mother, Sabel-Venghel, celebrated for her wisdom and 

 courage, had not, of course, much experience, and the 

 Moors thought that they would soon have Abyssinia 

 at their mercy ; but the young sovereign had the good 

 fortune to beat them in several engagements, and 

 finally overthrew the army of Ammer, the principal 

 lieutenant of Mehemet. 



While this favourable change was taking place in 



VOL. II. T 



