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Chap;IV. of Monfieur Tavernier. 17 



with Fevers. There are two or three of thofe Covents, where they civilly entertain 

 fuch Cfaiftians as come out of Europe; though the Monks, there , are very poor. 

 They alio live very auftere Lives, feeding upon nothing but Herbs. That which 

 makes them ib poor, is the often change of Tyrannical Governours , whom they 

 are obliged to preient with large Gifts. But in regard they cannot give much* 

 thofe Governours have no kindneis for them •, for which reaibn , being inftigated 

 by thofe other Armenians who are able to oblige them, they ufe them fo ieverely 

 that they are often fore'd to complain to the King-, which 1 have many times feen 

 done at fjpaham 



A League and a half from the chief of thefe Covents there is a high Mountain* 

 feparated from all the reft, which rifes like a Sugar-loaf, as doth the Pike of Tena- 

 riff. At the foot of this Mountain are certain Springs , that have the virtue to 

 heal thofe that are bit by Serpents •, in fo much that Serpents carry'd to that place 

 will dye immediately. 



When the Caravan is ready to fet out from Naksivan for Zulfa , which is not 

 above a days journey from thence , the principal Armenians ufually go out of the 

 way to the Covent of St. Stephen , which lyes to the South. 



Now the Road from Naksivan to St. Stephen's lyes firft to a great Village call'd 

 Ecclifia, where live the richeft Armenians, that drive a great Trade in Silk, and 

 have built them a very fair Church. 



Two Leagues from Ecclifa you muft crofs the River Aras in a Ferry-Boat, being 

 as it were fqueez'd between two Mountains in that place : Once I went over upon 

 the Ice. About two Muskct-thots from thence, you muft crofs, over a Bridge, 

 another River that falls into the Aras. From the foot of the Bridge you begin to 

 afcend a little Hill , at the top whereof you meet with a great Village, call'd Shamke, 

 all the Inhabitants whereof, as well Men as Women , grow Mad at 18 years of 

 age-, but it is inch a Madnefs that is not mifchievous. Some believe it to be the 

 Punifhment of Heaven , for that their Forefathers in thefe Mountains pcrfecuted 

 St. Bartholomew and St. Matthew. 



From hence to St. Stephen's it is not above a League , but the Way is very trouble- 

 fom. St. Stephens is a Covent built not above 30 Years ago. It ftands upon the 

 Mountains, in a barren place, and of difficult accefs. But the reafon why the 

 Armenians chofe that place before any other, is becaufe that St. Bartholomew and 

 St. Matthew retir'd thither in the time of their Perfeeution. They add , that 

 St. Matthew did a Miracle in that place : for that there being no Water there before, 

 he only ftrook his Stick upon the Ground , and prefently there arofe a Spring. This 

 Spring is about half a quarter of a League from the Covent, under a Vault with 

 a good Door to it, to keep the Water from being wafted. The Armenians go to vifit 

 this Spring in great Devotion * having laid the Water into the Covent with Pipes. 

 They alio fay, 1 that in this place they found feveral Rclicks which St. ^Bartholomew 

 and St. Matthew left there, to which they add a great many others-, among the 

 reft a Crofs , made of the Bafin wherein Chrift wafh'd his Difciples Feet : In the 

 middle of the Crofs is a white Stone, which , as they report, if you lay upon a 

 Sick perlbn, will turn black if the perlbn be likely to dye;, and recover its formcr 

 whitenefs after the death of the party. 



A Jaw-Bone of St. Stephen the Martyr. 



The Scull of St. Matthew. 



A Bone of the Neck , and a Bone of the Finger of St. John Baptift. 



A Hand of St. Gregory, who was the Difciplc of Dionyfuu the Arcopagne. 



A little Box , wherein they keep a great number of pieces of Bones , which they 

 believe to be the Rclicks of the Seventy Two Difciples. 



The Church is built in the form of a Crofs, as are all the Churches of xht Arme- 

 nians ; in the middle whereof rifes a fair Dnomo, round about which ftand the Twelve 

 Apoftles. Both the Church and Covent are of Free-ftone , and though the whole 

 Edifice be not very big , there has been abundance of Gold and Silver wafted upon 

 the Walls: many Armenian Families have been very much endamag'd thereby, for 

 the Women were fo devout, that unknown to their Husbands they fold their jewels, 

 and their very Cloaths, to defray the Expences of Building. 



The firft time that I was at St. Stephen's , in the company of fome Armenians^ 

 twoBifhops, attended by feveral other Monks, came out to meet us, and led us 



C into 



