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32X

MADONNA AND CHILD. (Mignaru.)

■if- V R

*«■

i Hit vHllJ*

CJL^

LEGENDS

THE VIRGIN AND CHRIST

^ITH SPECML REFERENCE TO
LITERATURE AND ART

H. A. GUERBER

AUTHOR OF "myths OF GRHBCB AND ROME," "MYTHS OF

NORTHERN LANDS," " CONTES FT LltOENDBS,"

"STORIBS OP THB WAGNER OPERA," BTC.

WITH

THE MUSSOH BOOK CO.> j : <-^
1900

Printed at The University Press, John Wilson & Son,
Cambridge, U. S. A.

pany

;t ;

&Son,

AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED

flttg Kmlf anil aitmt,

MR. AND MRS. ADOLPHE L. GUERBER.

V i

PREFACE.

TN visiting the art galleries at home or abroad,
or in turning over the pages of the current
magazines, we find countless pictures of Christ
and the Virgin Mary. Some of the most famous
paintings in the world are based upon, or give
some hint of, the numerous legends concerning
Mother and Son which were so very popular
during the Middle Ages.

The prevalence of these tales, only some of
which are embodied in the canon of any Christian
church, was owing to the fact that they satisfied
the childlike curiosity of people anxious to know
more about the subject than could be found in
the brief but authentic Scriptural account.

Gradually woven into poetry and song, these'
sacred legends became one of the principal
themes of all wandering minstrelS; who told

VIU

Preface,

them in castle and cot. For many centuries
also they formed part of all the dramatic repre-
sentations, and finally they were seized upon by
great artists and transferred to canvas, where
they still glow in undimmed beauty, and; in
many cases, serve to keep alive traditions which
would else have been forgotten.

All those who have grown up in Roman
Catholic countries or homes are, of course,

I more or less familiar with some of the legends
related here, which are nearly unknown to the

1 average Protestant reader. While some of them \
are puerile in the extreme, and even at timesf

I childishly and unintentionally sacrilegious, the!
majority are as beautiful and poetical as untrue, f
The aim of this work is not to give a long
list of noted pictures, but rather to place before
the reader the many legends which have been
used for illustration in art or literature. Then,
with a distinct idea in his mind, not only of the
Scriptural, but also of the legendary lore con-
cerning Christ and the Virgin, it will be easy
to trace out the story as told in art, and to
gain a clearer insight into the artists' motives.

Preface, ix

As this is neither a devotional work nor a
study of interpretation, the subject has been
treated only from the legendary and picturesque
point of view, and it is sincerely hoped that this
fact will be duly borne in mind.

Artists and authors hav.'ng found in these
legends such a fruitful source of interest and
inspiration, we venture to present them to the
public, trusting they will receive a kindly
welcome in their new dress.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

YOUTH OF THE VIRGIN MARY.

Mary in the Bible — Legends in the first century — Cru-
saders bring legends west — The character of the
legends — Prominence attained by Mary — Marriage of
Joachim and Anna — Their sorrow — The offering re-
fused—Joachim's penance — Anna's two visions —
Joachim's vision and sacrifice — Joachim's return —
The meeting at the Golden Gate — The immaculate
conception of Mary — Nativity of the Virgin — Presenta-
tion of the Virgin — The priests' dispute — Mary's life
in the Temple — Description of Mary — Her suitors —
Her vow — The high priest's perplexity — The instruc-
tions he receives — Judah chosen by lot — The calling
of the unmarried men — The story of Joseph — The
rods on the altar — The priest's dismay — Th i flower-
ing rod — The dove — Marriage of the Virgin — The
disappointed suitor

CHAPTER H.

THE ANNUNCIATION.

PAGB

Mary's companions — Joseph leaves Mary at Nazareth —
Work for the Temple — Mary chosen by lot — The
vision of Zacharias — The maidens mock Mary — The

Xll

Contents,

PAGB

council in Heaven — The Annunciation — The Ave
Maria — The meaning of the rosary — The Immaculate
Conception — The doctrine in Spain — A Mohammedan
legend — The work finished — Mary's journey — The
Salutation — The Magnificat — The Visitation — Miracle
in the garden — The birth of St John — Mary's return
home — Joseph's doubts — The high priest's summons
— The waters of jealousy — The legend of the cherry-
tree

CHAPTER III.

THE NATIVITY.

The prophecies — The portents — The Temple of Peace—
The Tiburtine Sibyl — The Church of Ara Coeli — The
three suns — The balsam — The date — Christmas-—
Caesar's decree— The journey to Bethlehem — The two
people — The cave — Joseph in search of aid — The
suspense of nature — The birth of Christ — Adoration
of angels — Legend of sainfoin — Zelomi and Salome—
The Vision of the Shepherds — Adoration of the Shep-
herds — The ox and the ass — The Feast of the Ass —
The circumcision — The purification — The presentation
in the Temple— Simeon and Anna — Septuagint legend

— Mary's first sorrow 40

CHAPTER IV.

THE FLIGHT.

Balaam's prophecy — The Magi — The three miracles -*
The star — Arrival at Jerusalem — Herod and the cock

— Adoration of the Magi — Departure of the Magi —
Subsequent career of the Magi — The wrath of Herod

— The massacre of the Innocents — The flight of Eliza-

Contents.

Xlll

PAGE

beth — The murder of Zacharias — Joseph warned —
The flight into Egypt — The wheat field — The pine
and juniper — The roses of Jericho — The aspen — The
wild beasts 64

CHAPTER V.

THE SOJOURN IN EGYPT.

The road followed — The brigands — The captives released

— The good thief — The robbers' den — The palm —
The fountain — The arrival in Egypt — The fallen idols

— The conversion of the Egyptians — The priest's son

— The Sphinx — The visit to Pharaoh — The dumb
bride — The leper girl — The story of the mule — The
sojourn at Matarea — The sycamore — The shadow of
the cross — Miraculous cures — Bartholomew — Judas

— The fortune teller — Christ's playmates — Tl-.e dead

fish — The Egyptian teacher 85

CHAPTER VI.

THE BOYHOOD OF CHRIST.

The return to Nazareth — Christ and St. John — The
broken pitcher — The children refuse to play — The
story of the kids — The young king — Simon Zelotes

— The seven pools — The sparrows — Two boys slain

— The wrathful parents — The miracles — The educa-
tion of Jesus — Zaccheus — Levi — The fruit tree —
The roof accident — The dead babe — The sojourn at
Jericho — The grain — The lions — The bedstead —
The throne — The sojourn at Capernaum — The dead
man restored — The sojourn at Bethlehem — James

cured — The mason — Christ's home life — The dyer
>— The twelve year old Christ at Jerusalem ....

107

XIV

Contents,

CHAPTER VII.

THE MINISTRY OF CHRIST.

PAGB

History of Joseph the Carpenter — Joseph warned of death

— Joseph's request — Mary's plea to Christ — The
angels receive Joseph's soul — Joseph shrouded — The
burial of Joseph — Christ's promise — Christ the car-
penter — The Shadow of the Cross — The Baptism —
The Temptation — The wedding at Cana — The wine
measure — The goose — The woodpecker — The Virgin's
terror — Story of Abgar — Description of Christ — The
parting of Christ and His Mother — The Passion Play

— The birth of Judas — Crimes and repentance of Judas

— The treachery of Judas — The death of Judas —
Judas in hell — The colour of Judas — The seamen

and Judas — Leonardo da Vinci's Judas 129

CHAPTER VIII.

THE PASSION WEEK.

The Last Supper — Lucifer's crowr — Revolt of Lucifer
— Man's downfall planned — The legend of Israfil —
Bf nishment of Adam and Eve — The Holy Grail — The
blood of Christ — Joseph in prison — Vespasian and
Getus — Veronica's handkerchief — The first crusade —
The Holy Grail in France — The Round Table — The
Siege Perilous — The Holy Grail in England — Christ
before Pilate — The officer — The standards — Procla's
dream — The witnesses — The sentence 160

Contents.

CHAPTER IX.

THE CRUCIFIXION.

The willow-tree — The birch-tree — The crown of thorns
— Legend of the robin — The roses — Legend of the
Cross — Seth's visit to Paradise — Seth's vision — The
three seeds — Solomon and the tree — The Queen of
Sheba — The pool of Bethesda — The legend of Gol-
gotha — Constantine's cross — Constantine's conver-
sion — Helena's conversion — Helena's dream — The
finding of the Cross — The Cross in Persia — Heraclius
and the Cross — The Invention of the Cross — The
lance of Longinus — The three nails — The cross-bill .

PAGB

179

CHAPTER X.

DEATH, BURIAL, AND RESURRECTION OF CHRIST,

The Wandering Jew in fiction — The legend of the Wan-
dering Jew — The Wandering Jew in Europe — The
Crucifixion — The seamless coat — The legend of Pilate

— The penitent thief — The fallen idols — The descent
from the Cross — The Pieta — The entombment — La
Pamoison — The Jews* decision — Joseph imprisoned

— Guards at the sepulchre — Joseph missing — The
guards' defence — The Ascension — The rumours —
The search for Christ — The finding of Joseph —
Joseph's account of his escape 199

kvi

Contents,

CHAPTER XI.

THE DESCENT INTO HADES.

PAGB

The sons of Simeon — The Jews ask for their account —
The writing of their statement — The dead in Hades —
The Light — The prophecies — The plans of Hades
and Satan — The story of Lazanis — The defence of
Hades — The King of Glory -- The entrance of Christ
— The submission of Hades — Satan bound — The
righteous delivered — Christ appears to Mary — Christ
appears to James — Christ leads the redeemed to Para-
dise — Enoch, Elijah, and the good thief — The two
versions — Pilate sees report — Herod's letter — The
doom of Herodias — The death of Herod — The death
of Pilate 215

CHAPTER XH.

ASSUMPTION AND CORONATION OF THE VIRGIN.

Mary at the Ascension — The seven so rows of the Virgin
— Pentecost — The Holy Ghost — Disciples take leave
of the Virgin — The Annunciation — The palm — The
disciples— Mary's farewell — The Virgin's soul — The
shrouding of the Virgin — The funeral of the Virgin —
The High Priest — The burial of the Virgin — The
Assumption — Thomas' doubts — The girdle — The
Coronation — The privilege granted to Mary — The
last Judgment 230

Contents,

xvii

CHAPTER XIII.

MOTHER AND SON IN ART.

Christ the model man — Mary the model woman — Christ
in early Christian art — The symbols by which He was
represented — Pagan and Biblical types of Christ —
The Good Shepherd — The Virgin in early art — The
disputes and schisms in the Church — The first portrait
of the Virgin — John of Damascus — The influence of
the Crusades — Saint Bernard's vision — The Church
plays — The influence exerted by the Renaissance —
The symbols of Mary — The legend of the rose — The
names of Mary — The vesture of Mary and Christ —
The Madonnas — Our Lady of the Snow — Our Lady
of Loretto — Our Lady of the Pillar — Our Lady of
the Chair — Series of pictures — The Incoronata —
The Mater Dolorosa — The Pieta — The Mater Ama-
bilis — Plants connected with Christ — Plants Ci. i-
uected with Mary — Conclusion

PAGB

242

I;, '

-1

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

'§

FAGB

Madonna and Child. Mignard . . . Frontispiece
Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple.

Titian "

Saint Anna and the Virgin Mary. Mailer . 13

Marriage of the Virgin. Raphael 21

Annunciation. Bouguereau 28

Immaculate Conception. Murillo 31

Simeon and the Infant Christ. Fra Bartolommeo 59

Adoration of the Kings. Pfannschmidt ... 71

Flight into Egypt. Van Dyck 89

Repose in Egypt. Merson 95

Christ disputing with the Doctors. Hoff-
mann <, 128

The Shadow OF* Death. Holman Hunt . . . 136

Christ takes leave of his Mother. Plockhorst 148

Saint Michael. Raphael 161

The Crucifixion. Michael Angelo 189

Vision of Saint Helena. Veronese 193

Christ bearing the Cross. Raphael .... 201

XX Illustrations,

PAGB

Mater Dolorosa. Cuido Rem 206

Descent into Hades. A. DUrer 221

Assumption of the Virgin. Titian ... .237

Coronation of the Virgin. Fra An^elii . . 240

Predestination of the Virgin. MiilUr . . . 255

Madonna di San Sisto. Raphael 261

Madonna della Sedia. Raphael 267

(:•

li 1

PAOB
206
221

240

261
267

CHAPTER I.

YOUTH OF THE VIRGIN MARY.

Mary in the Bible — Legends in the first century — Crusaders
bring legends west — The character of the legends •—
Prominence attained by Mary — Marriage of Joachim and
Anna — Their sorrow — The offering refused — Joachim's
penance — Anna's two visions — Joachim's vision and sacri-
fice — Joachim's return — The meeting at the Golden Gate —
The immaculate conception of Mary — Nativity of the
Virgin — Presentation of the Virgin — The priests' dispute
— Mary's life in the Temple — Description of Mary — Her
suitors — Her vow — The high priest's perplexity — The
instructions he receives — Judah chosen by lot — The calling
of the unmarried men — The story of Joseph — The rods on
the altar — The priest's dismay — The flowering rod — The
dove — Marriage of the Virgin — The disappointed suitor.

