Amours of Zeokinizul - Page 6/43

However, by an Intercourse with the Manoris, they became sensible of their wretched and disgraceful Condition. After they had been conquer'd, they learned the Art of War from their Conquerors; who, also in a short Time, declined from the Love of Glory, and a martial Spirit, that they were no longer formidable but by their Numbers. They grew intoxicated with Luxury, and run into Extremes opposite to their original Ferosity, so as to become more despicable than those they had conquered.

It was at this Time, that the Nodais, the Guernonies, the Duesois, and the Sokans issuing from the North of Africa, over-run their finest Provinces. A Body of these Barbarians fell upon the Territories of the Goilaus, and having forced them to share this delightful Country, settled themselves there under the Name of Kranfs. These new Conquerors were for some Time molested by the Manoris, but as Luxury had brought their flourishing Empire to Decay, the Kranfs forced them to desist, and remained in quiet Possession of the Goilaus: I shall omit the first rude Ages, when these Conquerors train'd up to the Licentiousness of War, were under no Regulation or Law, and whose Towns, like those of other Nations, were only a confused Assemblage of Huts. It is true, that there were Kings among them from their first Settlement, but the Men thus dignified, were in Reality only Generals 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.