, 1863-12-05
THE YEAR ONE THOUSAND.

Of the Scriptures are not confined 10 tne present
period of the worlds history Whites Eight.
cen Christian Centuries" fom which the follow
ing sketch is extracted, affords abundant evidence
Of the truth Of this remark. We copy it as an
interesting epoch of the Christian era:
Just as this century drew to close, various
circumstances concurred to produce change in
mems minds. 1t was q universally diifnsed be-
lief that the world would come TO 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 II
ever signs Of approaching dissolution were shown
in heaven and earth, then the people of this cen
tury might be pardoned for believing that they
were made visible to them. Even the breaking
up Of morals and law, and the wide deluge Of
sin which overspread all lands, might have been
taken as q token that mankind were deemed unfit
to occupy the earth any more. In addition to
these appalling symptoms, famines were renewed
from year to year in still increasing intensity,
and brought plague and peStilence in their train.
The land was left untitled, the house unrepaired,
the right unvindicated; for who would take the
useless trouble Of plowing or building, or quar-
relng about property, when so few months were
to put on end to all terrestrial interestsr 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-doers to punishment. Corn and cattle
were at length exhausted and In great part
Of the continent these extremities were endured,
and when endurance could go no further, the last
desperate expedient was resorted to, and human
flesh was commonly consumed. One man is men
toned who went so far as to expose it for sale in
market town. The horror Of this open con-
iession Of their needs was SO great that the man
was burned, but more for the publicity Of his
conduct than for his inherent guilt. Despair
gave loose rein to all his passions.
Nothing was sacred-nothing safe. Even
when food might have been had, the vitiatcd
taste made bravado Of its deprivation, and wo-
men and children were killed and roasted in the
madness Of the universal fear.
Meantime the gentler natures were driven to
the widest excesses Of fanaticsT TO find retreats
from the impending judgment. Kirgs and EN-.
pcrors begged at monastery doors to be admitted
brethren 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 beney.
olence Of their characters. Henry the Emperor
succeeded in being admitted as monk, and swore
obedience on the hands Of the gentle abbot, who
had failed to turn him from his purpose. "Sire,"
he said at length, "since you are under my or.
ders and have sworn to obey nc, l command you
to go forth aud fulfill the duties Of the State, to
which God has called you. Go forth, q monk Of
the Abbey Of st. Vaune, but Emperor Of the
West" Robert Of France, the son Of Hugh Co.
pet, placed himself, robed and crowned, amongst
the choristers OF st. Dennis, and led the musicians
in singing hymns and psalms Of their own com
position. Lower men were satisfied with sacri-
icing the mark Of their knightly and seignorial
rank, and placing baldrics and swords on the
altars, and before the images Of saints. Some
manumitted their serls, and bestowed large sums
upon charitable trusts, commencing their dispo-
sition with words implying the approaching end
of all. Crowds of the common people would
sleep nowhere but in the porChes, or at any rate
within the shadow Of the churches and other holy
buildings; and as the day Of doom drew nearer
and nearer, greater efforts were made to appease
the wrath Of Heaven.
Peace was proclaimed between all classes Of
men. From Wednesday night till Monday even
ing Of each week there was to be no violence, or
enmity or war in all the land. 1t was to be
truce OF God.
And now came the dreaded or hoped-for year.
The awful Thousand had at last commenced, and
tllctl uclu luCII UtGAbu W NulCu Wtub NOuhu DN
the result Of its arrival. "And be laid hold Of
the Dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil
and Satan, and bound him for thousand years,
and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut
him up, and set his seal upon him, that be should
deceive the nations no more till the thousand
years be fulfilled, and after that he must be loosed
little season."--( Rev. 22t 2, 81 With this
text all the pulpits in Christendom bad been
ringing for whole generation, and not the pull
pits only, but the rejection halls Of converts and
the cottages Of the starving peasantry. Into the
castle Of the noble, also, we have seen it had
penetrated; and the most abject terror pervadcd
the superstitious while despair as in shipwrecked
vessels, displayed itself, amid the masses Of the
poi ulation, in rioting and insubordnalion. The
spirit OF evil for little while, was to be lot loose
upon sinful world and, when the observer
looked around at the real condition Of the people
in oil parts Of Europe, at the ignorance and de-
graduation Of the multitude, the cruelty Of the
lords, and the unchristian ambition and unre.
strained passions Of the clergy, it must have puz-
zled him to imagine worse state Of things, even
when the chain was loosened from that " old
Serpent aud the world placed unresistingly in
its folds Yet, as II mems minds had now reached
their lowest point, there was perpetual rise from
the beginning Of this date. When the first day
Of the thousand-and-frst year shone upon the
world, It seemed that in all nations the torpor
was about to be thrown Off There were strivs
ings everywhere after q new order Of things.
The first joy OF the deliverance from the expected
destruction impeled oil classes o! society in o
more honorable and useful path than they had
ever hitherto trod.