contrition of heart for sin, it is to be feared, is rarely considered essential, and still more rarely felt.

The Armenians have uniformly declared, in answer to our inquiries, that in their church money is never paid at confession. And yet, each of these women did certainly, before our eyes, put a piece of money into the hand of the vartabéd, either immediately before or after the absolution. The reason of it was, perhaps, that they were pilgrims, and the communion being the finishing act of their pilgrimage, they took this occasion to pay to the convent the contribution always expected from such visitors. Pilgrimages are in high repute among the Armenians, as a species of good works. The most meritorious are made to Jerusalem, to the convent of Soorp Hovhannes Garabéd (St. John the Forerunner) near Moosh, and to Echmiadzin. He who has acquired the title of mukdesy by visiting the former place, stands in the estimation of his countrymen far above the common standard of sanctity. These great pilgrimages, however, are not so common as formerly. Still, almost every convent, or other place, where a saint has died or his relics are preserved, is visited more or less frequently for this superstitious purpose.

Having brought a letter from an Armenian friend at Smyrna to one of the oldest bishops of the convent, we caused it to be presented to him on the afternoon of Saturday. It procured us an invitation to call on him, and an opportunity to see the accommodations of the highest members of the convent. He was sitting with the librarian and the bishop of Eriván, in a spacious and airy chamber, furnished with every thing that oriental custom considers necessary to comfort. A broad and well covered Turkish sofa occupied two sides of the room, a good carpet covered the floor, and a series of shelves above were ornamented with the various rich fruits of the country for the gratification of the eye as well as the taste.

Servants await

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ACCOMMODATIONS OF THE VARTABEDS.

ed his commands in an anti-chamber, and brought us the temperate refreshments usually offered to a visitor in Turkey. Every thing had an air of ease, if not of luxury, little corresponding with the ideas usually entertained of the cell of a monk, and confirming what we in other ways learned, that the leading inmates of this establishment practise few of the self-denials for which their profession is reputed. His reception of us was friendly, and his answers to our questions unreserved. The information we derived from him, for the sake of better arrangement, is given elsewhere.

LETTER XVI.

ECHMIADZIN.

Festival of the Catholicos-His sacrifice-Origin of his title and see-] His election-The present Catholicos-His duties and sources of income-Ordination of bishops-The meiron-The Novirág-Power of the Catholicos-Interview with the vartabéds-Essential articles of faith-Conditions of salvation-Mode of baptism-Confirmation-Extreme unction-Conversation upon our own religious rites-Commencement of the Armenian Sabbath Ideas of missions-Library of the convent-Character of the secretary of the Catholicos-Return to Nahkcheván.

DEAR SIR,

ON leaving the room of the bishop, mentioned at the close of my last letter, we found the monks, in their gayest clerical robes, paraded in double file along the pavement, which leads to the church door from the entry to the apartments of the Catholicos. It appeared, on inquiry, that to-morrow was to be the twentieth anniversary festival of his inauguration, and that they were now about to conduct him in pomp to evening prayers, as the commencement of the ceremonies of the occasion. He soon came forward tottering with the decrepitude of age, and, leaning upon the arms of attendants, was led through their ranks. A gold cross only upon his cowl, and a staff, his badge of office, in his hand, distinguished him from rest. Two attendants held a broad canopy of crimson over his head, and two or three deacons, going backward before him, perfumed him continually with incense. It was the pope

of Armenia in festal show. The mass on Sabbath morning, which constituted the essential part of the festival, was

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FESTIVAL OF THE CATHOLICOS.

in some respects more pompous than the one already described, and the dresses used being different, it served to exhibit more fully the wealth of the establishment. The Catholicos acted no part in it, but to go to the altar to receive the blessing, and to kiss the gospel. A rich cross of jewels, however, upon one of its covers, actually received the salutation; and thus, in this ceremony, as it has done in most of the observances of the church, it robbed the word of God of its honors. The same device is generally observable in the copies of the gospel that are used in other churches. We now stood near enough to the officiating bishop, to observe also another curious device. The missal from which he read the prayers, was placed a little on one side, and directly before him upon the altar, was a small richly ornamented picture of the virgin, with the infant Jesus in her arms, so that all his prayers were said as if addressed to that.

I have neglected to mention, that we presented our letter to the general, prince Bebutoff, on Saturday, and were received by him with marked civility. We expected that the circumstance would somewhat improve the vartabéds' treatment of us; but were still a little surprised, on coming from the church to-day, to be invited by the master of ceremonies into the apartments of the Catholicos, as we understood, to have an interview with him. The object, however, was different. On a broad pavement in his garden, by the side of a salient fountain, was a long line of tables, loaded with a cold collation of meats, pastries and confectionaries. One was placed at the head for the Catholicos, but he was absent. By the rest stood a crowd of vartabéds and numerous guests; and in the garden around, was paraded a line of peasants, armed with muskets. As we entered, a vartabéd, seizing us by the arm, led us to the table next that of the Catholicos, where stood the general and his lady. They welcomed us politely, and informed us

SACRIFICE OF THE CATHOLICOS.

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that this was the sacrifice of the Catholicos, who was himself too feeble to be present.

A long prayer was now read by a vartabéd, and concluded by a toast, which was drunk with brandy, and accompanied by a salute from the guns of the peasants. Hardly considering ourselves forbidden by apostolic authority to partake, though the general had intimated that it was offered in sacrifice; we seriously set about eating of the good things before us, asking no questions. But as the prince and ourselves were settling the etiquette of priority in inserting the knife and fork, a vartabéd invited us, for better fare, to retire with himself and his companions; and, on looking about, we found that every morsel had mysteriously disappeared from the other tables. Following the crowd, we entered a long and gloomy arched hall, the grand refectory of the monks. Two stone tables extended its whole length, at which we seated ourselves, in company with more than thirty in the garb of vartabéds, and perhaps double the number of lay guests. But not a morsel of food, nor a dish, was upon them; and as each of our neighbors unrolled from his handkerchief his gleanings of the cold collation, we began to fear lest, not having made such provision ourselves, we should fare but badly.

Plain but substantial dishes of meat and pilávs, followed by a variety of confectionaries, were soon served up, to the abundant satisfaction of our hunger; and a vartabéd, continually passing to and fro between the tables, with a jar of wine, occasioned a flow of mirth from some of our fellowguests, which proved that the kindred appetite had no reason to complain. The dessert was addressed solely to another sense, usually not so exclusively provided for upon similar occasions. It was a single apple, which each smelled of, and then passed to his neighbor. The mind was also fed during the repast, by a long story about Echmiádzin, read by a monk from a sort of orchestra above us. 11

VOL. II.