'The travels of Sir John Chardin into Persia and the East Indies, through the Black Sea, and the country of Colchis. Containing the author's voyage from Paris to Ispahan. To which is added, the coronation of the present King of Persia, Solyman the III.' [‎254] (297/594)

The T 'awls of Sir John Chardin Perfia,
Snow that never melts, fb that all the Seafons of the Year it
appears like a Prodigious Heap of nothing but Snow. What
I have reported concerning this Mountain, will doubtlefi caufe
no final I wonder in thofe who have read the Travels of Father
(Philip, a Barefoot Carmelite, that he fliould undertake to lay
that the Terreftrial Paradife lies there Tlain
GOD preferves from Heat and for thole are the words
of his Tranflator. The thought it felf leems to me to be ve
ry plealant; and I fhould have thought he had fpoke it jocu
larly, did he not relate with an extraordinary ferioufnefs fe-
veral things in the fame Book which are altogether as impro
bable.
At the Foot of the Mountains, in a Village inhabited by
Chriftians, ftands a Monaftery , call'd or the
Monajiery of the Jpoftles ; to which place the pay a
very folemn Devotion. For they report that the Bodies of
St. Andrew and St. Matthew were found there, and that the
Scull of the Evangelift is ftill preferv'd in the Church belong
ing to the Monaftery.
When I came to Erivan, I alighted at the Houfe of an Ar
menian of my Acquaintance, whofe Name was Mari as. He
was a Perlbn extreamly perfecuted by thofe of his own Nati
on, becaufe he had been at %omto turn Roman Catholick,
and Difciple to the Colledge for the
and for endeavouring to fettle the at Erivan. I
found him indifpos'd and in Bed. However he rofe to give
Notice of my Arrival; fearing to come into trouble if he de-
ferr'd it till the next Morning. To which purpofe he went
to Court, but could not lee the Governor who was retir'd in
to the Apartment of the Princefs his Wife; Neverthelefs an
Eunuch did his Meffage.
The Eighth, the Governor lent a Perfon to give me a Vifit,
and to tell me I was Welcom. Whereupon Mr. un
dertook to go in my behalf and return him my humble Thanks,
and withal to let him know who I was Upon which the
Governor (hew'd an earneft defire to fee me as foon as I could,
and fome pare of the Jewels I had brought along with me.
Afterwards he ask d how many Servants I had, and order'd
Mr. A%arias to inform him whether I had rather Lodge in the
Fortrefs, or in the Inn which he had built, and to bring hitn
Word Ipeedily. For my part I made choice of the Inn, as
well for the Security of the Place, as for that a Man iliall ne
ver there want Company, becaule of the great relbrt of Mer-
+ chants