III.

THE WANDERING JEW.

The story of the Wandering Jew is of considerable antiquity : it had obtained full credit in this part of the world before the year 1228, as we learn from Mat. Paris. For in that year, it seems, there came an Armenian archbishop into England, to visit the shrines and reliques preserved in our churches; who being entertained at the monaflery of St. Albans, was asked several questions relating to his country, &c. Among the rest a monk, who fate near him, inquired “s if he “ had ever seen or heard of the famous person named Joseph, “ that was so much talked of, who was present at our Lord's

crucifixion and conversed with him, and who was fill alive “ in confirmation of the Christian faith.” The archbishop answered, That the fact was true. And afterwards one of his train, who was well known to a servant of the abbot's

, interpreting his master's words, told them in French, that his lord knew the person i bey spoke of very well : that he had dined at his table but a little while before be left the Eaf: that he had been Pontius Pilate's porter, by name Cartaphilus; who, when they were dragging Jefus out of the door of the Judgment hall, struck him with his fift on the back, Jay. ing," Gofalt r, felus, go fafter ; why doft thou linger:". Upon which Jejus looked at him with a frown and said, " ! "indied am going, but thou shalt torry till I come.

Scox

efter be was converted, and baptized by the name of yojeph. He lives for ever, but at the end of every hundred years falls into an incurable illness, and at length into a fit or extaly, out of which when he recovers, he returns to the same state of youth he was in when fejus suffered, being then about 30 years of age. He remembers all the circumjtances of the death and resurrection of Christ, the saints that arose with him, the composing of the apostles creed, their preaching, and dispersion; and is himself a very grave and holy person. This is the substance of Matthew Paris's accouni, who was himself a monk of St. Albans, and was living at the time when this Armenian archbishop made the above relation.

Since his time several impoflors have appeared at intervals under the name and character of the WANDERING JEW; whose several histories may be seen in Calmet's dictionary of the bible. See also the Turkish Spy, Vol. 2. Book 3. Let. i. The story that is copied in the following ballad is of one, who appeared at Hamburgh in 1547, and pretended he bad been Jewish Shoemaker at the time of Chrifl's crucifixion. The ballad however seems to be of later date. It is printed

from a black-letter copy in the Pepys collection.

W

HEN as in faire Jerusalem

Our Saviour Christ did live,
And for the fins of all the worlde

His own deare life did give;
The wicked Jewes with scoffes and scornes

Did dailye him molest,
That never till he left his life,

Qur Sayiour could not rest.

5

When

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When they had crown'd his head with thornes,

And scourg'd him to disgrace,
In scornfull sort they led him forthe

Unto his dying place ;
Where thousand thousands in the streete

Beheld him passe along,
Yet not one gentle heart was there,

That pityed this his wrong.

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20

Both old and young reviled him,

As in the streete he wente,
And nothing found but churlish tauntes,

By every ones confente:
His owne deare crosse he bore himselfe,

A burthen far too great,
Which made him in the street to fainte,

With blood and water sweat.

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Being wearye thus, he fought for rest,

To ease his burthened soule,
Upon a stone ; the which a wretch

Did churlishly controul;
And sayd, Awaye, thou king of Jewes,

Thou shalt not rest thee here:
Pass on ; thy execution place

Thou seest nowe draweth neare.

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And

Where after he had seene the bloude

Of Jesus Chrift thus shed,
And to the crosse his bodye naild,

Awaye with speed he fed
Without returning backe againe

Unto his dwelling place,
And wandred up and downe the worlde,

A runnagate moft base,

No resting could he finde at all,

No ease, nor hearts content;
No house, no home, no biding place :

But wandring forth he went
From towne to towne in foreigne landes,

With grieved conscience still,
Repenting for the heinous guilt

Of his fore-passed ill.

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Thus

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Thus after some fewe ages past

In wandring up and downe,
He much again desired to fee

Jerusalems renowne,
But finding it all quite destroyd,

He wandred thence with woe,
Our Saviours wordes, which he had fpoke,

To verefie and showe.

I'll reft, fayd hee, but thou shalt walke,

So doth this wandring Jewe
From place to place, but cannot rest

For seeing countries newe ;
Declaring ftill the power of him,

Whereas he comes or goes,
And of all things done in the east,

Since Christ his death, he showes.

The world he hath still compaft round

And feene those nations ftrange,
That hearing of the name of Chrift,

Their idol gods doe change :
To whom he hath told wondrous thinges

Of time forepast, and gone,
And to the princes of the worlde

Declares his cause of moane :

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Defiring