The history of Yûsûf, the Armenian, and his wife Mariam.
It was my intention to have proceeded to the heights of Aberan, where
we should have found a cool region and good pasturage for our horses,
before halting for the day; but hearing that the wandering tribes, whom
we had expected to find encamped in a certain spot, and upon whose tents
and provisions I had reckoned, were removed far into the mountains,
fearful of the war which had just broken out, I determined to halt at
Ashtarek until the heat of the day should have subsided. Accordingly,
my men were quartered in different parts of the village: some settled
themselves under the arches of the bridge, picketing their horses among
the long grass: one or two took possession of a mill, situated in the
bed of the river, whose wheel was turned by water, made to flow in an
elevated channel for the purpose; and I spread my carpet in an open
room, built upon a shelf, on the highest part of the rocky bank, from
whence I had a view of the whole scene, and also could discern any
object that might be coming towards us from the Russian frontier.
Feeling refreshed by two hours sound sleep, upon awaking I sent for the
Armenian youth; and whilst the good people of the village served us a
light breakfast, of which we were both much in need, I requested him to
relate his adventures, and particularly what had brought him into the
situation in which he had been discovered. Refreshed with rest and food,
the morning sun enlightening the spot we occupied, the manly features of
the youth exhibited all their beauty; and, as he spoke, their animation
and earnestness helped wonderfully to convince me that all he said was
the truth. He spoke as follows:--
I am an Armenian by birth, and a Christian; my name is Yûsûf. My father
is chief of the village of Gavmishlû, inhabited entirely by Armenians,
situated not far from the beautiful river of Pembaki, and about six
agatch from this place. In the middle of a verdant country, full of the
richest pasturage, and enjoying a climate celebrated for coolness and
serenity, we are a healthy and a hardy race; and, notwithstanding the
numerous exactions of our governors, were happy in our poverty. We live
so far within the mountains, that we are more distant from the
tyranny usually exercised upon those who abide nearer great towns, the
residences of governors; and, secluded from the world, our habits are
simple, and our modes of life patriarchal. I had an uncle, my fathers
brother, a deacon, and an attendant upon the head of our church, the
patriarch at Etchmiazin; and another uncle, by my mothers side, was the
priest of our village: therefore my family, being well in the church,
determined that I should follow the sacred profession. My father
himself, who subsisted by tilling the ground, and by his own labour
had cleared away a considerable tract near the village, having two sons
besides me, expected to receive sufficient help from them in the field,
and therefore agreed to spare me for the church. Accordingly, when about
ten years old, I went to Etchmiazin to be educated, where I learned to
read, write, and perform the church service. I derived great pleasure
from instruction, and read every book that came in my way. A very
extensive library of Armenian books exists at the convent, of which
I managed now and then to get a few; and although mostly on religious
subjects, yet it happened that I once got a history of Armenia, which
riveted all my attention; for I learnt by it that we once were a nation,
having kings, who made themselves respected in the world. Reflecting
upon our degraded state at the present day, and considering who were
our governors, I became full of energy to shake off the yoke, and these
feelings turned my thoughts from the sacred profession to which I was
destined. About this time war broke out between Persia and Russia, and
our village lying in the track of the armies marching to the frontiers,
I felt that my family would require every protection possible, and
that I should be more usefully employed with them than in a cloister.
Accordingly, but a short time before taking priests orders, I left my
friends at Etchmiazin, and returned to my fathers house. I was welcomed
by every one. Already had they felt the horrors of war; for marauding
parties of both Persians and Russians (both equally to be feared)
had made their appearance, and molested the peaceable and inoffensive
inhabitants of ours and the neighbouring villages. This frontier
warfare, in its general results, was of no great utility to either
of the powers at war, yet to those who inhabited the seat of it, its
consequences were dreadful. We were continually harassed either by the
fears of the invading enemy, or by the exactions and molestations of the
troops of our own government. Our harvests were destroyed, our cattle
dispersed, and ourselves in constant danger of being carried away
prisoners. Anxious to preserve our property, and our only resource to
keep us from starvation, we continued to till our fields, but went to
work with swords by our sides, and guns ready loaded slung at our
backs; and when a stranger appeared, whoever he might be, we immediately
assembled and made a show of defence. By this means, for several years,
we managed, with great difficulty and perseverance, to get in our
harvest, and, by the blessing of Providence, had enough to subsist
upon. But here I must begin some of those particulars which relate to my
individual history.
About two years ago, when securing our harvest, I had gone out long
before the dawn to reap the corn of one of our most distant fields,
armed and prepared as usual. I perceived a Persian horseman, bearing
a female behind him, and making great speed through a glen that wound
nearly at the foot of a more elevated spot, upon which I was standing.
The female evidently had been placed there against her will, for as soon
as she perceived me she uttered loud shrieks, and extended her arms. I
immediately flew down the craggy side of the mountain, and reached the
lowermost part of the glen time enough to intercept the horsemans road.
I called out to him to stop, and seconded my words by drawing my sword,
and putting myself in an attitude to seize his bridle as he passed.
Embarrassed by the burden behind him, he was unable either to use
his sword or the gun slung at his back, so he excited his horse to an
increased speed, hoping thus to ride over me; but I stood my ground, and
as I made a cut with my sabre, the horse bounded from the road with so
sudden a start that the frightened woman lost her hold and fell off.
The horseman, free of his incumbrance, would now have used his gun; but,
seeing mine already aimed at him, he thought it most prudent to continue
his road, and I saw nothing more of him.
