OpenLLM-France/wikimedia huggingface dataset:
# Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume VIII/Apocrypha of the New Testament/The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew/Chapter 42

Chapter 42.
And Joseph having come to a feast with his sons, James, Joseph, and Judah, and Simeon and his two daughters, Jesus met them, with Mary His mother, along with her sister Mary of Cleophas, whom the Lord God had given to her father Cleophas and her mother Anna, because they had offered Mary the mother of Jesus to the Lord.  And she was called by the same name, Mary, for the consolation of her parents. And when they had come together, Jesus sanctified and blessed them, and He was the first to begin to eat and drink; for none of them dared to eat or drink, or to sit at table, or to break bread, until He had sanctified them, and first done so. And if He happened to be absent, they used to wait until He should do this. And when He did not wish to come for refreshment, neither Joseph nor Mary, nor the sons of Joseph, His brothers, came. And, indeed, these brothers, keeping His life as a lamp before their eyes, observed Him, and feared Him. And when Jesus slept, whether by day or by night, the brightness of God shone upon Him. To whom be all praise and glory for ever and ever.  Amen, amen.

## Footnotes

* ↑ One of themss. has: And when Joseph, worn out with old age, died and was buried with his parents, the blessed Mary lived with her nephews, or with the children of her sisters; for Anna and Emerina were sisters. Of Emerina was born Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. And as Anna, the mother of the blessed Mary, was very beautiful, when Joachim was dead she was married to Cleophas, by whom she had a second daughter. She called her Mary, and gave her to Alphæus to wife; and of her was born James the son of Alphæus, and Philip his brother. And her second husband having died, Anna was married to a third husband named Salome, by whom she had a third daughter. She called her Mary likewise, and gave her to Zebedee to wife; and of her were born James the son of Zebedee, and John the Evangelist. Another passage to the same effect is prefixed to the Gospel. It reads Emeria for Emerina, and Joseph for Philip.  It ends with a quotation from Jerome’s sermon upon Easter:—We read in the Gospels that there were four Mary’s—first, the mother of the Lord the Saviour; second, His maternal aunt, who was called Mary of Cleophas; third, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, fourth, Mary Magdalene—though some maintain that the mother of James and Joseph was His aunt. The same ms. thus concludes: The holy Apostle and Evangelist John with his own hand wrote this little book in Hebrew, and the learned doctor Jerome rendered it from Hebrew into Latin.
# Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume VIII/Apocrypha of the New Testament/The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew/Chapter 35

Chapter 35.
There is a road going out of Jericho and leading to the river Jordan, to the place where the children of Israel crossed: and there the ark of the covenant is said to have rested. And Jesus was eight years old, and He went out of Jericho, and went towards the Jordan. And there was beside the road, near the bank of the Jordan, a cave where a lioness was nursing her cubs; and no one was safe to walk that way. Jesus then, coming from Jericho, and knowing that in that cave the lioness had brought forth her young, went into it in the sight of all.  And when the lions saw Jesus, they ran to meet Him, and adored Him. And Jesus was sitting in the cavern, and the lion’s cubs ran hither and thither round His feet, fawning upon Him, and sporting. And the older lions, with their heads bowed down, stood at a distance, and adored Him, and fawned upon Him with their tails. Then the people who were standing afar off, not seeing Jesus, said: Unless he or his parents had committed grievous sins, he would not of his own accord have offered himself up to the lions. And when the people were thus reflecting within themselves, and were lying under great sorrow, behold, on a sudden, in the sight of the people, Jesus came out of the cave, and the lions went before Him, and the lion’s cubs played with each other before His feet. And the parents of Jesus stood afar off, with their heads bowed down, and watched; likewise also the people stood at a distance, on account of the lions; for they did not dare to come close to them. Then Jesus began to say to the people: How much better are the beasts than you, seeing that they recognise their Lord, and glorify Him; while you men, who have been made after the image and likeness of God, do not know Him! Beasts know me, and are tame; men see me, and do not acknowledge me.
# Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume VIII/Apocrypha of the New Testament/The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew/Chapter 5

