and gross, no one, being afraid, would be terrified by your glory, which is not visible. But if you seek to find my entire [self], your Lordship may command your men to go outside for a short while." And then, in private, he stripped off his outer garment, showing him the goat-hair shirt, saying, "This is the garment for the nakedness of my limbs, while the outer ones are only for the sight of outsiders." And when the Caliph had put his hand on the goat-hair shirt, displeased and frowning, he shuddered and said, "How can a human body possibly endure to bear such a hellish hairshirt, if patience were not given to him by God?" And then, having honored him with great esteem, and having adorned him seven times with beautiful royal garments, and having gifted him with treasures of gold and silver, he sent him off to his own land.

LI.

THE TRAGIC END

OF STEPHANOS, BISHOP OF SYUNIK

At that time, the bishop of Syunik, Hovhannes, had died. The princes of Syunik were Babgen and Kurd, who came to the Catholicos David and asked him for the great philosopher, the blessed Stephanos, who was a sharp, fiery [spirit] in the hand of the All-Holy Spirit. The Catholicos ordained him to the see of the metropolitan of Syunik, and because of his great merits, he honored him even more and appointed him head of the bishops, and the see of Syunik [as the]