690 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



tent, as is ufual with officers returning from an expedi- 

 tion, began to brag of his own deeds, and upbraided Mi- 

 chael, in a ftrain of mockery, that he was old, lame, and im^ 



potent. 



This raillery, though very common on fuch occafions, 

 was not then in feafon ; and the laft part of the charge a- 

 gainft him was the moll offenlive, for there was no man 

 more fond of the fex than Michael was. The Ras, therefore, 

 ordered his attendants to pull Fafil off his horfe, who, feeing 

 that he was fallen into a fcrape, fled to the king's tent for 

 refuge, with violent complaints againft Michael. The king 

 undertook to reconcile him to the Ras, and fent the young 

 Armenian, commander of the black horfe, to defire Michael: 

 to forgive Alio Fafil. This he abfolutely refufed to do, 

 alledging, that the palling over Fafil's infolence to himfelf 

 would be of no ufe, as his life was forfeited for the death 

 of the prince of Zague, 



The king renewed his requefl by another meiTenger ; for 

 the Armenian excufed himfelf from going, by faying bold- 

 ly to the king, That, by the law of all nations, the murderer 

 mould die. To the fecond requeil the king added, that he 

 required only his forgivennefs of his infolence to him, not 

 of the death of the prince of Zague, as he would direct 

 what mould be done when the neareft of kin claimed the 

 fatisfaction of retaliation. To this Ras Michael fhortly re- 

 plied, " I am here to do juftice to every one, and will 

 do it without any confideration or refpect of perfons." And 

 it was now, for the firft time, Abyffinia ever faw a king fo- 

 iicit the life of a fubject of his own from one of his fervants,. 

 and be refufed. 



Tub 



