volume 2 - Robert Bedrosian's Armenian History Workshop

248 Nestorian Petition to the Archbishop of Canterbury.
and they were certain that he would help them if he
knew about their needs. They said they knew that I
was a friend of their Church, and that I knew old Syriac,
and therefore they asked me to seek for an interview
with the Archbishop when I returned to England, and
to explain their case to him, and to ask him.to send them
altar plate and an English priest provided with the
vestments prescribed by their ancient ritual. An English
priest lived at Urmi, why should not one live at Tall Kef ?
Their request was earnestly supported by Nimrud, who
gave me many reasons why the Archbishop of Canterbury
should be made acquainted with their wish. In
reply I said that I had heard and understood their
words, and that I was ready to do an5rthing I could to
be of use to them. But I suggested that they should
appeal to the Archbishop by letter stating their case
briefly, but clearly, and saying exactly what they wanted
him to do for them. I reminded them that I was only
a layman, and therefore not entitled to speak with
authority on such matters. And I told them that if they
would write a petition to the Archbishop and have the
seal of every householder affixed to it, I would see that
it came into the hands of His Holiness. The greybeards
then withdrew to talk over the matter.
Three hours later they came back, and the priest,
their spokesman, said they had been to church and prayed
for guidance, and that having been " directed " to do so,
they had drawn up a petition which he would read to me.
In order to be quite certain about the nature of its
contents, I made Nimrud interpret the clauses one by
one, and as it stated in clear and concise phrases the
wishes of the Chaldeans of Tall Kef, 1 agreed to take
it to England when the seals of all the petitioners were
affixed. The priest inked his seal and impressed the
document with it, and then a seemingly endless row of
men came in, each with his seal in his hand, and added
their seal marks with solemnity and in silence. When
the priest gave me the petition, I told him that I proposed
to send it to England with official papers by registered
post, but he begged me not to do so, saying that he was