was set on fire. But the soldiers, at their first meeting in the palace *, had shut up the coronation-chamber, and the other royal apartments, and possessed themselves of the kettle-drum, by which all proclamations were made at the gate, driving away, and rudely treating the multitude on every side. At last they brought out the drum, though it was yet night, and made this proclamation: "David, son of our late king Yasous, is our king." The tumult and disorder, nevertheless, still continued; during all which, it was very remarkable, no one ever thought of offering an injury to Oustas.

While these things were passing at Gondar, a violent alarm had seized all the princes upon the mountain of Wechne. They had been treated with severity during Oustas's whole reign. Their revenues had been with-held, or at least not regularly paid, and they had been reduced nearly to perish for want of the necessaries of life. When, therefore, the accounts of Oustas's illness arrived, and that the principal

There seems here some contradiction, which needs explanation. It is said, that the palace was burnt before Oustas went to his tent. How, then, could the soldiers assemble in it afterwards? The palace consists of a number of separate houses at no great distance, but detached from one another, with one room in each. That where the coronation is performed is called Anbasa Bet; another, where the king sits in festivals, is called Zeffan Bet; another is called Werk Sacala, the gold house; another, Gimja Bet, or the Brocade-house, where the wardrobe and the gold stuffs used for presents, or received as such, are laid. Now, we suppose Oustas in any one of these apartments, say Zeffan Bet, which he left to go to his tent, and it was then burnt; still there remained the coronation-house, where the regalia was kept, which the soldiers locked up, that it might not be used to crown Fasil, Oustas's son, whom they thought the seven great men they had murdered conspired to place upon the throne after his father.

people had proposed to name Fasil his son, then their fellow-prisoner, to succeed him, their fears no longer reminded them of the hardships of his father's reign, as they expected utter extirpation as the only measure by which he could provide for his own security. Full of these fears, they agreed, with one consent, to let down from the mountain fifty princes of the greatest hopes, all in the prime of life, and therefore most capable of defending their own right, and securing the lives of those that remained upon the mountain, from the cruel treatment they must obviously expect if they fell into the hand of an usurper or stranger.

The brother of Betwudet Tamerte, who, with the six others, had been murdered before Oustas's tent, was, at this time, guardian of the mountain of Wechne. His brother's death, however, and the unsettled state of government, had so much weakened both his authority and attention, that he either did not choose, or was not able, to prevent the escape of these princes, all flying for their lives, and for the sake of preserving the ancient constitution of their country. And that this, and no other, was their object, appeared the instant the danger was removed; for, as soon as the news, that David was proclaimed at Gondar, arrived at the mountain, all the princes returned of their own accord, excepting Bacuffa, younger brother to the king, who fled to the Galla, and lay concealed among them for a time.

On David's arrival at Gondar, all the old misfortunes seemed to be forgotten. The joy of having the ancient royal line restored, prevailed over those fears which first occasioned the interruption. The prisons were thrown open, and David was crowned the 30th of January 1714, amidst the acclamations of all ranks of people, and every demonstration of festivity and joy.

David was the son of Yasous the Great, by his favourite Ozoro Keduste; and, consequently, half-brother to the parricide Tecla Haimanout. At his coronation he was just twenty-one years of age, and took for his inauguration name Adebar Segued.

In all this time, however, Oustas was alive. Oustas was indeed sick, but still he was king; and yet it is surprising, that David had been now nine days at Gondar, and no injury had been offered to Oustas, nor any escape attempted for him by his friends.

It was the 6th of February, the day before Lent, when the king sent the Abuna Marcus, Itchegue Za Michael, with some of the great officers of state, to interrogate Oustas judicially, for form's sake, as to his title to the crown. The questions proposed were very short and simple-" Who are you? What brought you here?" To these plain interrogatories, Oustas, struggling with death, answered as plainly, and without equivocation, "Tell my king David, that true it is I have made myself king, as much as one can be that is not of the royal family; for I am but a private man, son of a subject, Kasmati Delba Yasous: all I beg of the king is to give me a little time, and let me die with sickness, without putting me to torment or pain."

On the 10th day of February, that is, four days after the interrogation, Oustas died; but whether of a violent or natural death is not known. The historian of his reign, a contemporary writer, says, some reported that he died of an amputation of his leg, by order of the king; others, that he was strangled; but that most people were of opinion that he died of sick

And this I think the most probable; for had the king been earnestly set upon his death, he would not have allowed so much time to pass, after his coronation, before his rival was interrogated; nor was

there any reason to allow him four days after his confession. David's moderation after his death, moreover, seems to render this still more credible; for he ordered his body to be buried in the church of the Nativity, which he had himself built, with all the honours and public ceremonies due to his rank as a nobleman and subject, who had been guilty of no crime; instead of ordering his body to be hewn in pieces, and scattered along the ground without burial, to be eaten by the dogs; the invariable punishment, unless in this one instance, of high treason in this country.

Posterity, regarding his merit more than his title, has, however, still retained his name in the list of kings; and tradition, doing him more justice than history, has ranked him among the best that ever reigned in Abyssinia.

DAVID IV.

From 1714 to 1719.

Convocation of the Clergy-Catholic Priests executedA second Convocation-Clergy insult the King-His severe Punishment-King dies of Poison.

THE moderation of the king, before and after the death of Oustas, and perhaps some favourable appearances now unknown to us, set the monks, constant pryers into futurity, upon prophecying that the reign of this prince would be equal in length to that of his father, Yasous the Great, peaceable, full of justice and moderation, without execution, or effusion of civil blood.

David, immediately upon his accession, appointed Fit-Auraris Agne, Özoro Keduste's brother *, his Betwudet, and Abra Hezekias his master of the household; and was proceeding to fill up the inferior posts of government, when he was interrupted by the clamours of a multitude of monks, demanding a convocation of the clergy.

These assemblies, however often solicited, are never called in the reign of vigorous princes, but by the

* Mistress to Yasous, and mother to David.