'T^HE Scriptures give us but little information
■*• about the Virgin Mary, and while the
spurious gospels quote the Bible very freely,
they add so many details derived from tradition
and a very lively imagination, that they have
never been considered worthy of credence by
learned Christians.

The unlettered majority, however, debarred
from all access to the canonical works which

2 Legends of the Virgin and Christ.

i! I 1

ill

'i 1

existed at first only in manuscript form, and
were very rare indeed, obtained all their infor-
mation from priests, often not more learned than
themselves, and from strolling minstrels and
poets.

Legendary stories about Christ and the Vir-
gin Mary were current in the East from the
very beginning of the Apostles' ministry, and
were brought into the West by missionaries rnd
returning pilgrims.

The Crusades, drawing the East and the West
into close contact, gave an immense impetus to
the spread of these stories, which became the
favorite theme of poets and preachers, the basis
of all dramatic representations, and after influ-
encing the literature of the day, left indelible
traces upon the art Df the period.

The Scriptures are not, and have never been
considered, a mere biography of Our Lord, of
whose life they relate only as much as is neces-
sary to satisfy His followers that He is the Son
of God, and to set forth His doctrine.

This brevity was, of course, displeasing to the
early Christians. Longing to know more than
the canonical works contain, they gave ready
credence to all the mythical details which were
gradually added to the authentic narrative.

That these additions were false and fantastic^

Youth of the yirgin Mary, J

frequently illogical, and even at times very
irreverent, did not occur to their simple minds.
Like little children, they ascribed to the Deity
their own passions and feelings, and hence were
not shocked by tales which described lesus as
mischievous, and even on occasions as down-
right malevolent.

As time passed on, the Virgin Mary, blessed
among women, began to take a more and more
prominent position in the narratives which
chained the devout attention of old and young,
and finally the following tale was evolved.

In the city of Nazareth, there was a man
named Joachim. He was exceedingly rich, and
when only twenty years of age he married Anna,
a woman of Bethlehem. Both husband and
wife were of the royal race, and prided them-
selves upon being direct descendants of King
David.

Joachim and Anna were pure and righteous^
and "they served the Lord with singleness of
heart." Their property was always scrupulously
divided into three equal parts, of which one was
set aside for the Lord's service, the second
bestowed upon the poor, and the third reserved
for their own maintenance and that of their
household.

Years passed by in unbroken peace and pro$«

ti :»'

! I

lit

;i!i:

4 Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

perity, but Joachim and Anna secretly mourned,
because at the end of twenty years they were
still childless, a state of affairs which was con-
sidered a curse among the chosen people.

At the Feast of the Dedication, Joachim went
up to the temple, as was his custom, to make an
oflfering to the Lord. His gift was twice as
large as usual, but his heart was heavy as he
thought of again renewing the frequently-uttered
prayer for offspring.

He was about to lay his sacrifice upon the altar
with the wonted ceremonies, when the high
priest, who is called Issachar, Zacharias, or
Reuben, according to different versions of the
story, came toward him and rejected it, saying :
*Mt is not lawful for thee to bring thine
offering, seeing thou hast not begot issue in
Israel."

Not content with this reproof, administered
in the temple, on a solemn occasion, and in
presence of the assembled people, the irate
high priest drove Joachim out of the sacreci
inclosure.

Sorrowful and deeply ashamed, for many of
his own kin had heard the loud-spoken accusa-
tion, Jo{?chim slowly went down the teniple
steps. Then we are told that he hastened to
the place where the registers of the Twelve

Youlh of the l^irgin Mary.

Tribes were kept, although it is a historical fact
that the Twelve Tribes had long ceased to exist
as such at that time.

Here Joachim carefully studied the records,
and acquired the painful conviction that the
high priest had told the truth, and that he
alone, among all the righteous men of Israel,
remained childless. This discovery was a great
blow to him. He felt ashamed and accursed,
and instead of returning to his home at Nazareth,
he wended his way to a distant pasture, where
shepherds were minding his flocks.

Arrived in mountain solitude, Joachim built a
rude booth or hut, because he intended to re-
main there in fasting and prayer until the Lord
looked mercifully upon him, and removed the
curse under which he suffered so sorely.

In the mean while his wife Anna, left alone at
home, mourned both her widowhood and child-
lessness. But her handmaiden, Judith, finally
roused her from her sorrowful meditations, and
bringing her a fillet, bade her bind up her hair
and adorn herself in her wedding garments.
Anna refused at first to hearken to this well-
meant advice, and fancied that her handmaiden
was mocking her ; but she finally yielded to
Judith's persuasions, and donned her bridal
attire.

6 Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

It was about the ninth hour of the day when
her toilet was completed, and she wandered out
into the garden which surrounded her house.
Her heart was still heavy, so she seated herself
under a laurel-tree and listlessly gazed upward.

In the branches above her nead was a nest,
and as her eyes fell upon the young sparrows in
it she burst into tears, and cried aloud, ** Alas I
and woe is me I ... to what shall I be likened }
I cannot be likened to the fowls of heaven, for
the fowls of heaven are fruitful in thy sight, O
Lord 1 Woe is me 1 to what shall I be likened ?
Not to the unreasoning beasts of the earth,
for they are fruitful in thy sight, O Lord I
Woe is me ! to what shall I be likened 1 Not
to these waters, for they are fruitful in thy
sight, O Lord. Woe is me I to what shall I
be likened? Not unto the earth, for the earth
bringeth forth her fruit in due season, and
praiseth thee, O Lord."

Thus every sight and sound seemed to add
poignancy to her sorrow, and made her wail
aloud. Her complain* was scarcely finished,
however, when an angel of the Lord suddenly
appeared before her, saying: *' Anna, thy prayer
is heard. Thou shalt bring forth, and thy child
shall be blessed throughout the whole world."

In her joy at these welcome tidings, Anna

Youtb of the Virgin Mary,

made a solemn vow to dedicate the promised
offspring, wliether man-child or maid, to the
service of the Lord. Then she went into her
chamber, and while she knelt there, absorbed in
prayer, in joyful anticipations, and in fervent
thanksgivings, another angel appeared to warn
her that Joachim, her husband, was even then
on his vvay home from the sheepcotes, where a
similar promise had been made to him.

Admonished by the angel to go forth and meet
her husband at the Golden Gate, Anna lost no
time, but hastened thither to receive Joachim's
joyful greeting.

Joachim's experiences, in the mean while, had
been equally blissful ; for after a long period of
fasting, which varying authorities limit to forty
days or to five months, he too had been roused
from painful meditations by the touch and ap-
pearance of a celestial messenger.

In his first astonishment Joachim remained
motionless, but when he would have fallen at the
feet of the radiant stranger and adored him, the
angel bade him desist. The heavenly visitor
then went on to announce that he had been sent
to tell Joachim that the Lord had taken com-
passion upon him, and that he would soon be
the father of a daughter destined to serve the
Lord in his temple.

8 Legends of the Virgin and Christ.

i ill

!! I p

In his joy and gratitude at this news, Joachim
would fain have shown hospitality to the angel.
But the latter refused all proffer of meat and
drink, and directed Joachim to build an altar
and make a burnt-offering to the Lord. En-
couraged by the presence of the angel, Joachim,
the shepherd, ventured to take upon him the
priestly ofUce, and after erecting a rude altar,
he laid upon It a lamb without a blemish.

When all was ready, and while Joachim knelt
at the foot of his improvised altar, the victim
was miraculously set afire, and the celestial
messenger rose up to heaven with the smoke
and perfume of the sacrifice which had thus been
offered upon the lonely hillside.

Rapt in prayer and full of thanksgiving,
Joachim remained upon his knees until evening,
when his returning shepherds, frightened by his
immobility, ventured to approach and to rouse
him. Joachim then told them of his angelic
visitor, and of the joyful promise which he had
received..

Some versions of the story state that Joachim
tarried upon the mountain until the angel again
appeared to him and bade him go down, while
others aver that he immediately began his home-
ward journey, which took him no less tha.i thirty
days to accomplish. He was accompanied by

Youtb of the Virgin Mary. g

his shepherds, who brought the best of his flocks
for a thank-offering to the Lord, and by other
attendants, who carried doves for the same
purpose.

As Joachim drew near the Golden Gate, which
artists depict as the gate of the city, temple, or
house, as fancy prompts them, he saw his wife,
and, running forward to meet her, they exchanged
a joyful kiss, to which some old writers aver
that the Virgin owed her being.

This meeting between Joachim and Anna has
often been the theme of artists, and one old
master (Giotto) represents an angel hovering
over husband and wife, and drawing their heads
together for the chaste salute, while their ad-
miring domestics are standing in the background
with the doves and sheep.

After spending one whole day at home with
his wife, to whom he doubtless gave a minute
description of his angelic visitor, Joachim again
went to the temple at Jerusalem, and this time
his offering was not refused. There, too, his
heart was further gladdened by a favorable sign,
which appeared on the sacred plate which the
high priest wore on his forehead.

The promise, so solemnly made to both
Joachim and Anna, was duly fulfilled, and they
became the parents of a beautiful little daughter

10 Legends of the yirgin and Christ.

I w

" t

I I!

iiK

whom they called Mary, which in Hebrew is
Miriam. The neighbours all crowded around
theiu to congratulate them upon the birth of
this long-desired child, and hence in pictures
representing the Nativity of the Holy Virgin,
we often see a group of admiring women around
the new-born babe.

Anna watched over the infant Mary with great
tenderness, and mindful of her vow to dedicate
her to the Lord as soon as she was old enough
to do without a mother's care, she '* made of
her bedchamber a holy place, allowing nothing
that was common or unclean to enter in."

None but the purest and gentlest maidens of
Israel were permitted to wait upon little Mary,
who, when only six months of age, was able to
walk and took seven steps. When she saw this,
Anna clasped her child to her bosom with rap-
ture, and vowed that Mary should not set foot
to the ground again, until she walked to the
sanctuary to keep the vow which her mother
had made.

"When Mary was three years old, her parents
felt that it was time to give up the child, as they
had promised. They therefore made a great
feast, to which all their friends and neighbours
were invited, and when it was over, Joachim
said: *' Let us invite the daughters of Israel,

11!

liiil
4 i

nil

brist.

Hebrew is
ed around
»e birth of
n pictures
ly Virgin,
ten around

with great
o dedicate
)ld enough
" made of
ig nothing
in."

maidens of

ftle Mary,

as able to

5 saw this,

with rap-

t set foot

d to the

r mother

\r parents
1, as they

a great
jighbours

Joachim
\( Israel,

X
H

Youth of the yirgin Mary.

and they shall take each a taper or a lamp, and
attend on her, that the child may not turn back
from the temple of the Lord."

Thus escorted by her playmates, Mary, clad
in blue or in pure white, went for the first time
to Jerusalem. The women's court was separ-
ated from the altar by a flight of fifteen steps,
which were intended as symbols of the Psalms
of Degrees, that is to say, the Psalms from the
one hundred and twentieth to the one hundred
and thirty-fourth inclusive.

Without waiting for Anna, who was exchang-
ing her travel-soiled garment for one of im-
maculate purity, the infant Mary, without one
thought of fear, eagerly went up the steps
alone. At the head of the flight, stood the
high priest, in full pontifical array, and he
kissed and blessed the child, saying : ** Mary,
the Lord hath magnified thy name to all gener-
ations, and in thee shall be made known the
redemption of the children of Israel."

Then took place the real Presentation of the
Virgin, for the priest led her to the altar, where,
we are quaintly told, '* she danced with her feet,
so that all the house of Israel rejoiced with her,
and loved her." Her parents left her there and
went home rejoicing, because she had not turned
away from the house of the Lord.

12 Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

fill I

II!

I jl

ft i 11 '• .

Such was the beauty and attractiveness of the
child thus committed to their care, that twenty-
five of the priests claimed the honour of watching
over her, and began to dispute together concern-
ing it. After much discussion, they agreed that
the matter should be decided by lot, and going
down to the Jordan in a body, each flung an
arrow into the stream.

Only one of the arrows floated, that of the
high priest Zacharias, and Mary was therefore
entrusted to his sole care. From the very first
he felt that the charge was sacred, and one of
the legends relates that he kept her behind
seven locked doors so that no one could gain
access to her.

Notwithstanding these extraordinary precau-
tions, the angels, who had been present at
Mary's Hlrth, and had hovered around her ever
since, constantly visited her behind the fast
closed doors, and although the high priest never
saw them, he was mystified by the daily appear-
ance of fresh fruits and flowers in her room.

Another version relates, that Mary grew up
with the other maidens in the temple, under the
watchful eye of Anna, the prophetess, who, in-
spired by the Holy Ghost, foretold her glorious
destiny. All the versions agree however in say-
ing that " Mary was in the temple as if she were

ist.

ess of the
t twenty-
watching
concern-
reed that
ind going
flung an

at of the
therefore
very first
d one of
r behind
)uld gain

1 precau-
esent at
her ever
the fast
2st never
J appear-
)om.

grew up
nder the
who, in-
glorious
r in say-
)he were

Hili

ST. ANNA AND THE VIRGIN MARY.

(MiJLLER.)

Youtb of the yirgin Mary,

a dove that lived there, and she received food
from the hand of an angel." As for the usual
portion of food set aside for her by the high
priest, she always gave it to the poor.

