140 Memoir of St. Nierses Clajensis. [March, 



the Sun,) who had continued in their ancestorial superstitions, and not 

 deviated from paying homage to the sun since the days of Gregory 

 the Illuminator, the second Apostle of Armenia. Through the zealous 

 exertions of the Armenian missionaries, whom the pontiff Nierses 

 sent to different quarters of the country, the darkness of paganism, ' 

 that had so long overhung the heads of these unbelievers, gradually 

 began to vanish, and after the lapse of a few years, the whole of that 

 tribe embraced Christianity, and were admitted into the fellowship of 

 the Church of Armenia. 



Contemporary with Nierses the Graceful, there was in Armenia 

 Mukhithar, an assiduous follower of JEsculapius, and eminently dis- 

 tinguished for his Medical and Astronomical knowledge. He had the 

 gratification of cultivating the friendship of Nierses, from whose 

 conversation he derived the greatest delight and spiritual comfort. 

 At the particular request of this celebrated naturalist, Nierses wrote 

 a beautiful poem, descriptive of the beauties and excellencies of heaven- 

 ly bodies. He added to it another small poem on the Creation of 

 the World, and the mystery of the incarnation of our Saviour*. The 

 latter is acrostic, the first letters of the verses of it composing 

 this sentence lP/"/r/^««/» p^AiV i^k^L 't> ^tyu£-o4- ^«/» p.m'i : " Doc- 

 tor Mukhithar, accept from Nierses this poem !" I hope it 

 will not be considered here out of place to say, that this learned phy- 

 sician has left a very valuable work on Medicine, which is replete with 

 wise observations and useful experiments. It was composed during 

 the time, and by the desire, of Gregory the pontiff, the successor of 

 Nierses the Gracefulf. 



One of the most remarkable actions that marked the earthly career 

 of Nierses the Graceful, was the contemplated union of the Armenian 

 and Greek Churches. This desirable object, which originated from a 

 most unexpected event, was undertaken during the life time of his 

 brother Gregory, the pontiff, and prior to his being invested with the 

 supremacy of the Church of Armenia. But alas for the peace of 

 Christianity ! before the laudable undertaking was carried into execu- 

 tion, both Armenia and Greece were unexpectedly deprived of the 

 only instruments by which such a happy change possibly could have 

 been effected ! 



During the last days of the pontificate of Gregory, dissensions 

 arose between the two Armenian princes, Thorose the Great Panse- 



* These trco little poems are also published in conjunction with the work called 

 •' Jesus the Son." 



f This rare Manuscript work was discovered in the Royal Library of Paris, 

 and published in Venice two years ago. 



