Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-12-26

ness and death pass him by, and at
the end of each century the Wandering
Jew falls into sort of trance. from
which he awakens only to find himself
&c Young as when he thrust the Lord
away from his door.
AS the plague in the Middle Ages.
and the cholera in more recent times,
has appeared mysteriously in one
place after another it is q
popular superstition that it follows
the Wandering Jew everywhere he
| goes, and that it is part of his awful
punishment to leave death and sor-
| row in his wake.
Moncure d. Conway in his book,
1.-The Wandering Jew" relates the YER
sion of the legend as it was told in
| the thirteenth century. In the year
1928. according to the Conway version,
an Armenian Bishop visited England,
and the purport of his conversation is
| recorded in the Historic Major. The
interviews between the monks and the
Armenian took place at St. Adams.
and if the replies of the Eastern pre-
late We're slightly rendered, his ten
dency to the marvellous was sufficient
/ ~ strong.
| He was asked whether he knew any
| thing of the famous Joseph so
much discussed, and said to have been
| preserved from the time of the cruci-
| fxion of Christ, as a witness to that
| event.
| The interpreter said the parsonage
| in question had dined with his master
| shortly before they left Armenia, and
| then gave the story as follows:
"The name of the wonderful Jew was
| originally Cartaphilus, and he was Pr
| late's doorkeeper at the time of Christ's
| trial. When the young men were lead
| ing Jesus out from the hall of judg-
ment this doorkeeper struck him on
| the neck. and said.
"'Go, Jesus; go faster; Why dost
thou linger?' Jesus turned, and an
| swered I will go, but thou shalt re-
main waiting until I come. CHere is
quoted Matt. XVI, "a: THE son of
man goeth as it is written of him; but
woe unto that man by whom the son
Of man is betrayed it had been good
for that man if he had not been born.D
Thenceforth Cartaphilus has been
waiting He was 30 years old when he
insnlted Christi and whenever he
/ reaches the age of 100 he faints; on his
recovery he finds himself as young as
when Ills doom was pronounced
philus had been baptized by Ananias
(wllo baptized PauD under the name of
Joseph. He lives among eminent
Christians in Armenia as a holy mani
relates to them and to others who Wis
1t him, sometimes from great dis
tances, much concerning the Apostles:
he never smiles. but sometimes weeps:
refuses gifts, is frugal and talks little.
He hopes for final forgiveness. because
he knew not what he did.
These are the earliest written rec
ords of the legend of the Wandering
Jew From that time no trace of 1t APP
pears until the year 1547, when an
individual seems to have appeared In
Hamburg pretending to be the Wan
dering Jew himself. The legend and
its representative appeared in German
annals simultaneously. The narrative
% IT was recorded follows.
"Paulus Won Eizen, doctor and Bishop
of Schleswig, related to me some years
ago that at the time he was studying at
Wittenburg, while on a visit to his par
ents in Hamburg, in 1547, he had seen in
church. placed near the chancel. a very
tall man, with hair falling on his Shout
ders, barefoot who listened to the SER
mon with great attention, and when
bowed humbly. smote his breast, and
sighed. His only clothing was a pair or
trousers. ragged at the ends, and coat
tied with cord which fell to his feet.
He appeared to be SO years of age. There
seems to have been many of the no.
bility and gentry who have seen this
man in England, France. Hungary, Per-
STA, Spain. Poland, Moscow, Sweden.
ark nd In ofh
gions. Every one has marveled mucn at
him. And the aforenamed doctor, having
made inquiries as to where he could con-
verse with the man. and having found
him, asked whence he came and how
long he had been there during that win
ter. On this the man very humbly toio
him that he was by birth Jew OF Je-
rusalem, named Ahaseurus, his occupa-
ton that of shoemaker; that he mad
been present at the crucifxion or Christ,
since which time he had been alive; that
he had Travelled through many countries
and cities; and to prove that he was tell
ing the truth he had knowledge of vari-
Gus events which had occurred since that
time, as well as of all events which had
happened to Christ when he was brought
before Plate and Herod and finally cru
Gifted
He told even more than we know
through the evangelists and historians;
and he narrated the many changes of
governments, especially in Eastern coun.
tries, which has occurred at one time
or another during those many centuries.
Then he related most infinitely the life.
sufferings and death of the holy apostles
He said that he insulted Jesus on his
way to Calvary, that he had followed
him and had seen him miserably cruel
fed, tortured and slain. After all had
been fulfilled, 1t was impossible for him
to enter Jerusalem. He never saw his
wife and child again, but as a sad pit
grim has wandered through foreign
countries one after another. When. at
ter many years, he returned once more
to Jerusalem, he found everything sacked
and destroyed, so that he could recos
nize nothing; not one stone was left up
on another, nor any trace of the former
magnihcence visible. What God now In
tended to do with him, In leaving him
in This miserable life wandering ABOUT