I ran to the assistance of the fallen woman, whom by her dress, I
discovered to be an Armenian. She was stunned and severely bruised: her
outward veil had already disengaged itself, and in order to give her
air, I immediately pulled away the under veil, which hides the lower
part of the face (common to the Armenians), and, to my extreme surprise,
beheld the most beautiful features that imagination can conceive. The
lovely creature whom I supported in my arms was about fifteen years
of age. Oh! I shall never forget the thrill of love, delight, and
apprehension, which I felt at gazing upon her. I hung over her with all
the intenseness of a first passion; a feeling arose in my heart which
was new to me, and, forgetting everything but the object immediately
before me, I verily believe that I should have been for ever riveted to
that spot had she not opened her eyes and began to show signs of life.
The first words she spoke went to my very soul; but when she discovered
where she was, and in the hands of an utter stranger, she began to cry
and bewail herself in a manner that quite alarmed me. Little by little,
however, she became more composed; and when she found that I was one of
her own nation and religion, that I was, moreover, her deliverer, she
began to look upon me with different feelings: my vanity made me hope
that, perhaps, she was not displeased, at the interest she had awakened
in me. One thing, however, she did not cease to deplore, and to upbraid
me with,--I had withdrawn her veil;--there was no forgiveness for
me--that indulgence which even a husband scarcely ever enjoys, that
distinguishing emblem of chastity and honour, so sacred in the eyes of
an Armenian woman,--every sense of decency had been disregarded by me,
and I stood before her in the criminal character of one who had seen all
her face. In vain I represented, that had I not relieved her mouth and
nose from the pressure of the lower band, she must have suffocated; that
her fall having deprived her of all sensation, had she not inhaled the
fresh air, death would have been the consequence. Nothing would convince
her that she was not a lost woman. However, the following argument had
more effect upon her than any other; no one but myself was witness to
her dishonour (if such she must call it); and I swore so fervently by
the Holy Cross, and by St. Gregorio, that it should remain a profound
secret in my heart as long as I had one to keep it in, that she
permitted herself at length to be comforted. I then requested her to
give me an account of her late adventure, and to tell me from whom it
had been my good fortune to liberate her.
As for the man, said she, all I know of him is, that he is a
Persian. I never saw him before, and know of no object that he could
have had in carrying me off, excepting to sell me for a slave. A few
days ago a skirmish took place between a detachment of Persian cavalry
and Georgians. The latter were driven back, and the Persians made
some prisoners, whom they carried away in great triumph to Erivan. Our
village had been occupied by the Persian troops some days before this
affray, and I suppose then my ravisher laid his plan to carry me off,
and make me pass for a Georgian prisoner. I had just got up in the
morning, and had gone to the village well with my pitcher to bring
home water, when he darted from behind a broken wall, showed his knife,
threatening to kill me if I did not follow him without noise, and made
me mount behind him on his horse. We galloped away just as some other
of the village maidens were proceeding to the well, and my only hope of
being saved was from the alarm which I knew they would instantly spread.
We were out of sight in a few minutes, for we rode furiously over
hill and dale, and cut across parts of the country unfrequented by
travellers. At length, seeing you on the brow of the hill, I took
courage, and gave vent to my cries, notwithstanding the threats of the
Persian. You know the rest.
She had scarcely finished speaking when we discovered several persons,
one on horseback, the rest on foot, making towards us in great haste,
and as they approached and were recognized by my fair one, it was
delightful to watch her emotions.
Oh! there is my father, exclaimed she, and my brothers! there is
Ovanes, and Agoop, and Aratoon! and my uncle too!
As they came up, she embraced them all with transports of delight. I
was in agonies of apprehension lest some youth should appear, who might
have excited other feelings in her heart; but no, none but relations
were there. They explained to her that the alarm of her seizure had been
spread throughout the village by her young friends; that luckily they
had not yet gone to the fields, and the family horse was at home,
upon which her father was instantly mounted. They had traced the fresh
footsteps of her ravishers horse as long as he kept the road, had
marked the place where he turned from it, had seen them again in several
places, had tracked him through a corn-field that led up a steep slope,
and at length, from a high summit, Ovanes had seen them descending a
glen, which must have been very near the spot where they had now found
her.
She said all this was true, and again thanked God and St. Gregory for
her escape; and, after some hesitation, in a most embarrassed manner,
pointed me out as her deliverer. The attention of the whole party was
then directed to me. Whose son are you? said the old man, her father.
I am the son of Coja Petros, said I, the chief of the village of
Gavmishlû.
Ah! he is my friend and neighbour, answered he; but I do not know
you; perhaps you are the son who was educating at the Three Churches for
a priest, and who came to the help of your family?
I answered in the affirmative, and then he said, You are welcome. May
your house prosper! You have saved our daughter, and we owe you eternal
gratitude. You must come with us and be our guest. If ever it were
necessary to kill a lamb, to eat and be merry, it is now. We, and all
our families, will carry you upon our heads; we will kiss your feet, and
smooth your brow, for having saved our Mariam, and preserved her from
dragging out her existence the slave of the Mussulman.
I then received the congratulations and kind speeches of her brothers
and uncle, who all invited me to their village in so pressing a manner,
that, unable to resist, and propelled by my anxiety to see Mariam, I
accepted their offer, and we forthwith proceeded in a body.
As we were winding down the side of one of the mountains, Mariams
village, for such I shall call it, was pointed out to me, situated among
trees, snugly seated in a warm nook, protected from every wind but
the east, which here coming from the _Kulzum_, or the Caspian Sea, is
delightfully cool and serene. Beyond was the Pembaki river, winding its
way through a beautiful valley, diversified by rich vegetation; and at
a greater distance we could just discern the church of Kara Klisseh, or
the Black Monastery, the first station of the Russians on this part
of their frontier, and situated on a dark and precipitous rock, rising
conspicuous among the verdure of the surrounding scenery.
