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be deputed for this purpose? Was it not possible
for the Czar to nominate one of his own subjects
for such a responsible post? Anyway, why should
this minister pretend to be descended from the
line of the ancient kings of Armenia, if it is not
to obtain more credit for his own cause? But
this is the least part of the danger that threatens
us at present. The real danger lies in the attempts
of the Moscovites and the Armenians to have the
warlike and brave Georgians on their side. It
is an open secret that they are well disposed
towards our enemies, and wait impatiently for
their chance to assert their independence. It is
quite obvious that they have submitted with
reluctance to a people of different religion. Have
we forgotten that only a few years ago these
people at the instigation of Gurgin Khan rose
against us? What an irony of fate, this Gurgin is
now a full-fledged governor of three major pro-
vinces! Are we ignorant of the fact that his cousin,
Sanazarli, is now at the Court of St. Petersburg,
soliciting the Czar to assist him in the liberation of
his co-religionists in Georgia? Suppose for a
moment that they all join hands against us. Can
Roughly two thirds of characters agree with a modern printed edition of the same text. Much of the disagreement is editorial, not misreading. Treat the transcription as a finding aid and read the page image before quoting. How this was measured.
