Immediately before this event, Yasous had been as sassinated by his son Tecla Haimanout, who was in stigated to this parricide by the jealousy of the queen. Tecla Haimanout himself shared the same fate in the year 1706, and was succeeded by his uncle Tiflis or Theophilus, whose first care was to discover and execute the murderers of his predecessor. Tigi, one of these assassins, raised an army of Galla, which committed great ravages, but was soon defeated by Theophilus, with a force greatly inferior. Soon after this victory Theophilus was seized with a fever, of which he died in September 1709. After his death, the line of Solomon was a second time set aside, and a stranger, named Ous tas, was raised to the throne. But, though his character rendered him in every respect worthy of the kingdom, the people were so much attached to the ancient race of monarchs, that he was soon deposed, and David, son of Yasous, was crowned at Gondar on the Stith of January 1714.
David, though a rigid Alexandrian, was so provoked by the dissensions of the Abyssinian clergy, that he sent a body of Pagan Galla to a church where they were as sembled, who massacred them without distinction. This wanton act of cruelty rendered the king so odious, that he was carried off by poison in 1717. David was suc ceeded by his brother Bacuffa, who endeavoured to se cure himself, by destroying all the nobility who had any share in former conspiracies. He died in 1729, and was succeeded by his son Yasous Yasous showed an inclination to promote the arts of peace, renounced the diversion of and the ex peditions against the Shangalla, which were usually con ducted with great barbarity. But being reproached for his inactivity, in a satire, Matted, " The Expedition of Yasous the Little," he invaded the kingdom of Sennaar, without the least provocation, and allowed his soldiers to exercise the most dreadful cruelties. tie had not lung returned from this ruinous expedition, when he was obliged again to take the field against Suhul Michael, governor of Tigre. The rebel, unable to cope with his sovereign, in open war, fled to a high mountain for re fuge; but all his posts being taken by storm, excepting one, which musy•ikewise have been carried by the royal army, he requested a capitolation; consigned into the hands of Yasous a great quantity of treasure ; and de scended with a stone upon his head, (indicating, that he had been guilty of a capital crime,) to submit to the clemency of the king. A promise was reluctantly ex
torted from Yasous to spare his life; but, as soon as the rebel appeared in his presence, his indignation return ed, and, retracting his promise, he ordered him to be carried out and executed at his tent door. At the in tercession of all his officers, the king again pardoned him; but with these remarkable words, that he washed his hands of all the blood which should be shed by Mi chael, before he effected the destruction of his country, which he had long been meditating. Michael, alter con tinuing some time in prison, was restored to his govern ment of Tigre; and, by his dutiful behaviour, so gained upon the king, that he was made governor of Enderta and Sire, as well as of Tigre, thus becoming master of one half of Abyssinia. But this increase of power did not tempt him to any new rebellion during the reign of Yasous, who died in June 1753, in the twenty-fourth year of his reign.
Yasous had espoused a princess of the Galla, whose son Joas now succeeded to the throne. Influenced by his mother, the young king showed an almost exclusive preference to the Galla, who, of all people, were most detested by the Abyssinians, both on account of their barbarity, and of the wars which had always subsisted between the two nations. On the accession of Joas, 12u0 Galla horse were sent as the portion of his mother ; and these were followed by a number of private persons, at tracted by curiosity, or the hope of preferment, who were imbodied into a troop of infantry, under the command of Woosheka. Their favourable reception induced •iany others to appear. Two of the king's uncles were sent for, who brought along with them a troop of one thousand horse. These Gallas assumed a sovereign authority over the prince, while his native subjects were to the last degree incensed, at seeing their inveterate enemies thus reigning in the heart of their kingdom. So violent was their resentment, when Joas named his uncle Lubo to the government of Amhara, that, to avoid a civil war, he was obliged to retract the appointment. The whole empire was now divided into two factions ; the one headed by the old queen, mother of Yasous, the other by Joas himself and his Galla relations. Welled de l'Oul, the prime minister, had hitherto restrained, by his prudent conduct, the fury of the opposite parties; but, after his death, a scene of violence and confusion ensued, which continued for many years.