When near the village we discovered that all its inhabitants,
particularly the women and children, had been watching our steps down
the slope, anxious to know whether Mariam had been retaken; and when
they saw her safe, there was no end to their expressions of joy. The
story of her flight and of her rescue was soon told, and carried
from one mouth to another with such rapidity and with such additional
circumstances, that at length it came out that she had been carried away
by a giant, who had an iron head, claws and feet of steel, and scales on
his back, mounted upon a beast that tore up the ground at every bound,
and made noises in its rapid course over the hills like the discharges
of artillery. They added to this, that of a sudden an angel, in the
shape of a ploughboy, descended from the top of a high mountain in a
cloud, and as he wielded a sword of fire in his hand, it frightened the
horse, threw Mariam to the ground, and reduced the giant and his steed
to ashes: for when she recovered from her fright, they were no longer to
be seen. I was pointed out as the illustrious ploughboy, and immediately
the attention of the whole village was turned towards me; but,
unfortunately, when about receiving nearly divine honours, a youth, whom
I had frequently met tending cattle in the mountains, recognized me,
and said, He is no angel--he is Yûsûf, the son of Coja Petros, of
Gavmishlû; and thus I was reduced to my mortality once more. However,
I was treated with the greatest distinction by everybody, and Mariams
relations could not sufficiently testify their gratitude for the service
I had rendered. But, all this time, love was making deep inroads in my
heart. I no longer saw Mariam unveiled, that happy moment of my life
had gone by; but it had put the seal to my future fate. No, said I
to myself, nothing shall separate me from that beautiful maid;
our destinies forthwith are one; Heaven has miraculously brought us
together, and nothing but the decrees of Providence shall disunite us,
even though to gain her I should be obliged to adopt the violence of the
Persian, and carry her away by force. We met now and then, Mariam and
I; and although our words were few, yet our eyes said much, and I knew
that my passion was returned. Oh, how I longed to have met and engaged
another, aye, twenty more Persians, to prove my love! but I recollected
that I was nothing but a poor Armenian, belonging to a degraded and
despised nation, and that the greatest feat which I could ever expect to
perform would be to keep the wolf from my fathers flocks, or to drive
the marauder from our fields.
I remained the whole of that eventful day at Geuklû (the name of the
village), where the promised lamb was killed, and a large cauldron of
rice boiled. I returned on the following day to my parents, who had been
alarmed at my absence, and who listened to the history of my adventures
with all the earnestness and interest that I could wish.
I was so entirely absorbed by my love, that I could think of nothing
else; therefore I determined to inform them of the situation of my
affections. I am of an age now, said I to them, to think and act for
myself. Thanks to God, and to you, I have strong arms, and can work for
my bread; I wish to marry, and Providence has prepared the way for me.
I then requested them forthwith to demand Mariam from her parents, in
order that I might make her my wife; and finished by kissing my fathers
hand, and embracing my mother.
They said in answer, That marriage was a serious consideration in
these difficult times, and that the family was now too poor to incur the
expense of a wedding. It was necessary to buy clothes, a ring, candles,
sweetmeats, a crimson veil, bed and bed-covering, to pay the singers and
musicians, and to make a feast; and where was money to be found to meet
all this?
I said, Tis true that money is wanted, and that no marriage can take
place without it, both for the honour of our family, and for the purpose
of showing my love to my intended; but I can borrow; I have friends both
at Erivan and at the Three Churches; and I think I could borrow enough
from the one and the other to pay the expenses of my wedding; and as for
repayment, I will work so laboriously, and live so frugally, that little
by little I shall pay off my debt. Besides, I can become the servant of
a merchant, who would give me a share in his adventures; and one journey
to Constantinople or to Astrachan would yield me enough profit to repay
every one with interest.
In short, I said so much, that at length they were persuaded to make
the necessary overtures to the parents of Mariam; and it was fixed, that
in the course of a few days my father, my uncle the priest, and one
of the elders of the village should proceed to Geuklû, and ask her in
marriage for me. In the meanwhile, I myself had been there almost every
day, upon one pretext or another, and I had had several opportunities of
informing her of my intentions, in order that she and her family might
not be taken unawares.
My father and his colleagues were very well received by the parents of
my intended. Having talked over the matter, and seizing this opportunity
of drinking some more than usual glasses of arrack, they agreed that
we should be united as soon as the marriage-articles should have been
agreed upon, and the forms of the _nâm zed_ (the ceremony of betrothing)
should have been gone through.
Three days after this, my mother, accompanied by two old women of our
village, by my uncle the priest, and me, proceeded to Geuklû for the
purpose of the nâm zed, and settling the terms of the marriage. They
were received with more ceremony than my father and his colleagues had
been, and the women of the other party having met ours, negotiations
were opened.
My mother offered, on my part, that I should give of clothes to my
bride two full suits, consisting of two shifts, one of crimson silk, the
other of blue cotton; two pairs of trousers, one of silk, the other of
striped cotton; two _jubbehs_, or robes, fitting tight to the body, of
chintz; two veils, one of white cotton, the other of chequered blue; two
pair of slippers, one of green shagreen skin and high heels, the other
of brown leather, with flat bone heels and shod with iron; and I was
also to add a printed muslin handkerchief, and a set of bandages and
kerchiefs for the head. She moreover offered fifty piastres in silver
coin for minor expenses; and a chain for the neck, from which there
should be suspended one gold tomaun of Persia.
After some little consultation among the friends of my wife, this
was agreed upon; but one of the old women, who had been a servant in a
Persian family, started a demand which gave rise to some discussion; it
was, that I ought to give something for _sheer baha_, or milk money, as
is the custom throughout Persia. Our party said this was not usual among
the Armenians; the adverse party contended it was; in short, words were
running high, when I requested my mother not to make any difficulty,
but to offer ten piastres more; which being agreed upon, the whole was
amicably adjusted to the satisfaction of both parties.
This had taken place among the women alone. I was then called in, with
my uncle, to go through the ceremony, and strict injunctions were made
me not to laugh, nor even to smile, while it lasted; for ill luck would
attend the marriage if anything so indecorous took place at the first
interview.
