Storia do Mogor 349: I.
Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 349
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I.
349.1
Vol. I., pp. 210-221. Martyrdom of Gregory . . . who is commonly called 'Loys Grigor' [Light Gregory], which took place in the reign of Shãh Sultãn Husain in the year 1703. This Gregory was a native of the neighbourhood of Erivan, the son of poor parents. When eighteen years old he entered the service of a certain English merchant in the city of Isphahan. One day his father happened to be in the bazaar, when the skirt of his coat chanced to transgress against the water-pot of a certain shopkeeper, whereupon the latter beat him violently and wounded him for polluting the vessel. In his wounded condition the father went to the house of the English merchant, and related to his son what had happened. Moved with his father's injury, Gregory took with him two Moslem servants of the Englishman, and proceeded to the bazaar. They sought out the offending shopkeeper, beat him and wounded him, and dragged him to the house of the Englishman.
349.2
The other shopkeepers, indignant at such an act on the part of the servants of the English merchant, sought to retaliate violently upon Gregory, who had been the cause of this disturbance. For this purpose they concocted a false charge against him, and taking false witnesses, went to the Shaikh al-Islãm, and declared that this Gregory had reviled their sacred Law, and demanded judgment according to law. The Shaikh al-Islām gave answer: 'If your words are true, this man must either die, or save his life by embracing our faith.' The complainants corroborated their words by means of their false witnesses, and obtained a judgment of death or apostasy. This judgment they carried to the Kāzi of the city, and got it legalized by his seal, and then went to the governor of the city, who was a Georgian by race and a grandson of Shāh Nawāz Khān, and laid it before him. The governor, seeing the crowd of shopkeepers and their zeal for the faith, was pleased thereat and impressed in their favour. Thereupon he sent some of his servants to the house of the English merchant to bring Gregory and his fellow-servants, who had committed the assault. On their arrival there they made known the order, and demanded the surrender of the men.
349.3
At this time the English merchant, who had fallen ill, died, leaving behind him two English colleagues who were ignorant of the language and laws of the Persians. Being intimidated, they gave up to the governor's servants Gregory's two Moslem fellow-servants, who had joined him in assaulting the shopkeeper. These two were taken to the governor and put in prison, but Gregory was kept back. The crowd were not satisfied, but went with the governor to the viceroy, to whom they complained clamorously, shouting: 'Have pity upon your people, Lord, and help us, for an infidel has violently beaten and wounded our fellow-believer, and dragged him with great insult and reviling to the house of his English master, and, not satisfied with this alone, has even reviled our law and faith.' In proof of this they produced the Fatwa of the Shaikh al-Islām and showed it to him, and again raising their voices, they shouted: 'Avenge our insulted Law, which is despised and contemned and brought low level with the dust. For an infidel has openly and freely reviled our Creed and our Prophet.' They kept repeating their shouting in these same words publicly, so that everyone could hear, and the viceroy was compelled to listen to their complaint, and promised to try the case the next day.
349.4
On the following day the crowd collected again at the viceroy's door, and importuned with the same words. The Englishmen, seeing that the vindictive passion of the shopkeepers increased daily, and becoming alarmed for the consequences of the affair, sent Gregory away and ordered him to hide in one of the villages until, as they said, the excitement of the mob should subside. Gregory went to his father's house, and remained there three days without seeking a hiding-place elsewhere. During this time the complainants were perpetually at the viceroy's door, incessantly importuning him. He therefore called the English merchants' dragoman, and with intimidation and threats demanded Gregory of him. To this the dragoman answered : ' Since our servants raised this disturbance, we have dismissed them from our house, and sent them away, Gregory amongst them.' The viceroy would not listen to him, but urgently demanded Gregory, for he said he wished to examine him concerning this affair, and gave the dragoman to hope that, if he were found not guilty, he would release him without harm.
349.5
Gregory's father, who had been wounded, had remained in the Englishmen's house, and the dragoman mentioned him to the viceroy in order to free himself from his importunity, and said : ' He knows the place where his son is, and we do not.' The viceroy sent men to bring Gregory's father, who, when they came, seeing the Englishmen careless with regard to him, seized him and bound him, and carried him to the viceroy, who ordered him to be put in prison, where they threatened him with death if he would not divulge where his son was. The viceroy's servants, seeing the supineness of the Englishmen in the matter, informed the complaining shopkeepers of it, and exhorted them not to abandon the cause until they had converted Gregory to their creed. Gregory's father they sometimes terrified with threats, sometimes led him by persuasive and deceitful words to think that there need be no fear on account of his son, for they said : ' He is not guilty, and the man he has wounded is walking about quite safe and sound. So do not be afraid, but tell us where your son is, and we will not allow a single hair of his head to be harmed, but the viceroy will release him after briefly examining him about this affair.' By these words of theirs, confirmed by an oath, Gregory's father was deluded, and called a certain Armenian, whom he made to write to his wife (for he himself did not know how to write) to have no apprehension with regard to Gregory, but to let him come.
