Page:The History of Armenia - Avdall - Volume 1.djvu/305

 262 HISTORY OF ABMEKIA.

chief Magi, with some troops, entered into t til* lage called Anghel, and wished to demolish a christian church standing there : St. Levond» the priest of the village, with his people, indig- nant at the sacrilegious attempt, drove the impious band out of the place. On the circulation of the report of this affair, multitudes of Arme^ nians flocked to the village. Joseph the pon« tiff, with many bishops, also arrived there; all were ready to die in defence of their church and religion.

Vardan, the general, also came from the camp^ and throwing himself at the feet of the bidiops^ with tears implored forgiveness for his apostacy, at the same time acquainting them with the real nature of his and the other chiefs intentions. The Prefect, Vasak the Seunian, who had also arrived there, and who had from his heart renounced Christianity, approached the bishops, and in a deceitful way persuaded them to retire each to his own home, and remain quiet: For, said he, '' let the Magi alone for some time, and they, finding the fruitlessness of their endeavours, will of their own accord leave the country." — By this way of arguing, he induced many persons to tolerate the Magi, in hc^s of seeing them quit their task in despair. The Magi, thus left unmolested to prosecute their machinations, at length obtained entrance into the bouses of the

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