I found my mother seated on the ground, flanked by her two old women,
opposite to my brides mother, supported by hers. Mariam entered at the
same moment, and my mother then presented her with a ring (a brass
one, alas!) from me, which she put on her finger, and then wine was
administered to the priest; of which, when he had taken a copious
draught, it was announced that we were betrothed man and wife, and we
received the congratulations of all those around us. I was delighted,
although prohibited from communicating with my intended; but went about
kissing everybody, and so many benedictions were showered upon us, that
perhaps no couple ever was so much blessed, by good wishes at least, as
we were.
My mother and her party having returned to our village, I proceeded to
make the preparations for my wedding with a light heart, regardless of
any event which might intervene to destroy it. When we came to discuss
the money it was likely to cost, and the means of obtaining it, I was
agreeably surprised to see my father walk into the room where the family
was assembled, with a bag in his hand. Here, said he, here is money.
After all, the ked khoda of Gavmishlû can provide for his son as well
as the best in the country. Here, Yûsûf, said he to me, take these
ten tomauns, my son, and lay them out in the purchase of your wifes
clothes.
Upon which I knelt down, kissed his hand, and craved his blessing.
My uncle, the priest, warmed by this generosity, said, And here,
nephew,--the church is poor indeed, and its ministers poorer,--but
here--take these twenty silver abassis, and expend them in tapers for
your wedding. Others of those seated in the assembly also gave me
something; by which means, without being reduced to the necessity of
borrowing, I found my purse sufficiently well supplied to enable me to
make my purchases at once. I expressed my thanks to my benefactors; and
never before having had so much money in my possession, I scarcely knew
what countenance to keep. However, my impatience knew no bounds; I was
anxious to be already on my road to Erivan, where the clothes were to be
bought; for there was no place nearer than that city in which a bazaar
was to be found. But as I was ignorant of the arts of buying, and
particularly ill versed in womens dresses, it was decided that my
mother should accompany me mounted on our ass, whilst I followed on
foot. She had an Armenian friend at Erivan, who would take us in for
a night or two; and as for sleeping on the road, we could take up our
abode in the tents of the wandering tribes, whose duties bind them to
hospitality towards the stranger.
We departed, she on the ass, I with my sword by my side, and my gun on
my shoulder; and followed by half the village, invoking good luck for
us.
Having reached the heights of Aberan, we discovered an immense camp of
white tents; one of which, belonging to the chief, was of a magnificent
size. A horseman whom we met informed us that the serdar of Erivan was
encamped there with a considerable body of cavalry; and it was supposed
posted there to watch the motions of the Russians and Georgians, who,
it was expected, were likely soon to move their forces forwards to the
attack of Persia.
This intelligence gave us considerable alarm. My mother was for
returning home, and for putting off the wedding. Too much in love to
hearken to such a proposal, I urged her to travel more expeditiously,
that we might be back the sooner. We proceeded so far on the first day,
that I could see the smoke of Erivan in the distance. We passed the
night under a projecting rock, with the majestic mountain of Ararat in
full view; and did not fail to cross ourselves when we first came in
view of it, and of recommending ourselves to St. Gregorio, when we
composed ourselves to sleep. The wandering tribes had gone too far out
of our track for our purpose, therefore we did not think of seeking
their protection; but, refreshed with our nights rest, we resumed our
journey early in the morning, and reached Erivan in safety.
My mother was received by her friend with kindness; and the day
after our arrival, they went to the bazaar to make purchases of the
wedding-clothes, whilst I roamed about, gaping at everything, and
listening to the speeches of those who were gathered together on the
market-place. Various were the rumours concerning the operations of the
serdar against the enemy. It was evident that some movement was likely
soon to take place, and an attack of an extraordinary nature to be made;
for the people at the arsenal, and powder works, had been more than
usually employed in making ready certain instruments of destruction,[75]
before unknown in Persia, and set on foot by Russian deserters
themselves. I was so entirely taken up by my own affairs, and by the
happiness in store for me, that this sort of intelligence passed by me
totally unheeded. It just struck me, that we might endeavour to secure
the protection of the serdar, through our chief at the Three Churches,
in case our village and its territory became the theatre of war; but
when I reflected upon the length of time it would take to make such a
deviation from our road, I abandoned the idea, and, in my impatience,
trusted to my own sword and musket as sufficient protection against all
invaders.
My mother and I returned to our village by the same road we came, but
not with quite so much speed; for the ass was laden with our purchases,
and, in addition to my arms, I also carried a considerable share of the
burden. The serdars camp was still in the same place, and we passed on
without hindrance or any occurrence worth relating, until we reached the
high ground that overlooks Gavmishlû.
The sight of a tent first struck my mother, and she stopped.
What is that, Yûsûf? she cried out to me: see, there is a tent.
I, who had no thoughts in my head but those that concerned my wedding,
answered, Yes, I see; perhaps they are making preparations for an
entertainment for us.
My husbands beard with your entertainment! exclaimed she; what are
become of your wits? Either Russians or Persians are there, as sure as I
am a Christian; and in either case it is bad for us.
We pushed on towards our dwelling with the greatest anxiety; and, as
we approached it, found that my mother had judged right. The village had
been just occupied by a small detachment of Russian infantry, composed
of fifty men, commanded by a _penjah bashi_, or a head of fifty, who,
it seems, formed the advanced posts of an army quartered at a days
distance from us. Every house in the village had been obliged to lodge
a certain number of men, and ours, as the best, and belonging to the
chief, was taken up by the captain.
You may conceive our consternation on finding this state of things;
and, in particular, how wretched I was from the apprehension that my
wedding must be put off to an indefinite time, when perhaps ruin would
have overwhelmed us, and left us naked and destitute fugitives. Oh! the
idea was too overwhelming, and I hastened to give vent to my feelings
to my friends at Geuklû, who perhaps might afford me some consolation.
