186 COMPARISON WITH 



heavy fine imposed. Nor do the Shoans, born and 

 educated in this servile condition, consider such 

 exercises of power as acts of tyranny ; on the con- 

 trary, with loud protestations of their own loyalty, 

 all the neighbours and late friends of the unfortu- 

 nate individual so punished would with one accord 

 ejaculate, " Our good King ! Our good King ! 

 alas ! alas ! to have such an ungrateful servant ! " 

 meaning the dispossessed man of course. 



Samuel's expostulation with the Jews * when they 

 demanded a King, often recurred to me at the 

 various instances of what I at first considered to be 

 undue demands for ploughing, or gathering in the 

 harvest, or building store-houses for the Negoos, 

 which were made upon the people whilst I was in 

 the country, and who, at the bidding of the overseers 

 appointed to see the required work done, were 

 obliged to leave their own business, find their own 

 tools, material, and cattle, to perform whatever w T as 

 required. 



" And Samuel told all the words of the Lord 

 unto the people that asked of him a king. And 

 he said, This will be the manner of the king that 

 shall reign over you : he will take your sons, and 

 appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be 

 his horsemen ; and some shall run before his 

 chariots. And he will appoint him captains over 

 thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set 

 them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, 



* 1 Samuel viii. 10 — 18. 



