Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1855-02-01


at the Passion of Christ, and who yet exists as
living witness of the Christian faith. He
was asked if he had ever seen him, or heard
anything of him. An officer of the archbishop's
suite-his interpreter, native of Antioch,
who was known to Henry Sprigurnel, one of
the lord abbot's servants--rcpled in the French
language, that his master knew this man per-
fectly, and that he had even entertained him
AZ ms own table little time previous to his de-
parture for the West. The Americans story
as TO what passed between Joseph and our
savior is as follows When Jesus was born
along BY the Jews from the praetorium to the
place OF crucifxion, Cartaphilus, one of Pom
thus Pilots doorkeepers, pushed him sharply
behind saying in contemptous voice walk
faster, Jesus. why dost thou tarry," Then
answered the Christ with a severe and sorrow
fal look; g walk as it is written, and shall
rest ere long, but thou shalt walk until my
coming" At the time of the Passion, Carta-
philus was thirty years of ago. Whenever fs
attains his fftieth year, he falls into kind of
ecstasy, from which he awakes restored again
to youth. He was converted to the Christian
faith, and baptiscd by Ananias, the same who
baptised Paul, receiving in baptism the name
Of Joseph He resides generally in Armenia.
His conversation is pious and edifying. The
bishops are his chief associates. He talks but
little, and only when his society is sought by
high dignitarics of the church, and by holy
persons; then he gives curious details respecting
the Passion and resurrection Of Christ" &c.
The Western tradition is somewhat different
from the above, and it is supposed by some to
be more ancient, although we know not upon
what grounds. This version supposes the Jew
to have been shoemaker at Jeluselem, named
-Ahasuerus, and that after his baptism he re-
ceived the name Of Buttadeus Here is the
veritable legend, as contained in letter writ
ten in 1913, by Chrysostomus Dulul@us, of
Westphalia, to one of his friends at Revel -
g In the year 1917, M. Paulus Won Eitzen, Doc
tor of the Holy Scriptures, and Bishop of Scheles
wig, was attending service in church ut Ham
burg, one Sunday during winter, when he saw
most miserably clad, that old Jew who has
wandered through the world ever since the Pas
sion of Christ. He appeared about fifty years
old, tall in statute, with long hair hanging over
his shoal lers. He remained during the sermon,
and listened thereto with much devotion. On
leaving the church, the doctor entered into con-
vcrsation with him. Tho Jew informed him
modestly that he was born at Jerusalem, where
he exercised the trade of shoemaker that his
name was Ahasucrus and that he had been
present at the Crucifxion of Christ After
wards he talked of the Apostles. Then he ad-
ded, that Christ, wishing to rest against the
wall of his house, on account of the heavy
weight of the cross, he had repulsed Him rude
ly, and bade Him 60 His way, when our Lord
made the reply which is 80 well known. This
Jew was very quiet and discreet in his manner.
If he happened to hear any one blaspheme, he
exclaimed, with sigh, and in deep anguish
Oh, unhappy man, why dost thou thus abuse
tho name of Cod and of His cruel Martyrdom
If thou hadst seen, as l did, how heavy and
how bitter was the agony of Christ, for thine
own sake and for mine, thou wouldst rather
suffer the greatest evils than blaspheme His ho-
ly name = When money was offered to him,
he never took more than two shilings, and o.
that even he gave part to the poor, declaring
that his own wants were ever we'll supplied by
God. He was never known to laugh. Where
ever, he journoyed, he always spoke the Ian
guage of the country thus at this time he ex-
pressed himself in very good Saxon. There are
many people of qaalty who have seen this Jew
in England, France, Italy, Hungary, Persia,
Poland, Sweden, Denmark, Scotland, and other
Countries; as also in Germany, at Rostock,
Weimer, Dantzig, and Konigsberg In the
year 1915, two ambassadors of Holstein, and
particularly the secretary, Christopher Kraus'
met him at Madrid, ever the same in figure, age,
manners, and costume. In the year 1899, he
was at Vienna, and in 1901 at Lubbock. Many
persons also saw and conversed with him in the
year 1915, in Livonia, at Cracow, and at Mos
cow"
Such is the legend of " Der Ewige Judge -
the Everlasting Jc,o. Like the story of st.
Veronica, it is supposed to have had its origin
about tho commencement of the fourth century
and it must have profoundly impressed the
heart of the people, since it survived the times
of Luther and Melancthon and was even re-
ceived as an article of belief by the dissenting
communions. What, indeed could affect the
Imagination more powerfully, than the thought
of this lonely man, lowered with an immortal
ity of wo, and condemned to wander from cline
to cline through countless ages, seeking rest
and finding none; and more wretched in the
silence of his deep despair, than all the thou
sands of his fellow-men who have lived since
the world began, because
The power to die dsproves the rish. to grieve
He has passed, E" like shadow, from land to
land" with the pressure Of Gods Infinite
upon his finite SOUL" His memory stretches
far back, down the long generations" en-
bracing everything of pathos and sublimity
in the history of the crucifcd Christ, whose last
reproachful look still haunts his agonised soul.
None can ever share in his undying grief, and
therefore he must always dwell in deep soli-
tude Of heart and soul, which no human SYM
pathies can soothe. The beautiful, the great,
the wise, the good, pass over into the silent
land - but still the Everlasting Jew shall pur-
sue his pilgrimage of wo," until Time itself
shall be no more, and Of all earth's countless
tribes he only shall be left, in solitary grandeur,
to chant the deathsong of creation.
A fiction 90 sublime would naturally attract
much attention and interest. At first, it pas