Their village being considerably out of the track of the invaders, no
troops had yet made their appearance amongst them; but when they heard
what was passing on our side of the country, they immediately became
partakers of all our fears. I saw Mariam, dear child of nature! The
customs of our country did not permit us to converse openly; but love
is fertile in expedients, and we managed to pour out eternal vows of
constancy, and to swear upon the holy cross of our faith, that, happen
what might, we would ever be united.
These interviews happened frequently, and I became almost mad with rage
and disappointment that we could not marry. It was evident that some
terrible catastrophe must take place soon,--the armies might meet
from day to day, and then what would become of the rejoicings of
our wedding-day! To undertake the performance of a ceremony of such
importance, under these circumstances, would only be mocking Providence,
and preparing for ourselves a futurity of misfortune. However, I was
too much in love, and too impatient, not to have married under any
circumstances, therefore I only endured what I could not well resist.
However, a fortnight had elapsed since our return, and nothing had
happened. We were upon excellent terms with our guests the Russians,
and as they were quiet and inoffensive, infinitely more so than Persians
would have been under similar circumstances, we became very intimate.
They were Christians as well as we; they made the sign of the cross;
prayed at our church; ate pork and drank wine; all circumstances
producing great sympathy of feeling, and strengthening the bonds of
friendship between us. Their captain was a young man of great worth, and
of such unpresuming manners that he gave universal satisfaction. He kept
the strictest discipline among his troops, and was himself the soberest
of mankind. He was anxious to gain information concerning our manners
and customs, and encouraged us to converse with him upon everything
that interested our family. This brought on a full exposition of our
situation in regard to my wedding, to which he listened with a degree of
interest so great, as to make him my friend for life.
He said, But why should it not take place now? There is nothing to
hinder it: we are here to protect you, and whatever we can give or lend,
I promise that I will procure. The Persians do not show the least sign
of moving, and our army must wait for reinforcements from Teflis before
it can advance farther; therefore you will have all the necessary time
to perform your ceremonies in quiet and happiness, and perhaps with more
splendour than if we had not been here.
He, moreover, promised to make a present to the bride of some Georgian
gold lace, and to lend me his horse, a fine Karadaghi, which I might
mount on the occasion. He said so much, that he at length persuaded mine
and my brides relations not to defer the ceremony, and a day was
fixed. Had any other man pressed the business so much, and appeared so
personally interested in it, I should probably have been suspicious of
the purity of his intentions, and certain feelings of jealousy might
have arisen; but the captain was so ugly, so hideously ugly, so
opposite to what passes for beauty amongst us, that I could have no fear
concerning Mariam on his account; for if she could notice him, she could
with the same facility become enamoured of an ape. His face was composed
of a white leprous skin, with a head covered by hair, or rather quills,
thrown about in a variety of stiff lines, of the colour of straw; his
eyes were round holes scooped deep in their sockets, and situated behind
small hillocks of cheekbones; his nose was marked by a little bit of
flesh, under which were pierced two holes as if with an awl, and his
chin, as lucid as glass, did not show the smallest appearance of hair.
A little down grew upon his upper lip, which for length and prominence
quite outdid its fellow; and this indication of a man was as carefully
kept greased and blacked as a pair of immense boots in which his legs
were always cased.
No, said I, to myself, Mariam would sooner love her Persian giant
than this creature; and when she comes to compare him to her intended
(looking over myself at the same time with some complacency), I flatter
myself that I may lay my jealous fears aside.
And thus it was settled that I should wed. The evening before the
wedding-day, the clothes and other articles, placed in trays borne upon
mens heads, and preceded by singers and musicians (of which some are to
be found in every village), were sent to my bride. My band consisted
of a man who played on the _zourna_, or hautbois, a performer on the
tambourine, and two who sang. As a mark of additional splendour, our
Russian friends lent us a drum, the beating of which by one of our
shepherd boys produced great effect all over the country. I followed my
present a few hours after, for the purpose of receiving the one which
my bride, according to custom, was to make me; consisting of a pair of
brass mounted pistols, made in the Caucasus, which had belonged to a
great uncle of hers, who had been a soldier in the troops of the Wali of
Georgia, before the Russians had got possession of that country.
On the following day, the day of my long-expected happiness, I and
all my family arose betimes in the morning. The weather was serene but
sultry; there had been a tendency to storm for several days before, and
heavy clouds stood in threatening attitudes with their white heads in
the horizon. But nature was beautiful, and refreshed by a shower that
had fallen in the night. My friend, the captain, lent me his horse,
which I caparisoned and ornamented as well as I could on the occasion.
I myself put on a new suit of clothes from head to foot, and with the
addition of many silver-studded belts, cartouche-boxes, daggers, and
other appendages fastened about me, and which had been lent me by a
Georgian in the service of the Russians, I was told, and I believe
it, that I made a very handsome appearance. Accompanied by my male
relations, the Russian captain, and as many of his men as could
be spared in order to create a crowd, we proceeded to Geuklû, and
approaching it, marshalled ourselves in procession, preceded by music,
songs, and shouts. We alighted at my brides house, where we partook of
refreshments, and received the congratulations of all the village; and
then, when everything was prepared for our return to Gavmishlû, where my
uncle was to perform the ceremony, we mounted again. My bride, covered
by a crimson veil from head to foot, which flowed over a flat platter
placed on her crown, was mounted on her fathers steed, led on either
side by her brothers. It is the custom for the bridegroom to hold a
sash or girdle by his right hand, which is held at the other end by the
bride, on their way to the church, and this we did. All our friends, our
relations, all the youth of the villages, some on foot, some on asses,
others on horses, accompanied the procession, making shouts, and
manifesting their joy by all sorts of games and jokes during the whole
course of the march. When at length we had reached a small rising ground
overlooking my village the procession stopped, and every one who had
a part to act in the ceremony received a taper, which was forthwith
lighted. The procession then moved on with slow and measured steps,
headed by my uncle, who, assisted by my other uncle from the Three
Churches, sang psalms as they walked forward, amidst all the noise of
the surrounding lookers-on. The Russian captain had had the attention
to dress his men up on the occasion, and they marched to the church with
us, adding much to the dignity of the scene.
