The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-12-25

The wandering Jew, PFesteF John and
/ AntiGhFlst.
/ Over all the middle ages we sec The
weird figure OF a man, doWncast and
grave, who, unhasting, unTesIstIng, must
march on to tho day Of doom. Tn,
Wandering Jew, sometimes buried ID
Armenian converts or the desert Of Cen
trail Asia, in the burning plains ofAirica
or tho snowy heights Of Caucasus, sudden
ly appears In the haunts Of more civilized
Europe, and tells, as an eye witness, the
sad story Of the crucIiixion, and his Sharr
in the ConIumeIy cast upon the God man,
lilo had thrown himself into the flaming
city oil Jerusalem under tho Roman
swords hO had fought against Gauls, Ger.
mans and SHracens; but no lance would
enter his charmed body-no arrow pierce
the heart that lOnged to be at rest. The
wild elephant had crushed him under
foot, venemous serpents had bitten him;
tho hungry lion had torn him, but hC
could not die until Christ himself should
return 10 Judge tho world.
This legend filled the people with terror
aud emotion, and probably arose froIu
some eloquent preacher, who thus person.
lied the jewish nation, under the figure
OF single man, scattered through the
world, and undestroyed by persecution
Matthew Paris Is the tint historian who
speaks Of II an Armenian bishop visiting
the monks Of st. Adams, had convened
with the Jew about the year 1908, and
from that time he appeared At Intervals
In several Of the cities Of Europe, dressed
In the old Roman costume, much worn,
long beard, naked feet, and a sad, nelan.
cloly expression. He refused all presents
but Il lew pence, which no gave away to
the poor. At StrasbOurE he appeared in
100, and informed the magistrates that no
had passed through their city two hundred
years before, which was verified by ref.
eTenCe 10 the city registers. The last We
l774.
AnOtherno lees popular superstition was
tue existence Of a king and pOutif, united
III one, named Prester John, who had
ruled a vast empire for centuries, In which
more marvels were to DO found than ia
MOhAmmed's paradise. No travelertO the
East dared put stop 10 this absurd belief;
some even pretended TO know the place,
The kings OF Portugal sUut several expedi.
tionsintO India and Abyssinia 10 assure
themselves Of the reality, for this immor.
tai pope gave many an hours anxiety 10
the pope Of tho West, for fear lest schism
should spring from so distantR quarter.
There was 4 curious letter, written peT.
hRps By some partisan Of the Reiorina.
ton, to the Emperor Of Rome and King
Of France, in the name OF Prestcr John,
about 1867, inviting them 10 settle in his
dominions, which he described as The
finest and richest in the world. There
they would see tho tabled ph@nix, the
gdtlln, the roe, the Beven.horned hull, cen.
taurs, pigmies and dragons. There
sprung the fountain OF eternal youth,
there grew the Tree Of Lille, from which
was drawn the holy oil used for the saCra.
ments Of the church; and when the king
and his court sat down u tho table they
needed no cooks, for spiritual chief pre-.
pared all their dishes.
Another mystical being was AntiChrist,
who was supposed to be born In Babylon,
and whom the Jews were ready to recog.
iIe as their Messiah. The year 1000 WIS
liked upon by Abe most learned doctors as
the time OF bis appearance, and the end Of
the world. We have terrible picture
given by a contemporary OF the desolatiOn
which reigled throughout Europe ut the
approach Of this fatal term; there were
fearful signs in the heavens and OH earth
ecIipses, comets, metcors, floods, tenpests,
and plaques. Superstition aggravated
irightiul 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 M
their wealth 10 churches and converts;
they thought 1t useless TO till the ground
and occupy themselves in the daily tasks;
their fields, houses and shops were de-
serted for the altar. At length the last
day Of the year, 900, arrived; the whole
populaco in tears and waited in trembling
expectation the soundings OF the seven
trumpetS, and the appearance OF Anti.
christ; but the sun rose bright as ever, the
stars fell not from heaven, the laws OF ma.
tnFe were uninterrupted. at was only
postponed said the crCdylous; they
counted the days, weeks and months with
understandable anxiety, and ii required
many years Of anguish to restore calm.
ness to their. minds.