240 On the Laws and Law-books of the Armenians. [No. 111. 



country. This code of laws was translated into Latin in the year 

 1548, by order of Sigismund the First, king of Poland. It is greatly 

 to be regretted that not a single copy of this Latin translation of the 

 Armenian code of laws has made its way to British India. It is, 

 however, consolatory to learn, that this translation is to this day 

 preserved in the library of the Armenian College at Venice. Sigis- 

 mund writes thus in the preface to that code of laws : " Although we 

 have to this day sheltered and protected the Polish Armenians, our 

 subjects, under their own Armenian privileges and laws, by which our 

 predecessors had acknowledged and governed them, but on the occur- 

 rence of dissensions and disputes between them and the citizens, it was 

 thought necessary to have that law-book of theirs, which was written in 

 the Armenian language, and which was only understood by themselves, 

 translated by them into Latin, and presented to us in that form, so that 

 every cause of suspicion and collusion should be removed, and that we 

 should, by the help of the members of our council, make judicious 

 inquiries into its contents, and, by a slight alteration, confirm the 

 same." After writing thus far, he mentions the name of Johannes, 

 the Bagratian king, and cites his mandate in the following manner : 

 " Johannes, by the grace of God, king of Armenia, during the days 

 of his auspicious reign enjoined, not to open courts of judicature 

 on Sundays — not to borrow money — not to prefer claims against 

 debtors; and made other similar enactments for the observance of 

 Sundays." After this he adds : " It is enjoined by the Armenian king 

 Theodosius, (perhaps Ashot,) of happy and blessed memory, and 

 other orthodox Armenian kings and princes, to render justice and equity 

 to all — to cities, towns, villages," et hoc genus omne. These quota- 

 tions are corroborative of the existence of laws and law-books in 

 Armenia, during the reign of the Bagratidse. 



Of the succession of Kings. 



Although after the subversion of the kingdom of the Bagratidse, we 



meet with a specimen of the law of succession in the commencement 



of the code of Mechithar Ghosh,* yet it is evident that this law was in 



* Mechithar Ghosh flourished in Armenia towards the close of the twelfth, and the 

 beginning of the thirteenth century. Besides his code of laws, he is known to be the 

 author of several other valuable works in the Armenian language. Ghosh is the cor- 