We at length alighted at the door of the church, and, still holding
each end of the girdle, my bride and I walked to the foot of the altar,
which, notwithstanding our humble condition, had been ornamented with
more than ordinary brilliancy by flowers, ribbons, and looking-glasses.
My forehead was then placed against Mariams in a sort of butting
attitude, and the Bible opened and laid upon our heads, whilst her hand
was given into mine. The priest then asked, if we agreed to take each
other for husband and wife; and after we had made an inclination of our
heads as marking our consent, and a suitable proportion of prayers had
been read and chanted, the ceremony was at an end, and notified to all
the world by the shouts of the multitude, and by the redoubled sounds of
our drums, flutes, and tambours.
Daylight by this time had entirely disappeared, and the weather, which
had threatened a storm, now became very lowering. The sky was darkened,
rain fell, and distant thunders were heard. This circumstance put an end
to the entertainment given by my father earlier than it otherwise would
have done; and when our guests had retired, the hour at length arrived
which was to make me the happiest of men.
Oh, shall I stop here to recollect all the horrors of that night,
or shall I pass on, and not distress you by relating them? You must
conceive my bride lovely as the morning star, innocent as an angel, and
attached to me by the purest love; and you may imagine what I felt at
that moment,--I who had looked upon our union as impossible, and had
thought of my awaiting happiness as a bright spot in my existence, to
which I expected never to attain.
But in order to give a right impression of the scene which I am about
to describe, you must know that the villages in Georgia, and in our part
of Armenia, are built partly under ground, and thus a stranger finds
himself walking on the roof of a house when he thinks that he is on
plain ground, the greatest part of them being lighted by apertures at
the top. Such was the house in which my family lived, and in which my
wedding was celebrated. My nuptial chamber had one of these apertures,
which had been closed on the occasion, and was situated with its door
leading at once into the open air.
It is the custom among the Armenians for the bridegroom to retire
first. His shoes and stockings are then taken off by his wife; and,
before she resigns her veil, has the task of extinguishing the light.
The storm had just broke,--thunders were rolling over our heads,--the
lightning flashed,--torrents of rain were pouring down with fearful
noise,--there seemed to be a general commotion of the elements, when my
Mariam, unveiling herself, extinguished the lamp. She had scarcely laid
herself down, when we heard an unusual violent noise at the aperture in
the ceiling: sounds of mens voices were mingled with the crash of the
thunder; trampling of horses was also distinctly heard; and presently we
were alarmed by a heavy noise of something having fallen in our room and
near our bed, accompanied by a glare and a smell of sulphur.
Tis a thunderbolt, by all that is sacred! Oh heaven protect us!
cried I. Fly, my soul, my wife, escape!
She had just time to snatch up her veil, and to get without the door,
when an explosion took place in the very room, so awful, so tremendous,
that I immediately thought myself transported to the regions of the
damned. I fell senseless, amidst the wreck of falling stones, plaster;
and furniture. All I can recollect is, that an immense blaze of light
was succeeded by an overpowering sulphureous smell,--then a dead
silence.
I lay there for some time, unconscious of what was passing; but by
degrees came to myself, and when I found that I could move my limbs, and
that nothing about my person was materially hurt, I began to consider
how I had got there. As for my wedding, that appeared to me a dream:
all I heard about me now was the firing of muskets, loud and frequent
explosions, cries and shouts of men,--of men wounded and in pain,--of
men attacking and putting others to death,--the tramplings of horses,
the clashing of arms. What, in the name of Heaven, can all this be?
said I. I still thought myself transported into another planet, when the
shriek of a woman struck my ear. It is Mariam! It is she, by all
that is sacred! Where, where, shall I seek her? I was roused: I
disencumbered myself of the weight of rubbish that had fallen upon me,
and, once upon my legs again, I sallied forth in search of her. The
scene which presented itself was more terrible than language can
express; for the first object which struck my sight was a Persian
rushing by me, with a drawn sword in one hand, and a human head,
dripping with blood, in another. The blackness of the night was lighted
up at rapid intervals by vivid flashes of lightning, which, quick as
the eye could glance, now discovered the hideous tragedy that was then
acting, and now threw it again into darkness, leaving the imagination
to fill up the rest. By one flash, I saw Persians with uplifted swords,
attacking defenceless Russians, rushing from their beds: by another,
the poor villagers were discovered flying from their smoking cottages
in utter dismay. Then an immense explosion took place, which shook
everything around.[76] The village cattle, loosened from their
confinements, ran about in wild confusion, and mixed themselves with the
horrors of the night: in short, my words fall short of any description
that could be made of this awful scene of devastation; and I must bless
the mercy of that Almighty hand which hath spared me in the destruction
that surrounded me.
I knew not where to turn myself to seek for my wife. I had heard her
shrieks; and the shivering of despair came over me, when I thought
it might have been her death groans which had struck my ears. I threw
myself into the midst of the carnage, and, armed with a firebrand,
snatched from my burning nuptial chamber, I made my way through the
combatants, more like a maniac at the height of his frenzy, than a
bridegroom on his wedding-night. Getting into the skirts of the village
again, I thought I heard the shrieks of my beloved. I ran towards the
direction, and a flash of lightning, that glanced over the adjoining
hill, showed me two horsemen making off with a woman, whose white
veil was conspicuously seen, mounted behind one of them. Heedless of
everything but my wife, I followed them with the swiftness of a mountain
goat; but as the storm subsided, the lightning flashed no more, and I
was left in utter darkness at the top of the hill, not knowing which
path to take, and whether to proceed or not. I was almost naked. I
had been severely bruised. My feet, otherwise accustomed to the naked
ground, had become quite lacerated by the pursuit I had undertaken; and
altogether, I was so worn with grief, so broken-hearted, that I
laid myself down on the wet earth in a state of desperation that was
succeeded by a torpor of all my senses. Here I lay until the first rays
of the morning glared in my eyes, and brought me gradually to a sense of
my situation.
