Smyrna times., 1875-03-03
Curious Legends.

The FESTIVAL of the Asses, which has
been for long ages observed in Verona, grew
out Of the following circumstances: According
to our legend, the young ass en- which our
Saviour entered Jerusalem was set at liberty
Immediately after. Proiting by his opporta
nifty, he took to travelling in Palestine, from
whence he made the tour of Egypt, visiting
every place of interest or note, and nobody ap-
pears to have caught him. Crossing the Med-
terranean dry shod, wthOutthe aid Of any yes
sci whatever, he went to Cyprus, Rhodes,
Gambia, Malta and Sicily. He then walked up
the Adriatic to Venice-whch city, by the
way, was not then in existence. But he seems
not to have liked the little island for soon he
passed on to Verona, where he fixed his resi-
dence, and where he died at very ripe age.
The pious and hospitable Feroneses placed his
remains in reliquary of the same shape, and
they kept it in the church dedicated to Saint
Mary of the Organs" Every year, this in
teresting and valuable donkey was carried in
solemn procession through the town of Verona
At the present date the Festival of the Asses"
has become mere name. The Genoese were
fortunate enough to obtain the tail of the above
mentioned ass and they kept it with great
piety in the Church of Saint Donminick, which
stood where the Theatre Carlo Feice was after
ward built.
In the city of Constance, on the lake of the
same name, among the relics may be seen tho
spider swallowed by Saint Conrad, when taking
the wine at mass. The spider seems to have
made good his claim to mummifcation by
making his exit from the thigh OF the saint,
without having done any harm during his resi-
dence within
Two lambs belonging to Saint Francis Of As
sissi distinguished themselves immensely by
pious acts One of them went early to wake a
lady, whom he afterward conducted to mass
and the other lamb attended mass every day,
remaining on his knoes during the entire ser
vice
In the curious legend of Saint Julian encoun
tering deer in wood, there is trace of the
Eastern belief in transmigration. The saint
went hunting deer in the forest, when sud
denly the animal he was following stood at bay
and spoke thus ''Do not kill me-for, in 81
doing, thou wouldst kill thine ancestors ~
Saint Roch Tor Roquc) is always portrayed
with dog in close company, to commemorate
the story that, being struck down by tht
Plague when far from all human aid in a wood
he was discovered by this dog, who brought
him food every day till he was entirely restored
to health.
! The crab of Saint Francis Xavier has beer
f rendered more notorious by some curious oil
frescOes in Sienna, than by the printed histo
ries which relate that the saint being desrOu
TO calm sudden sguall, reached his hand Ou
= beyond the buwark of the ship, intending t
e show the crucifx in his hand to the waves, bu
: his hold relaxed and the crucifx fell into tn
q sea, wheroupon ''saintly crab, as the legen
= calls him, hastsned after the vessel politel
q offering the recovered crucilix to Saint Frar
. els, and the frosco shows this courtIy crust
!. clean holding up the recovered treasure in h
. claw
The cock Of Saint Peter is said to have boc
carried into Spain by tho Apostle Jane
:, Feathers were cold at great prices to the p
= grims who visited Compostella. The po
;r Southey gives the story with some unimpOrta
=; y variations in his humorous Pilgrimage
ls Comnostella." The name Of that city is sa
- n he merely a corrupted pronunciation
Is "Sanctus Jacobus ApostOlus u