Chapter 5.
Then Anna, filled with the Holy Spirit, said before them all: The Lord Almighty, the God of Hosts, being mindful of His word, hath visited His people with a good and holy visitation, to bring down the hearts of the Gentiles who were rising against us, and turn them to Himself. He hath opened His ears to our prayers: He hath kept away from us the exulting of all our enemies. The barren hath become a mother, and hath brought forth exultation and gladness to Israel. Behold the gifts which I have brought to offer to my Lord, and mine enemies have not been able to hinder me. For God hath turned their hearts to me, and Himself hath given me everlasting joy.
# Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume VIII/Apocrypha of the New Testament/The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew/Chapter 37

Chapter 37.
Now Joseph was a carpenter, and used to make nothing else of wood but ox-yokes, and ploughs, and implements of husbandry, and wooden beds. And it came to pass that a certain young man ordered him to make for him a couch six cubits long. And Joseph commanded his servant to cut the wood with an iron saw, according to the measure which he had sent. But he did not keep to the prescribed measure, but made one piece of wood shorter than the other. And Joseph was in perplexity, and began to consider what he was to do about this. And when Jesus saw him in this state of cogitation, seeing that it was a matter of impossibility to him, He addresses him with words of comfort, saying: Come, let us take hold of the ends of the pieces of wood, and let us put them together, end to end, and let us fit them exactly to each other, and draw to us, for we shall be able to make them equal. Then Joseph did what he was bid, for he knew that He could do whatever He wished. And Joseph took hold of the ends of the pieces of wood, and brought them together against the wall next himself, and Jesus took hold of the other ends of the pieces of wood, and drew the shorter piece to Him, and made it of the same length as the longer one. And He said to Joseph: Go and work, and do what thou hast promised to do.  And Joseph did what he had promised.

## Footnotes

* ↑ One of the mss. tells the story, not of Joseph, but of a certain builder, a worker in wood.
* ↑ Lit., boy.
* ↑ One of themss. here inserts: And when Jesus was with other children He repeatedly went up and sat down upon a balcony, and many of them began to do likewise, and they fell down and broke their legs and arms. And the Lord Jesus healed them all.
# Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume VIII/Apocrypha of the New Testament/The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew/Chapter 4

Chapter 4.
After these things, her nine months being fulfilled, Anna brought forth a daughter, and called her Mary. And having weaned her in her third year, Joachim, and Anna his wife, went together to the temple of the Lord to offer sacrifices to God, and placed the infant, Mary by name, in the community of virgins, in which the virgins remained day and night praising God. And when she was put down before the doors of the temple, she went up the fifteen steps so swiftly, that she did not look back at all; nor did she, as children are wont to do, seek for her parents. Whereupon her parents, each of them anxiously seeking for the child, were both alike astonished, until they found her in the temple, and the priests of the temple themselves wondered.

## Footnotes

* ↑ Corresponding with the fifteen Songs of Degrees, Ps. cxx.–cxxxiv. See Smith’s Dict.—art. Songs of Degrees. Another reading is: And there were about the temple, according to the fifteen Psalms of Degrees, fifteen steps of ascent: the temple was on a mountain, and there had been there built the altar of burnt-offering, which could not be reached but by steps.
# Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume VIII/Apocrypha of the New Testament/The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew/Chapter 36

Chapter 36.
After these things Jesus crossed the Jordan, in the sight of them all, with the lions; and the water of the Jordan was divided on the right hand and on the left. Then He said to the lions, in the hearing of all: Go in peace, and hurt no one; but neither let man injure you, until you return to the place whence you have come forth. And they, bidding Him farewell, not only with their gestures but with their voices, went to their own place. But Jesus returned to His mother.

