lingly than I punish crimes; but I call you all to witness, that I wash my hands before God to-day of all that innocent blood Michael shall shed before he brings about the destruction of his country, which I know in his heart he has been long meditating."

I cannot help mentioning it as an extraordinary circumstance, that at the time I was at Gondar, in the very height of Suhul Michael's tyranny, a man quarrelled with another who was a scribe, and accused him before Michael of having recorded this speech of the king, as I have now stated it, in a history that he had written of Yasous's reign. The book was produced; the passage was found and read; and I certainly expected to have seen it torn to pieces, or hung upon a tree about the author's neck. On the contrary, all the Ras said was, "If what he writes is true, wherein is the man to blame?" And turning with a grin to Tecla Haimanout, one of the judges, he said, "Do you remember? I do believe Yasous did say so." The book was restored to the author, and no more said of the matter, not even an order was given to erase the passage. He had no objection to Yasous and to his whole race being prophets he had only taken a resolution that they should not be kings.

A general silence followed this speech of Yasous, instead of the acclamations of joy usual in such cases. The king then ordered Ras Welled de l'Oul to lead the army on to Gondar, which he did with great pomp and military parade; while the king, who could not forget his forebodings, retired to an island, there to fast some days in consequence of a vow that he had made. This being finished, Yasous returned to Gondar; and, as he was now in perfect peace throughout his kingdom, he began again to decorate the apartments of his palace. A large number of mirrors had

arrived at this time, a present from the Naybe of Masuah, who, after what had happened to his friend Michael, began to feel a little uneasy about the fate of his island.

While Yasous was thus employed, news were sent him from Kasmati Ayo, governor of Begemder, that he had beat the people of Lasta in a pitched battle in their own country. He had forced their strong-holds, dispersed their troops, and received the general sub mission of the province, which had been in rebellion since the time of Hatze Socinios, above 100 years. Immediately after these news, came Ayo himself to parade and throw his unclean trophies of victory before the king, and brought with him many of the principal people of Lasta to take the oaths of allegi ance to the king.

Yasous received the accounts of the success with great pleasure, and still more so the oaths and submissions made to him. He then added Lasta to the province of Begemder, and cloathed Ayo magnificently, as well as all those noblemen that came with him from Lasta. The end of this year was not marked with good fortune like the beginning; a plague of locusts fell upon the country, and consumed every green thing, so that a famine seemed inevitable, because, contrary to their custom, they had attached themselves chiefly to the grain. This plague is not so frequent in Abyssinia as the Jesuits have reported it to be. These good fathers indeed bring the locusts upon the country, that, by their pretended miracles, they may chace them away.

Michael had continued some time in prison, in the custody of Ras Welled de l'Oul. But he was afterwards set at full liberty; and it was now the 17th year of Yasous's reign, when, on the 17th of September 1746, at a great promotion of officers of state,

Michael, by the nomination of the king himself, was restored to his government of Tigre; and, a few days after, he returned to that province. All his ancient friends and troops flocked to him as soon as he appeared, to welcome him upon an event looked upon by all as nearly miraculous. Nor did Michael discourage that idea himself, but gave it to be understood, among his most intimate friends, that a vision had assured him that he was thenceforward under the immediate protection of St Michael the archangel, with whom he was to consult on every emergency.

As soon as he had got a sufficient army together, the first thing he did was to attack Kasmati Woldo, without any provocation whatever; and, after beating him in two battles, he drove him from his province, and forced him to take refuge among the Galla, where, soon after, by employing small presents, he procured him to be murdered; the ordinary fate of those who seek protection among those faithless barbarians.

It will seem extraordinary that the king, who had such recent experience of both; the one distinguished for his duty, the other for his obstinate rebellion ; should yet tamely suffer his old and faithful servant to fall before a man whom in his heart he so much mistrusted. But the truth is, all Michael's danger was past the moment he got free access to the king and queen; though he was deservedly esteemed to be the ablest soldier in Abyssinia of his time, he was infinitely more capable in intrigues, and private negociations at court, than he was in the field; being a pleasant and agreeable speaker in common conversation; a powerful and copious orator in council; his language, whether Amharic or Tigre (but above all the latter), correct and elegant above any man's at court; steady to the measures he adopted, but often appear

ing to give them up easily, and without passion, when he saw, by the circumstances of the times, he could not prevail: though violent in the pursuit of riches, when in his own province, where he spared no means nor man to procure them, no sooner had he come to Gondar than he was lavish of his money in the extreme; and indeed he set no value upon it farther than as it served to corrupt men to his ends.

When he surrendered his treasure at the mountain Samayat, he is said to have divided it into several parcels with his own hand. The greatest share fell to the king, who thought he had got the whole; but the officers who received it, and saw different quantities destined for the Iteghe and Ras Welled de l'Oul, took care to convey them their share, for fear of making powerful enemies. Kasmati Waragna had his part; and even Kasmati Woldo, though Michael soon after plundered and slew him. All Gondar were his friends, because all that capital was bribed on this occasion. It was gold he only lent them, to resume it (as he afterwards did), with great interest, at a proper time.

It still remained in the king's breast to wipe off his defeat at Sennaar, as he had, upon every other occasion, been victorious; and even in this, he still flattered himself he had not been beat in person. He set out again upon another expedition to Atbara; instead of coasting along the Dender, he descended along the Tacazze into Atbara, where, finding no resistance among the Shepherds, he attached himself in particular to the tribe, called Daveina, which, in the former expedition, had joined Welled de l'Oul's army. Upon the first news of his approach they had submitted; but, notwithstanding all promises and pretences of peace, he fell upon them unawares, and almost extir'pated the tribe.

Suhul Michael, while the king was thus occupied in the frontier of his province, did every thing that a faithful, active subject could do. He furnished him constantly with the best intelligence, supplied him with the provisions he wanted, and made, from time to time, strong detachments of troops to reinforce him, and to secure such posts as were most commodious and important in case of a retreat becoming necessary.

Yasous, who had succeeded to his wish, was fully sensible of the value of such services, and sent, there fore, for Michael, commanding his attendance at Gondar. There was no fear, no hesitation now, as be fore, in the affair of Samayat. He decamped upon the first notice, even before the rainy season was over, and arrived at Gondar on August 30, 1747, bringing with him plenty of gold; few soldiers, indeed, but those picked men, and in better order than the king had ever yet seen troops.

It was plain now to every body, that nothing could stop Michael's growing fortune. He alone seemed not sensible of this. He was humbler and less assuming than before. Those, whom he had first bribed, he continued still to bribe, and added as many new friends to that list as he thought could serve him. He pretended to no precedency, or pre-eminence at court, not even such as was due to the rank of his place, but behaved as a stranger that had no fixed abode among them.

One day, dining with Kasmati Geta, the queen's brother, who was governor of Samen, and drinking out of a common glass decanter, called Brulhe, when it is the privilege and custom of the governor of Tigre to use a gold cup, being asked, "Why he did not claim his privilege?" he said, "All the gold he had was in heaven;" alluding to the name of the