Mary's time in the temple was spent very
methodically. From early morning until thd
third hour of the day, she remained in prayer ;
then she worked with her young companions
until the ninth hour ; after which she agaiti
resorted to prayer, until an angel brought her
food from hedven, and bade her retire.

In pictures representing Mary in the temple,
we see her spinning and weaving, embroidering
the priestly garments, and receiving from angel
visitors fruits or flowers from heaven, or a loaf,
and a pitcher of water, intended to represent the
bread and water of life.

A much discussed point in olden times was
whether Mary, who is considered as the emblem
of wisdom, knew everything by intuition, or
whether she was educated by the angels, by her
mother, and by Anna, the prophetess. This
matter has never been satisfactorily decided, so
in art she is sometimes represented as standing
at her mother's knee, and receiving instruction,
while angels hover above her with flowers and
fruit.

Mary remained in the temple from three to

14 Legends of the Virgin and Christ.

li;»'

*? "■■•illl

twelve, fourteen, or sixteen years of age, accord-
ing to c^ifferent authorities. We are told that
she was so beautiful that "scarcely any one
could gaze upon her countenance," and the des-
cription of her appearance which, owing to its
antiquity, seems the most likely to be accurate,
runs as follows: "She was of middle stature;
her face oval ; her eyes brilliant, and of an olive
tint ; her eyebrows arched and black ; her hair
was of a pale brown; her complexion fair as
wheat. She spoke little, but she spoke freely
and affably ; she was not troubled in her speech,
but grave, courteous, tranquil. Her dress was
without ornament, and in her deportment was
nothing lax or feeble."

Artists have, however, never followed this
description slavishly, all preferring to depict the
Virgm Mary according to the dictates of their
fancy ; and hence the great variety of Virgin
types which are to be found in every picture
gallery or collection of works of art.

The Virgin Mary was so pure, simple, and
holy, that she is said to have enjoyed the privi-
lege, never grpnced to a woman before or since,
of freely filtering into the Holy of Holies,
where the high pries*^^ himself only ventured
once a year. Here she spent her hours of
prayer, and on this account the ark of the cove-

Youth of the yirgin Mary,

nant is sometimes seen in the background of
paintings representing her at this stage of her
career.

Many miracles are ascribed to Mary during
her prolonged sojourn in the temple. For in-
stance, all who were ill were healed by merely
touching her. Notwithstanding this supernat-
ural power, and the fact that she alone, among
all the virgins who dwelt in the temple, con-
versed with and was fed by the angels, Mary
remained both modest and quiet, and diligently
laboured to finish all the work which her com-
panions left undone.

The fame of Mary's beauty and virtue was
soon noised abroad, and when she grew up there
was no lack of ardent suitors for her hand.
Among others, the priest Abiathar came to woo
in behalf of his son, offering to the high priest
many rich gifts to induce him to favour his suit.

These offers were all laid before Mary, who
repeated again and again that she had no inten-
tion of marrying, but that she wished to remain
in the temple and serve the Lord. Her young
companions, however, followed the usual custom,
and left the temple as soon as they were of
marriageable age to found homes of their own.

Mary's obstinate refusal to do as they did
troubled the high priest greatly. Such a case

W Legends of the Virgin and Christ.

P iiillihl

had never presented itself before, and while on
the one hand the law expressly forbade keeping
the maidens in the temple after a certain age, on
the other it was written, *' When thou voweSt a
vow unto God, defer not to pay it."

The high priest was in a quandary. In his
perplexity he assembled the priests and LeviteSj
and laid the matter before them, imploring them
to help him with their advice. The matter was
discussed at length in solemn council, but they
were as far from a decision as ever, when a
mysterious voice was heard in the sanctuary^
bidding Zacharias enter into the Holy of Holies
and pray there for guidance.

According to another version of the story, no
voice was heard, but the priests themselves hit
upon this expedient. Whether it came from a
hidden adviser, or from the council, the sugges-
tion was received with joy, and the high priest
made haste to ertt6r into the holy place, where
he breathed forth an ardent prayer for help.

While he was praying thus, *' behold, the
angel of the Lord stood by, saying unto him,
* Zacharias, Zacharias, go forth and summon the
widowers of the people, and let them take a rod
apiece, and She shall be the wife of him to whom
the Lord shall show a sign.' "

A third version of the self-same story makes

Youth of the Virgin Mary,

no mention of priestly council or deliberations,
but states that it was during the night, and while
the high priest was sleeping, that an angel ap-
peared to him. The celestial messenger bade
him assemble the widowers and bachelors in
Israel, and told him that a sign would reveal the
man who alone was worthy of acting as guardian
to the Virgin Mary, and to protect her so she
Qould keep her vow.

When morning dawned, the high priest re-
lated his vision to Mary, who, with her usual
gentle acquiescence, expressed her readiness to
do the Lord's will. Next the high priest re-
sorted to a practice common among the Jews,
and ordered that lots should be cast to discover
in which tribe Mary's future protector should be
found.

The choice thus fell upon the tribe of Judah.
Then the criers were sent forth, with the Lord's
trumpet, to summon all the marriageable men to
the temple of Jerusalem, where the high priest
wished to see them, and whither they were ex-
pressly told to bring their rods or wands.

The summons was obeyed with great prompti-
tude, and one of the accounts states that Joseph,
the carpenter, dropping his axe and catching up
his wand, rushed in breathless haste to the
temple. As soon as he crossed the threshold of

ISj

1 8 Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

i|iji'

his shop,, or of the temple, a dove appeared by
miracle upon the tip of his staff, and thus the
promised sign was granted.

Other versions, however, relate that Joseph
obeyed the summons very reluctantly, for he
was already a very old man. He had married
at forty, and lived forty-nine years with his wife,
who had died, after giving him four sons, Judas,
Justus, James, and Simeon, and two daughters,
Assia and Lydia.

Some of Joseph's children had already been
married for some time, and one tradition says
that, as he had grandchildren who were older
than the Virgin Mary, he deemed it absurd to
lay claim to her hand.

Other writers, however, remembering how
important it was that the coming Redeemer
should have a protector strong enough to defend
Him during His helpless infancy, and capable of
supplying the family wants even in a foreign
land, assert that Joseph at this time was only
forty, instead of eighty years of age.

One of the books of the Apocrypha tells us,
therefore, that Joseph presented himself with
the other candidates, although somewhat re-
luctant, and that when they were all assembled,
the priest took their rods, which he carried into
the holy place, and laid upon the altar.

■1^

ll!l

iiilill:;!)

Youth of the Virgin Mary,

There the rods remained, until he offered up
a prayer unto the Lord, or until the next morn-
ing, while their owners spent the night on their
knees in the outer temple. Then the high
priest, full of faith in the promise of the Lord,
brought out the rods and gave them back to the
suitors, eagerly watching for the promised sign.

Imagine his disappointment, therefore, when
the last rod had been restored, and the promised
sign was still delayed. In his perplexity the
high priest re-entered the holy place, and there,
after renewed supplications, the angel again ap-
peared, repeated the promise, and quoted the
prophecy of Isaiah: ** And there shall come forth
a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall
grov\r out of his roots ; and the Spirit of the Lord
shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and un-
derstanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the
spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord."

The angel next bade the high priest look on
the altar, where he would find a short rod, which
he had overlooked in his eagerness to witness
the promised sign. The high priest obeyed,
and found there, as he had been told, a tiny
rod. When he picked it up he saw that, like
Aaron's, it had budded and blossomed during
ihe night.

The flowering rod was quickly carried out to

20 Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

, i

'I,

S i'i

the waiting people and handed to Joseph, who
had kept quietly in the background, because he
felt himself unworthy of the honour of caring for
pne of the virgins dedicated to the service of the
Lord.

^s the rod touched his reluctant hand, some
authorities claim that a second niiracle took
place, for a sqowy dove sprang up from the
$taff, alighted for a moment upon his head, anc|
then flew up to the topmost pinnc^cle of the
temple. After pausing there for a moment, in
full view of all the assembled suitors, the bird
winged its way up mto the sky, vvhere it was
soon lost to sight.

In representing this scene some artists have
me^de use of one or the other versicn of the
legend, while others, anxious to introduce all the
picturesque features, have represented Joseph
holding a rod covered with leaves and flowers,
^nd surmounted by a dove^ tl^e emblem of the
floly Ghost.

*.< From Jesse's root behold a branch arise,
Whose sacred flower with fragrance fills the skies ;
Th* ethereal Spirit o'er its leaves shall move,
And on i<. top descends the mystic Dove."

T^e Messiah. — Pope.

In spite of the double miracle, which had
thus plainly design^^tcd him as the destined pro'

I iilii!

MARRIAGE OF THE VIRGIN. (Raphael.)

III

Youth of the Virgin Mary,

tector of the Virgin, Joseph refused to accept
her hand until the high priest sternly admonished
him. The priest bade him make haste and obey
the commands of the Lord, lest he should incur
the awful punishment which had visited Korah,
Abiram, and Dathan.

Thus warned of the peril of disobedience,
Joseph dared make no further objections, and he
was publicly betrothed to the Virgin Mary. As
this was a civil contract among the Jews, the be-:
trothal, or marriage, as it is indifferently called
in legend and art, was celebrated in the open
air.

The cer'^Tiony was, however, accompanied by
the usual festivities and pomp, and we are told
that the Virgin wore a marriage robe of precious
texture. " The ground was of the colour of nan-
keen, with flowers blue, white, violet, and gold."
This garment, first preserved as a precious
treasure in Palestine, was sent to Constantinople
* the fifth century, and was given, in 877, by
Charles the Bald, to the Church of Chartres,
where it can still be seen.

It is also claimed that an onyx and emerald
ring was used for the ceremony of betrothal.
This golden circlet, to which miraculous powers
are ascribed, as well as to the robe- is kept in
the Cathedral of Perugia. Here it is known as

32 Legends of the Virgin and Christ.

the Virgin's Betrothal Ring, and is regarded
with much veneration.

Among the witnesses of the marriage were all
the rejected suitors, and the legend relates that
Abiathar's son was so disappointed at failing to
secure the hand of the Virgin, that he broke his
rod in anger. Not content with this public
demonstration, he furthermore withdrew to a
hermitage on Mount Carmel, where he spent
the remainder of his life in complete seclusion,
and thus became the founder of the Carmelite
Order of monks.

CHAPTER II.

THE ANNUNCIATION.

Mary's companions — Joseph leaves Mary at Nazareth — Work
for the Temple — Mary chosen by lot — The vision of
Zacharias — The maidens mock Mary — The council in
Heaven — The Annunciation — The Ave Maria — The
meaning of the rosary — The Immaculate Conception — The
doctrine in Spain — A Mohammedan legend — The work
finished — Mary's journey — The Salutation — The Magni-
ficat — The Visitation — Miracle in the garden — The birth
of St. John — Mary's return home — Joseph's doubts — The
high priest's summons — The waters of jealousy — ; The
legend of the cherry-tree.

JOSEPH had married Mary much against his
will, and had publicly assumed the respon-
sibility of guarding her from all harm. He had
evidently heard so many tales of her virtue, and
of the miracles which she wrought, that he stood
somewhat in awe of her. So he begged the
high priest that some of the temple virgins
might go with her to keep her company.

Five or seven maidens were selected for this
duty, and Mary went with Joseph to Nazareth.
Here, according to different versions, she either

24 Legends of the yirgin and Christ.

dwelt in the house of her parents, which she liad
inherited after Joachim's death, or in the humble
home of Joseph the Carpenter, where she acted
as mother to his youngest son, James, and thus
won the appellation bestowed upon her in the
Bible, '* Mary, the mother of James."

All the versions agree, however, in stating that
Joseph merely brought her into his house, wher^
he left her, saying: *' Behold, I have received
thee from the temple of the Lord, and now I
leave thee in »^y house and go to build my
buildings, and will come to thee. The Lord
will protect thee."

Whether Mary remained thus alone with her
companions a few months or two years is a
matter of dispute also ; but the next salient point
in the narrative leads us back to the temple at
Jerusalem. The priests, again assembled jn
council, had decided to have a new curtain made
for the temple of the Lord. But the work could
be done by certain persons only, and the high
priest said: *'Call me undefiled virgins of the
house of David."

His servants went forth to do his bidding, and
after diligent search they found Mary and seven
other maidens. They were brought into the
temple, told what work was expected of them,
and shown the materials. Next the priest said

ist.

1 she had
J humble
he acted
and thus
Jr in the

ting that
2, wher§
received
I now I
uild my
e Lord

vith her
rs is a
It point
mple at
3led jn
n made
t could
le high
of the

ig, and

seven

o the

them,

it said

The Annunciation,

to Mary: "Cast me lots who shall spin the
gold, and green, and fine linen, and silk, and
blue, and scarlet, and true purple."

Mary obeyed, and when the true purple and
scarlet fell to her share, she reverently carried it
home and began her work, which must have eXJ
tended over a period of several months.

The apocryphal writings only allude to the
apparition of the angel to Zacharias in thfli
temple, and to the Scriptural promise: *' Fear
not, Zacharias, for thy prayer is heard, and thy
wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou
shalt call his name John. And thou shalt havd
joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice at his
birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the
Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong
drink; and he shall be filled wilh the Holy
Ghost, even from his mother's womb. And
many of the children of Israel shall he turn t6
the Lord their God. And he shall go before
him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the
hearts of the fathers to the children, and the
disobedient to the wisdom of the just ; to make
ready a people prepared for the Lord."

