by Enjoyment, which was recompenced with the Power of disposing, according to her Fancy, Titles, Posts, and Monies; so that she greatly exceeded all her Predecessors in an unbounded Authority. Jeflur was now no longer in a Condition to contrive her Fall, as he had that of Leutinemil. He was too much shock'd at the Sight of his approaching End; for a few Days more were to terminate his Greatness. He employed them in salutary Counsels to his Master in Relation to the Government of his Dominions. Yet he persisted in his Perfidy and Ingratitude towards his best Friends, even till his last Moments, by alienating the King from a Mollak, whom he had often promised to recommend for his Successor. This old Minister died unlamented by all but the King, who being ignorant of his Incapacity and Mismanagement, especially in the last three Years of his Life, shewed a sincere Sorrow for him, and ordered a stately Monument to be erected to his Memory, in the royal Mosque of the Capital of the Kingdom. But when after having declared, that he would admit of no prime Minister, and began to

govern himself, he plainly saw how unworthy Jeflur had been of the great Trust reposed in him, he no longer lamented him; but not to carry his Resentment too far, he only countermanded his Orders for the Monument, and left the Ashes of his ignorant and treacherous Visier, to remain in the obscure Corner where they had been deposited.

The Death of his Minister soon changed the Face of the whole Court. Zeokinizul, who hitherto could not bear the least Application to Business, now regularly shut himself up every Day for some Hours, in order to consult Means to repair the Losses of the Nation, and retrieve its Strength and Character. Now all Remembrance of its many disheartening Miscarriages was soon lost in the Glory of his Conquests. The chief Motive of this War, was to lessen the vast Acquisitions of the Emperor of the Maregins. His Daughter the Queen of Ghinoer, who was an aspiring, lofty, and resolute Princess, in contempt of the many Treaties made to prevent it, insisted that her Sex did not exclude her from inheriting all her Father's Dominions. Besides, an Army of tried Veterans which had served the late Emperor with so much Honour, her heroic Courage, together with her extraordinary Beauty so universally engaged the Hearts of her Subjects, that to a Man they offered to inlist and support her Claim at all Events. Zeokinizul, very well knew, that the Efforts of his whole Power would be requisite to humble such a formidable Enemy; yet, had he not exerted himself

above common Measures, all would have been feeble and insufficient, on Account of the Emptyness of the Treasury, the Decay of Trade, the Scarcity of Men, and the Discontent of the People. To regain the Esteem of the Kofirans, whom his Indolence, and the weak and wicked Ministration of Jeflur had alienated, he caused it to be declared, that he was resolved to head his Army in Person: Surprising Turn, fortunate Instance of the Easiness and Loyalty of his Subjects. All the King's Deviations, though of such bad Consequences, were instantly forgotten. He had now been on the Throne near thirty Years, yet they made this generous Change the Æra of his Inauguration. Not a Murmur was heard, there was no longer any Appearance, at least any Complaint of Distress. Old Noblemen came with Pride from the farthest Provinces, to place their Sons in their Sovereign's Houshold Troops. Farmers freely parted from their lusty Children, though the helpful Companions of their Labours, and a part of their last Farewel, was to fight manfully in the Presence of their King, who so nobly would share in the Danger, for the Honour of the Nation. In fine, Zeokinizul's Amours, which had so greatly disgusted the Kofirans, because they had been disappointed in the Effect they wish'd and expected from them, were indifferent Matters to them, now he manifested a Genius for Glory; instead of Ridicule and Invective about his Irregularities, War was all the Subject of Discourse, and

every one according to the Fertility of his Invention, laid magnificent Schemes to raise their King to an unparallell'd Glory. This general Complacency and Zeal were duly reported to the King, who was not wanting to encourage so good a Disposition; prompted by the Importance of answering their endearing Idea of him, and verifying their Wishes, he shewed himself such as really he was, but hitherto restrained and seduced by his crafty Visier. Yet amidst these mighty Affairs, he was not totally diverted from Love; for it never was held to be incompatible with the Desire of Glory, and he always allotted his Time so properly, that neither of these Passions encroached upon the other. His Fondness for Lenertoula did not slacken his Pursuit of Glory, it rather tended to animate and increase it, she being exorbitantly ambitious, and esteeming her Lover's Laurels her own; upon a Persuasion that her Grandeur would increase with the King's Power; then her Pride could not bear the Thought that the Queen of Ghinoer and her Allies should prescribe Laws to a Prince, whom she would have under no Controul but her own.

The Magazines being at last formed, the Plan for the Campaign determined, and the Troops at the general Rendezvous, Zeokinizul set out for the Army, which was to act against the Bapasis. Never did a saved People shew greater Marks of Gratitude to a brave Father of his Country at his Return from a dangerous War, than were shewn by

the affectionate Kofirans to Zeokinizul, wherever he came. Lenertoula's accompanying him to the Army, seemed not to be minded. The King, the King, was the Cry, and they would see nothing but the King.

This Ardour induced the King unalterably to persevere in his Resolution of committing the Welfare of so loyal a People to none but himself, and during the Remainder of his Reign, whenever he has been advised to ease himself of the Fatigue of Government, by deputing some faithful and able Minister, this has always been his generous Answer, "The Kofirans Love me so as to shed their Blood in my Cause, and they are so dear to me, that I cannot do less in Return than to watch myself over their Welfare." There was not, among all the Generals of the Age, one of more Bravery and Experience than he whom Zeokinizul had appointed to serve under him. Tho' he was a Foreigner, he was not the less belov'd by the Kofirans; for as he was perfectly acquainted with their Customs and Temper, he modell'd his Behaviour accordingly. This great Man was famous for Military Qualifications, only, if so noble an Excess may be term'd a Fault, he was perhaps too brave. But this Intrepidity, which in any other Country would have hindered his Preferment, promoted it among the Kofirans, and raised his Character with that People, who are all Fire and Spirit. His Name was Vameric. He has been reproached with interrupting the Actions of this Campaign, which was not so glorious

as its Opening had promised. It is certain, that this General, to make Zeokinizul more in Love with War, and to animate him by great Successes, had weakened the other Armies, the better to enable that under his Command to perform some signal Exploits, which gave the Enemy an Opportunity to make an unexpected Irruption. A strong Army of the Queen of Ghinoer, forced the Passes of the Nhir, and penetrated into a Province of the Kofirans. This Misfortune stopp'd Zeokinizul in the midst of his rapid Conquests. He chose about twenty eight, or thirty thousand of his best Troops, which he would