## Footnotes

* ↑ Josh. iii. 16; 2 Kings ii. 8.
# Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume VIII/Apocrypha of the New Testament/The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew/Chapter 38

Chapter 38.
And it came to pass a second time, that Joseph and Mary were asked by the people that Jesus should be taught His letters in school. They did not refuse to do so; and according to the commandment of the elders, they took Him to a master to be instructed in human learning. Then the master began to teach Him in an imperious tone, saying: Say Alpha. And Jesus said to him: Do thou tell me first what Betha is, and I will tell thee what Alpha is. And upon this the master got angry and struck Jesus; and no sooner had he struck Him, than he fell down dead.
And Jesus went home again to His mother. And Joseph, being afraid, called Mary to him, and said to her: Know of a surety that my soul is sorrowful even unto death on account of this child. For it is very likely that at some time or other some one will strike him in malice, and he will die. But Mary answered and said: O man of God! do not believe that this is possible. You may believe to a certainty that He who has sent him to be born among men will Himself guard him from all mischief, and will in His own name preserve him from evil.

## Footnotes

* ↑ Note that the letters are Greek here.
# Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume VIII/Apocrypha of the New Testament/The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew/Chapter 40

Chapter 40.
After these things Joseph departed thence with Mary and Jesus to go into Capernaum by the sea-shore, on account of the malice of his adversaries. And when Jesus was living in Capernaum, there was in the city a man named Joseph, exceedingly rich. But he had wasted away under his infirmity, and died, and was lying dead in his couch. And when Jesus heard them in the city mourning, and weeping, and lamenting over the dead man, He said to Joseph: Why dost thou not afford the benefit of thy favour to this man, seeing that he is called by thy name? And Joseph answered him: How have I any power or ability to afford him a benefit? And Jesus said to him: Take the handkerchief which is upon thy head, and go and put it on the face of the dead man, and say to him: Christ heal thee; and immediately the dead man will be healed, and will rise from his couch. And when Joseph heard this, he went away at the command of Jesus, and ran, and entered the house of the dead man, and put the handkerchief which he was wearing on his head upon the face of him who was lying in the couch, and said: Jesus heal thee. And forthwith the dead man rose from his bed, and asked who Jesus was.

## Footnotes

* ↑ In place of this chapter, one of the mss. has a number of miracles copied from the canonical Gospels—the walking on the sea, the feeding of the five thousand, the healing of a blind man, the raising of Lazarus, and the raising of a certain young man.
# Anecdotes of Great Musicians/Anecdote 162

162.—SCHUBERT'S "ERL-KING."
Perhaps none of the great composers deserve our pity more than Franz Schubert. Poor as the legendary church mouse, obliged to eke out a scanty living in the uncongenial and poorly paid occupation of teaching school, he was unknown by musicians and not understood by publishers. The following incident is a sample of the reception given his music by some of the gentry who grow rich off of the products of other people's brains.
In 1817, Messrs. Breitkopf & Härtel, of Leipsic, received from Vienna a manuscript setting of Goethe's "Erl-king," by Franz Schubert.
"Vienna?" exclaimed the publishers, "Franz Schubert? There is something wrong here. Franz Schubert lives in Dresden; he occupies the high position of Royal church composer, he is a highly respectable man, aged forty-nine; what has he to do with Vienna or Erl-kings?"
They send the manuscript on to the Franz Schubert of Dresden, and ask for an explanation. He replied: "About ten days ago I received your letter, in which you forward to me a manuscript, 'The Erl-king,' that professes to be by me. With the utmost astonishment I inform you that this cantata was never composed by me. I will use every endeavor to discover who has so discourteously sent you this bit of patchwork (machwerk), and expose the scoundrel who has so misused my name."
It is not known whether Breitkopf & Härtel declined ​Schubert's "Erl-king," but the ballad composed in 1816 was not printed till February, 1821, when it appeared in the first part of his "Lieder."
Schubert sold some of his songs to publishers for as little as tenpence apiece. When the publishers refused to issue them, some of his friends rallied to his assistance, and from their own pockets paid the expense of publication.
# Anecdotes of Great Musicians/Anecdote 155