This whole scene, so graphically described by
Saint Luke, and which has been the subject of
many a painting, is dismissed in the spurious
gospels with the few words : '* And at that time

26 Legetids of the yirgin and Christ.

Zacharias became speechless, and Samuel was in
his stead, until Zacharias spake."

Mary, as we have seen, had taken her work
home, where her companions, jealous that the
choicest materials had fallen to her share, began
to taunt her, and mockingly called her " Queen
of the Virgins." This raillery gradually in-
creased, and they even began to bow down to
her and to do her pretended obeisance.

As usual, Mary remained gentle and humble,
so her companio:">3 continued thei- taunts until
an angel appeared to them and bade them refrain.
He further told them that the title, ** Queen of
the Virgins," which they had given Mary in de-
rision, was prophetic of her future exalted
position.

Silenced and terrified by this unwonted re-
proof, the maidens humbly begged Mary's par-
don, and never again ventured to treat her with
anything but the utmost deference. Mary's life,
in the mean while, was quite unchanged. Her
time was divided between prayer, meditation,
and work, and the angels visited he.' daily and
brought her food.

One day, after spinning diligently for the new
temple veil, Mary took up her pitcher and went
to the fountain to draw water to wash her
hands. It was while she was thus out of doors

The Annunciation,

new
went
her
oors

that she heard a voice saying, " Hail, thou
favoured one, the Lord is with thee, blessed art
thou among women."

Astonished at hearing such a greeting in a
place where she deemed herself alone, Mary
looked around her to discover whence the voice
came. She saw no one, however, and, taking
up her pitcher, went into the house, where she
resumed her work, if we are to believe one ver-
sion of the tale which has come down to us.

Another version, however, says that she began
reading the prophecy in Isaiah, " Behold, a vir-
gin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call
his name Immanuel,"and that she unconsciously
exclaimed aloud how happy she would be to
serve as handmaiden to a woman so blessed.

The words liad scarcely left her lips when the
Salutation which she heard before in the garden
was repeated, and looking up, she beheld a
radiant angel, who cried, '* Blessed art thou.
among women."

The legends, which have a quaint way of filling
all gaps, gravely inform us that the time having
come when the long promised Redeemer should
appear in the flesh, God had assembled all his
angels and made his purpose known to them.
Then, wishing to apprise Mary of the honour
awaiting her, he bade Gabriel go down and an-

'f0

§8 Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

nouhce to her that she was to be the mother bf
the Messiah.

God chose Gabriel for this joyful embassy, to
Indemnify him for having been obliged in years
long gone by to drive our first parents out of the
Garden of Eden. The angel who had announced
Paradise lost was to have the privilege of fbre-
telling Paradise regained 1 Gabriel, radiarit with
joy, flashed down from the heavenly abode to
bear this welcome message..

He was accompanied by the heavenly host ;
but while a few angels followed him all the way
down to earth, they waited outside, While he
alone went in to Mary. As emblem of his
office, Gabriel, "a young man whose beauty
could not be told," bore a lily without stamens,
and on account of this circumstance, painters
have always represented Inm with the blossonl
which is a sjrmbol of purity, g(nd is hence known
as *' Fleur de Marie."

Mary was so accustomed to heavenly visitants
that she felt no fear of them at all. The angel's
words alone caused the terror recorded in the
Bible. The legends state th£(t she questioned
the angel, who now went on to explain to her,
** The power of the Lord will overshadow thee ;
wherefore also that holy thing which is born of
thee shall be called the son of the Most High ;

rist.
mother 6f

ibassy, to
i in years
3ut of the
inounced
i of fbre-
liarit with
abode to

nly host ;

1 the way

while he

m of his

e beauty

stamens,

painters

blossom

e knoAVtl

I visitants
angel's
in th6
jstioned
to her,
thee ;
born of
High ;

THE ANNUNCIATION. (Bouguereau.)

The Annunciation,

and thou shalt call his name Jeisus ; for he shall
save the people from their sins."

Simply, humbly, and with touching faith, Mary
accepted the message, whose full import she
could hardly understand, and said : " Behold the
servant of the Lord is before him ; be it unto
me according to thy word."

In many old pictures the artists have tried to
emphasize the meaning of f f if. annunciation, by
representing the Heavenly Father hovering
above, and, flying downward from between his
outstretched arms, a diminutive figure of the
Saviour bearing His cross. Others, and they
are most numerous, depict a snowy dove, flash-
ing down upon a beam of light, which falls
directly upon Mary in her humble attitude of
handmaiden of the Lord.

In the Middle Ages, when the worship of the
Virgin had gained its strongest hold upon the
people, and when she was literally placed above
her Son, every detail of her life was discussed
with great heat by the monks of various orders.
Then, too, the decision was reached that the
Annunciation took place at sunset.

" Ave Maria ! blessed be the hour !
The time, the clime, the spot, where I so oft
Have felt that moment in its fullest power
Sink o'er the earth so beautiful and soft ;

30 Legends of the Virgin and Christ.

While swung the deep bell in the distant tower,
Or the faint dying day-hymn stole aloft,
And not a breath crept through the rosy air.
And yet the forest leaves seem'd stirrM with prayer/*

Byron.

This hour henceforth became hallowed, and
was marked by the pealing of a bell, which, in
memory of the angel. Is known as the Angelus.
It was in the 15th century that a Papa) edict
first enjoined the recitation, at that hour, of the
Ave Maria, a prayer sacred to the Virgin Mary,
and which is worded as follows : " Hail Mary,
full of grace, the Lord is with thee ; blessed art
thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of
thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God,
pray for us sinners now, and in the hour of our
death. Amen."

This prayer, which is generally used by the
Roman Catholics, holds a more important
place in the rosary than the Lord's prayer.
For, in the larger rosary there are a series of
one hundred and fifty repetitions of the *' Ave
Maria," with a ** Pater-Noster " interpolated
after each decade, while in the lesser rosary
there are fifty Aves and five Pater-Nosters.
The small beads in rosaries serve to keep
account of the number of prayers addressed
to the Blessed Virgin, while the larger ones

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IMMACULATE CONCEPTION. (Mlriixo.)

1 1

The Annunciation,

serve tc mark every recurrence of the Lord's
prayer.

The Annunciation is further commemorated
in the Roman Catholic Church by a very impDr-
tant festival^ which the Church Calendar appoints
to be held on the twenty-fifth of March.

To mediaeval discussions, and to a doctrine of
the Roman Catholic Church we further owe a
style of picture, which in art is generally known
as the Immaculate Conception. In these pic-
tures, the Virgin, a young girl from twelve to
sixteen years of age, is represented as caught
up in the clouds, with the moon crescent under
her feet and often surrounded by angels. On
account of the vision of St. John, recorded in
Revelations, where he beheld '* a woman clothed
with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and
upon her head a crown of twelve stars," the
Virgin is also frequently represented wiih the
sun as a background, flooding her blue or white
robe with refulgent light, and crowned with
twelve stars which are symbolical of the twelve
tribes of Israel.

" Woman ! above all women glorified.
Our tainted nature's solitary boast ;
Purer than eastern skies at daybreak strewn
With fancied roses, than the unblemished moon
Before her wane begins on heaven's blue coast ;
Thy Image falls to earth.'* WordswortKi

32 Legends of the (Virgin and Christ.

As the Spaniards were the most zealous advo-
cates of the doctrine of the Immaculate Concep-
tion, and claimed that the Virgin was born free
from every taint of original sin, they nearly went
mad with joy when the Pope, in 1617, confirmed
by a solemn decree the doctrine which had long
been the subject of so much dispute. " On the
publication of this bull, Seville flew into a frenzy
of religious joy," and the Spaniards celebrated
the triumph of their long cherished belief by
every imaginable festivity. And it is because
this is a favourite doctrine in Spain that most of
the paintings entitled the Immaculate Conception
belong to the Spanish school.

A peculiar Mohammedan legend relates that
Mary fled oul into the desert immediately after
the Annunciation, and, resting under a solitary
palm-tree, gave birth to her child. A fountain
sprang by miracle from the sandy soil, wherein
she bathed the new-born babe, and it was said
that only a few hours elapsed between the
Annunciation and the Nativity.

Such is not, however, the account given by
apocryphal gospels, where we read that Mary
resumed her work as soon as the angel Gabriel
left her. When it was all finished she carried it
to the high priest, who blessed her, saying:
*' Mary, the Lord God hath magnified thy name,

The Annunciation,

and thou shalt be blessed in all the generations
of the earth."

This blessing filled her heart with joy, and
with its sound still ringing in her ears, Mary
arose and " went into the hill country with haste,
into a city of Judah, and entered into the house
of Zacharias, and saluted Elizabeth." Mary had
doubtless heard of the miracle which had be-
fallen her kinswoman, and as her own mother
was dead, it was quite natural that she should
thus go and see her nearest female relative.

Although Elizabeth was so much older, and
such a greeting was unheard of from an aged to
a young woman, she ran to meet Mary, saying,
'* Whence is this to me, that the mother of my
Lord should come to me > " This unexpected
confirmation of the angel's promise and of the
priest's blessing, united to her own conviction,
filled Mary's heart with such joy that she gave
vent to her thanksgiving in the hymn which is
known as the Magnificat, and which St. Luke
has preserved for us in his Gospel : *' My soul
doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath re-
joiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded
the low estate of his handmaiden ; for behold,
from henceforth all generations shall call me
blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to
me great things, and Holy is his name. And his

«•

34 Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

mercy is on them that fear him from generation
to generation. He hath showed strength with
his arm, he hath scattered the proud in the
imagination of their hearts. He hath put down
the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of
low degree. He hath filled Jie hungry with
good things, and the rich he hath sent empty
away. He hath holpen his servant Israel in re-
membrance of his mercy, as he spake to our
fathers, to Abraham and his seed for ever."

This ''Song of the Blessed Virgin Mary has
been used as the Vesper Canticle of the Church
from time immemorial," and has been beautifully
set to music by Palestrina, Bach, Mendelssohn,
and other composers of note.

While it is generally supposed that Mary,
young as she was, undertook the journey into
the hill country alone, or escorted by a boy
servant only, some artists assume that Joseph
went with her, and represent him holding the
ass upon which Mary evidently rode, and gazing
in wonder at her meeting with Elizabeth.
Sometimes the women embrace in the house, at
other times on the door step, or even in the open
air, where Scriptural subjects in the background
frequently serve to connect the Old Testament
with the New, or foreshadow some important
event in the life of Christ or of John the Baptist.

The Anmmciation.

Mary's sojourn in Elizabeth's house, which is
generally known as the Visitation, is supposed
to have extended over a period of several months.
Mary dwelt there iii great retirement, *- for day
by day her condition became more manifest,"
and she only wandered out into the garden from
time to time to hold communion with nature.

One of the legends relates that while she was
wandering thus among the flowers, she one day
accidentally touched a blossom which until then
had been inodorous. This passing contact was
enough. The flower breathed forth the most
exquisite perfume, and we are told it has been
fragrant ever since, although the narrators of
this miracle have omitted giving us the name of
the plant on which it grew.

The feast of the Visitation, also observed by
the Roman Catholic Churcn, is fixed for the
second of July, which may have been the epoch
when Mary's visit drew to a close. Although it
is not expressly stated that Mary was present at
the birth of John the Baptist, her visit extended
so nearly to the time when Elizabeth's hopes
were to be crowned, that some artists have
ventured to represent her either holding the
new-born infant, or giving the tablet to Zacharias,
that he might confirm his wife's words and de-
clare that the child should be named John.

•*r.

36 Legends of the Virgin and Christ.

It was just before or immediately after John's
birth that Mary returned to Nazareth, where she
dwelt in great seclusion until six months had
gone by since the Annunciation. Then only,
according to some legends, Joseph came home
from the maritime countries, where he had been
building tabernacles.

A family man, and the father of grandchildren,
Joseph immediately perceived the state of affairs,
and began to reproach Mary bitterly. She de-
nied all his accusations, and her attendants, when
questioned, testified that she had led a life of
exemplary piety and retirement, receiving none
but angel visits.

Joseph, silenced but unconvinced, now quietly
prepared to divorce Mary. But the Scriptures
tell us, "while he thought on these things, be-
hold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him
in a dream, saying, 'Joseph, thou son of David,
fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife ; for
that which is conceived in her is of the Holy
Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and
thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save
Ms people from their sins.' "

Some of the legends follow this version closely,
and only add that upon awakening Joseph went
in search of Mary, and humbly begged her par-
don for his insulting suspicions and injurious
words.

The Annunciation,

" * Bot I wot well my leman fre,
I have trespast to god and the ;

Forgyf me, I the pray.' "

Widkirk Play.

The Arabic legends, hov/ever, give a different
account of the affair, and claim that the unborn
infant raised his voice to proclaim his mother's
purity and innocence, and to chide Joseph for
his unbelief. Then, convinced by miracle, Joseph
made no further remonstrances, but sought and
obtained Mary's full and free forgiveness.

