Year: 1863




A Legend OF the Cross.





An ancient legend, giving the history of
runs as follows:


For four hundred and thirty.two years
after his expulsion from Paradise, Adam
had titled the grounds in the valley of
Hebron, when he felt his end approach
ing, and determined to send his son Seth
to the gates of Paradise, to demand from
their keeper, 1.-THE angel called Cheru-
bim," the oil of mercy which had been
promised to Adam when he was driven
from the garden. Seth accordingly 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,
ordered Seth to look beyond the gate into
the garden, and to tell him what he saw
He beheld place of inexpressible delight
and beauty, with the four great rivers pro-
ceeding from a 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.


lie was ordered to look a second time,
when he saw serpent twisted round the
tree; and third time, when the tree had
raised itself to heaven, and bore on its
summit child wrapped in glittering vest
mentS.


1t was this child, said the angel, who
would give Adam the oil Of mercy when
the time should come. Meanwhile the
angel gave Seth three seeds from the fruit
of the tree of which Adam had eaten
These were to be placed in the mouth ol
Adam before his burial and three trees
would spring from them cedar, a cy-
press, and pine. The trees were sym
bolical of the Holy Trinity, not only by
their number, but by the virtues which
belonged to each separately.


1t happened as the angel had forctold.
The trees were hardly foot above the
ground in the days Of Abraham. Moses,
to whom their true nature was revealed,
took them up carefully, carried them with
him during the years of wandering in the
desert, and then repfanted them in mys-
terous valley named Comfrafort {" Com
fort, "" Consolation Ply From Comfrafort
David was directed to bring them to Jeru.
salem.


He planted them close to a fountain
and within thirty years they had grown
together so as to form a single tree Of
wonderful beauty, under the shade Of
which David composed his psalms, and
wept for his sins.


In spite Of its beauty, Solomon cut it
down in order to complete his temple; for
which q single beam was wanted, of O
size such as no other tree could furnish
But, in fitting the beam to its place, it was
found, after repeated trials, either too long
or too short; and the marvel was accepted
as sign that it was not to be so employ
ed. The miraculous beam, however, was
rcverently preserved in the temple. A
certain woman, named Maximilla, one day
leant against it, when her clothes caught
fire, and she cried out in spirit of pro-
phecy-


"Jesus Christ, thou son of God, help
mel"


The Jews, when they heard the cry,
took her for mad, and chased her from the
city-the first martyr, says the legend,
for Jesus Christ.


Thus far the more usual version. An.
other, which has been followed in a stri-
king Provencal narration, quoted by NJ.
Faurief. asserts that when the tree was
found too short for the temple, it was
flung aside into a certain marsh, where il
served as bridge. But when the Queen
of Sheba came to Jerusalem to hear the
wisdom of Solomon, and was about to
cross the marsh, she saw in vision how
the Saviour of the world was to be sus-
pended on that tree, and so would not
walk over it, but forthwith knelt and
adored it.


1t was afterwards, as all the versions
agree, buried in the earth, on the spot
where the Pool of Bethesda was after.
wards 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 Of the
Passion the wood rose and hoated to the
surface. The Jews took it to make the
cross of our Lord.


Such is the remarkable legend which
has at least the interest of having been
very widely spread, and as having been
generally received as authentic. Itwould
be no easy task to trace the gradual steps
of its formation, or to mark the period Of
its first introduction to Europe. The foot
prints of Adam, which left the ground
bare, are still pointed out on the summit
of Mount Gerizim.