History of Armenia, by Father Michael Chamich; from B. C. 2247 to ...

PREPACK.
XIX
which have occurred in each.
Lastly, of the continuation
of the History to the present day, and conclusion.
I.—The lamentable condition of Armenia, the deo;raded
state of her church, the expatriation of the sons of Haic,
and the tyranny of their barbarous oppressors, have long
been to me a matter of serious and melancholy reflection.
That feeling of patriotism, which exists in the breast of
every human being, naturally inspired me with grief on
observing the abject slavery of my most beloved country.
Centuries of servitude under foreign yokes have almost
obliterated from tiie minds of my unfortunate countrymen
all recollection of their former liberty, and rendered them
objects of indifference to the rest of the christian
world.
As a native of that degraded country, I have long felt
the weight of her calamity, and earnestly desired to offer
my services to her. Influenced by these considerations,
I some years since contemplated the utility of presenting
a translation of the history of my ancestors to the literary
world, under a conviction that
by this means a generous
desire would be excited in the breasts of the christians
of the West to ameliorate the calamitous condition of
my once glorious country. In this view 1 was greatly
encouraged by the coinciding feelings of my learned
friend Mr. Martirus Mackertich David, who repeatedly
exhorted me to attempt such an undertaking, beinohimself
convinced that an English translation of the
History of Armenia would prove a very acceptable present
to the learned of Europe, and might do much to
better the condition of our country. I therefore determined
to devote a portion of my leisure hours to the