Although Joseph had been satisfied, the
tongues of his neighbours daily wagged faoter,
and it was soon rumoured far and wide that
Joseph's betrothed, as she is generally called,
had broken her vow of chastity, and that he had
failed to keep his promise to the high priest
and guard the Virgin of the Lord.

These rumours finally came to the ears of the
high priest, who, knowing Joseph was a just
man, refused at first to credit them. But they
soon became so persistent that the high priest
sent his servant, Annas, the scribe, to Nazareth,
to discover whether there was any foundation
for the reports which were so rife.

The scribe returned, confirming the news, and
the high priest in anger sent for Joseph and
Mary, whom he questioned and reproved separ-

lH Legends of the l^irgin and Christ.

ately. Baffled by their answers, yet unable to
believe their repeated assertions that they had in
no wise violated their vows, the high priest
condemned them both to drink the "waters of
jealousy."

This ordeal was endured in public, and when
they had safely undergone it, and walked seven
times around the altar, the high priest was forced
to acquit them both. Some accounts declare
that after drinking the waters of jealousy, Mary,
in the presence of the assembled people, uttered
another grand hymn, a companion to the *' Mag-
nificat," which, however, has not been preserved
for our perusal.

Thus freed from suspicion, Mary and Joseph
returned home to Nazareth " glorifying the God
of Israel." There, if we are to believe the
legends, several extraordinary things happened,
and one of these miracles is embodied in a
quaint medieeval carol published in an old Eng-
lish chap-book. This song, of which we can
quote only a few lines, begins thus : —

" When Joseph was an old man, an old man was he,
And he married Mary, the Queen of Galilee ;
When Joseph he had his cousin Mary got,
Mary proved with child."

Cherry- Tree CaroL

The Annunciation,

The story then goes on rehearsing Joseph's sus-
picions, which he, however, wisely keeps to
himself. While he and Mary were walking in
their garden one day she expressed a wish for
some fine red cherries hanging above her head,
but Joseph roughly said the father of her child
might gather them for her. Then the unborn
infant spoke to his mother, saying : —

" Go to the tree, Mary, and it shall bow down.
And the highest branch shall bow to Mary's knee,
And she shall gather cherries by one, two, and three."

Cherry-Tree Carol.

Mary then spoke to the tree, which, as Jesus
bad said, bent down before her, and remained in
that position until she had gathered all the
cherries she wished, and made Joseph thoroughly
ashamed of his churlish behaviour. It is popu-
larly supposed that it is on account of this legend
that artists sometimes represent the Virgin as
amusing the Christ Child by dangling bright red
cherries just within reach of his baby hands.

CHAPTER III.

THE NATIVITY.

The prophecies — The portents — The Temple of Peace—
The Tiburtine Sibyl — The Church of Ara Coeli — The
three suns — The balsam — The date — Christmas —
Caesar's decree — The journey to Bethlehem — The two
people — The cave — Joseph in search of aid — The
suspense of nature — The birth of Christ — Adoration of
angels — Legend of sainfoin — Zelomi and Salome — The
Vision of the Shepherds — Adoration of the Shepherds —
The ox and the ass — The Feast of the Ass — The cir-
cumcision — The purification — The presentation in the
Temple — Simeon and Anna — Septuagint legend — Mary's
first sorrow.

'T^HE time was now rapidly approaching when
•*• the angel's promise should be fulfilled, and
the expected Redeemer be born. His coming
had, as we know, long been expected by the
chosen race, whose sacred books recorded many
prophecies concerning him, from the words
spoken by God himself in the Garden of Eden,
to the last utterance of Malachi about three
hundred years before.

Since then, many unauthentic prophecies had
been added, such as those contained in the

The Nativity.

apocalyptic literature. Many writers further
claim that Christ's coming had been also fore-
told to the Gentiles, by means of the prophet-
esses called Sibyls, who number from four to
twelve, awCording to varying authorities, and
who have been deemed worthy of a place in
the magnificent decorations of the Sistine
Chapel in Rome.

Many miraculous portents are further said to
have occurred in all parts of the known world
at this particular time. The principal one seems
to have been the cessation of the constant war-
fare which had desolated so many countries,
and the beginning of a general truce, the fit
herald of the " Prince of Peace."

" It was the calm and silent night !
Seven hundred and fifty-three,
Had Rome been growing up to might,
And now was Queen of land and sea.
No sound was heard of clashing wars,

Peace brooded o'er the hush'd domain,
Apollo, Pallas, Jove, and Mars
Held undisturb'd their ancient reign.
In the solemn midnight
Centuries ago."

Alfred Dommett. — A Christmas Hymn.

All the noted oracles, through whom the gods
had been wont to make their wishes known,

^■^

N',i.

f;1

42 Legends of the Virgin and Christ.

although still questioned by eager worshippers,
were silent, and the heathens cried that their
deities had become dumb. Then too, the nymphs
and th2 genii of nature were heard softly be-
wailing themselves, for they knew that their
reign was at an end.

*' The oracles are dumb,

No voice or hideous hum
Runs through the arch'd roof in words deceiving.

Apollo from his shrine,

Can no more divine,
With hollow shriek the sleep of Delphos leaving.

No nightly trance, or breathed spell
Inspires the pale-eyed priest from the prophetic cell.

" The lonely mountain o'er.

And the resounding shore,
A voice of weeping heard and loud lament.

From haunted spring and dale,

Edged with the poplar pale,
The parting genius is with sighing sent ;

With flower-inwoven tresses torn
The nymphs in twilight shade of tangled thickets

mourn.

Milton. — Hymn to tht Nativity.

Rome had at that epoch reached the zenith of
its power, so most of the legends naturally refer
in some way to its history. Thus we are told
that at the beginning of the universal truce,
twelve years before our era, the happy Romans

The Nativity.

erected a temple which they dedicated lo
Peace.

Desirous of ascertaining how long the build-
ing would endure, they sent to the oracle of
Apollo, from whom they received the answer,
*' Until a virgin bring forth and remain a virgin."
This oracular speech being interpreted to mean
that the temple would stand forever, the Romans
proudly put up the inscription ** The Eternal
Temple of Peace."

But, on the very night when Christ the Lord
was born in Bethlehem of Judea, the Temple of
Peace fell with an awful crash. At the same
time a fountain of oil gushed forth from the
arid soil, and flowed down into the Tiber, ** in
token that the Fountain of Piety and Mercy
was born,'' and that its grace would extend to
all people.

The Roman senate now cftered to pay divine
honours to Caesar Augustus, because he was the
first to rule over a whole world at peace. In
doubt whether to accept this worship the
Emperor sent for the Tiburtine Sibyl, and bade
her tell him whether any one greater than he
should ever be born.

The Sibyl refused to give an immediate
answer, but a few days later she sought the
Emperor's presence, and bidding him look

44 Legends of the yirgin and Christ.

upward, showed him a golden circle around
the sun. Within this circumference appeared
a beautiful maiden, holding a child in her lap.
The Sibyl then told the emperor that the babe
was greater than he, and was the first-born
Son of God.

She had scarcely finished speaking, when a
heavenly voice wa«" . eard to proclaim aloud,
"Here is the ,*' Heaven." The vision

soon faded away , i: li-e emperor, satisfied with
what he had seen, not only refused the ciivine
honours which the senate would fain have awarded
him, but gave orders that an altar should be
built on the eminence on which the Mother and
Child had appeared. This shrine was dedicated
to the ♦' First-Born Son of God."

Some years later a Chr' ,tian church was erected
upon the same spot, and dedicated to the Virgin
Mary. In remembrance of the vision, the
church, which still stands upon the Capitoline
Hill, bears the name of ''Santa Maria Ara
Coeli." It is reached by an imposing flight of
one hundred and twenty-four steps, and among
its most prized relics is a *' Bambino," or Infant
Saviour, carved from wood from the Mount of
Olives, and painted by St. Luke. )

This Bambino is exhibited in a manger on
Christmas Day, and as the Romans claim that it

Tbe Nativity.

is gifted with miraculous powers it is often
carried to sick beds, and thus made a source of
revenue to the church. A very ancient bas-
relief represents the Tiburtine Sibyl explaining
the heavenly vision to the emperor, a subject
which has also been treated by several other
artists of the Italian schools.

In the far East three suns appeared at once
on this auspicious day, and while the people
gazed upon them in awe and wonder they were
seen to merge into one. Hence this phenomenon
has been explained as a symbol of the Trinity.

Then, too, the vines of Engedi flowered
spontaneously, and " produced balsam, in token
that he was born who should preserve all things
by the virtue of the stream of his blood."

Although by our present method of computing
time we profess to count the years from the
birth of Christ, it is not positively known when
He was born. Learned investigations have
pretty clearly demonstrated, however, that our
era — which was introduced in Italy in the sixth
century — begins in about the fourth year of our
Redeemer's life.

The early Christians did not at first celebrate
the Nativity, although birthday festivities were
common at that time among the heathen. The
anniversary of Our Lord's coming, therefore,

46 Legends of the Virgin a^rid Christ.

passed almost unnoticed until about the fourth
century, when it first began to be observed.

Such was the popularity of this innovation,
however, that fifty years later it was adopted
by all the Christians. But it became a gen-
eral custom only in the thirteenth century, and
was so popular among the unbelievers because
it replaced the ancient Roman Saturnalia and
the Northern Yule festival, which had been
celebrated at the same season, and combined
their feasts and customs with its deeper sig-
nificance.

The twenty-fifth of December was agreed
upon as a particularly auspicious day for this
celebration for several other reasons. For in-
stance, St. Augustine said John the Baptist was
born on June 25th, at the summer solstice. As
the great Precursor had said of Christ, '* He
must increase, but I must decrease," it seemed
particularly appropriate that John's birthday
should fall on the day when the sun begins to
decrease and that of his Master on the winter
solstice, or day when the sun again begins to
increase. Thus the birth of the sun. and of the
Sun of Righteousness were, not without a deep
sense of poetical fitness, made synchronous, and
served to illustrate the prophecy of Malachi :
*' Unto you that fear my name shall the Sun

The Nativity,

of Righteousness arise with healing in His
wings."

The natural sequence of this mode of reason-
ing was that the Annunciation was fixed on the
:*^th day of March, a date which was also con-
sidered the anniversary of the Creation, because
then the days and nights are of equal length, and
it therefore seemed as if they best illustrated
the text of Genesis, *' And the evening and the
morning were the first day."

Spring was chosen in preference to fall for
this anniversary, because it was written that on
the third day '*the earth brought forth grass,"
a statement which is true only at the vernal
period, when every year the miracle of creation
is renewed to remind mankind of the origin of
all things.

In the Gospels we find the statement, " And it
came to pass in those days, that there went out
a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world
should be taxed." It was in obedience to this
imperial order that Joseph was obliged to go to
Bethlehem, where the records for the tribe of
Judah were kept, so as to register himself and
all his family.

The legends tell us that Joseph was in a great
quandary, because he did not know how to
enrol Mary ; and that he started out with her

48 Legends of the yirgin and Christ.

leaving the matter undecided, and saying, "The
day of the Lord will itself bring it about as the
Lord willeth it." He was accompanied, accord-
ing to some versions, by his children by his first
marriage ; but other accounts state that he and
Mary travelled alone.

The Virgin rode upon an ass, which Joseph
led, and from time to time he turned around to
see how she was bearing the journey. Once he
saw her tearful and distressed, and was greatly
troubled lest she were suffering ; but when he
again looked around he was surprised to see
her radiant with joy and smiling brightly.

These sudden alterations of mood in a person
so calm and pensive aroused his curiosity, and
he questioned her, saying, '* Mary, what aileth
thee, because I see thy face at one time laughing
and at another time sad } '' Mary said to Joseph,
*' I see two peoples with my eyes, one weeping
and lamenting, and one rejoicing and exulting."

This answer was so far from clear that Joseph
harshly reproved her for talking nonsense. But
even while he was speaking there appeared be-
fore him a beautiful youth clothed in white, who
said to him, *'Why didst thou call superfluous
the words concerning the two peoples of whom
Mary hath spoken ? For she saw the people of
the Jews weeping, who have departed from their

The Nativity.

God, and the people of the Gentiles rejoicing,
who have now approached and are made nigh to
the Lord, as he promised our fathers Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob ; for the time is come that in
the seed of Abraham a blessing shall be bestowed
on all nations."

The Scriptural narrative of the birth of Our
Lord is too familiar to need any mention here.
But the legends, which, while quoting occa-
sionally from the canonical books, vary widely,
have furnished the material for so many noted
works of art, that notwithstanding their evident
falsity and manifold contradictions, they have
attained great importance.

We are told that travelling thus slowly, the
night overtook Joseph and Mary when they were
still three miles from Bethlehem, and that an
angel came with a lantern to guide them along
their way. As Mary was too weary to proceed
any further, the angel led the travellers to a cave
by the wayside, where, in bygone ages, Jesse,
the father of David, had sheltered his sheep.

Another version says that they came at night
into Bethlehem, where they vainly knocked at
every door asking for a night's shelter. The
khan was full ; but the porter, hearing that Joseph
and Mary belonged to the house of David, and
full of reverence for the descendants of that

50 Legends of the Virgin and Christ.

glopous king, led them into a stable hollowed
out of the rocks, which was near the inn. Some
w. iters claim that the porter was not so much
impressed by the travellers' august lineage, as by
the touching beauty of Mary, who implored him
to find a place where she might rest.

