History of the Armenians, Volumes 2-3

attire so that he might see him. Then he, having adorned his mature figure with even more shining and glittering garments, and having arranged his flowered beard original: "աղջրեկ ծաղկեալ", meaning white beard mixed with a few black hairs into a golden bunch, and having taken in his hand the gold-painted staff, which was made of golden wood, thus a beautiful-faced and well-built man, he entered before the Caliph. Seeing him, the Caliph was astonished and amazed at the beauty of his well-proportioned stature and magnificent appearance. Then he set a throne for him to sit. And the Caliph began to ask him, "Why," he says, "do you appear so adorned? For Christ your God honored modest and humble clothing, and His disciples did the same." Then he, answering, says: "Although the divine glory in the body taken by our Lord Christ was hidden, as if by a veil, yet the wonders of the miracles of divine power were not hidden, but poured out upon all. By giving the same gift of miracles and arts into the hands of His disciples, which was sufficient to awaken the minds of men to the fear of God, they had no need of frightening garments. But now, because the gift of many of their miracles is closed to us, for that reason we contrive to use frightening garments to stir the simple-minded naivety of men to the fear of God. This you also see in worldly kings like yourselves, who wear purple-splendid and gold-embroidered garments, with beautiful ornaments and arms, in order to bring awe upon the multitude. For if someone were to see you in rough garments original: "խարազնազգեաց" among men and [if you were] small