Page:The History of Armenia - Avdall - Volume 1.djvu/34

This page needs to be proofread.
PREFACE.
xxxiii

of the Reubenian princes from their origin to the reign of that monarch, extending to the year 1280.

Thomas Mkzobensis the monk, flourished in the fifteenth century. He wrote a faithful account of the enormities committed by the tyrant Tamerlane and other invaders of the country of Armenia. He also gives an account of the repairs of the pontifical house in Etch- miatchin, extending to the year 1447.

Arackiel the monk, a native of Tabriz, flourished in the seventeenth century. He was one of the members of the fraternity of Etchmiatchin. At the particular desire of Philip the pontiff, he commenced writing a history of his own times ; but after labouring at it for four years, the death of the pontiff put a stop to its further progress. He was, however, duly encouraged by Jacob, successor of the late pontiff, to carry on the history, and after the lapseof four years more he was enabled to finish it. The whole work comprises a narrative of sixty years-, beginning from the year 1601, and ending in the year 1662: A brief extract of the succession of the Armenian pontiffs is annexed to it, but not much dependance is to be placed on its accuracy, according to the testimony of the author himself. This history was published at Amsterdam in the year 1669, Haican era 1118, by the celebrated Doctor Voskan. A brief chronology is annexed at the end of this edition, but it is far from being regular and faithful.

Besides the above histories, there is a very voluminous work entitled, "The Daily Readings of the Church" This is not the work of a single individual, but was written by different Armenian authors, who lived at