The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-07-05

tblrty-thlrd year OF orr Lord.
Dion breaks off in his letter here to remark
You will learn presently what happened t
me and to Apollophanes, and to the whole re
nowned city of Heliopolis at the same hon
exactly of that same day and it is the col n
cidence between the two occurrences which
has fixed them SO deeply in my mind"
Well he proceeds to say that Thramnus
having asked his passengers, who happened t.
De unusually numerous, whether they con
! sidered he ought to obey this mysterious man
date, and having suggested himself that, if
on their reaching Palus, or Pelodes, the wind
held fair, they should not lose time by stoppina
but II the wind were there to fail, and they
were forced to halt at that place, then it might
emo harm to pay attention to the Injunction
and see what came of it, they were all unani-
mously of his opinion. Thereupon, as though
by some design, in the midst of q calm the
breeze sprang up freshly again, and they pro.
ceeded on their way. When they came to the
indicated spot, all were again on deck, unable
to forget the strange incident at Paxos and,
on sudden, the wind fell, and they were be-
Gained.
Thramnus, accordingly, after a pause, leaned
over the ships side, and, as loudly as he could,
shouted that the. great Pan sras dead. No sooner
had the words been pronounced than all
round the vessel were heard g world of signs
issuing from the deep and in the air, with
groans, and meanings, and long, wild bitter
walings innumerable, as though from vast un-
seen multitudes and host of Creatures
plunged in dismay and despair. Those on
board were stricken with amazement and ter
ror. When they arrived in Rome, and were
recounting the adventures of their VOYAGE
this wild story sent its rumor far and near, aud
made such an impression that it reached the
ears OF Ilberius Cesar, who was then in the
capital. He sent for Thramnus and several of
the passengers, as Plutarch records for us,
one, Ephitherses, who afterward,
at Athens, with his son Amiliauus, and the
traveller Philip, used often to tell the story till
his death. Tiberius, after ascertaining the
facts, summoned all the learned men who
CHANGED then to be in Rome, and reouested
their opinion.
Their opinion, which is e1tant, matters lit.
tie. The holy fathers who have Investigated
this occurrence are divided in their views. II
must be remembered that Plutaroh relates an.
other truly wonderful fact universal in its
range, as being notoriously Simultaneous with
the singular local adventure above described
the sudden silence of Delphi, and all the
other famous pagan oracles, from the 9Th day
day before the Kalends of April, in the 2O2d
Olympiad, at six P. NJ. At that hour, on that
day (March2 %, Friday, Ammo Domini 33). those
oracles were stricken dumb, and nevermore
returned answers to their votaries. Combine
these phenomena together, in presence of a
other portents, the holy fathers
think, one party of them, that the en4mv of
man and of God, and that enemy,s leeions.
were growing and wailing, at the hour which
Plutarch specifies (the time of evening, and on
the very day, when our Lord died), at the
just then contaminated; others.
that the Almighty permitted mature "to SIGH
through all her works." in sympathy with the
voluntary sufferings of her expiring Lord
Now hearken," proceeded Dion in his let
ter, to how I was occupied, hundreds of
miles away, in Heliopols, at the time, the very
lour OF the very day, when wild and weird
response came from the powers of the air
md the recesses of the deep to those who
houted forth, amid a calm on the silent breast
u the AGean Sea, that the great Pan {. the
5reat ALL the universal Lord as you. nv
friends, are aware it means in Greek) had died
had gone out shortly before the sixth
1our on this sixth day, to take a stroll
n the tree-shaded suburbs of Heliopolis
With my friend Apollophanes. Suddenly, the
un, in horrible manner, withdrew its light
10 effectually that we saw the stars. 1t was
he time of the Hebrew Pasch, and the season
# the month when the moon is at the full,
md the period of an eclipse or of the moons
apparent conjunction with the sun, was we'll
Known not to be then; independently of
which, two unoxampled and unnatural Dor
ents, contrary to the laws of the heavenly
bodies, occurred: first, the moon entered the
un's disc from the cast; secondly, when she
lad covered the disc and touched the opposite
liameter, instead of passing onward, she re-
eded, and resumed her former position in the |
ky. All the astronomers will tell Won tia. |
hece two facts, and also the time of ,be
cNpse ITSELF are equally in positive deviation
rom the otherwise everlasting laws of the sid
real or planetary movements. 1 felt that
lther this universal frame was perishipp or
he Lord and Pilot of nature was himself snf.
oring and l turned to Apollophanes, and.
IS