What has happened? said I. Where am I? How came I here? Either the
demons and wicked angels of another world have been at work this night,
or else I am most grossly abused. To see that glorious orb rising in
that clear unclouded sky; to mark the soothing serenity of nature, the
morning freshness, the song of the birds, the lowing of yon cattle,
and the quiet and seclusion of my yonder paternal village, I ought to
suppose that the images of horror, of indescribable horror, now floating
in my mind, must be those of a diseased imagination. Is it possible
that in this secluded spot, under this lovely sky, in the midst of these
bounteous gifts of nature, I could have seen man murdering his fellow
creature, the blazing cottage, the mangled corse, the bleeding head;
and, O cruel, O killing thought, that I should have been bereft of my
dear, my innocent wife? and then, then only, was I restored to a full
possession of every occurrence that had taken place; and tears which
before had refused to flow now came to my assistance, and relieved my
burning temples and my almost suffocating bosom. I got up, and walked
slowly to the village. All was hushed into quiet; a slight smoke was
here and there to be seen; stray cattle were grazing on the outskirts;
strangers on horseback seemed to be busily employed in preparations
of some kind or other, and the wretched peasantry were seen huddled
together in groups, scarcely awake from the suddenness of the
destruction which had visited them, and uncertain of the fate which
might still be in reserve. As for me, the loss which I had already
sustained made me expect every other attendant misfortune. I had made my
mind up to find my relations dead, to see the total ruin of our house,
and to know that I was a solitary outcast on the face of the world,
without a wife, without a home, without parents, without a friend. But
no, imagination had worked up the picture too highly; for one of the
first persons I met on entering our village was my poor mother, who,
when she saw me, recollecting all the trouble she had been at to secure
my happiness, fell on my neck, and shed a torrent of tears. When her
first grief had subsided, she told me that my father had suffered much
from bruises, and from a blow received on the head; but that the rest of
the family were well; that our house had been considerably injured, many
of our things pillaged; and that my nuptial room, in particular, had
been almost totally destroyed. She informed me that the good Russian
captain had been the first to fall a sacrifice to the attack of the
Persians; for almost immediately after the explosion in my room, he had
rushed out to see what had happened, when two Persians seized him, one
of whom at once decapitated him: this was the head that I saw brandished
before me, when first I sallied forth. She then took me to a place of
shelter, and put on me what clothes could be found.
The Persians, having completed their deeds of horror, had retired from
the scene of action, leaving to our unfortunate villagers the melancholy
task of burying the dead bodies of thirty wretched Russians, who had
fallen victims to their treacherous attack, and whose heads they had
carried off with them as trophies.
After I had visited my father, and left my home in as comfortable a
situation as I could, under the existing circumstances, I determined
instantly to set out in pursuit of my wife. It was evident that she had
been carried away by some of those who had attacked our village, and
that she must have been taken to Erivan, as the nearest market for
slaves, for such was no doubt the purpose for which she had been seized.
My sword, pistols, and gun, which had formed part of the ornamental
furniture of my bridal chamber, were found buried in its ruins, and with
these for my protection, and with some pieces of silver in my purse, I
bid adieu to Gavmishlû, making a vow never to return until I had found
my Mariam.
I travelled with hurried steps, taking the shortest cuts over the
mountains to Erivan, and as I crossed a branch of the high road I met
two horsemen, well-mounted and equipped, who stopped me, and asked
whither I was going, and upon what errand.
I did not hesitate to tell them my wretched tale, hoping they might
give me some hint which might throw light upon the fate of my wife. This
they did indeed, but in a manner so cruel, that their words awakened the
most horrid suspicions, and almost to a certainty convinced me that my
poor innocent, my hitherto unspotted, though wedded wife, had fallen
into the power of a most licentious tyrant.
Is it possible, said I, when they had related to me the horrid
expedients to which their chief, the serdar (for it was to two of his
bodyguard that I was talking), had recourse, for the accomplishment of
his wickedness,--is it possible that selfishness can be carried to such
an extreme, that vice can have reached to such a pitch in the heart of
man? Women, by you Mussulmans, I know are treated as mere accessories
to pleasure; but, after all, they are Gods creatures, not made for the
serdar alone, as he seems to think, but given to us to be our help, our
comfort, and our companions through life.
My hearers only laughed at my sentiments, and tauntingly assured me,
that, if I was seeking one who had got into the serdars harem, my
labour would be in vain, and that I might just take the trouble to
return whence I came.
Little heeding what they said, I hastened my steps, without knowing why
or wherefore; but impelled by a sort of feeling, that it could not be
in the wisdom of the Almighty to heap such a load of misfortune upon a
wretched sinner like me, without at length giving some counterbalancing
reward, or some consolation which it is ever in His power to bestow.
