Believing in the Gospel, And paffion of his zon, III. THE WANDERING JEW. The ftory 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 afked feveral queftions relating to his country, &c. Among the reft a monk, who fat near him, inquired " if he "had ever seen or heard of the famous perfon named Joseph, "that was fo much talked of; who was prefent at our Lord's "crucifixion and converfed with him, and who was ftill 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 mafier's words, told them in French, "That bis lord knew the person 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 Cartaphilus; who, when they were dragging Jefus out of the door of the Judgment-ball, ftruck him with his fift on the back, fay U 4 ing, "Soon ing, "Go fafter, Jefus, go fafter; why doft thou linger ?” Upon which Jefus looked at him with a frown and faid, "I indeed am going, but thou shalt tarry till I come. 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 ecftafy, 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 Chrift, the faints that arofe with him, the compofing of the apostles creed, their preaching, and difperfion; and is himself a very grave and boly perfon." This is the fubftance of Matthew Paris's account, 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 impoftors have appeared at intervals under the name and character of the WANDERING JEW; whofe feveral biftories 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 Chrift's crucifixion.-The ballad however feems to be of later date. It is printed from a black-letter copy in the Pepys collection. WHEN as in faire Jerufalem WH 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, 5 That never till he left his life, Our Saviour could not reft. When When they had crown'd his head with thornes, And fcourg'd him to disgrace, In fcornfull fort they led him forthe Unto his dying place; Where thoufand thousands in the streete Beheld him pafse along, Yet not one gentle heart was there, That pityed this his wrong. Both old and young reviled him, As in the ftreete he wente, And nought he 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. 10 15 20 Being weary thus, he fought for reft, 25 To ease his burthened foule, Upon a ftone; the which a wretch Did churlishly controule; And fayd, Awaye, thou king of Jewes, Thou shalt not reft thee here; Pafs on; thy execution place Thou feeft nowe draweth neare. And thereupon he thruft him thence; At which our Saviour fayd, 30 I fure will reft, but thou fhalt walke, For offering Chrift this wrong, 35 Left wife and children, house and all, 40 And went from thence along. Where after he had feene the bloude Of Jefus Chrift thus shed, 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 moft base. 45 No refting could he finde at all, No ease, nor hearts content; 50 No house, nor home, nor biding place: But finding it all quite deftroyd, He wandred thence with woe, Our Saviours wordes, which he had spoke, To verefie and fhowe. "I'll reft, fayd hee, but thou shalt walke," So doth this wandring Jew From place to place, but cannot reft For feeing countries newe; 65 Declaring ftill the power of him, Whereas he comes or goes, 70 And of all things done in the east, Since Chrift his death, he fhowes. The world he hath ftill compaft round That hearing of the name of Chrift, 75 |