Page:The History of Armenia - Avdall - Volume 1.djvu/20

 PREPACB. 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 degraded 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 the 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, being himself convinced that an English translation of the History of Armenia would prove a very acceptable pre- sent to the learned of Europe, and might do much to better the condition of our country. I therefore deter- mined to devote a portion of my leisure hours to the

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