第58章

’Andwhatwillyoudowithyourriches，’saidI，’whenyouhaveobtainedthem？Willyousitdownandmuseuponthem，orwillyoudeposittheminacellar，andgodownonceadaytostareatthem？

Ihaveheardsaythatthefulfilmentofone’swishesisinvariablytheprecursorofextrememisery，andforsoothIcanscarcelyconceiveamorehorriblestateofexistencethantobewithoutahopeorwish。’

’Itisbadenough，Idaresay，’saidtheArmenian；’itwill，however，betimeenoughtothinkofdisposingofthemoneywhenI

haveprocuredit。Istillfallshortbyavastsumofthetwohundredthousandpounds。’

Ihadoccasionallymuchconversationwithhimonthestateandprospectsofhisnation，especiallyofthatpartofitwhichstillcontinuedintheoriginalcountryoftheHaiks-Araratanditsconfines，which，itappeared，hehadfrequentlyvisited。HeinformedmethatsincethedeathofthelastHaikmonarch，whichoccurredintheeleventhcentury，Armeniahadbeengovernedbothtemporallyandspirituallybycertainpersonagescalledpatriarchs；

theirtemporalauthority，however，wasmuchcircumscribedbythePersianandTurk，especiallytheformer，ofwhomtheArmenianspokewithmuchhatred，whilsttheirspiritualauthorityhadatvarioustimesbeenconsiderablyunderminedbytheemissariesofthePapaofRome，astheArmeniancalledhim。

’ThePapaofRomesenthisemissariesatanearlyperiodamongstus，’saidtheArmenian，’seducingthemindsofweak-headedpeople，persuadingthemthatthehillocksofRomearehigherthantheridgesofArarat；thattheRomanPapahasmoretosayinheaventhantheArmenianpatriarch，andthatpunyLatinisabetterlanguagethannervousandsonorousHaik。’

’Theyarebothdialects，’saidI，’ofthelanguageofMr。

Petulengro，oneofwhoseraceIbelievetohavebeentheoriginalfounderofRome；but，withrespecttoreligion，whatarethechiefpointsofyourfaith？youareChristians，Ibelieve。’

’Yes，’saidtheArmenian，’weareChristiansinourway；webelieveinGod，theHolySpirit，andSaviour，thoughwearenotpreparedtoadmitthatthelastpersonageisnotonlyhimself，buttheothertwo。Webelieve……’andthentheArmeniantoldmeofseveralthingswhichtheHaiksbelievedordisbelieved。’Butwhatwefindmosthardofalltobelieve，’saidhe，’isthatthemanofthemole-hillsisentitledtoourallegiance，henotbeingaHaik，orunderstandingtheHaiklanguage。’

’But，byyourownconfession，’saidI，’hehasintroducedaschisminyournation，andhasamongstyoumanythatbelieveinhim。’

’Itistrue，’saidtheArmenian，IthatevenontheconfinesofAraratthereareagreatnumberwhoconsiderthatmountaintobelowerthanthehillocksofRome；butthegreaternumberofdegenerateArmeniansaretobefoundamongstthosewhohavewanderedtothewest；mostoftheHaikchurchesofthewestconsiderRometobehigherthanArarat-mostoftheArmeniansofthisplaceholdthatdogma；I，however，havealwaysstoodfirminthecontraryopinion。

’Ha!ha!’-heretheArmenianlaughedinhispeculiarmanner