THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. ^39 



Yasous the Great, after a long and glorious reign, had 

 been murdered by his fon Tecla Haimanout. Two years 

 after, this parricide fell in the fame manner* The affamna- 

 tion of two princes, fo nearly related, and in fo fhort a time, 

 had involved, from different motives, the greatefl part of 

 the noble families of the kingdom, either in the crime it- 

 felf, or in the fufpicion of aiding and abetting it. 



Upon the death of Tecla Haimanout, Tifilis, or Theophi*- 

 lus, brother of Yafous, had been brought from the moun- 

 tain, and placed on the throne as fucceflbr to his nephew ; 

 this prince was fcarcely crowned when he made fome very 

 fevere examples of the murderers of his brother, and he 

 feemed privately taking informations that would have 

 reached the whole of them, had not death put an end to 

 his inquiries and to his juflice. 



The family of king Yafous was very numerous on the 

 mountain. It was the favourite flore whence both the fol- 

 xliery and the citizens chofe to bring their princes. There 

 were, at the very inflant, many of his fons princes of 

 great hopes and of proper ages. Nothing then was more 

 probable than that the prince, now to fucceed, would be of 

 that family, and, as fuch, interefled in purfuing the fame 

 meafures of vengeance on the murderers of his father and 

 of his brother as the late king Theophilus had done ; and 

 how far, or to whom this might extend, was neither certain 

 nor fafe to trull to. 



The time was now paft when the nobles vied with each 

 other who mould be the firft to ileal away privately, or go 

 with open force, to take the new king from the mountain^ 



.3 Y 2 < and 



