130 Memoir of St. Nierses Clajensis. [March, 



and Nierses. The latter was born in the year 1100, in the castle of 

 Zovs, which was the hereditary property of Apirat. Allied by the 

 ties of consanguinity to Gregory Vikayaser*, who then wielded the 

 pontifical sceptre in Armenia, Apirat entrusted to him the education 

 of Gregory and Nierses, who were, by the direction of their guardian, 

 admitted into the monastery raised on the summit of the Black Moun- 

 tain. Gregory Vikayaser, when he had attained to a good old age, 

 was by the repeated solicitations of the prince Basil the Sly, and his 

 illustrious lady, induced to change the place of his residence, and spend 

 the remainder of his days near them, at Rapan, situated in the vicinity 

 of the city of Cheson. On his departure from the monastery of the 

 Black Mountain, he took with him his wards, Gregory and Nierses, 

 having entertained favourable anticipations of their future greatness 

 and celebrity. Some time after his having eventually settled in the 

 Red Convent, near Cheson, perceiving that his career was daily drawing 

 to a close, he sent for Parsick, whom he had previously nominated 

 his successor, and for Basil the Sly, to whose kind care and protec- 

 tion he intrusted the lads Gregory and Nierses, the former being of 

 the age of about 13 years, and the latter only 10 years, old. He also 

 added, in the presence of those by whom he was surrounded, that, 

 agreeably to his nomination, Parsick should immediately after his 

 death be invested with the pontifical authority of Armenia. On the 

 elevation of the latter to that high station, he began to shew the 

 greatest regard for the welfare and education of his wards, Gregory 

 and Nierses, and according^ placed them under the superintendence 

 of Bishop Stephen, a divine of high attainments and profound erudi- 

 tion, in order, that they might by his immediate tuition be instructed in 

 theology and the literature of the west. Gregory and Nierses con- 

 tinued to proceed in their education with two other fellow scholars, 

 named SARKiEsf and Ignatius, whose valuable productions have per-* 

 petuated their fame in the recollection of posterity. 



* Vikayaser (<1.4»/"»>4r/») is the compound of Q,<fe/ martyr, and °£rp love, sig- 

 nifying lover of martyrs, which is an epithet given to Gregory in consequence 

 of the extreme veneration which he displayed for the memory of martyrs, and 

 the great avidity with which be translated their lives from the Greek and Syriac 

 languages. 



f These two worthies are peculiarly distinguished among the divines, who 

 flourished in Armenia in the twelfth century. At the special desire of the pon- 

 tiff Gregory, Ignatius wrote a commentary on the Gospel of St. Luke, which 

 is held in general admiration for the perspicuity of its style and the sensible 

 observations with which it abounds. Sarkies claims an equal share of vene- 

 ration from his countrymen for his valuable productions, which have been handed 

 down to us. They consist of Commentaries on the seven General Epistles, on 



