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

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

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38 HISTORY OF ARMENIA.<br />

the latter and Tig^ranes, than he was seized<br />

with terror, and abandoned all hopes <strong>of</strong> future<br />

success in the war which he was then prosecuting.<br />

One evil, it is said, is only the<br />

harbinger <strong>of</strong> another ; for shortly after, Ahasuerus<br />

received information that Nebuchadnezzar<br />

the great king <strong>of</strong> Ba<strong>by</strong>lon, had joined the<br />

alliance between Cyrus and Tigranes.<br />

\^ hile the king <strong>of</strong> Media was under the<br />

influence <strong>of</strong> the fears which the coalition <strong>of</strong> three<br />

such powerful states had induced, he had a<br />

dream full <strong>of</strong> dreadful portents. In it, he<br />

beheld a mountain in labour, which, in the end,<br />

produced three warriors. One <strong>of</strong> these appeared<br />

seated on the back <strong>of</strong> a furious lion, which<br />

he guided <strong>to</strong>ward the west.<br />

The second rode<br />

on a leopard, and <strong>to</strong>ok a northerly direction.<br />

The third,<br />

his aspect,<br />

more dreadful than the other two in<br />

was sustained <strong>by</strong> a dragon, which<br />

forthwith appeared <strong>to</strong> enter and desolate the<br />

whole face <strong>of</strong> the country <strong>of</strong> Media.<br />

The king<br />

thought that he endeavoured <strong>to</strong> s<strong>to</strong>p the progress<br />

<strong>of</strong> the hero with the dragon, but was<br />

wounded and killed <strong>by</strong> him.<br />

On his awaking <strong>from</strong> this horrible dream, he<br />

commanded his wise men <strong>to</strong> interpret <strong>to</strong> him<br />

the meaning <strong>of</strong> the objects his fancy had conjured<br />

up during his sleep. He was informed that<br />

the first was Cyrus; the second Nebuchad-

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