260 HISTORY OP ARMENIA.
expected, his anger knew no bounds ; some of the Armenians he tortured by flagellation, many perished by starvation, imprisonment, and va- rious other modes of punishment. When he found., all useless, and their faith alike proof against his favour and his vengeance, he sent into Arme* nia one Denshapuh to harass the inhabitants by heavy taxes, leaving it to his discretion to tor- ture them, if they were unable to furnish what he might require from them. Ail^ however, wa» ineffectual; the people were firm in tbeic attachment to the faith of their forefathers. A,D.450. After the conquest of the Huns, which took place some ^ort time after these events, Hazr kert returned to Persia. Hence he wrote to the Armenians, directing them in the moMt |)eremptory manner to embrace the Persian religion. He also ordered Mihrnerseh, the apostate before-mentioned, to send them an account of the tenets of the Persian fsath* On the arrival of the king's letter in Arme- nia, St Joseph the pontiff convened a meeting in the city of Artashat, attended by all the chiefs, and here, by general consent, they wrote a reply> alike distinguished for its wisdom and piety. Hazkert, on receipt of it, became highly exasperated at the language it con* tained, and immediately issued a mandate, com« manding the whole of the Armenian chiefs ta repair to his court.
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