Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1851-12-03
FABLE OF THE SEVEN sLEEpERs.

Oh, may II ever with me dwell,
And guard me by its holy spell!
FABLE OF THE SEVEN sLEEPERs.
Among the insipid legends of ecclesias-
teal history, | am tempted to distinguish
the memorable fable of the Seven Slsepers,
whose imaginary date corresponds with the
reign Of the younger Theodosius, and the
conquest of Africa by the Vandals. When
the Emperor Decius prosecuted the Christ
ians, seven noble youths of Ephesas con-
cealed themselves In spacious cavern in
the side of an adjacent mountain, where
they were doomed to perish by the tyrant,
who gave orders that the entrance should be
firmly secured with pile of huge stones.
They Immediately fell into deep slumber,
which was miraculously prolonged, without
lnjuring the powers of life, during period
of one hundred and eighty-seven years.
At the end of that time, the slaves of Adol-
ius, to whom the inheritance of the mount
ain had descended removed the stones, to
supply materials tor some rustic edifce (;
the light of the sun darted into the cavern,
and the Seven Sleepers were permitted to
awake. After sumber, as they thought,
Of few hours, they were pressed by the
calls of hunger, and resolved that JambG-
chus, one Of their number, should secretly
return to the city, to purchase bread for the
use Of his companions. The youth Gf we
may still employ that appellation) could no
longer recognise the once familiar aspect Of
his native country and his surprise was
increased by the appearance of large cross,
triumphanty erected overrhe principal gate
of Ephesus. His singular dress and obso-
lete language confounded the baker, to whom
he offered an ancient medal Of Decius as
the current coin Of the empire; and JAM
blichus, on the suspicion of secret treas
ure, was dragged before the judge. Their
mutual inquiries produced the amazing dis
covery, that two centuries were almost e.
lapsed since Jamblchus and his friends had
escaped from the rage of a pagan tyrant.
The Bishop of Ephesus, the clergy, the
magistrates, the people, and as it is sale, the
Emperor Theodoslus himself fastened to
visit the cavern of the Seven Sleepers, who
bestowed their benedichon, related their
story, and at the same instant peacably ex-
PRED. The origin OF this marvellous fable
cannot be ascribed to the pious fraud and
credulity of the modern Greeks, since the
authentic tradition may be traced within half
century of the supposed mira Gle. James
of Sarug, Syrian bishop, who was born
only two years after the death of the young
er Theodosius, has devoted one of his two
hundred and thirty homilies to the praise of
the young men of Ephesus. Their legend,
before the end of the sixth century, was
translated from the Syriac into the Latin
language, by the care of Gregory of Tours.
The hostile communions of the East pre-
serve their memory with equal reverence !;
and their names are honorably inscribed in
the Roman, the Habyssinian, and the Rus
sian calendar. Nor has their reputation been
confined to the Christian world.
This popular tale, which Mahomet mig
learn when he drove his camels to the fairs
of Syria, is introduced. as divine revela-
ton, into the Koran. The story of the Sew.
en- Sleepers has been adopted and adorn-
ed, by the nations, from Bengal to
to Africa, who profess the Mahometan re-
ligion and some vestiges of similar ira
dition have been discovered in the remote
extremities Of Scandinavia.
This easy s universal belief, so expressive
of the sense of mankind, may be ascribed to
the genuine merit of the fable itself. We
imperceptibly advance from youth to age,
without observing the gradual, but inces-
sant change of human affairs and even in
our larger experience of history, TIE imag-
ination is accustomed, by perpetual series
of causes and effects, to unite the most dis
tant revolutions. But if the interval be-
tween two memorable eras could be instant
ly annihilated if it were possible, after a
momentary slumber of two hundred years,
to display the neso world to the eyes of a
spectator, who still retained lively and re-
cent impression of the old, his surprise and
his reflections would furnish pleasing SUBJ
iect of philosophical romance. The scene
could not be more advantageously placed,
than IN the two centuries which elapsed be-
tween the reigns of Decius and of Theodo-
slus the younger. During this period, the
seat of government had been transported
from Rome to new city on the banks of
the Thracian Bosphorus; and the abuse of
military spirit had been suppressed by an
artificial system of tame and ceremonious
servitude. The throne Of the prosecuting De.
cius was filled by a succession of Christian
and orthodox princes who had exterpated
the fabulous gods of antiquity and the
public devotion Of the age was impatientt to
eXalt the saints and martyrs of the Catholic
church, on the altars of Diana and Hercu-
les. The union of the Roman empire was
dissolved; ITS genius was humbled in the
dust and armies of unknown barbarians,
issuing from the frozen regions ofthe north,
had established their victorious reign over
the fairest provinces of Europe and Africa.
--Gibbon.
az- How little do we know the real state
of those whom we envy or compassionate.
We are apt to think of their outward cll-