248 On the Laws and Law-boohs of the Armenians. [No. 111. 



to which each or any of them individually belonged. Sometimes, in 

 the absence of Armenian bishops, the officiating Clergy attached to the 

 Armenian church of Calcutta have also been consulted on questions 

 of inheritance, or testamentary bequests. The exposition of the 

 Armenian law or usage, furnished by these episcopal and clerical 

 dignitaries of the Armenian church, in accordance with the specific 

 queries put to them, has, almost in all instances, guided the judges of 

 the Company's courts, either in determining similar questions pending 

 subjudice, or in pronouncing their decisions in cases of the above men- 

 tioned description. The Company's courts, so far as my information ex- 

 tends, pursue the practice sanctioned by the precedents alluded to above. 

 In connection with the subject of Armenian laws and law-books, I 

 think it necessary to add, that in June 1 838, I was requested by my 

 highly esteemed and deeply lamented friend, Mr. James Prinsep, to pass 

 my opinion on a certain Armenian code of laws in manuscript, which 

 accompanied his letter, for my perusal and consideration. I cheerfully 

 undertook the task intrusted to me, and instantly put him in posses- 

 sion of my opinion in a letter, of which the following is a copy : — 



To James Prinsep, Esq. 



My~dear Mr. Prinsep, 



I have received your note of yesterday's date, together with a 

 manuscript volume in the Armenian language, and hasten to put you 

 in possession of my candid opinion on the same. 



The book in question is a code of laws, both civil and ecclesiastical, 

 written or transcribed in the Haican era 1135, corresponding with the 

 year of our Lord 1686, partly by a priest named Alexianus, and partly 

 by a bishop named Jacob, native of Ghrim, and pupil of another 

 bishop named George, of the see of Ezinka. The transcription thereof 

 was made at the desire of another bishop named Thomas, and inscribed 

 to Stephanus, the supreme patriarch of the Aluans. The work is based 

 on Mosaic laws, and the materials of which it is composed are derived 

 from the Old and New Testaments, and from other ancient records. 



Mechithar Ghosh, who flourished in Armenia between the close of 

 the twelfth and the beginning of the thirteenth century, and who 

 is eminently distinguished in the page of our national history for 

 his unrivalled attainments, is known to have been the author or 



