'Collections of travels through Turky into Persia, and the East Indies. Giving an account of the present state of those countries, as also a full relation of the five years wars, between Aureng-Zebe and his brothers in their father's life time, about the succession. And a voyage made by the Great Mogul (Aureng-Zebe) with his Army from Dehli to Lahor, from Lahor to Bember, and from thence to the Kingdom of Kachemire, by the Mogols, call'd, the Paradise of the Indies. Together with a relation of the Kingdom of Japan and Tunkin, and of their particular manners and trade. To which is added a new description of the Grand Seignior's Seraglio, and also of all the Kingdoms that encompass the Euxine and Caspian Seas, being the travels of Monsieur TavernierBernier, and other great men.' [‎11] (40/1024)

Chap. Ill/ of Mo nlieur Tavernier. i i
Nunnery for Virgins. The ^rmeniuns call this place EgmUfw, or the Only Danok-
which is the Name of the chief. Church. You may find in theiu Chronicles,
That it began to be Built about three hundred Years after Chrift, and that the
Walls being rais’d to a good height, the Devil came huhe Night and pulPd down
what they bthlt up in the Day, which he did for feveral Years: but that one Night
Chrilt hirhreff appear’d, and that from that time the Devil furccas’d to moled
them anymore; i'o that they finiih’d the Church. It is dedicated to St. Gregory y
whom the Armenians have in very great veneration. And there is a Table of Stone,
whereupon, according to their Chronicles, Chrift reded when he appear’d to
St. Gregory. They that go into the Church, kifs this Stone with a very folemn
Devotion. n
The fccond is built in honour of a Princefs. that came with forty Virgins of Qua.
lity to Grfgory. This Lady an King Caus’d to be thrown into &
W T eli full of Serpents? but (he receiv’d no harm. For fhc JiV/d, therein 14 Years
by a great Miracle, and from that time to this, the Serpents that breed thereabouts
never did any harm. That Idolatrous King had a defign to have enjoy’d that
Princefs* who was very handfome, and all her Companions j but they overcame
himby their Virtue: who thereupon, feeing he could not have his Will, put them
all to f)eath.
The Cuftom of all the Armenian^ as w^ell thofe that come out of Verfia^ as thofe
that travel into Ve-'fia, is to perform their Devotions at thefe Three Churches *, and the
Caravan flops ufually five or fix days ,during which time theyConfefs, and receive
Abfolution from the Patriarch. ■, j
The Patriarch has uhder him forty (even Archbiftops* ahd every Archbifhop has
under him four or five Suffragans, with whom he lives in a Convent, where there
are feveral Monks under their Jurifdi&ion, So foon as they have faid their Mafti
which is generally done an Hour after Day, they all go to work, and to dig and
delve for their living. TRe Revenue of the Patriarch is 600000 Crowns or there* /
abouts: for ikW thi Armenian Chriftians that are above fifteen Years of age, ought
to pay him yearly five Sous. However there are many that do not pay him, by
reafon of their poverty. Yet their defett is fuppli’d by the rich, who fomettmes
pay him two or three Crowns a Head. But this Money does not ftay in the Pa
triarch’s Pocket: nay he is fometimes behind hand *, for he is engag’d to relieve the
poor Armenians, who have not wherewithal to pay the which is an Annual
Tribute that they owe to the Mahometan Princes, to whom they are fubjeft: Other-
wife needftty would force them to become Mahometans \ and they, their Wives and
Children would be liable to be fold, which the Grand Patriarch labours all he can
to prevent. Every Archbilhop fends him out of hisDiocefs what is neceflary to
be rais’d for that intent. So that the Patriarch does but only receive it with one
Hand, and pay it with the other } making no profit to himfelf of a Revenue which
he has out of 400000 Villages, which the Archbiftiop of Sh Stef hens affirm’d to me
tobe under his Jurifdi£Uon.
/ sj return’d from Perfia in the Year 1655, I came to the Three Churches about
the end of February y the Caravan ftay’d there eleven Days, as well by reafon of the
great Snows that ftop’d up the Ways, as for that the Armenians refolv’d to keep their
Carnival there, and after that to perform their Devotions.The next day I went to vifit
the Patriarch, who was fitting crofs-leg’d upon a Mat. There were four Aroh-
bi{hops,and nine Biftiops fitting about him in the fame pofture, among whom there
was one that fpake very good/ m/ww. 1 (fayed with him three Hours; and while
we were difeourfing together, in came one of the Monks of the Covent, who had
not fpoken to any perfon whatfoever in Two and twenty Years, by reaftm of a
Penance that was impos’d upon him. Never did Man appear fo meager and de
formed} but the Patriarch fent for him, and by his Authority commanded him to
break filence, which he did, by fpeaking atthe fame Inftant.
The Saturday before Shrove*Smday the Patriarch invited all thcC4raz/4tf,as well
Maftcrs as Servants, to hear Mafs the next day, and then to dine at thfc Covent.
Mafs being concluded, the People were brought into a long Gallery, about 1$
or aoFoot broad, there being a Table on both fides, made of feveral Stones, 2nd
Benches next the Walls. At the upper end of the Gallery (lands a Table four
Foot fquare, over which is a vaulted Roof fuftain’d with four Pillars, which ferves
B 2 1 fof