The most ancient legends, however, generally
agrej with the first version, and say that Joseph,
after helping Mary to dismount, bade his sons
lead her into the cave, and watch over her.
Then he took a lantern, and went off in haste,
in search of some charitable woman who would
come to their assistance at thib critical time.

"When he had gone a short distance, Joseph
turned around, and cast an anxious glance at
the cave where Mary was to find shelter. Sud-
denly he saw a bright light flash down from
heaven, and as she entered the cave, the light
seemed to pass in with her, filling its space with
the radiance of noon, anu shining there steadily.
This miraculous light is said to have beamed
there night and day as long as Mary remained in
the cave, and to have surrounded her with such
dazzling splendour that no human eye could gaze
upon her.

Amazed by this portent, Joseph looked around
him. All nature seemed to stand still in ex-
pectancy of some great event, and Joseph,

The Nativity.

relating his experiences of the time at a sub-
sequent period, is reported to have said : '* And
I Joseph walked, and walked not ; and I looked
up into the air, and saw the air violently agitated ;
and I looked up at the pole of heaven, and saw
it stationary, and the fowls of heaven still ; and
I looked at the earth, and saw a vessel lying,
and workmen reclining by it, and their hands in
the vessel, and those who handled it did not
handle it, and those who took did not lift, and
those who presented it to their mouth did not
present it, but the faces of all were looking up ;
and I saw sheep scattered, and the sheep stood,
and the shepherd lifted up his hand to strike
them and his hand remained up ; and I looked
at the stream of the river, and I saw that the
mouths of the kids were down, and not drinking
and everything which was being impelled for-
ward was intercepted in its course."

This state of general suspense and hushed
expectancy, which seems so fit at this auspicious
time, has been set forth in inimitable beauty and
delicacy of expression by Milton, in his Hymn
in honour of the Nativity, where we read : —

" But peaceful vv£.s the night
Wherein the Prince of Light
His reign of peace upon the earth began ;
The winds with wonder whist,

52 Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

Smoothly the waters kissed,
"Whispering new joys to the mild ocean,

Who now hath quite forgot to rave,
While birds of calm sit brooding on the charmed
wave."

A few moments later, Joseph met a woman,
to whom he gave a hasty explanation, and she
immediately turned to accompany him back to
the cave. But her services were no longer
needed, for during Joseph's short absence,
Mary had given birth to her Son, whom the
angels immediately surrounded and were the
first to worship.

The legends say that the angels were allowed
this privilege, because they had been chosen to
bear witness of His coming, and that the new-
born child stood among them and blessed them
while they adored Him, singing, ** Glory to God
on high, and on earth peace to men of good
will." Mary, whom some traditions represent
as having escaped all suffering at this time, be-
cause she alone among all wdnen was quite free
from sin, now wrapped her new-born babe in
swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger.
As His head touched the hay which formed His
bed, the vegetable world also bore witness to
His divinity, for we are told that the dry rose-
coloured sainfoin was restored to life and beauty,

The Nativity.

and began to expand its pretty flowers, which
lovingly twined into a wreath around our
infant Saviour's head.

When Joseph and the nurse Zelomi crossed
the threshold of the cave they stood still in
wonder at the bright light, the divine babe, and
the radiant mother who bent in adoration over
Him. The nurse, who had heard of Mary, of
her long sojourn in the temple, and of the
rumours which had lately been afloat in Nazareth
and Jerusalem concerning her, now exclaimed
in wonder, '^Can this thing be?'' and Mary
proudly answered, '• As none among children is
equal to my son, so his mother hath no equal
among women."

Zelomi was so overcome by the sight of the
Virgin Mother and the Holy Child, that she
stepped out of the cave to recover her senses in
the open air. There she met Salome, one of
her cronies, to whom she imparted the whole
story, and who, unconvinced by her companion's
testimony, vowed that ocular demonstration
alone would convince her that a virgin had given
birth to a child.

The two women now entered into the cave
together. Salome's doubts were dispelled, and
a miracle further served to convince her of the
holiness of mother and child, ^or it is said that

rjf::

54 Legends of the yirgin and Christ,

as she t'^uched Mary her hand and arm fell lo
hei' side paralysed. She cried out in fear, but
Mary, or an angel of the Lord, kindly bade
her stretch out her hand and touch the child
believing, and she should be healed. Salome
obeyed, and as her hand and arm were made
whole once more she returned grateful thanks
and worshipped Him. Then a voice was heard
saying, *'Tell not the strange things thou hast
seen until the child shall enter Jerusalem," an
injunction which she obeyed.

St. Luke tells us that there were '' shepherds
abiding in the field, keeping watch over their
fluck by night. And lo I the angel of the Lord
came upon them, and the glory of the Lord
shone round about them, and they were sore
afraid. And the angel said unto them, ' Fear
not ; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of
great joy, which sliall be to all the people. For
unto you is born this day, in the city of David,
a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. And this
shall be a sign unto you : ye <• al- find the babe
wrapped in swaddling jlotheS; ly'.^ig in a manger.'
And suddenly there was with the angel a multi-
tude of the heavenly host praising God, and
saying, * Glory to God in the highest, and on
earth peace, good will tov/ard men.'"

The Nativity.

" The sacred chorus first vas sung
Upon the first oi Christmas days;
The Shepherds heard it overhead,—
The joyful angels rais'd it then :
Glory to heaven on high, it said,
And peace on earth to gentle men 1 "

Thackeray.

The legends, doubtless, feeling that nothing
could be added to this description, which is so
brief but minute, have merely given us the names
of two of the shepherds, Simon and Jude, adding
that they afterwards became disciples of the
Lord, whose advent had thus been made known
to them by the archangel Raphael. In the
miracle plays, however, some rough joking is
introduced here, and the shepherds play tricks
upon one another.

Full of simple and unquestioning faith, the
shepherds arose after this vision and went in
haste to the cave, where they " found Mary and
Joseph, and the babe lying in the manger."

" The shepherds went their hasty way,
And found the lowly stable shed
Where the Virgin-Mother lay ;
And now they checked their eager tread,
For to the liabe that at her bosom clung,
A mother's song the Virgin-Mother sung.

** They told her how a glorious light
Streamed from a heavenly throng,
Around them shone, suspending night!

life-

[I i

56 Legends of the llrgin and Christ.

While sweeter than a mother's song,
Blesi angels heralded the Saviour's birth,
Glory to God on high I and Peace on Earth."

Coleridge.

In works of art representing the Nativity,
the adoration of the angels, and that of the
shepherds, an ox and an ass are frequently seen
in the background. The introduction of these
animals is not merely intended to emphasize the
fact that Our Lord was born in a stable, but also
to set forth the popular belief that the dumb
beasts worshipped Him also.

" We sate among the stalls at Bethlehem.
The dumb kine, from their fodder turning them,
Softened their horned faces
To almost human gazes
Toward the newly born."

Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

Old writers claim that the presence of animals
had been foretold in the ancient Jewish prophe-
cies, and quote, in support of this belief, Isaiah's
words: *' The ox knovveth his owner, and the
ass his master's crib," and a passage in Habakkuk
which is rendered in the Vulgate thus : '* He
shall lie down between the ox and the ass.*'
The legends therefore add that all nature bore
witness lO Hirr , r.nd that me animals kneeling
down cop^es;icd Him.

The Nativity.

** Ox and ass him know,
Kneeling on their knee;
Wondrous joy had I
This little Babe to see."
Wm. MoRRis,/r^w o/J Christmas Carol,

This superstition is still current among the
Breton peasants, who claim that domestic ani-
mals are gifted with the power of speech at
midnight on Christmas Eve. In England it was
the custom in Herefordshire and elsewhere to
drink the health of the cattle on Twelfth Night,
calling each animal by name.

" Here *s to the champion, to the white horn ;

Here 's, God send the master a good crop of corn,

Of wheat, rye, and barley, and all sorts of grain.

If we live to this time twelvemonth, we '11 drink his

health again."

Wassail Pledge.

A large cake, baked with a hole in the middle,
was then hung upon the horn of the finest ox,
which was tickled and goaded until it tossed its
head and flung the cake off. If the cake fell
behind the ox it became the property of the
mistress ; but if it struck the earth in front of
the animal, the farm hands considered it their
lawful prize.

Another mediceval belief was that the ass,
an emblem of the Gentiles, brayed aloud for joy

58 Legends of the Virgin ami Christ,

at the birth of Our Lord, while the ox, the type
of the unbelieving Jews, remained stolid and
unmoved. This superstition gave rise to a
curious festival in honour of the ass, which had
not only testified to Christ's divinity, but bore
Him into Egypt, and later on, when He made
His triumphant entry, into Jerusalem. On this
festive occasion an ass was decked with flowers,
and at mass the responses were made by imitat-
injT[ the animal's braying. This curious festival
w^s, strange to relate, very popular, and was
only abolished in the i6th century.

We are told that three days after the birth of
Christ, Mary left the cave to take up her abode
in the stable, or rude booth, constructed at its
entrance. Here the Holy Family tarried three
days, and on the sixth day they went either into
Bethlehem, or to Jerusalem. On the seventh
day the Christ Child was circumcised, according
to the Jewish rite, and received the name of
Jesus, a name which Origeu tells us has never
been borne by any sinner. Bishop Taylor says
that the Saviour then received ''that name be-
fore which every knee was to bow, which was
to be set above the powers of magic, the mighty
rites of sorcerers, the secrets of Memphis, the
drugs of Thessaly, the silent and mysterious
murmurs of the wise Chaldees, and the spells of

SIMEON AND THE INFANT LllRlsr. {lux IIak tulummeo.)

The Nativity.

Zoroaster ; that name which we should engrave
on our hearts, and pronounce with our rpost
harmonious accents, and rest our faith on, and
place our hopes in, and love with the overflow-
ing of charity, joy, and adoration."

Thirty-three days after the Circumcision, and
forty days after the Birth of Christ, took place
the Purification of the Virgin Mary, and the
Presentation of Christ in the temple. The
Mosaic law exacted that a first-born son should
be redeemed by the offering of five shekels if
the parents were rich, or by a pair of young
pigeons if they were poor.

As Mary and Joseph belonged to the poorer
class she brought two doves to the temple, and
having gone through the prescribed ceremonies
for the purification of women after childbirth,
Mary brought the infant Jesus into the temple.
There the Child was welcomed by the aged
prophetess Anna, who foretold that He had come
to redeem the people. But, as she refrained
from taking Him in her arms, she is considered
a type of the synagogue, which prophesied about
the Messiah, but did not embrace Him when He
appeared.

Simeon, on the contrary, is considered the
type of the Gentiles, who not only te.tified to
the Lord's coming, but were eager to follow His

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0ei Legends of the yirgin and Christ.

teachings. While this scene is described in a
few beautiful verses in the Scriptures, tradition
adds several curious details to the account.

We are told that, about two hundred and
eighty years before, Ptolemy was anxious to
have the Hebrew Scriptures translated into
Greek, so that he might place them in his
famous library at Alexandria. He therefore
sent a message to Eleazar, the high priest of
the Jews, asking him to send scribes and learned
rabbis to his court to do that work.

Eleazar selected six of the most learned men
from each of the twelve tribes of Israel, and
sent them to Egypt. These seventy-two men,
among whom was Simeon, an erudite priest, were
warmly welcomed by Ptolemy, and were put in
a quiet retreat on the island of Pharos, where
they laboured diligently.

Some versions say that each of these rabbis
was required to translate all the Jewish canon,
a piece of work which was accomplished in
seventy-two weeks, or even in seventy-two days,
according to different authorities. This transla-
tion, which from the number of scribes and the
time employed in making it is known as the
Septuagint version, was so accurate, that all
the copies were alike word for word, although
no commMnipatio^ had been allowed among the
rabbis.

1 >

The Nativity.

Another version of the story says that the
work was divided among the learned Jews, and
that the translation of the prophecies of Isaiah
fell to the lot of Simeon. He was very anxious
to do the work, as well as possible, so that the
Greeks might be duly impressed with the beauty
and truth of the Jewish Scriptures.

But he soon came to the passage, '* Behold,
a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall
call his name Immanuel." To avoid the mockery
of the Greeks, who he knew would point out
the absurdity of such a prophecy, Simeon trans-
lated the Hebrew term virgin by a Greek word
signifying a young woman, and the passage thus
rendered could give no cause for cavil.

When he had written it, however, an angel
came, effaced the word he had substituted, and
replaced it by the proper term. Simeon, un-
daunted by this correction, and still wishing to
avoid giving offence, wrote the translation again
and again as he thought it had better be worded.
But after the angel had thrice corrected him
another miracle occurred, for he suddenly under-
stood that what he had doubted might come to
pass. At the same time, a voice warned him
that he should not see death until the prophecy
had been fulfilled, and the promised Messiah
was born.

Legends of the yirgin and Christ,

i'\'

!ii

The translation finished, Simeon returned to
Jerusalem, where he dwelt in the Temple, anx-
iously awaiting the coming Redeemer. Three
centuries and more had passed over his head,
when Mary entered the sacred precincts to pre-
sent her Son to the Lord.

