Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1857-10-23

0Ths Legend Of the WANDERING Jew.

"A WIN ouu SciiIosc ICkcuu tuAJ VI
the Middle Ages, which personified the
Jewish nation by the traits of the
Wandering Jew. 1t represents an
old man, with naked feet, uncovered
head, and long, white beard, wander
ing ceaselessly over the earth. His
face is pale, mark Of blood is upon
his forehead, his eyes burn like sap
phires beneath their oblique lids. With
an eagle-Iike nose, and blood like-lips,
squalid and harsh in features. and clad
in coarse wollen gown, he ever pur-
sues, with staff in hand, his intermina-
Die journey. Speaking all languages,
and traversing all lands, knowing not
the purpose OF God concerning himself,
and ever driven onward by = secret
impulse, he is transported from place
to place with the speed of the wind !;
and as the long centuries come success
sively to close, his old age renews it
self with the vigor Of youth, in order
that he may complete the weary round
OF ages. The people wonder as he
hastsns past. Once or twice only has
he paused to tell his story. He was of
the Jewish nation, Ahasueres by name,
and . shoemaker by trade. Dwelling
in Jerusalem, he prosecuted our Savior,
and was one Of those who cried Cruel
fy him. The sentence, Of death, hav-
ing 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 pro-
ccssion. Our Savior, weighed down
by the heavy burden of the cross, lean
ed for moment against the wall and
the jew, to show his zeal, struck the
innocent one with cruel blows, and
pointing to the place of execution, babe
him 90 now. Then Jesus, turning to
the unfeeling child of Israel, said;
''Thou refuseeth rest to the Son Of God:
leo, for 1t must needs be
But for thee there shall be no rest.
Or rep9s. uLtii return.
0o forth on thy long Journey
leave thine own; traverse mountains and secs,
Psusing neither In the cities the deserts,
Eowhere-not even the TOMB.
A. an example 70 ths Universe, and bearing
Everywhere the heavy weight Of ny curse,
Much -hAlt thou long for death. thy denversnce,
But shalt not die until the day Of Judgment
He assists at the crucifixion, and
then goes forth mysterious stranger,
whose feet shall become familiar with
all land.
How, age after age, he longs for the
sweets of death and repose of the
tomb. But in spite of death he must
live on his dust shall not mingle with
that of his ancestors. He drags him
self from gloomy cavern of Mount
Carmel, shaking the dust from his
beard, grown even to his knees. Nine
grining skulls are before him. He seizes
and hurls them from the top Of the
mountain, and they 60 bounding down
from rock to rock. They are the skulls
of his parents, OF his wife and six small
children, all of whom have been able
to die; hut he cannot. lie rushcs in
to the flames of falling Jerusalem, and
attempts to bury himself beneath the
crumbling ruins Of Rome but in vain.
Flying from cities and men, the wan
derer seeks the solitary places of the
earth. lie climbs the mountains pas
sing beyond the region of verdure, and
dashing torrents, his feet tread the
seas OF amethyst and opal. Above
him are only peaks, shrouded in mists
and eternal snow. The daring caglcsoars
not so high. There are no 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 an
gel unsheaths sword Of flaming fire,
and 10 the wandcrer bcholds at once
in the heavens the drama of the cruel
tixion. The way from earth to heaven
is stored with myriads of celestial be-
ings, radiant with light. Before him
are all the martyrs and saints and sag
cs who have ever lived and died. For
a moment he gazes upon the vision,
and turns away chased by the sword
of flame and demons of frightfnl form.
Then he again wanders over the earth,
ever with five pieces Of copper in his
pocket, ever with the mark Of blood
upon his forehead. Maddened with
the agony of life, he throws himself in
the crater Of -Etna, but the boiling liq-
uid and sulphurous flames burn him
not. The floods of lava vomit him
forth, for his hour has not yet come
Embarking upon the sea, the wind
rises its surface into mountain waves
the vessel divides, and all perish, save
the Wandering Jew. Too light to sink
in the ocean, its waves cast him upon
the hated shore, He plunges into a
hundred bloody conflicts without sword
or shield. Ali in vain. The leadcn
balls rain hsrmlessly upon him; battle
axes and scimetars glance from his
charmed body. Where mounted
squadrons fight with the fury of de-
mons, he casts himself Under the feet
of the horsemen and is unframed, SO
rivcted are his soul and body together.
He says to Nero, Thou art drunk with
blood;' They invent the most horri-
bic tortures for his punishment, yet in
jure him not. Leaving in his vain
pursuit of death the lands that throb
with life and industry, the wandering
Jew treads the solitaryjungles Of the
tropics. He walks in poisoned air !;
the fierce lions and flat-headed serpents
will only sport with him as he hastens
by. And thus he wandcrs,
"rraversine mountain and sec.
Pausing neither In the cities nor the deserts;
Nowhere not even in the tomb"
DoNr SELL Your Best SrocK.-
Don't allow these spectators and dro-
vers to pick out the likeliest and best
Of your stock, leaving YOU only the or