312 mSTOBT OV AEMENliu
fortress of the country of Basen called Bolberd, and then sent a message to their husbands, to forsake Vahan, and come to him, when he would restore them to their arms* and henceforwaid distinguish them with particular marks of his fa- vour. To this they made the following very ener* getic reply, Our actions and our labours are not directed to the attainment of worldly good, but to Ihe establishment of the truth ofourhdy religion. In competition with this, our dearest object, we regard wives and children but in a very inferior view. We place our trust in the Almighty, that he will continue to preserve our wives in purity and chastity, and that he will, of his goodness, permit us again to embrace them, either in this world or in that which is to come Y* Shapuh, on receiving this answer, was thrown into a violent rage, and redoubled his efforts to seize them ; indeed he gave himself no rest in prosecuting this object. Having heard that they had gone with Vahan to the country of the Ar- shamunians, he instantly marched thither, and posted his troops in secret places along a river, expecting to take the Armenians by surprise. Vahan, however, by means of spies, discovered the ambuscade that had been laid for him. Having taken marks of the places where his ene- mies lay, he assembled a number of peasants, together with his own followers, and marched
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