155.—THE "DEAR SAXON."
An interesting story is told of one of Händel's experiences when he was in Italy. The Italians so enjoyed his wonderful powers of playing that they gave him the title of "the dear Saxon." He entered in a friendly rivalry with Scarlatti, in Venice, and after many trials ​of skill the general verdict was that the Italian excelled on the harpsichord, but the German carried away the palm on the organ.
Some time afterward, Händel was invited to a masked ball, and in the course of the evening he sat down at the harpsichord, and astonished all those present by his masterly improvisations. Presently Scarlatti came in, also en masque. Walking quickly to the instrument he listened a moment, and then called out, "It is either the devil or the Saxon!"
Händel achieved this enviable reputation when only twenty-one years of age.
# Anecdotes of Great Musicians/Anecdote 159

159.—AN ABSENT-MINDED CONDUCTOR.
We have elsewhere spoken of the growth and culmination of Robert Schumann's sad malady. The more serious phases of this affliction were preceded by an occasional absence of mind that sometimes produced ludicrous results.
A characteristic instance of his forgetfulness occurred when he was once conducting a rehearsal of Bach's "Passion Music." The choir had begun the great opening chorus and were singing bravely along, when it was noticed that his beat grew less and less decided, and finally stopped altogether. He then laid down his baton, rapidly turned over fifty or sixty pages of the score before him, and became absorbed in reading a movement in the second part of the work. The chorus kept on singing and Schumann kept on reading, utterly oblivious to what was going on around him.
After a while he became conscious of the singing, and finding that what he heard did not agree in the least with the music he was reading, he stopped the singers and cried out to them: "Good heavens! ladies and gentlemen, what on earth are you singing there?"
# Anecdotes of Great Musicians/Anecdote 161

161.—WINE AND MUSIC.
There seems to be a close relation existing somehow between wine and music. Those countries that produce the most wine seem to be likewise the most successful in turning out good music and plenty of it. The world would hardly know it if all the music written outside of Germany, Italy, and France were to be lost. There has some good music come from England and Russia, but its absence would not be greatly felt. England's great musician, Händel, was thoroughly German in birth, temperament, education, and style of composition. Italy, France, and Germany are the great wine-producing countries, and might be called likewise the great musician-producing lands.
Then, I wonder if a liking for the juice of the grape has anything to do with fecundity of musical ideas. Of all the great composers, and likewise those who come very near the limits of greatness, hardly one can be mentioned who was averse to "the cup that cheers." A teetotaller among composers is a rara avis.
On the other hand, it might be said that it would have been better for several musicians of great fame if they had heeded the injunction to "touch not." Lulli, ​Mozart, and especially Schubert, all spent too much time over their cups for their own good, and they have not been without followers in this respect among musicians of lesser fame. Doubtless the great composers could have lived without their wine and beer, but doubtless they never did.
# Anecdotes of Great Musicians/Anecdote 157

157.—AN INTERRUPTED CONCERT.
Paganini had a cowardly horror of England, due to some peculiar experiences he had while there. He had a great deal of pride and egotism, and continually suspected other violinists—jealous of his fame and ability—of wishing to assassinate him.
When he was besought to go to France, he would have declined from this fear of assassination, had he not been told that he would accumulate great riches from the trip; but finally his avarice overcame his cowardice.
​One of the circumstances that made him dislike England was an experience he had in London. One night, in the midst of a brilliant concert, a respectable citizen arose from his seat, and facing the audience, interrupted the proceedings with the following impromptu speech:
"Gentlemen, do you not blush at spending a guinea to come and hear a miserable player, a mountebank, who knows only how to get sounds out of a wooden box, mounted with catgut? Could you not make better use of your money? Would you not do better to give it to the poor? Look at that big charlatan, who is just like the devil; he laughs at your simplicity and puts your money into his pockets. You are a set of fools!"
Hardly had he finished this tirade, when Paganini, greatly frightened and thinking he was followed by assassins, had fled from the concert hall and was on his way to Manchester.
# Anecdotes of Great Musicians/Anecdote 16

