The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-04-03

miracles, and or the persecution he was
undergoing at the hands Of the Jews,
posed Of the Greeks" who. as st. John
tells us. besought Philip to procure an
interview for them with Christ. They
were the bearers Of a brief letter IN
which the king begged Jesus to heal him,
and 10 share with him the beautiful city
OF Odessa Christ sent back to him
letter, and. according to some, a likeness
also by which Abgar was healed. To
the possession of this miraculous plcl
ture was ascrlbed the deliverance OF
odessa from a terrible beseginS host.
"A church at Genoa still claims TO pos
sess this likeness among It's treasures.
The legend OF Veronica Is told in many
FORMS The name is said to be cor
ruption of Berenice, but is more likely
q transposition of the two words Vera
Icon. or true likeness" She Is general
ly Identified with the woman whom
Christ healed of the issue of blood. In
one form of the story, she asks Christ.
on his way to crucifiXion. II she may
have a picture painted of Him. and He
Dresentedhcr with a linen cloth on which
is the image If his face. In another she
pities Christ when. bathed with pcrspira-
ton. lie sinks to the ground, and she
presents Him with her handkerchief to
wipe His face. lie uses II, and for re-
ward. mraculously imprcsse upon it a
likenost of His features The scene
Is one of the seven late inventions known
as THE Stations of the Cross" Tile
napkin Is supposed TO constitute the most
precious OF all the relics in the Treasury
of st. Peters at Rome: ana one of the
most prominent of Berninis colossal
statues near the altar represents We
ronIcn waving an enormous handker-
chief AS for the relic itself. the only
layman who was allowed to see it close.
fuI, ~, tai
passing of the Dogma of Papal infalli-
bility. says that nothing is visible on 1t.
unless II be a sort of black stain in the
shape of a head. The woman whom
Christ healed of the issue Is said by
some of the fathers to have reared n
statue at Paneas, commemorative of her
miraculous cure, which was destroyed
by the Emperor Julian, because he re-
garded it as Il dangerous evidence of
Christianity. 1t Is now all but Certain
that this supposed statue OF Christ and
the woman was really one erected by
the Emperor Hadrian with the title OF
ITO the Saviour" or Protector" and
that the woman represents the literary
genius of the city. The complimentary
title of Softer or Saviour. was often CON
ferred on Emperors by grateful cities.
AZ regards the names adopted in these
| stories, they are generally corruptons
from some well-lnown word. Now the
soldier who pierced Christ's sds with
the spear is usually called Longinus.
and he too Is represented with his spear
| In 81. Peters. But Longiuus is probab bly,
| n Latlnised form from the Greek word
| for javeiin.
The persistent robbcr-robber, not
thief. is the proper translation Of the
| Greek word applied In the Evangellsts
| to the two malcfactors-is some times
called simply Sanc;us Bonus La;ro, st.
the Good-robbcr," but In early legends
he Is called Dysmas or Demas. lie Is
connected with the Holy family In their
| flight into Egypt. during which he pro-
tected them from being murdered by his
companions. But even in those days he
| Is said TO have shown a meritorious dis
| position because. like Tobit he buried
| the poor. In the Latin Gospel of Nico-
| demps we read that. with his cross on
| his Shoulder, he came TO the gates of
| Hades. and Satan opened the door n
| little way for him, and let him ill., and
| he announced To the demons that the
Lord was Immediately at hand.
LEGENDS ABOUT PLATE.
PLATE naturally plays large part in
these Ia":-ad0th. AS far back as tie
| days OF Tertul,an. we find the confident
(and not unreasonable statement tina;
Plate had dispatched to the Emperor
| lib RUS, an official account of the trial
| and death OF Christ. Books were cur
rent In the early centuries protesting to
be these Acts of Plate" In course Of
time. legend became busy with him
name. To his wife was assigned the
name Of Claudia Procula. In the treatise
lSnown as The Paradosis of Plate" he
| Is said to have been tried bv Caesar, con-
denncd 10 death for having failed to
| save Jesus from the Jews. in spite OF the
many protests which had attended the
trial and cruciiXion. One OF these is
narrated in the Gospel OF Nicodemus
II Is said that when PLATE sent a crusor
to arrest Jesus. the officer was so struck
with awe that he spread a robe over
the ground for Him 20 tread upon: and
that as He entered the Praetorum the
Snman Standards bowed themselves to
do Him homage. The Jews accused the
Roman soldiers OF collision, and then
PLATE babe them try TO hold the stand
ards themselves. They set aside twelve
of their strongest men for the task, hut
IT. spite OF all their efforts the standards
bowed themselves again. Caesar con-
demned PLATE TO be beh"aded, and the
unhappy governor prayed to Christ.
Then voice came from heaven saying
that all general iors Of the Ge-tiles
feet cut Off the head Of PLATE. and behold
an angel of the Lord reviewed it. And
when his wife I'rocula saw the ange,
coming and receiving his head. she also,
being filled with joy, forthwith gave up
the ghost, and was buried with her hus
band.
Another group OF legends is very diff
ferent. One Is that PLATE possessed the