The Sun.
London, England, 1868-12-28 00:00:00

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POPE ELCHANAN.-A JEWISH LEGEND

BY S. BARING GOULD.

(Abridged front Once a Year, the Christmas Number of
Once a Week.)

In the early part of the eleventh century there dwelt at
Mainz, or Mayence, on the Rhine, a wise old rabbi,
Schimon, or Simeon, haggadol bar-Isaac, bar-Abun, great
in his knowledge of Talmudic rites and disquisitions, the
favourite pupil of Raf Alph.
Rabbi Simeon had an only child, a son, called Elchanan,
a boy of singular beauty and of precocious wit. When the
labours of the day were over, the rabbi loved to spend his
evenings in instructing or sporting with his child.
Listen to some of the maxims the old man taught his
son—wise maxims gathered out of the Talmud: —" Be
measured in speech, and take heed that thy words do not
give occasion of error to another."—" Choose a teacher,
gain a friend, and of all men think well."--" Courage is
royalty uncrowned."—" If one man calls you an ass, go
on your way and heed him not ; but if a second
calls you the same, then look out for thistles."—
"Modesty is man's most glorious ornament."—" The
virtues of three sorts of men are famous even in Heaven
—that of a young man who, living in a great city,
preserves his simplicity ; that of a poor man who, in the
midst of opportunities of fraud, preserves his integrity ;
V at of a rich man, who gives abundant alms and says
nothing about it."
Sometimes the rabbi drew forth a chess-table, and he
and his little son played together, and the father taught
his boy the moves of the game, and how-to use prudence
and foresight, and exercise thought and skill even in pas-
times. When they thus played, the house-mother looked
on, smiling to see the rabbi withdraw his power, and pur-
posely move his pieces indiscreetly, so as to give Elchanan
opportunities of checkmating him.
On Sabbath day the rabbi and his wife were at the
synagogue, and they left the child at home to the care of
Margaret, a charwoman, whom they called in every Sab-
bath day to clean the house. Now Margaret was a pious
Christian woman, and very zealous in her own belief. As
she was much in the company of the child, she became
passionately facrorhim. As she, week after week, saw
how goodly was the child Elchanan, her heart yearned
after him, that she might rescue him from Jewish dark.
ness, and place him in Gospel light, set him in Christian
freedom. Now, when a woman's heart and convictions run
in the same groove, little room is given to common sense
to correct them ; and, instead of weighing her purpose
in the balance of justice, she deceived herself with the
sophistry 4 her own heart. So, on this Sabbath of which
lam telling, finding the house deserted by master and
mistress, she caught up th'b laughing child in her arms,
covered it with kisses, and fled with it. When the old
couple returned from the synagogue, they found the door
open ; they entered their house, and called Margaret, but
there was no answer.
" She has taken the boy forth for a stroll," said the
rabbi.
They waited for the return of the old woman ; but hour
after hour slid by, and no Margaret returned. Then fear
and grief overcame the parents, and they searched the
house in vain. Then they hurried to the houses of their
kinsmen to inquire whether Elchanan was there, but also
in vain.
Darkness came on, and the great city was buried in
obscurity; but the patrolling watchmen lit upon the un-
happy parents wandering through the streets, bewailing
their vanished child ; and, moved with compassion, they
aided them in their search, but it proved wholly in vain.
The Rabbi Simeon possessed a mirror, framed in silver ,•
it had been made under the conjunction of powerful
planets, with the aid of good angels invoked by the learned
man, and of metals purified under the influence of their
proper planets. This mirror had the power of shewing the
rabbi, when he questioned it, what he desired to know.
The question might only be asked at midnight—for then
only had the mirror its magic property. But though he
tried the mirror, it would not answer. In vain, again and
again, did the rabbi question his glass; on the one subject
of his son's fate it was silent.
But what was hidden from Simeon, the father, we can
reveal. Margaret had fled with the child from Mayence,
along the Rhine bank, and bad not separated from him
till she reached the famous Abbey of Lorch, and there she
left him in the monastery church, asleep on the altar
steps, having first left a little scrap of paper on the child's
breast, to notify to those who should find him that he was
unbaptised. Presently the abbot, in full vestments,
entered, preceded by serving boys, and went towards the
altar : but when the children saw a little lad asleep on the
steps, they started aside, and the abbot paused, bent, lifted
him up, looked attentively at the calm sleeping face of the
little Jewish boy, and bore him into the convent, Then
Margaret was glad.
Years passed away, and the grief the parents had felt
for their child's loss was chastened, but never was wholly
obliterated. The anniversary of his abduction they
observed in fasting, retirement, and tears. The rabbi was
so old that he was but seldom able to teach in the school.
As the rabbi walked about the streets, all men saluted
him, of whatever creed they were, recognising in him one
who was sanctified by age and affliction. Among those
who most reverenced him was the bishop of the city, under
whose mild sway the Jews had lived long in peace, and
had prospered.
But one day a bull came to Mayence from Rome, com-
manding the bishop to forbid within the principality all
exercise of Jewish ceremonial, circumcisions, Sabbath-
keeping, and religious washings. The Hebrews were filled
with dismay. The bishop would willingly have suffered
them to follow their own rites, but the Papal brief was
couched in such stern, uncompromising terms, that he felt
there was no possible means of evading it. One way of
escape was alone open. They must send a deputation to
Rome to intercede with the Pope, and during the period
he would not proceed with the execution of the orders. A
deputation was chosen by the sorrowful Hebrews, and at
the head of it was placed the Rabbi Simeon. The little
party left Mayence, and the Jews in the city promised to
expedite them with their prayers. After a toilsome
journey, rendered slow by the feebleness of the aged
Simeon, the deputation reached Rome, and sought out a
cardinal who might introduce them to his Holiness.
When the cardinal heard their object he was full of sur-
prise.
" This is strange," said he,• "his Holiness is remarkable
for his consideration for the Jews, and in this city they
are treated with unexampled -kindness. Surely the Bishop
of Mayence must have originated the plan of persecu-
tion., and must have urged the Pope to issue a brief to
permit it."