16.—WHIMS OF COMPOSERS.
Composers get peculiar ideas into their heads as to the circumstances under which they must work, or the surroundings that must be at hand if they are to get the best results in composition. No doubt after the habit is once formed, the regular accompaniments to composition are necessary. But the question is as to the necessity of forming the habit.
Haydn thought he could not compose unless he had on the ring which Frederick the Great sent him; and, besides this, the paper on which he wrote must be white and of the best quality. Glück wrote best when seated out in the middle of a field. Rossini was most productive of good music when "lined within with good sack wine;" and he and Paesiello both enjoyed composing while in bed.
Sacchini enjoyed having a pretty woman by his side—by the way, several of the great composers had no aversion to such an accompaniment, whether composing or not—and his pet cats must be playing around him. Mozart could compose beautiful music while playing billiards or bowls. Zingarelli prepared himself for writing music by reading the Scriptures or some classic author, and Sarti liked best a funereal gloom lighted only by a single taper.
Beethoven could compose best during or after a brisk walk in the woods and fields, and many of his greatest works were inspired by the beauties of nature.
Cimarosa and Mehul were opposites in this matter. The former wished to be surrounded by a dozen gabbling friends. The light conversation and flow of spirits (probably of two kinds) seemed to inspire his music. On the other hand, Mehul once went to the Chief of Police of Paris and asked to be imprisoned in the Bastile. That personage in surprise inquired the reason. Mehul said he desired to get away from the noise and bustle ​of the city, and to escape from the good graces of his friends for a time, that he might give his whole mind uninterruptedly to composition. It is needless to say that his wish was not granted. Few would wish to be surrounded by the walls of the Bastile unless it were to write a tragic overture or a funeral anthem.
Wagner thought he must be clothed in the costume of the age and place in which was laid the plot that he was then working on. He also desired a perfectly quiet and uninterrupted time in which to write. His family was denied admission to his study and he would not even see any letters that came for him; his meals were passed in to him through a trap door.
# Anecdotes of Great Musicians/Anecdote 163

163.—ROYAL HONORS TO A SINGER.
The careers of many of the noted prima donnas read like romances rather than history. Fiction has nothing more sensational or brilliant to present than the adulation, the almost worship, accorded to some of these women by an admiring public. So many of the great singers met this flattering reception at the hands of the public that it is hard to choose one as an example. But we will here speak of two incidents of Madame Malibran's career.
On the last visit of this celebrated singer to Venice, the ovation she received was such as might have been awarded to some conquering general returning from his victories. As her gondola entered the Grand Canal, she was greeted by the blare of trumpets, the noise of bands, and the shouts of multitudes. This homage continued during all her stay in this city. When she appeared in public the admiring crowds were so great that she had to be protected from the crush by armed police; and when she went out in a gondola the other vessels of a similar sort that followed her were so numerous as to obstruct the passage of the canals. On her departure from this enthusiastic people she was presented with a magnificent diadem, studded with diamonds and rubies.
In Milan her reception was hardly less flattering. One night she was deluged with bouquets, the leaves of which were made of gold and silver, and her ​enthusiastic hearers recalled her twenty times. It is little wonder that she fainted at the end of the performance.
# Anecdotes of Great Musicians/Anecdote 160

160.—COSTLY ADMIRATION.
There has never been a vocalist who secured more favor on these shores than Jenny Lind, the "Swedish Nightingale," as she was called. The people went wild over her singing; in fact, to rave over the young lady was at ​that time the proper thing to do, as it has been later to go into ecstacies over a certain fluffy-haired pianist.
In Baltimore, Lind was the recipient of a popular serenade. Upon her appearance on the balcony of the hotel to acknowledge the compliment thus tendered her, there was a loud and enthusiastic shout from the crowd beneath. In the midst of this uproar she dropped a valuable shawl. It was eagerly seized by the crowd, and in a moment was torn into small pieces and carried away as mementoes of the songstress.
Such proceedings may be highly complimentary to the artist; but, save as a matter of advertising, are not particularly profitable.