Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1857-11-11
THE LEGEND OF THE WANDERING JEW.

THE LEGEND OF THE WANDERING JEW.
A wild and terrible legend is that of the Middle
Ages, which personfed the Jewish nation By The
traits Of the Wandering Jew. 1t represents an old
man, with naked feet, uncovered head, ard long,
white beard, wandering ceaselessy over the earth
His face is pale, a mark of blood is upon his FORE
head, his eyes burn like sapphires beneath their
oblique lids. With an eagIe-like nose, and blood
less lips, squad and harsh in features, and clad in
a coarse WOODEN gown, he ever pursues, with staff in
hand, his interminabe journey. Speaking all Ian
guages and traversing all lands, knowing not the
purpose Of God concerning himself, and ever driven
onward by ec,et impulse, he is transported from
place to place with the speed Of the wind; and as
the long centuries come successfully to close, MS
OLD age renews itself with the vigor Of YOUTH IN or
der that he may complete the weary round OF ages
The people wonder as he hastens past. once OF
twice only has he paused to tell his story lie was
of the Jewish nation, Ahassueres by lame, ana
shoemaker by trade Dwelling in Jerusalem, he was
one of those who cried "Crucify hm!' Ihesen'
tence Of death having been pronounced, he ran TO
his house before which Jesus was to pass on the
way to Calvary Taking his child in his arms, he
stood at the door with all his family to behold the
procession Our Savior. weighed down by the heavy
burden of the cross, leaned for memcnt against
the wall and the the jew, TO show his zeal, struck
the innocent one with cruel blows. and pointing TO
the place OF execution bade him 60 on. Then Je-
" Thou refusest rest tie the Son of God!
go, for il must needs be;
But for thee there shalt be no rest
Or repose until | return.
Go forth thy long journey;
Leave thine own; traverse mountains and seas.
Pausing neither in the cities nor the deserts,
Nowhere-nOt even the tomb
As an example to the Universe and bearing
Everywhere the heavy weight of my curse,
Much shalt thou long for death thy deliverance,
But shalt not die until the day of Judgment"
He assists at the cruc6xion, and then goes forth
q mysterious stranger, whose feet shall become IA
miliar with all lands
How, age after age, he longs for the sweets Of
death and repose of the tomb! But spite Of death
he must live on his dust shall not mingle with that
of his ancestors. He drags himself from a gloomy
cavern Of Mount Carmel, shaking the dust from his
beard grown his knees. Nine grinning
skulls are before him. He seizes and hurs them
from the top of the mountain, and they 60 bound
ing down from rock to rock. They arc the skulls
of his parents of his wife and six small chldren,
all of whom have been able to die but he cannot.
He rushes into the flames Of falling jerusalem and
attempts to bury himself beneath the crumbing
ruins of Rome but in vain Flying from cities and
men, the wanderer seeks the solitary places of the
earth. He climbs the mountains; passing beyond
the region Of verdure and dashing torrents his feet
tread the seas ofamethyst and opal. Above him are
only peaks shroudei in msiS and eternal clouds. The
daring eagle scars not high. There sounds
save the cracking of the GLACIERS. The soul seems
almost to touch the heavens above. There surely
the Wandering Jew shall rest! No. A pursuing
angel unsheathes a sword of flaming fire. and 10! the
wanderer behOldS at once in the heavens the drama
OF the cructXon. The way from earth to heaven
is stored with myriadS Of celestial beings, radiant
with light. Before him all the martyrs and saints
and sages who have ever lived and died. For mo-
ment he gazes upon the vision, and turns away chas
ed by the sword Of flame and demons Of frightiui
form Then he again wanders the earth, ever
with five pieces Of copper in his pocket, ever with
the mark Of blood or his forehead. Maddened with
the agony OF life he throws himself in The crater Of
lEtna, but the boiling liquid and su'phurous flames
burn him not The toois Of lava vomit him forth,
the sea, the wind raises is surface into mountain
waves-the vessel divides and all PERISH the
Wandering Jew. Too light sink in the ocean, its
waves cas-, him upon the hated shore He p'unges
into hundred bloody conflicts, without sword
shield. All in vain. The leaden balls rain harm
iessly upon him; bat,le-axes and scmetars glance
from his charmed body. Where mounted squad.
fight with the fury of demons. he casts himself
under the feet of the horSemen and is unharlned SO
riveted are his soul and body together He says to
Nero, Thou drunk with blood > to Christian
and Mussalmsn. ID unk art thou with blood They
invent the most horrible tortnres for his punishment
yet injure him not. Leaving in his vain pursuit of
death the land that tbrobs with life and industry
the Wandering Jew treads the solitary jungeS Of
the tropics. He walks in poisoned air; the fierce
lions and tat.headvd serpents will only sport with
him as he ha>tens by. Aud thus he wsnders:
"Traversng mountain and sea.
Pausing neither in the cities the deserts;
Nowhere not even in The tomb"