III. THE WANDERING JEW. The Story of the Wandering Jew is of confiderable 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 vifit the fhrines and reliques preferved in our churches; who being entertained at the monaftery of St. Albans, was asked feveral questions relating to his country, &c. Among the rest a monk, who fate near him, inquired" if he "had ever feen or heard of the famous perfon named Jofeph, "that was fo much talked of, who was prefent at our Lord's crucifixion and converfed with him, and who was Atill alive "in confirmation of the Chriftian faith." The archbishop anfwered, That the fact was true. And afterwards one of his train, who was well known to a fervant of the abbot's, interpreting his master's words, told them in French, that his lord knew the perfon they spoke of very well: that he had dined at his table but a little while before he left the Eaft: that he had been Pontius Pilate's porter, by name Cartaphi lus; who, when they were dragging Jefus out of the door of the Judgment hall, ftruck him with his fift on the back, fay ing, "Go fafter, felus, go fafter; why dost thou linger?" Upon which Jejus looked at him with a frown and faid, “I indeed am going, but thou shalt tarry till I come. Scon after after he was converted, and baptized by the name of JoJeph. He lives for ever, but at the end of every hundred years falls into an incurable illness, and at length into a fit or extafy, out of which when he recovers, he returns to the fame ftate of youth he was in when Jefus fuffered, being then about 30 years of age. He remembers all the circumftances of the death and refurrection of Christ, the faints that arofe with him, the compofing of the apostles creed, their preaching, and difperfion; and is himself a very grave and holy perfon. This is the fubftance 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 feveral impoflors have appeared at intervals under the name and character of the WANDERING JEW; whofe feveral hiftories may be feen in Calmet's dictionary of the bible. See alfo the Turkish Spy, Vol. 2. Book 3. Let. 1. The story that is copied in the following ballad is of one, who appeared at Hamburgh in 1547, and pretended he had been a Jewish fhoemaker at the time of Chrifl's crucifixion. - The ballad however feems to be of later date. It is printed from a black-letter copy in the Pepys collection. W HEN as in faire Jerufalem Our Saviour Chrift did live, And for the fins of all the worlde His own deare life did give; The wicked Jewes with fcoffes and fcornes Did dailye him moleft, That never till he left his life, Our Saviour could not reft. 5 When When they had crown'd his head with thornes, And scourg'd him to disgrace, In fcornfull fort they led him forthe Unto his dying place; Where thousand thousands in the streete Beheld him paffe along, Yet not one gentle heart was there, That pityed this his wrong. Both old and young reviled him, As in the streete he wente, And nothing found but churlish tauntes, His owne deare croffe he bore himselfe, A burthen far too great, Which made him in the street to fainte, With blood and water fweat. Being wearye thus, he fought for reft, 25 To ease his burthened foule, Upon a ftone; the which a wretch Did churlifhly controul; And fayd, Awaye, thou king of Jewes, Thou shalt not reft thee here: Pafs on; thy execution place Thou feeft nowe draweth neare. 30 And Of Jefus Chrift thus fhed, And to the croffe his bodye nail'd, Awaye with speed he fled Without returning backe againe Unto his dwelling place, And wandred up and downe the worlde, A runnagate most base. 40 45 No refting could he finde at all, No ease, nor hearts content; 50 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-paffed ill. 55 Thus Thus after fome fewe ages paft In wandring up and downe, He much again defired to fee Jerufalems renowne, But finding it all quite deftroyd, He wandred thence with woe, Our Saviours wordes, which he had spoke, To verefie and showe. 60 I'll reft, fayd hee, but thou fhalt walke, 65 The world he hath ftill compaft round That hearing of the name of Chrift, 75 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: 80 Defiring |