The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-01-13
Three PoraIar sule ar.tilIons..
Tho Wandering Jew, Prester JehI
and AntichriSt. 81

The Wandering Jew, PEester John
+ 81 and AntichTist. In
Fsoa elpeFs Journal 8
S0veF an the middle ages we see lie
weired figure Of 0 man, downcast and
grave, Who, pnhesitating, unresting, must
march On % the day Of doom. The Wan.
dering Jew, sometimes buried in Arme.
Enian converts or the deserts of Central
Asia, In the burning plains Of Africa, or
the snowy heights Of the Caucasus, sud.
denly appears In the hAunts Of most
civilized Europe, and tells, as an eye-wit.
ness, theSad story OF the. crncifxion, and
his share in the contumely cast upon the
God mans he had thrown himself into
the flaming city Of Jerusalem under the
Roman swords; he had fought against
Gauls, Germans and Saracens; but no
lance would enter his charmed bpdy-n0
arrow pierce the heart that longedt 20 Do
at rest. The wild elephant had crushed
him under foot, YepomQps sserpents had
bitten him, Che htingr lion had torn HIM,
but he could not die until Christ himself
returned to Judge theWorldaG Thislegend
filed the people Wiihsterrori and emotion,
and probably aroseifomH some eloquent
preacher, who thus !personifed9 the Jew.
ish nation, underiethe figure offs single
man, scattered through the world, and
Iindestfoyed by persecution. ri Mathew
Paris Is the flrst historian who speaks OF
It; an Armenian bishop, visiting 1.-THE
monks Of St. Albans, had conversed with
the jew about the year LES, and from
that time he Appeared OF intervals In sew
oral Of tho cities Of Europe, dressed In the
old Roman costume, much worn, q long
beard, naked feet, and sad, melancholy
expression, He refused oil presents but
lew pence, which he gave away 10 the
poor. AT Strasburg he appeared In 1880,
and Informed the magistrates that he had
passed through their city two hundred
years before, which was verified by ret
erefce to the city registers The last time
we hearof him Is in the city Of Brussels
mira! !" u N .is'' a'iJasf't 81
Another no less popular superstition
was the existence OF ~ king and pOntiH,
united In one, Named Prester John, who
had ruled q vast empire for centuries, In
which more marvels were 10 be found
than In MohSmmed' 3 paradise, No trayeler
to the East dared put q stop to this absurd
beliefs some even pretended 10 know the
place The kings OF Portugal sent several
expeditions into India and Abyssinia To-
assure themselves Of the reality, for this
immortal pope gave many Cd hours
anxiety to the popes Of the West, for fear
lest sChism should spring from so distant
o quarter. There was q curious letter,
wFittenP perhaps by some partisan OF the
Reformation, to the Emperor Of Rome and
King Of France, lin the name Of Prester
John, about 1907, inviting them 70 settle
In, his dominionS, which he described as
the richest and finest In the world, There
they would see the tabled phoenix, the
griffin, the roe, the seven-horned bull, CEN
taurs, pigmies, and dragons. There sprung
the fountain Of eternal 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 70 table they needed no cooks,
toF a spiritual @ef prepared all their elFf
dishes. I5.., ..r.r- .fl,J1 gcr,,-,, !, IL ,oa,,
Another mystical being was, Antlchrist
who was supposed Ia be born In Babylon,
and whom tho Jews were ready 70 recog.
nize as their, Messiah. The year 1000 was
fixed upon by the most learned doctors
as the time OF his appearance, and the end
Of the world, We have q terrible picture
given by q contemporary, Of the desolation
which reigned throughout Europe at the
approach Of this fatal term; there were
fearful, signs in the heavens and on the
earth-eclipscs, comets, meteors, floods,
tempests, and plaques. iiSuperstition ag;
gravated tho real evils Of public misery;
the people spoke Of frightful miracles; the
dead were raised; The living struck with
sudden death; spectres and demons came
from tho abyss. Men thought oil nothing
but how they should appear before God;
they gave up, their wealth 70 churches
and converts; they Thoughtful useless 10,
till the ground and occupy themselves in
their daily tasks their fields, houses and
shops were deserted for tho altar. At
length, the last day Of the year 900 arriv-
cd; the whole populace, IN tears and pray
ers, crowded the churches, and waited In
trembling expectation the sOlnlings Of
the seven trumpots, and the appearance
Of Antichrist;. but the sun rose, bright as
ever, the stars fell not from heaven, the
laws oil nature were uninterrupted. at
was only postponed Saldithe creaulous;
they counted the days, weeks, and months
with indescribable anxiety, and 1t requir!
cd many years ofanguish to restore calm.
mesa In their Infnda M. rfl ta,,.f t't g.i.Fi