The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1859-01-05
The Year One Thousand.

come 10 an end when thousand years
from the Savior's birth were expired. The
! year 999 was therefore looked upon as the
last which any one would see. And il ev.
er signs of approaching dissolution were
shown in heaven and earth, then the people
of this century might be pardoned for be-
lieving that they were made visible 10 the m.
Even the breaking up of morals and law,
and the wide delnge of sin which over.
! spread all lands might have been taken as
token that all mankind were deemed unfit
TO occupy the earth any more. In addition
10 these appalling symptoms, famines were
renewed from year to year, in still increas-
ing intensity, and brought plague and pes
| thence in their train The land was left
untitled, the house unrepaired, the right
unvindcaed; for who would take the use-
less trouble of ploughing or building, or
quarrel!ing about property, when so few
months were to put an end TO all terrestrial
Interests ? Yet even for the few remaining
days, the multitude must be fed. Robbers
| frequented every road, entered even into
| walled towns (; and there was no authority
| left TO protect the weak, or bring the wrong
| doors 10 punishment Corn and cattle weie
at length exhausted; and in great part of
the continent these extremities were endu
red and when endurance could go no fur
lher, the last desperate expedient was re-
sorted 10, and human flesh was commonly
consumed, One man went so far as to
expose il for sale, in market-town.
The horror of this open confession oil
their needs was 20 great, that the man was
burned, but more for the publicity OF his
conduct, than for his inherent guilt. Despair
gave loose rein 10 all mis- passions Moth.
ing was sacred, nothing safe Even when
foon might have been had, the vitiated taste
made bravado of its deprivation, and women
and children were killed and roasted in the
madness of the universal fear. Meantime
the gentle natures were driven 10 the wild
est excess of fana,icism, to find retreat
from the impending judgment. Kings and
Emperors begged at monastery doors TO be
| admitted brehern of the Order. Henry Of
Germany, and Robert of France, were saints
| according TO the notions of the times, and
even now deserve the respect of mankind
for the simplicity and benevolence OF their
characters. Henry the Emperor sncceeded
in being admitted as monk, and swore
obedance en- the hands of the gentle alb.
bolt, who had failed in turning him from
his purpose. "Sire," he said, at length,
"since you are under my orders, and have
sworn to obey me, command lou 10 go
forth, and fulfill the duties of the State, TO
which God has called you. Go forth, a
monk of the Abbey, OF St. Vanne, but En-
peror Of the West" Robert of France, the
son of Hugh Capet, placed himself robed
and crowned, among the chcristers of ST.
Dennis, and led the musicians in singing
hymns and psalms of their own compost
ton Lower rhen were satisfied with sacri-
ficing the marks of their knightly'and seig-
norial rank, and placing baldricks aud
swords OIL the alters, before the images Of
saints.
ed large sums upon charitable trusts, COM
mencing their disposition with words i'm
plying the approaching end of all Crowds
of the common people would sleep nowhere
but in the porches, or at anYfrate within
the shadow of the churches, and other holy
buildings; and as the day of doom. drew
nearer and nearea, greater efforts were made
TO appease the wrath of heaven.
Peace was proclaimed between all classes
of nen From Wednesday night till Mon
day evening ofeach week, there was TO be
no violence, or enmity or war in all the
land. 1t was to be truce of Goa And
now came the dreaded or hoped tor year-
The awful Thousand had al last commenc@S
and men held their breath 10 watch what
would be the result of its arrival. "And he
laid hold of the dragon, that old serpent
which is the Devil and Satan, and bound
him for a thousand years, and cast him into
the bouomless pit, and shut him up, and
sci his seal upon him, that he should deceive
the nations no more till the thousand years
shall be fulfilled, and after that, hemust be
oosed little season."-(Rev. %; 2-3)
With this text, all the pulpits In Christen-
dom had been ringing for whole genera
ton, and not the pulpits only but the refec.
tion halls of converts, and the cottages of
the starving peasanty. Into the castle, al
so, of the noble, we have seen it had pene.
trated and the most object terror pervaded
the uperstitious-while despair as in ship
wrecked vessels, displayed itself, amid the
masses Of the population, in riotlng and
insubordinary. The spirit OF evil, for a
little while, was 10 be let loose upon sim
full world; and-when the observer looked
around at the real condition of the people
| in all parts OF Europe-at the ignorance and
! degradation of the multitude, the cruelty
OF the Lords, and the unchritian ambition,
and unrestrained passions of the clergy--it
must have puzzled him how to imagine a
worse state of things, even when the chain
was loosened from that 'old Serpent and
the world placed INCREASINGLY in his folds.
Yet, as if mems mind had now reached
their lowest point, there was a perpetual,
rise from the beginning ofthis date. When
the first day of the thousand. and-fr year
I shone upon the world, il seemed that in