As Simeon's eyes fell upon the little group, the
Spirit made known to him the divine origin of
the Child, whom he took in his arms, exclaiming :
** Lord, now lettest ihou thy servant depart in
peace according to thy word : for mine eyes
have seen thy salvation, which thou hast pre-
pared before the face of all people ; a light to
lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people
Israel.'^

This scene, which is the subject of many a
noted picture, is generally called the ** Nunc
Dimittis." Simeon holds the Infant Saviour in
his arms ; Anna the prophetess, stands beside
him, and Joseph and Mary are represented
listening to his words with awe and wonder.
The divine character of the Child is further
emphasized in some works of art, by showing
Him with the thumb and the first two fingers
raised to express the Trinity.

This episode is also, like the circumcision,
called the first sorrow of the Virgin, for Simeon,
after blessing the little group, addressed Mary,

The Nativity.

saying: ** Behold, this child is set for the fall
and rising again of many in Israel ; and for a
sign which shall be spoken against (yea, a sword
shall pierce through thy own soul also) ; that
the thoughts of many hearts nwy be revealed."
It is in allusion to this text that some artists
have depicted Mary with a sword in her heart,
and when reference is intended to the seven
great sorrows of her life, she is represented
pierced by seven swords.

■! !

i; '

CHAPTER IV.

THE FLIGHT.

Balaam's prophecy — The Magi — The three miracles — The
star — Arrival at Jerusalem — Herod and the cock — Adora-
tion of the Magi — Departure of the Magi — Subsequent
career of the Magi — The wrath of Herod — The massacre
of the Innocents — The flight of Elizabeth — The murder of
Zacharias — Joseph warned — The flight into Egypt — The
wheat field — The pine and juniper — The roses of Jericho —
The aspen — The wild beasts.

n^HE next momentous event in the Life of
**• Our Lord, according to both Scripture
and tradition, is the Adoration of the Magi, so
briefly related by Saint Matthew, and so mar-
velously enlarged by the legends, which alone
concern us here.

One version relates that Seth, son of Adam,
taught by the angels, foretold the appearance
of the Nativity star. This prophecy, repeated
much against his will by Balaam (who is iden-
tified with Zoroaster), when he would fain have
cursed the Lord's chosen people, was : ** I shall
see him, but not now ; I shall behold him, but

The Flight.

not nigh ; there shall come a Star out of Jacob,
and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel."

Overheard by the Gentiles of the country,
Balaam's prediction was believed by them, and
repeated to their descendants, who kept up
a perpetual watch for the appearance of the
miraculous star. Many years had gone oy,
but their faith remained unshaken, and they
still continued to scan the heavens.

Several miracles which occurred to three of
their number made the princes, or Magi, as
they are generally called, suspect that the time
for the fulfilment of the prophecy was very
near. One of them saw an ostrich hatch an
Qggy out of which came a lion, or a wolf, and
lamb, which seemed a direct confirmation of
Isaiah's words: "the wolf and the lamb shall
feed together." The second prince beheld a
flower far more beautiful than a rose, and grow-
ing upon a vine. As he gazed upon it in ad-
miration, a dove flew out of it, and foretold the
birth of Christ. The third of the Magi had a
child born to him, and the new-born babe pre-
dicted the birth and death of the Redeemer,
and died at the end of thirty-three days. The
days of the infant's life are supposed to cor-
respond in number with the years which our
Lord spent upon earth, although some legends

6S Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

:Ji:

!':!

i I

claim that He died at fifty, after having
finished his allotted half century of human
existence.

Such miraculous portents might well have
prepared the minds of the expectant Magi for
some unusual event. So all three went up on
Mons Victorialis, whence they anxiously be-
gan to scan the heavens in search of the long
promised sign.

All at once they savir a brilliant star, which
far outshone all the rest. As they gazed upon it,
it assumed the form of a little child, and moving
westward seemed to beckon them on. With
loud rejoicings the Magi mounted their waiting
dromedaries, and following the beacon star, jour-
neyed straight on to Jeru«="^em. They arrived in
this city at the end of th n days, and eagerly
began asking every one iney met: ** Where is
he that is born King of the Jews > for we have
seen his star in the east and are come to wor-
ship him."

** A star, not seen before, in heaven appearing
Guided the wise men thither from the east,
To honour thee with incense, myrch, and gold ;
By whose bright course led on they found the place,
Affirming it thy star, new-rgraven in heaven,
By which they knew the King of Israel born.**

Milton : Paradise Regained.

I )

The Flight.

Another tradition says that the three wise
men were representatives of the three great
races descended from Noah's sons, and that
starting from diiferent points, and following the
guiding star, they met near the gate of Jerusa-
lem, and only then learned that they were all
bent on the same quest. On account of this
belief, and because they were also supposed to
represent the three stages of manhood, the first,
Caspar or Jasper, is generally represented as a
very old man, with a long white beard and with
a Japhetic cast of features. The second, Bal-
thazar, is middle-aged and black-haired, and
evidently belongs to a Semitic race ; while the
third, Melchior, is very young. He is repre-
sented either as a Moor or negro, or is attended
by a swarthy slave to designate his belonging to
the third, or Hametic race, and to show that all
the Gentiles also were to have a share in the
promised redemption.

The phenomenon in the heavens which so
excited the wonder of the Magi has been
ascribed by modern science to one of the rarest
celestial events. Astronomers tell us that once
in about every eight hundred years there is a
conjunction of the planets Jupiter and Saturn.
Kepler observed this conjunction in 1604, and
then noticed a brilliant, but evanescent star.

( »

68 Legends of the Virgin ami Christ.

We are further told that this phenomenon oc-
curred three times in 747 A. U. C, shortly
before the birth of Christ, and again the year
after with the addition of Mars. These may
have been the three suns, which, as we have
seen, were reported in the East, where it is
well known that astronomy was even then a
favourite study.

The state and number of the Magi, and their
eager questions, seem to have occasioned quite
a sensation in Jerusalem. The rumour of their
arrival even reached Herod in his palace. So
he sent for the strangers, who, in answer to his
questions, told him of the star which they had
seen and followed, and of the royal babe whom
they had come to worship.

•* And by the light of that same Star
Three wise men came from country far ;
To seek for a king was their intent,
And to follow the star wherever it went.'*
' ' Sandy's Christmas Cafol.

A very old ballad or carol, which embodies
one of the legends current on this subject during
the Middle Ages, tells us that Hercd was sitting
at table when he heard this news, and vowed
that he would not believe it until the roasted

The Flight.

cock before him crowed thrice. This quaint
production runs thus : —

" There was a star in the west land
Which shed a cheerful ray
Into King Herod's chamber,
And where King Herod lay.

" The wise men soon espied it,
And told the king on high, —
A princely babe was born that night
No king should e'er destroy.

" ' If this be true,* King Herod said,
' As thou tellest unto me,
This roasted cock that lies in the dish
Shall crow full fences three.'

" The cock soon freshly feathered was
By the work of God's own hand.
And then three fences crowed he
In the dish where he did stand."

Carnal and Crane.

The Scriptures relate that Herod was so
troubled by the question of the Magi, that he
assembled the priests and scribes, who told him
that Christ was to be born in Bethlehem of
Judea. The legends add that the priests, too,
had seen the star, and that they confessed to
Herod that the time had come when all their
prophecies should be fulfilled.

f.i

1 ■ '

fO Legends of the Virgin and Christ.

The wise men, having thus obtained the infor-
mation they wanted, took leave of Herod, who,
pretending that he too was anxious to see and
worship the Child heralded by such a miracle,
dismissed them saying: '*Go and search dili-
gently for the young child, and when ye have
found him bring me word again, that I may come
and worship him also."

Still following the star, the Magi came to
Bethlehem, where their arrival again created a
great excitement, and when the star stopped
above the stable they eagerly asked if there was
a new-born child in the place. Upon receiving
an affirmative answer, they quickly dismounted,
to do homage to Him whom they had travelled
so far to see.

Some versions say that the star waited until
the Magi's visit was ended, and then guided them
safely home again ; but others state that as the
wise men entered the stable, it dropped into a
well at Bethlehem, at the bottom of which it can
still be seen. But if several people try to ob-
tain a glimp&e of it at once, it only becomes
apparent to the wisest among them.

The Three Kings, having come to do homage
to the Lord, brought with them offerings suitable
for a king, and thus fulfilled the prophecy:
** The kings of Tarshish aad the isles shall bring

^1 .i.

ADORATION OF THE KlN(iS. (Pfannschmiut.)

N?|

1 1

•! I

i I

i :

■ ' i

The Flight.

presents, and the kings of Sheba shall offer gifts."
These presents are briefly mentioned in Scrip-
tures, but the legends like to expatiate upon the
beauty and nature of the gifts, about which they
do not always agree. Some versions insist that
each one of the kings gave gold as a mark of
tribute from a subject to a monarch. Most of
them, however, claim that Melchior offered a
crown and thirty pieces of gold. The latter
were traditional coin, for. made by Terah, father
of Abraham, they had b^en given to the Egyptians
in exchange for spices to embalm the body of
Jacob. These same coins, which numbered
thirty, were subsequently brought by the Queen
of Sheba to Solomon, and after passing through
many hands were now offered in tribute to his
descendant, the long promised and expected
Messiah.

The two other kings proffered myrrh and frank-
ince.nse upon humbly bended knees. These three
gifts have ever been considered emblematical of
the three-fold nature of Christ. The gold was
for the King, the frankincense for the God, and
t%e myrrh for the Man, whose perishable body it
was destined to embalm.

The Infant Saviour is frequently represented
as receiving these gifts with gracious condescen-
sion, and some writers claim that He bestow^i^

'■(,i

72 Legends of the Virgin and Gmst.

upon the givers, in exchange for the gold, in-
cense, and myrrh, the spiritual blessings of love,
meekness, and perfect faith.

" The Magi of the East, in sandals worii,
Knelt reverent, sweeping round,
With long, pale beards, their gifts upon the ground,
The incense, myrrh, and gold
These baby hands were impotent to hold."

E. B. Browning.

The legends assure us that the Magi also
offered gifts to Joseph and Mary, and the latter,
in return, gave them one of the bands in which
the Infant Saviour had been wrapped. Then,
after having been warned in a dream not to go
back to Jerusalem, where Herod was awaiting
their coming only to harm the young king, the
Magi took leave of the Holy Family and went
home by another way.

Some writers claim that they went to Tar-
shish, whence they sailed away upon one of the
swiftest vessels. But when Herod discovered
that they had escaped from him thus, without
giving him the required information, he was so
angry that he ordered a general destruction of
all the vessels in the harbour.

The Magi had effected their escape none too
soon. Thanks to the warning they bad miracu-

The Flight.

OWNING.

lously received, they reached their own country
safely, and proclaimed what they had seen, ex-
hibiting the band which Mary had given them as
proof of their words. One of them even ven-
tured to fling the bit of linen into the fire, where
it was not consumed, but whence he drew it
out unharmed.

To emulate the king whom they had found
in a manger, the Magi now gave away all their
wealth to the poor, laid aside their rich robes,
and went about preaching repentance and doing
good. Some forty years later, we are told that
the apostle St. Thomas found these men in India,
where, after baptizing and instructing them, he
bade them continue their good work.

Full of zeal for the Master whom they had seen
when a babe lying upon His mother's bosom,
the Magi now travelled on into the far East,
where they were eventually sentenced to death
and perished martyrs of their faith. Their re-
mains, discovered long after, were conveyed by
the empress Helena to Constantinople. Fred-
erick Barbarossa, emperor of Germany, trans-
ported them next to Cologne, where their bones
now rest in a magnificent tomb. Such is the
fame of these relics that they have been the
object of pious pilgrimages ever since the time
of the first crusade, and the shrine of the Magi,

■;i

!J j
\

n I

•A

•') 1

74 Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

or the Three Kings of Cologne, is known
throughout all Europe.

Ever since the ninth century a festival has been
held in their honour, which is celebrated on
the sixth of January, and is known as Epiphany,
Twelfth Night, or the Day of the Three Kings.
It is marked by popular games and rejoicings,
one custom being to elect as king of revels, the
person who secures a bean baked in a special
cake for that occasion.

" This is our merry night
Of choosing king and queen.?

Black Letter :

Christmas Carol in the Bodleian Library,

Other legends state that Herod in the mean
time had been vainly awaiting the return of the
Magi. When he ascertained that they had really
left the country, he flew into one of the awful
paroxysms of rage for which he is so famous in
history. This tyrant, who in anger once ordered
the murder of his beloved wife Mariamne, and
of two of his own sons, did not shrink from the
massacre of all the children under two years of
age, which were found in Bethlehem, and the
region round about it.

The Scriptures give no description of this
massacre, but the legends^ 4weil upon it at

The Flight

some length. One version relates that Herod
sent for the babes, whose mothers hastened to
his palace little suspecting why their presence
there was required. Then, when the mothers
had all been penned into an inner court, from
whence there was no possible means of escape,
rude soldiers were turned in among them. These
men snatched the babes from the arms of the
frantic women and butchered them there in cold
blood.