349.6
This letter was taken by the viceroy's servants, who went and gave it to Gregory's mother. She read it, and, deceived by her simplicity, gave her son into their hands, and they took him and returned with much exultation to the city. When Gregory's accusers heard that he had been taken, with great joy they crowded round him and tried to intimidate him by threatening him with death if he would not embrace their faith. Gregory, however, refused to be frightened. When they saw that he made light of their words, they took him and brought him before the officer, to whom the viceroy had committed the investigation of the case. He endeavoured to shake Gregory's resolution by promising him money, possessions, and a handsome wife if he would apostatize, but the young man steadfastly refused. When the officer saw Gregory's firmness in his faith, and the boldness of his answers, he decided to report to the viceroy. When the shopkeepers learned this they crowded to him, and said : 'To you is committed the carrying out of this affair, and you ought to bring this man by force to our creed. If he refuses to be converted he ought to be put to death.' By various arguments they persuaded the officer to become their accomplice, and said to him : 'Do you inform the Viceroy that we wish Gregory brought to the public square of the city, so that we may finish the affair there by making reconciliation between the shopkeepers and the English merchants.
349.7
Nevertheless, our real purpose is to kill him as soon as he arrives at the place.' Covering their intention by such deceit, they went in a crowd to the viceroy's court, and, repeating their accusations and protests, said : 'This young man has treated our laws with contempt, and has publicly beaten and wounded our co-religionist and dragged him with violence. And now, if it be your Lordship's pleasure that we should endure such an insult from this young infidel, your Highness shall be obeyed ; but if not, do justice between us and him, and exact vengeance for our outraged laws.' With clamour of this kind they exaggerated the case, and demanded of the viceroy an order to bring Gregory publicly into the city. When those who were in attendance upon the viceroy heard their words, they all with one accord, as vindicators of the laws, said : 'He ought not to live.' Then the viceroy ordered his servants to bind Gregory and bring him to the public square, and to make an effort to convert him, but, if he should refuse, to inform him, so that he might notify to the king concerning the young man. The viceroy gave this order because he was unaware of the real intention of the mob.
349.8
Upon receiving this command the executioners stripped Gregory, leaving him only his shirt and drawers, and drove him towards the market-place, the mob surging round him and continually endeavouring to terrify him with horrible threats, telling him to embrace Islam, or if not they would kill him with stone and steel. They tied his arms behind his back with such severity that the blood flowed from the cords. They lashed and beat him, and were incessantly striking him on the head and subjecting him to every kind of ill-usage. Crowding round him, the mob kept dragging him about in the market-place, and everyone kept exhorting him to be converted, some with threats and some with persuasive arguments. But Gregory, steadfastly enduring all his sufferings, boldly answered, refusing to apostatize. When the Christians who were present heard his answer and saw him bound in such wretched plight, they were touched with compassion and wept aloud. Hereupon the executioners laid hold upon Gregory and brought him to the city square, where at sight of him the multitude of the aliens crowded together on all sides. Here they brought him through the crowd to the King's Inn, which is opposite the Mint, and haled him up to the top of it.
349.9
An aged shopkeeper approached him, and, whilst others of the mob stood round him, addressed him persuasively, endeavouring to bring him over to Islam, and promising him various rewards. They brought also at the same time a handsome mantle, and a number of the shopkeepers said to him: 'This is a sign of our promise to you, and now do you put it on, and do not continue obdurate, but go and kiss the hand of the chief of the merchants.' Gregory, however, absolutely refused to comply. When the mob of aliens despaired of converting Gregory, one of them struck him on the back with a stout stick. When the crowd saw this they rushed upon the young man and threw him down to the ground. One of them drew his sword and struck at his chest with it, but others, snatching Gregory away, threw him into a chamber in one of the shops and locked the door, preventing his execution, in the hope that it might yet be possible to win him over. They called to him from without, saying: 'Now be persuaded by our words, for then you will certainly live.' But he from within courageously confessed Christ God. When the mob heard this, with a great shout they attacked the chamber, broke open the door and rushed in. One of them slashed Gregory on the face with a sword; others stabbed him in the heart; others, again, stoned him. The yelling of the stoners chilled with horror those who were near.
349.10
The body of Gregory was carried to Erivan, and buried there before the altar in the Martyr Chapel of the Church [? of St. Sergius]. His martyrdom took place in the eighth year of Shāh Sultān Husain, in the year 1153 of the Armenian Era [i.e., a.d. 1703], on July 20, the Feast of St. Nerses the Patriarch and St. Haggai the Bishop. Note by the Author. — The original of this narrative is a small pamphlet, the author of which, although not known by name, was contemporary, and was perhaps identical with one of the Armenian eyewitnesses who were present at the time of Gregory's martyrdom. It is an obscure and confused piece of composition.