Year: 1863

For four hundred ana thirty-tvo
years after his expulsion from Paradise,
Adam had TILED the ground in the val
lev Of Hebron, when he felt his end ap-
preaching, and determined to send his
son Seth to the gates Of Paradise, to
demand from their keeper. ''the angel
called Chcrubim." the oil Of mercy that
had been promised to Adam when he
was driven from the garden. Seth ac-
corlingly set forth, finding his way by
the footprints Of Adam and Eve, upon
which no grass had grown since they
passed from Paradise to Hebron. The
angel, after hearing the message, or


iercd Seth to look beyond the gate into
the garden, and to tell him what he
saw. He beheld place of inexpressi-
bic delight and beauty, with four great
rivers proceeding from fountain in the
centre; and, rising from the edge of the
/ fountain, an enormous tree with wide
spreading branches. but without either
bark or leaves. He was ordered to look
second time, when he saw a serpent
twisted around the tree and third
time when the tree had raised itself to
Heaven, and bore on its summit child
!


wrapped in glittering yeStments. 1t
was this child, said the angel, who
would give to Adam the oil Of mercy
when the due time should come. Mean
while the angel gave Seth three seeds
from the fruit Of the tree Of which Ad-
am had eaten. These were to be placed
in the mouth of Adam before his burial;
and three trees would spring from them,
a cedar, cypress and pine. The
trees were symbolical Of the Holy
Trinity, not only by their number, but
by the virtue which belonged to each
separately.


It happened as the angel had fore
tod. The trees were hardly foot
above the ground in the days of Abra-
ham. Moses, to whom their true ma
ture was revealed, took them up care
fully, carried them with him during the
years Of wandering in the desert, and
then planted them in a mysterious val
ley named Comfrafort ('comfort,' CON
ISOLATION ?') from Comfrafort, David was
directed to bring them to Jerusalem.-
He planted them close to fountain
and within thirty years they had grown
together SO as to form single tree of
wonderful beauty, under the shade of
which David composed his psalms, and
wep. for his sins. In spite of its beau
ty, Solomon cut it down in order to
complete his temple; for which single
beam was wanted, of a size such as no
other tree could furnish. But in fitting
the beam to its place, it was found after
repated trials, either too long or too
short; and the marvel was accepted as
a sign that it was not to be so employed.
The miraculous beam, however, was
reverently preserved IN the temple. A
certain woman one day, named Maxi
milla, leaned against it, when her clothes
caught FIRE, and she cried out in a spirit
Of prophecy, Jesus Christ, thou son of
God, help me !" The Jews when they
heard her cry, took her for mad, and
chased her from the city-the first mar
tyr, says the legend, for Jesus Christ.
J Thus far the more usual version
Another, which has been followed in a
striking Provcncal narration, quoted by
/ NJ. Fauriel, asserts that when the tree
was found too short for the temple, it
was flung aside into certain marsh,
where it served as bridge. But when
i the Queen of Sheba came to Jerusalem
to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and was
about to cross the marsh, she saw in a
vision how the saviour of the world was
T. be suspended on that tree, and so
would not walk over it, but forthwith
adoredit. 1t was afterwards, as all the
/ versions agree, buried in the earth, on
the spot where the poll of Bethlehem
was afterwards made; SO that it was
not only the descent of the angel, but
the virtues Of the buried wood, which
gave its healing qualities to the water.
At the time Ct the Passion the wood