I was now near the camp at Aberan, where I knew the serdar in person
was settled, and, hoping to hear some favourable intelligence, I made
towards it. It was greatly agitated by the arrival of the detachment
of Persians who had attacked our village, and were giving proofs of the
success of their enterprise, by exhibiting the Russian heads which they
had brought away, and which were laid in several heaps before the tent
of the chief. One might have supposed that a great and signal victory
had been achieved, such were the rejoicings and boastings that took
place at the sight. The horrid objects were forthwith salted, and sent
off in great parade and ceremony to the Shah of Persia, who never will
believe that a victory is gained until he sees these palpable proofs of
it. However, in the midst of all this joy, a courier was seen arriving
in great haste from the Russian frontier, whose intelligence produced a
change of scene. He announced that the Russian army, having heard of
the late attack upon their outpost at Gavmishlû, was now in full march
against the serdar, and coming on so rapidly, that he must expect to
be attacked even before night-close. The scene that ensued defies all
description. The whole camp was ordered to be struck, and an immediate
retreat was commanded. Tents falling, mules loading, men screaming;
horses, camels, men, cannon, all were in motion at one time; and before
two hours had elapsed, the whole had disappeared, and the army was on
its march for Erivan.
I had in the meanwhile received no account of my lost Mariam; and it
was plain that, if in the power of the serdar, she was within the walls
of his seraglio at Erivan. Thither then I bent my steps, hoping that in
this great confusion something might turn up for my advantage.
Upon my arrival there, I posted myself at the bridge over the Zengui,
from whence I had a full survey of that part of the serdars palace
which contains his women; and as the troops were crossing it at the same
time in constant succession, I was unnoticed, and passed for one of the
camp followers. The building is situated upon the brink of a precipice
of dark rock, at the foot of which flows the Zengui, a clear and rapid
stream, foaming through a rocky bed, the stony projections of which form
white eddies, and increase the rush of its waters. A bridge of three
arches is here thrown over it, and forms part of the high road leading
to Georgia and Turkey. The principal saloon of the palace, in a corner
of which the serdar is usually seated, opens with a large casement on
the river, and overlooks the rugged scenery. At some distance on the
same surface of building are the windows of the womens apartments,
distinguished by their lattices, and by other contrivances of jealousy.
However, I observed they were not so well secured, but that objects
passing and repassing the bridge might well be seen from them; and I
imagined that if Mariam was a prisoner there, she might perchance make
me out as I stood below. But if she did, what then? said I to myself
in despair: seeing me there would only add to her torture, and to my
desperation. To escape from such a height appeared impossible, for a
fall would be instant death; and excepting a willow tree, which grew out
of the rock immediately under one of the windows, there was nothing
to break the descent. However, having remained in one spot so long in
meditation, I feared to be observed; and left my post for the present,
determining to return to it at the close of day, and indeed at every
hour when I could appear without suspicion.
[Illustration: I beheld her fair form in the air, falling down the
giddy height. 19.jpg]
I had been watching the windows of the seraglio in this manner for more
than a fortnight, and had not ceased to parade up and down the bridge at
least three times every day, when one evening, as the day was about to
close, I saw the lattice of the window over the willow tree open, and
a female looking out of it. I watched her with breathless suspense. She
appeared to recognize me. I extended my hand; she stretched forth hers.
It is she! said I; yes, it must be her! It is my Mariam! Upon which,
without a moments hesitation, without thinking of the consequences, I
plunged into the river, and having waded through it, stood at the foot
of the precipice immediately under my beloved wife. She stretched her
arms several times towards me, as if she would have thrown herself out.
I almost screamed with apprehension; and yet the hope of pressing her
to my heart made me half regret that she had not done so. We stood there
looking wistfully at each other, fearing to speak, yet longing to do so.
At length, she shut the lattice suddenly, and left me in an attitude
and in all the horrors of suspense. I kept my post for some time without
seeing anything more of her, when again suddenly the lattice opened, and
she appeared, but with looks that spoke of intense agitation. I scarcely
could tell what was about to happen, but waited in dreadful anxiety,
until I saw her lean forward, retreat, lean forward again--then more
and more, until, by a sudden effort, I beheld her fair form in the air,
falling down the giddy height.[77] My legs refused to perform their
office, my eyes were obscured by a swimming, and I should have
probably sunk under the intenseness of my feelings, when I saw her half
suspended, half falling, from a branch of the willow tree. I bounded up,
and in an instant had mounted the tree, and had clasped her senseless
in my arms. I seemed to be impelled by new vigour and strength; to reach
the ground, to recross the river, to fly with my precious burden from
the inhabited outskirts into the open country, appeared but the business
of a second. I was perfectly drunk with the thousand feelings which
agitated me; and although I acted like one bereft of his senses, yet
everything I did was precisely that which I ought to have done. Nature
guided me: the animal acting only from instinct would have done like me.
I had saved that which was most precious to me in this world.
When I had worn out my first efforts of strength, and had felt that my
hitherto senseless burden showed some symptoms of life, I stopped,
and placed her quietly on the ground behind some broken walls. She was
terribly bruised, although no bone had been broken. The branches of the
tree, upon which she had alighted, had wounded her deeply in several
places, and the blood had flowed very copiously. But she was alive; she
breathed; she opened her eyes, and at length pronounced my name. I was
almost crazy with joy, and embraced her with a fervour that amounted to
madness. When she had reposed herself a little, I snatched her up
again, and proceeded onwards with all the haste imaginable, in the
determination to strike at once into the mountains; but recollecting
that I had the river of Ashtarek to cross, and that with her in my arms
it would be impossible to do so except by the bridge, I at once directed
my steps thither.
We were reposing at the foot of the bridge, when I heard the footsteps
of your horses. Although nearly exhausted with my previous exertions, I
still had strength enough left to clamber up the bank, and take refuge
in the ruined church, where you first discovered us; and there I watched
your motions with the greatest anxiety, concluding that you were a party
sent in pursuit of us by the serdar. Need I say after this, that if you
will protect us, and permit us to seek our home, you will receive the
overflowing gratitude of two thankful hearts, and the blessings of many
now wretched people who by our return will be made supremely happy?
Whoever you are, upon whatever errand you may be sent, you cannot have
lost the feelings of a man. God will repay your kindness a thousand
times; and although we are not of your faith and nation, still we have
prayers to put up at the Throne of Grace, which must be received when
they are employed in so good a cause.