The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1871-02-10
THE DAYS OF OLD.
Traditional superstitIons-The Wan
dering jew, Prester John, and Anti

dertng jew, Prester cohn, anu AMI
from Chambers Journal.
Over all the Middle Ages we see tn,
weird figure of a man, downcast an(
grave, who, unhasting, unresting. mus
march on to the day of doom. Th'
Wandering Jew, sometimes buried il
Armenian converts or the deserts o.
Central Asia, in the burning plains o.
Africa, or the snowy heights of the
Caucasus; suddenly appears in the
haunts of more civilized Europe, an6
tells, as an eye-withess, the cad Story oi
the crucifxion, and his share in the
contumely cast upon the Goldman. He
had thrown himself into the flaming
city of Jerusalem under the Roman
swords; he had fought against Gauls,
GetniAtts; ati1 Ssracens; but no lance
would enter his charmed bodyAi6 er
row pierce the heart that longed to be
at rest. The wild elephant had
crushed him under foot, venomous
serpents had bitten him, the hungry
lion had torn him, but he could
not die until Christ himself should re-
turn to Judge the world This legend
filed the people with terror and emo
ton, and probably arose from some elo-
quent preacher, who thus personified
the Jewish nation, under the figure of
single man, scattered through the
world, and ufidestfoyed by persecution.
Matthew Paris is the first historian who
speaks of it; an Armenian bishop, WIS.,
iting the monks of st. Albans, had con-
versed with the Jew about the year
1928, and from that time he appeared
at intervals In several of the cities of
Europe. dressed id the old Roman cos
tune, much worn, long beard; naked
feet, and sad, melancholy expression.
He refused all presents but few pence,
which he gave away to the poor. At
Strasbourg he appeared in 1880, and in
formed the magistrates that he had
passed through their city 200 years be-
fore, which was verified by reference
to the city registers. The last time we
hear of him is In the city of Brussels in
1774.
Another no less popular superstition
was the existence of king and poutiff,
united in one; named PresteF John,
who had ruled vast empire for centu-
ries, in which more marvels we're to be
found than in Mohammed's paradise.
No traveller to the East dared put stop
to this absurd belief; some even pre-
tendad to know the place. The Kings
of Portugal sent several expeditions
into India. and Abyssinia to assure
themselves of the reality, for this i'm
mortal pope gave many an hours anx
iety to the popes of the West, for fear
lest schism should spring from so dis
tant d quarter. There was curious
letter written perhaps by some partisan
of the Reformation, to the Emperor of
Rome and King of France; in the name
of Prester John, about 1907, inviting
them to settle in his dominions, which
he described as the richest and finest
IN the world. There they would see
fabled phoenix, the griffin, the roe, the
seyen=horned BULL centaurs, pigmies-
and dragons. There sprung the fount-
ain of immortal youth, there grew the
Tree of Life. from which was drawn
the holy oil used for the sacraments of
the Church; and when the king and
his court sat down to table they needed
no cooks, for a spiritual chef prepared
all their dishes.
Another mystical being was Anti
christ, who was supposed to be born In
Babylon, and whom the Jews were
ready to recognize as their Messiah.
The year 1000 was fixed upon by the
most learned doctors as the time of his
and the end of the world.
We have terrible picture given by a
cotemporary, of the desolation which
reigned throughout Europe at the ap-
proach of this fatal term there were
fearful signs in the heavens and on the
earth-eclpses, comets, meteors, floods,
tempests, and plaques. Superstition
aggravated the real evils of public mis-
cry; the people spoke of frightful
miracles; the dead were raised; the
living struck with sudden death; spec
tres and demons came from the abyss.
Men thought of nothing but how they
should appear before God; they gave
up their wealth to churches and con-
vents; they thought it useless to till
the ground and occupy themselves in
their daily tasks; their fields, houses,
and shops were deserted for the altar.
At length, the last day of the year 999
arrived; the whole populace, in tears
and prayers, crowded the churches,
and waited in trembling expectation
the soundings ofsthe seven trumpets,
and the appearance of Antichrist; (; but
the sun rose bright as ever, the stars
fell not from heaven, the laws of nature
were uninterrupted. at was only
postponed" said the credulous; they
counted the days, weeks, and months
with indescribable anxiety, and it re-
quired many years of anguish to restore
calmness to their minds.