Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 7, 1896.djvu/135

into prose-verse; just as, in the thirteenth century, a Spanish Jew, Ibn Khizdai, turned the non-Christian Arabic recension into a Hebrew prose-poem. Of this poem or rythmic prose recension made by Arhakel, there are manuscripts both in the Bodleian and in the British Museum. At the foot of the text I have given a few variants of the Armenian story as preserved in this poem of Arhakel; but it is clear that the text which he followed was the same as that which we have in the Armenian Menologia.^[1]

The History of the King of India, Jovasaphat, and of Baralam the ascetic.

Now when it became man, the word of God chose twelve disciples who were also named apostles, and it sent them into all the world to preach the kingdom of God. And the land of India fell by lot to the Apostle Thomas, who departed thither to preach Christ. And there he worked many miracles with power of the all-holy Spirit; he built churches, and ordained priests and deacons. And he himself, having fought a good fight, died in Christ. But that land stood by the preaching of the holy apostle for a long time; yet at last idolatry once more began to prevail; and there rose up a king great and victorious in his might, by name Abener. And he aroused persecution against the Christians; and many champions of the faith were martyred by him with all sorts of tortures, men and women, old and young, and thus won the unfading crown from Christ our God. Now this proud king Abener had no

1. The poem of Arakhel is found in the following codices:—
   British Museum, Or. 4580;

   Bodleian, Canon. Orient, 131 (Colophon as follows; In the year of the Armenians 883 (=A.D. 1435) this poem was composed by Arhagel Vardapet, called Balishetzi);

   Biblioth. Nation., Paris, Ancien Fonds Armén. No. 133, fol. 103-144 (not consulted);

   Etschmiatzin Catal. of Gharenian, Nos. 1603 and 1642 (not consulted).

   The prose Armenian text is given in:—

   Bodleian, Marsh MS., 438, A.D. 1550 (This text is the one here translated);

   British Museum, Hajsmavourk, from Tiflis (The Barlaam and Josaphat is added at the end in an eighteenth century hand);

   Venice, Hajsmavourk of A.D. 1440 (collated at beginning and end);

   Etschmiatzin Codex (Gharen Catal.), No. 1642 (not consulted);

   Biblioth. Nat., Ancien Fonds Armen. No. 89, fol. 540-552 (not consulted).