The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1839-06-25

at their funerals, in order that the living might
not abandon themselves to despair. s1la,.f
In London there died 1O0,000-in Norwich
81, l00,-n Venice 100, 000--n Florence &C, 900
| in Paris $4,000, and i'm Avignon GO, 600 An
awiW sense of contrtion seized Christians of
every communion; they resolved TO forsake
the'r vlces--to make restitution for past often.
ces before they were summoned hence---to seek
reconciliation with their Maker, and to avert by
o l,y sell chastsement the punishment due to their
former siiIs. y. . -..... ID ..st. ......
We come now to the persecution of the Jews,
which commenced in September and October
1888, at Chillore, on the lake Of Geneva, where
the first criminal proceedings were Instituted a.
ganst them, after they had long before been nc
cused by the people Of poisoning the wells
similar scenes followed in Berne and Freyblrg,
in January 1899.
Already IN the autumn of 1884 dreadful pan
&c, caused by the supposed poisoning seized all
nations; and in Germany especially, the springs
ana wells were built over, so that nobody might
drink OF them, or employ the water for culinary
purposes; and for long time, The inhabitants
used only river or rain water. Tile CITY gates
were also guarded with the greatest caution,--
only confidential persons were admitted; and il
medcine or my other article which might be
Supposed to he poisonous, was found in the pos.
session OF a straager-and it was natural that
some should have these things by them for their
private use.-they were forced to swallow por-
ton OF 1t. by this trying state Of privation, dis.
trust and suspicion, the barred against the sup.
posed PRISONERS became greatly Increased, and
often broke out in popular commotions, which
only served still further to infuriate ;he widest
passions. The noble and the mean fearIessly
bound themselves by an oath, 10 extirpate the
Jews by tire and sword, and to snatch them from
their protectors, of whom the number was so
small that throughout all Germany, but few places
can he mentioned where these unfortunate people
We're not considered outlaws, martyred and
burnt. Solemn summons were issued from
Berne to the towns of Basic, Freyburg and
Stratsburg 10 pursue the Jews prisoners
The Burgomasters and Senator'S indeed, opposed
this acquisitions; but in Base, the populace obig
ed them to bind themselves by an oath to bu rn
the Jews, and 10 forbid persons Of that commu
nifty from entering the city for the space of two
hundred YEARS. Upon this all the Jews in Basic
whose number could not be inconsiderabIe, were
enclosed in a wooden building, constructed for
the purpose and burnt together with it upon the
mere outcry Of the people, without sentence or
trial, which would indeed have awaited them
nothing. Soon after the same thing took place
at Freyburg. Wherever the Jews were not
burnt, they were at least banished, and so. being
compelled to wander about they foil into the
hands of the country people, who without hu-
manity, and regardless of all laws, prosecuted
them with fire and sword. At Spires, the Jews
driven to despair, assembled at their own hablta.
lions, which they set on fire, and thus consumed
themselves with their families. The few that
remained, were forced 10 submit to baptism;
while the dead bodies of the murdered, which
lay about the streets, were put into empty wine
casks, and rolled into the Rhine lest they should
infect the air. The mob were forbidden to enter
into the habitations which were burnt in the
Jewish quarter; for the Senate itself caused search
to be made for the treasure, which is said to have
been very considerable. At Strasburg, two
thousand Jews were burnt alive in their own
burial ground, where large scaffold has been
erected; u few who promised to embrace Christ
ianiy were spared, and their children taken from
the pile. The youth and beauty of several
females also excited some cominisseration, and
they were snatched from death against their will;
many who forcibly made their escape from the
flames, were murdered in the street.
In all countries on the Rhine, these crueltes
continued to be perpetrated during the succeed
ing months; and ster quiet was in some degree
restored, the people thought to render an accept
able service to God, by taking the bricks OF the
destroyed dwellings, and tombstones of the Jews
10 repair the churches and erect belfries
In Mayence alone, $4,000 Jews are said to
have been put to a cruel death. The Flaggel
lants entered that place in August; the Jews on
that occasion, fell out with the Christians, & kill
ed several; but when they saw their inability to
Withstand the superiority of their enemies
and that nothing could save them from destruc-
ton, they consumed themselves and their fami-
lies, by setting fire TO their dwellings,. Thus also
IN other places, The entry OF the Faggellants gave
rise to scenes of slaughter; and as thirst for blood
was every where combined with an unbridlcd
spirit of proseIytism, Il fanatic zeal arose among
the Jews, to perish us martyrs to their ancient
religion. And how was it possible that they
could from the heart embrace Christianity, when
ITS precepts were never more outrageously VIC
lated? A, Esngen, the whole Jewish commu
nifty burned themselves in their synagogue; and
mothers were often seen throwing their children
on the pile, to prevent their being bapsed, and
then precipitating themselves into The flames.
A RIDE
During the Revolutionary War when corps
OF the American army were encamped near the
borough OF Ezabethtown in New Jersey--an
officer who was rather more the devotee of We
nus than OF Mars, paid his addresses to lady of
distinction, whom he was in the habit Of visiting
nightly in the cultivation of those kind feelings
which love SO cordially inspires. On dscov-
cry OF the cause of the repeated absence OF the
of fhn nj, xxha inta via T,