The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1871-03-08
Three Popular Superstitions.
THE WANDERING JEW, PREsTER JOHN
AND ANTICHRIsT.

cast and grave, who unhasting,
unresting, must march on to the
day Of doom. The Wandering
Jew, sometimes buried in Ar
menian converts or the deserts Of
Central Asia, in the burning
plains Of Africa, or the snowy
heights of Caucasus, suddenly ap-
pears in the haunts of more civ
ilized Europe, and tells, as an eye
witness, the sad story Of the cru
ci6xion, and his share in the con-
tumely cast upon the God man.
He had thrown himself into the
flaming city Of Jerusalem under
the Roman swords; he had fought
against Gauis, Germans, and Sar.
acens: but no lance would enter
his charmed body-no arrow pierce
the heart that longed to be at
rest. The wild elephant had crush
ed him under foot, vcnomous SER
pcnts had bitten him, the hungry
lion had torn him, but he could
not die until Christ himself should
return to judge the world. This
legend filled the people with ter
tor and emotion, and probably
arose from some eloquent preacher,
who thus personified the Jewish
nation, under the figure of a single
man, scattered through tho world,
and undestroyed by persecution.
Matthew Paris is the first histo-
rian who speaks of 1T: an Ar
mcnian Bishop visiting The monks
of St. Adams: had conversed with
the Jew about the year 1928, and
from that time he appeared at in
tervals in several of the cities of
Europe, dressed in the cid Roman
costume, much worn, long beard,
naked feet, and a sad, melancholy
expression. He refused all pre-
sents but a few pence, which be
gave away to the poor. At Stras-
bourg he appeared in 1880, and in
formed the magistrates that he
had passed through their city two
hundred years before, which was
verified by a reference to the city
registers. The last we hear Of
him is in the city Of Brussels in
l774-
Another nc less popular super
stition was the existence of a king
and pontiff, nnited in one, named
Prester John, who had ruled q vast
empire for centuries, in which
more marvels were to be found
than in Mohammed's paradise.
No traveller to the East dared put
stop to this absurd belief; some
even pretend to know the place.
The kings of Portugal sent several
expeditions into India and Abys-
sinia to assure themselves Of the
reality, for this immortal pope gave
many an hours anxiety TO the
pope's of the West, for fear lest
scism should spring from so dis
tant quarter. There was a Gu
rious 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 the fablcd phoenix,
the griffin, the roc, the sevcn-horn-
cd bull, centaurs, pigmies and
dragons. There sprung the foun-
tain of eternal youth, there grew
the Tree of Life, frcm 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 q spiritual chief pre-
pureu hll LnclT QlSncS.
Another mystical being was An
tichrist, 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 doc
tors as the time OF his appearance.
and the end of the world. We
have terrible picture given by a
cotemporary OF the desolation
which reigned throughout Europe
at the approach Of this fatal term !;
there were fearful signs in TIE
heavens, and On the carth-eclip.
ses, comets, meteors, foods, tenn
pests, and plaques. Superstition
aggravated the real evils Of public
misery; tho people spoke of fright
full miracles the dead were raised !;
the living struck with sudden
death spectcrs and demons came
from the abyss. Men thought OF
nothing Dul how they should ap-
pear before God-they gave up
their wealth to churches and con-
vents; they thought it useless to
till the ground and occupy them
selves in their daily tasks; their
fields, houses and shops were de-
serted for the altar. AT length
the last day of the year 999 Ar
rived; the populace in tears and
prayers, crowded the churches,
and waited in trembling expecta-
tion the soundings Of the 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