THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 207 



were their relations, to introduce them into Menas's tent 

 while fleeping, with a defign to murder him in his bed. 

 While they were preparing to execute their intention, one 

 of them ftumbled over the lamp that was burning, and threw 

 it down. The king awakening, and challenging him with 

 a loud voice, the afTaffin ftruck at him with his knife, but fo 

 feebly, from the fright, that he dropt the weapon upon 

 the king's cloak without hurting him. They fled imme- 

 diately out of the tent, but were taken at Ebenaat the next 

 day, and brought back to the king,who gave orders to the jud- 

 ges to try them : they were both condemned, the one to be 

 thruft through with lances, the other to be Honed to death; 

 after which, both their bodies were thrown to the dogs and 

 to the beafts of the field, as is practiced conftantly in all cafes 

 of high-treafon. 



The fecond year of the reign of Menas was ufhered in. 

 by a confpiracy among the principal men of his court, at 

 the head of which was Ifaac Bahamagafh, an old and 

 tried fervant of his brother Claudius. This officer had 

 been treated ill by Menas in the beginning of his reign; 

 and, knowing the prince's violent and cruel difpofition, he 

 could not perfuade himfelf that he was yet in fafety. 



Menas, to fupprefs this rebellion in its infancy, fent Za» 

 ra Johannes, an old officer, before him, with what forces he 

 could collect in the inftant ; but Ifaac, informed of the bad 

 Hate of that army, and confequently of his own fuperiori- 

 ty, left him no time to flrengthen himfelf, but fell furi- 

 oufly upon him, and, with little refinance, difperfed his ar- 

 my. This lofs did not difcouragc the king ; he had afTem- 

 bled.a very confiderable force, and, defirous Hill to encreafe 



