THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 691 



The king, upon this, ordered Alio Fafil to defend him- 

 self ; and things were upon this footing, the affair likely to 

 end in oblivion, though not by forgivennefs. But, a very 

 fliort time after, the prince of Zague's eldell ion came pri- 

 vately to Michael's tent in the night ; and, the next morn- 

 ing, when the judges were in his tent, Michael fent his 

 door-keeper (Hagos) reckoned the braveft and moft fortu- 

 nate in combat of any private man in the army, and to 

 whom he trufted the keeping of his tent- door, to order Alio 

 Fafil to anfwer at the inftance of the prince of Zague, then 

 waiting him in court, Why he had murdered the prince his 

 father ? Faiil was aflonifhed, and refufed to come 5 being a- 

 gain cited in a regular manner by Hagos, he feemed defi- 

 rous to avail himfeif of the king's permiffion to defend 

 himfelf, and call together his friends, Hagos, without gi- 

 ving him time, thruft him through with a lance ; then cut 

 off his head, and carried it to Michael's tent, repeating what 

 paffed, and the reafon of his killing him. 



As a rcfufal in all fucb inflances is rebellion, this had 

 ipaffed according to rule : a party of Tigrans was ordered 

 to plunder his tent; and all the ill-got fpoils which he had 

 gained from the poor inhabitants of Begemder were aban- 

 doned to the foldiers. Fanl's head was given to the prince 

 of Zague, as a reparation for the treaty being violated ; the 

 filver nagareet andfpears were returned ; and, highly as this 

 affair had been carried by Ras Michael, the king never after 

 mentioned a word of it. But this was univerfally allowed 

 to be the firil caufe of their difagreement. 



Mariam Barf. a, feeing no other way to- iave his province 

 from ruin but by bringing the affair to a fliort iffue, re- 



4. S 2 folvcd 



