1836.] Memoir of St. Nierses Clajensis. 143 



Saturdays and Sundays during the lent, has now become obsolete 

 amongst the Armenian people, and though it is still continued by a 

 few of the nobility, its entire abandonment will be effected in a short 

 time. That the custom of using pure wine, unmixed by water, in the 

 Holy Communion, has obtained in the Armenian Church since the days 

 of the blessed Gregory the Illuminator. Finally, the writer explains 

 the nature of the abdomedal fasting, which is observed by the Arme- 

 nians a few weeks before the commencement of the Lent. 



Alexius, on receiving from Nierses the foregoing epistle, expressed 

 his grateful acknowledgments for the same, and Dermitted him to take 

 his departure for Lambron, after having bestowed on him every mark 

 of honor suitable to his rank and office. Nierses having remained 

 in the latter place for a short time, quitted it for Hiromcla, where he 

 met his brother Gregory, the pontiff, and related to him every particu- 

 lar of the communication that had passed between him and the Grecian 

 generalissimo Alexius. 



On the fulfilment of the immediate object of the letter of Nierses 

 the Graceful, on its being put into the hands of the emperor Manuel, 

 and the patriarch Michael, they immediately ordered it to be trans- 

 lated into Greek, and felt great satisfaction at the opportunity that had 

 offered itself of effecting a union between the Greek and Armenian 

 Churches. The perusal of the translation filled their minds with 

 admiration of the mild spirit and rare talents of the writer, and afford- 

 ed them encouragement to carry the contemplated scheme into exe- 

 cution. Hereupon the emperor sent a deputation to Armenia, consist- 

 ing of Sumbat and Arukh, both of Armenian extraction, with a letter 

 to Gregory the pontiff, dated September, 1167, expressive of his ear- 

 nest desire of seeing the consummation of the happy union which was 

 in contemplation. In order to proceed in this undertaking with faci- 

 lity and success, he wished that Nierses the Graceful should be sent 

 to Constantinople, thinking that the presence of both parties might in 

 a great degree be conducive to an amicable settlement of the existing 

 differences. The following is a copy of the letter in question : 



" Manuel Comnenus Porphyrigenitus, ever mighty and great, Augustus, 

 emperor of Greece, and faithful king of God Jesus Christ, to his holiness Lord 

 Gregory, the excellent pontiff of Armenia, sendeth love and greeting. It is the 

 imperative duty of all those, who by the medium of the baptismal font have 

 entered into the fellowship of Christ, to have due regard for the fulfilment of 

 divine justice, and to display special care and zeal for the advancement of love, 

 peace, and unanimity amongst that class of people, who have Christ as the foun- 

 dation of their religion. They are bound to use their unremitting endeavours 

 to knit all the Christians with the bonds of union ; to make them followers of one 

 shepherd, who became incarnate to save us from perdition, to bring them under 



