The Amours of Zeokinizul, King of the Kofirans | Page 4

elected out of the Troops, and whose Prerogative was limited to Military Affairs. These Chiefs, whose Savageness was rather augmented by the Power with which they were invested, made no Scruple to dispatch a neighbouring Competitor with the Sword or Poison, and their History is full of unnatural Instances, of Brothers stabbing Brothers, Subjects poisoning their Sovereigns to usurp their dangerous Stations.
The Religion of Suesi, which the fifth of their Kings embraced, tho' its Maxims are far from countenancing Ambition and Murder, but entirely adapted to the Welfare of Society; yet have been so perverted by the Depravity of the Faquirs and the Imans, as to be alledged in Vindication of them, and have besides, set on Foot so many Cheats and Errors, that the holy Books, Bileb and Liegnelau in their Purity, as dictated by the divine Spirit to the Legislators, has been treated by them with Contempt, as mutilated and inconsistent. In Defence of their respective Notions, these People have engaged in furious Wars with each other, and out of a Zeal for Religion, have assassinated several of their Kings. The Times seem now more tranquil, and without any Apprehension of such shocking Crimes. Their Faith is very different from what it was, and the lower Sort of People, who alone adhere to the Tenets of Suesi, are entirely recovered from that stupid Obedience formerly paid to the Pepa, who, having made the World believe, that the Keys of Paradise were in his Hands, required an implicit Compliance with his Decrees, and be ready to second any Scheme of his Revenge or Ambition, with their Lives and Fortunes.
The Destruction of the Empire of the Kofirans, seems morally impossible in its present confirm'd State. It has hitherto withstood several violent Shocks from the Kings of Jerebi and Alniob, and the Emperor of the Maregins, who were all its professed Enemies. Especially the King of Alniob, who, taking Advantage of the Frenzy of one of its Sovereigns, made such a Progress, as to wrest the Sceptre out of his Hands; but the great Zokitarezoul, having compelled him to renounce even the very Title, has brought all the others into Subjection so as to acknowledge his Superiority over all the Sovereigns of Africa. It is to this illustrious Monarch, that the Kingdom of the Kofirans owes its unparalleled Riches and Grandeur. His Courage and good Fortune have reduced all his Enemies, his Liberality and Wisdom has established Commerce, his good Sense has civilized it, and his Successors must attribute the ardent Loyalty and Love of the Kofirans towards them, to the Plans and Labours of this Prince for the Happiness and Glory of his Subjects. After having driven from the Throne of Jerebi, a Family which had been an Enemy to his, placing one of his Grandsons on it, he died covered with Glory, and left the Crown to his great Grandson Zeokinizul, who is the particular Hero of this History.
This young Prince being the only Remains of a numerous Royal Family, was the Darling of the great Zokitarezoul, who apprehending that he might fall a Victim to the same untimely Fate which had laid so many of his Descendants in their Graves, was not wanting to secure him by all possible Precautions. Being persuaded, that the People loved him too well to suffer any Infractions of his last Disposals, he made a Will; in which he deprived the Kam of Anserol, his Nephew, whose Ambition he dreaded, of the Regency, in Favour of the Kam of Meani, his natural Son. The Kam of Anserol was highly exasperated at the Injury done him; but being the greatest Politician of his Time, he took Care that nothing should escape him at such a Crisis, which might increase the Suspicions, and consequently the Precautions of his Enemies. It was not till after the Death of Zokitarezoul, that he asserted his Claim. Attended by a Multitude of his Adherents, he went to the Pemenralt, which is a Phantom of the antient States. There feigning to submit his Destiny to the Arbitration of that illustrious Senate, he set forth, and urged his Claim with such a persuasive Eloquence, that the whole Assembly unanimously annulled a Will, which deprived him of an Honour that was his incontestable Right, and of a Trust for which he was unexceptionably qualified. This so enraged his Enemies, that they forged the vilest Scandals, in order to render him odious. They gave out, that after having poisoned the chief Persons of the royal Blood, his chief Aim was to take off his Pupil. Under pretence of such an Apprehension, they proposed that the Lady of the Bassa of Ourtavan should take care of the King, and taste of every kind of Food which was brought to his Table. And soon after