48 CASUALS IN THE CAUCASUS 



the reign of Queen Thamara, whose fame is im- 

 mortal. 



The Georgian race was converted to Christianity in 

 the fourth century a.d. Previous to that era legendary 

 lore describes them as worshippers of the sun and 

 moon. Since their adoption of the Christian faith 

 they have never lapsed into heterodoxy, and ever held 

 out against the specious persuadings of their some- 

 time suzerains the Persians. The " True Believer " 

 will scornfully tell you that the rehgious staunchness 

 of the Georgians has more than a little to do with a 

 love of " Little Mary." The Mahommedans, of course, 

 interdict pork, and the Georgians are very fond of it. 



It is a joke with the Russians that every man in the 

 paramount tribe, be his occupation what it may, is a 

 prince, and certainly the title is amazingly common ; 

 but it is so in all parts of the country. Quite what 

 constitutes the right to inclusion in the noble army of 

 princelets I cannot say. With the Tatars it is the 

 proud possession of so many head of cattle. As there 

 are colonels and colonels, judges and judges in the 

 United States, so are there princes and princes in 

 Georgia. Some of the noblest examples have pedigrees 

 which put out of court those of the myriad people in 

 England whose ancestors came over in that densely 

 crowded ship with William the Conqueror. 



There will be no more kings of Georgia, but they 

 have a kingdom still, the priceless one of intellectuality. 

 They are sincere lovers of poetry, hero worshippers, too, 

 but poetry lovers first, and if it can be a paean of praise 

 so much the better. It was a great surprise to find — 