" Nay, not so," answered Simeon, falteringly ; " behold
the brief itself ; our bishop is too good and merciful thus
to_oppress an unhappy alien people."
When the cardinal read the bull he was the more
astonished.

" You Jews of Mayence must have committed some
grievous outrage to have thus incensed his Holiness."
" Not so," again replied the old rabbi ; " our consciences
are clear of any crime wilfully committed which might call
down on us so dire a judgment."
Then the cardinal was silent ; but promised to introduce
the deputation to the Pope on the morrow.
At the appointed time the elders of Mayence were intro.
duced to the Lateran. They found the Pope seated at a
chess-table, in white cassock and white skull cap, and his
face was so gentle and beamed with such benevolence that
the old men wondered and took heart.

Then the Pope rose and said : " I will hear but one of
your party, my friends ; let the eldest of you remain ; and
in confidence and alone shall this matter be discussed
between us."
The Rabbi Simeon, therefore, remained, whilst the other
' Jews withdrew. Then the Pope, looking about him, bade
the ecclesiastics and officers in waiting to retire. Now, as
soon as those twain were left alone face to face, the aged
Simeon fell prostrate at the feet of the Pope, and his
white hair was scattered over the white hem of the Papal
garment. But the Holy Father suddenly, and with strange
agitation, stooped and caught the old Jew up, and bade
him seat himself, and not think to fall down at the feet of
such an one as he. So the venerable man sat down on one
side of the chess table and the Pope sat down on the other
side. Thus seated they began to talk. Simeon pleaded the
cause of his people.
" I have heard ill reports of the Jews of Mayence,"
said the Pope ; "they have been speaking bitter and
threatening words of the Christians, and there is fear lest
they should rise and do some injury to those among whom
they dwell."
"Alas ! your Holiness," answered Simeon ; "idle and
foolish young men, braggarts, and malcontents are to be
found amongst Hebrews as amongst all people."
" That is true," replied the Pope, looking into the old
man's eyes ; " but have you not taught the young to be
measured in speech, and take heed to their words, lest
they give occasion of error to others ?' "
" It is even so," said the rabbi, shaking his head; "but
some men will never learn."
"Ah !" interrupted the prelate, musingly ; " a wise
proverb has it, 'lf one man calls you an ass, go on your
way, and heed him not ; but if a second calls you the same,
then look out for thistles.' Our young men now-a-days
ignore the second as they ignored the first ;" and a smile
played about his lips.
" If your Holiness would but pass over the folly of our
idle talkers ! No evil, you may be sure, was intended,
Most offend with their lips. But because of idle words we
should not indulge in revenge.
" You speak boldly, old man !" said the Pope, sharply.
" I am bold, your Holiness, because of the trouble of my
people."
" And I respect it," answered the successor of St. Peter ;
" for courage is royalty uncrowned."
The rabbi lifted his eyes, and looked with surprise at the
great prelate before him. He saw that his lips twitched,
and that his eyelids fluttered nervously.
" I have heard of you, old man," continued the Pope ;
" your name has reached even to this imperial and sacred
city. There is a good proverb, The virtues of three sorts
of men are famous even in heaven : that of a young man
who, living in a great city, preserves his simplicity ; that
of a poor man who, in the midst of opportunities of fraud,
preserves his integrity ; that of a rich man, who gives
abundant alms and says nothing about it.' Now you,
venerable man, have been placed in these three positions,
as is well known to me by report—simple, full of integrity,
and abundant in alms, without boasting thereof, have you
ever been."
" Your Holiness is pleased to flatter."
" No, no," answered the Pope ; and then rising and
walking to the window, he muttered, `" Modesty is man's
most glorious ornament."'
After a few moments the Pope returned to his place,
and taking up a chessman, said to the old rabbi, You
play, I suppose ?"
Simeon replied in the affirmative, somewhat surprised
at the change of topic ; but ready to humour the man who
held the fate of his people in his hands.
They arranged their chess-men and played.
" Check-mate," said the Pope.
Instantly the old Jew sprang to his feet, convulsed with
agitation, and striving to articulate a word, but unable.
" Why are you, so old and wise a man, thus disturbed
at the loss of a game ?" asked the Holy Father.
For some moments the trembling old man could not
speak. At length, laying his thin wrinkled hand on the
shoulder of the Pope, the venerable rabbi faltered forth—
" That move—that move ! I taught it to my boy—to
Elchanan—years—years ago. It is known to no other."
Then the Pope rose, and the tears broke in a stream
from his eyes ; and when the clergy and officers, an hour
after, wondering at the long audience, entered the room,
they found father and son locked in each other's embrace,
and Christian and Jewish tears mingled in a common
stream.

So the law of Moses and the law of Christ kissed, and
were recouciled.