Another version describes the troop*, unex-
pectedly entering the peaceful village of Beth*-
lehem, and falling upon, and murdering the little
ones whom the mothers vainly strove to save.
The number of these infant martyrs, who are
called the Holy Innocents, is unknown, and has
been variously estimated from half a dozen to
several thousand. It is hardly likely, however,
that in so small a place there should have been
more than a score of children under two years
of age, and hence they are generally represented
as a dozen or more in works of art. As the
Holy Innocents died for Christ's sake, they are
called the first Christian martyrs, and are often
represented as cherubic angels hovering over
their Master during His early childhood or at
the time of His crucifixion.

ii ,ii

! iff

^6 Legends of the Virgin and Christ.

" Who are these on golden wings,
That hover o'er the new-born King of Kings,
Their palms and garlands telling plain
That they are of the glorious martyr train
Next to yourself ordained to praise
His name, and brighten as on Him they gaze/'

Christian Year.

According to one very old tradition, Elizabeth
was then in Bethlehem, with the infant St. John.
As the soldiers came to snatch him from her
arms, she fled in terror. Closely pursued, and
despairing of saving her child, Elizabeth rushed
toward a rock, crying frantically, ** Mount of
God, receive a mother and her child." At
these words, the mountain or rock opened wide
to receive her, closing again as soon as she
was safe within, so that her pursuers could not
get at her. Here, in the bosom of the earth,
and cheered by a divine light which shone as
long as she was forced to remain in hiding,
Elizabeth nursed the Precursor, who had been
saved by miracle, only that he might prepare the
way for the Lord.

Some writers claim that the mountain which
opened to receive Elizabeth was transparent, and
that Herod's guards could clearly see both mother
and child ; but others aver that the soldiers did
not know what had become of the fugitives, and

The Flight,

suspected Zacharias of having concealed them.
They made this report to Herod, who, finding
that Zacharias could not, or would not reveal the
hiding-place of his wife and son, ordered him to
be slain between the steps and the altar.

The Levites, entering the temple on the next
day, saw the blood-stained altar, and vainly tried
to remove all traces of the crime. But one
dark spot could not be cleansed ; the blood
there was congealed, and as if petrified, and a
voice was heard proclaiming that all attempts to
remove it would be vain until the avenger came.

Terrified by these words, and by the groaning
of the wainscoting of the temple, which cried
aloud and uttered awful denunciations against
Herod, the Levites fled. Bu* ever since then
has existed the widespread belief that blood
shed I y violence cannot be effaced, but leaves
an indelible stain. It is owing to this super-
stition that many dark spots are still pointed out
to tourists, in the places where historical crimes
have been committed.

As Zacharias was dead, another priest had to
be chosen in his stead. This selection, made
by casting lots as usual, fell upon Simeon, and a
prophetic voice was heard, saying that the newly
elected priest should not see death until he had
seen the Messiah in the flesh. .

=1 ■..•

wttU^

ill

yS Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

The Massacre of the Innocents had been all
in vain. Herod had failed to kill the babe he
feared, for Joseph, warned by an angel in a
dream, had taken Mary and the Child and left
Bethlehem in haste. The brevity of the Scrip-
tural narrative, where St. Matthew alone men-
tions the flight, again contrasts greatly with the
legendary accounts, which are as numerous as
contradictory.

Some versions say that the Holy Family fled
filone, Mary riding upon an ^ss, and holding the
Child, which is always represented as being less
than two years old. Other accounts, of which
^he painters have taken advantage when several
figures are desired, say that Joseph was accom-
panied by his three sons, while Mary was at-
tended by Salome, the girl or woman whose
paralysed hand had been restored by touching
the Holy Child. The little band is sometimes
led or accompanied by angels, either the Holy
Innocents, or those who bore witness to the
birth of the Redeemer of mankind.

The ass, which Mary rides, is said to have
been the same which bent an adoring knee when
the Child was laid in the manger, and sometimes
the ox is also seen, drawing a rude cart con-
taining the baggage of the Holy Family. As
guardian and protector of the Virgin and Child,

The Flight.

have
vvhen
imes
con-
As
hild,

Joseph is always present in pictures of the Flight,
and while he is sometimes represented as very
old, and requiring support from Mary rather than
helping her, he is generally a man of middle age,
tenderly watchful of his precious charges.

Bethlehem was only two hours' journey from
Jerusalem, and from thence to the Egyptian
frontier, whither he was divinely ordered to
direct his steps, Joseph knew that there was
quite a long jourh*iy. The time required tQ
cover this distance has been variously estimated
as from three days to six months. Some of the
legends, however, state that the way was miracu'
lously shortened, and that a few hours after
leaving Bethlehem, Joseph, looking up, saw with
astonishment the first Egyptian city. We are^lso
told that the Holy Family were led by angels,
who pitched a tent for them every night, ferried
them over the streams, lulled the Child to sleep
by their heavenly strains, and carried a torch or
lantern to light the way when they travelled by
night.

During the first part of the journey, which
took place at night or in the early dawn, Joseph,
afraid of pursuit, continually turned his head
toward Bethlehem, where some legends say that
a signal fi'^e was lighted as soon as the escape ol
the Holy Family was discovered. The danger

8o Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

of being overtaken was imminent. Mary saw a
husbandman sowing grain before sunrise, and
hoping to save her Ciiild, she bade the farmer
answer, if any one inquired "' nher an old
man, a young woman, and a id had passed
by, " Such persons passed this way when I was
sowing this corn." The man promised to do as
Mary wished, and went home to breakfast.

A few hours later, when the husbandman came
to inspect his work, he found that the wheat
had grown up by miracle, had ripened, and was
ready to harvest. He therefore immediately
began to reap it, and when Herod's guards came
dashing up, and eagerly inquired whether he had
seen the fugitives, he carefully answered as
Mary had requested.

*' After that came King Herod,
With his train so furiously,
Enquiring of the husbandman
Whether Jesus passed by this way.

" « Why the truth it must be spoken,
And the truth it must be known,
For Jesus passed by this way
When I my seed had sown.

((

* But now I have it reapen,

And some laid on my wain,

Ready to fetch and carry

Into my barn again.' "

Carnal and Crane.

The Flight.

This answer, which was perfectly truthful, —
for, as the legend takes care to point out, Mary
was far too good to save her Child at the cost
of a lie, — put the soldiers off the track. They
hastily turned back, although an officious black
beetle anxiously pushed itself up out of the
brown earth, and chirped, *' Last night 1 last
night 1 "

Since then, the Highlanders, who relate this
legend, and consider the beetle a traitor, always
stamp upon it, crying, " Last night," to remind
the insect that it incurred death in punishment
for its intended betrayal. It is in allusion to
this legend that a field of ripe grain, where the
harvesters are hard at work, is sometimes intro-
duced in the background of pictures represent-
ing the Flight into Egypt.

Another legend states that Herod's officers
pursued Mary and the Child, and would have
overtaken them had not a juniper opened to
conceal them, or a pine hidden them beneath its
sheltering branches. Most of the plants are
said to have remained motionless on this occa-
sion, lest by an inadvertent movement they
should reveal the hiding-place of the Lord ; but
** the brooms and the chick peas rustled and
crackled, and the flax bristled up.''

Legends of the yirgin and Christ.

** So ITcrod was deceived
By the work of God's own hand,
And further he proceeded
Iiito the Holy Land."

Carnal and Crdni.

Had Herod only known it, the Child he
sought could easily have been traced, for we are
told that the Rose of Jericho, which is also called
Mary's Rose, sprang up along the path the Holy
Family had trodden, and blossomed brightly
wherever they rested.

"And dry Roses bloomed
Back into beauty, when their garments brushed
The Rosebush."

Sir Edwin Arnold: The Light of the Worhi>

This flo\ver, which bloomed at the birth of
Christ, further showed its sympathy by closing
at His crucifixion, only to open again at His
resurrection.

Further on, the Holy Family passed into the
dense shade of a forest, where they would have
lost their way had not an angel guided them.
The trees, conscious of the presence of the
Creator of the World, are said to have bowed
down at His approach and to have done Him
obeisance, as was due to a king.

1 Funk and Wagnall.

The Flight, 83

" Once, as Our Saviour walked with men below
His path of mercy through a forest lay ;
And mark how all the drooping branches show
What homage best a silent tree may pay." *

Only one among them all, the haughty aspen,
stood erect, and refused tUs homage which all
the rest were so anxious to bestow. The Infant
Saviour, who, according to the Arabic legends,
talked even in His cradle, saw the aspen, and
solemnly cursed it on account of its pride.
Struck to the heart by the sound of his con-
demnatory words, the guilty tree began to
tremble, and has never ceased to shiver since.

" Only the aspen stood erect and free,
Scorning to join the voiceless worship pure ;
But see ! He cast one look upon the tree,
Struck to the heart she trembles evermore." ^

Next the Holy Family came to a cave in the
desert, and the youths and Salome going ahead,
soon ran back showing signs of the liveliest
terror. Their fright was well founded, for out
of the cave came lions, dragons, and all manner
of wild beasts, ready to devour them. But the
Infant Saviour got down from His mother's lap,
and went and stood fearlessly among thenr, while
the animals all came and adored Him. Joseph

1 Dyer's Folk Lore of Plants. Appleton & Co.

84 Legends of the Virgin ard Christ.

and Mary were terrified, and trembled ; but the
Child soon quieted their apprehensions by say-
ing: ** Fear not, nor consider me because I am
a little infant, for I was and am ever perfect ; it
must needs be that all the wild beasts of the
wood should grow tame before me."

This legend owes its existence to a passage in
Isaiah, where the prophet says, " The wolf also
shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall
lie down with the kid ; and the calf and the
young lion and the falling together, and a young
child shall lead them." It was completed by
making the wild beasts all act as a body-guard
to the Holy Family and escort them to Egypt,
without molesting the ox, the ass, or the sheep,
which formed part of the train.

The desire of giving a Christian meaning to
everything, which was a characteristic feature of
mediaeval literature, made ancient writers add
that the Christ Child sprang upon the lion,
who, thus honoured above all the rest of the
animals, has ever since been termed King of
the Animals.

l< ' >

\ t

" First came the lovely lion,
Which Jesu's grace did spring ;
And of the wild beasts of the field.
The lion shall be king."

Carnal and Crane,

i s-

CHAPTER V.

THE SOJOURN IN EGYPT.

The road followed — The brigands — The captives released

— The good thief — The robbers' den — The palm —
The fountain — The arrival in Egypt — The fallen idols

— The conversion of the Egyptians — The priest's son — The
Sphinx — The visit to Pharaoh — The dumb bride — The
leper girl — The story of the mule — The sojourn at Mata-
rea — The sycamore — The shadow of the cross — Miracu-
lous ciures — Bartholomew — Judas — The fortune teller

— Christ's playmates — The dead fish — The Egyptian
teaclier.

he
of

f<V

COME commentators tell us that the road fol-
lowed by the Holy Family led first to-Joppa,
and then along the coast to Egypt. It was so
long and wearisome that Mary's saddle-girth
broke on the way. Then, too, as the country
was at that time infested with robbers, the
travellers, being alone and unarmed, were ex-
posed to many dangers.

One legend relates that a band of brigands,
having already secured many captives and much
plunder, was lying in wait by the roadside ready

r II

86 Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

to pounce upon the unwary traveller whose
coming could be heard from afar. A turn of
the road, however, prevented their seeing the
approach of the Holy Family. Instead of the
tramp of a single ass, the sound of many horses
and chariots suddenly fell upon the brigands'
ears, and made them flee in haste, leaving their
captives and spoil behind them.

The clatter was such, that the captives, too,
were terrified and fell upon their faces. When
Joseph, Mary, and the Child came into sight,
the prisoners slowly rose inquiring in awestruck
tones, " Where is the king ? " And when Joseph
had freed them from their bonds, they went
along their way, rejoicing in their miraculous
deliverance, and bearing off iil triumph the spoil
of the brigands.

Another encounter with thieves took place
near Ramla, at a spot which is still pointed oiit
to travellers. Here two brigands, who, accord-
ing to varying versions of the tale are called
Dysmas, Demas, Titus, or Matha ; and Gestas,
Dumachus, or Joca, were lurking by the road-
side. They too wanted to despoil travellers,
but as Mary cam 3 into sight, one of them, Dys-
mas — the good thief as the legend calls him —
was struck wiih sudden compassion and begged
his companion to let them pass unmolested

i ?

The Sojourn in Egypt.

ted

The hard-hearted Gestas insisted however upon
accomplishing his proposed theft, and it was
only by promising him a girdle and forty pieces
of silver, that Dysmas succeeded in bribing
him to do the Holy Family no harm. Just as
he had succeeded in restraining Gestas, Mary
came up, and knowing by intuition all that had
happened, she smiled gently upon the good thief,
and said to him : *' The Lord God will receive
thee to His right hand and grant thee the pardon
of thy sins.'*

Another version of this tale states that Mary
blessed the merciful thief, and that Christ spoke
to him, foretelling the crucifixion about thirty
years later, and promising him then the reward
of his present good deed. This prediction came
true, for the two thieves, crucified on the right
and left of the Redeemer, were the self-same men
who would fain have waylaid Him. The merci-
ful robber was the one who obtained the promise
of being with Christ that day in Paradise.

A third legend of robbers which is sometimes
merged into the former, relates that the Holy
Family fell into the hands of a gang of thieves,
but that the leader was touched by the help-
lessness of the divine babe, and the purity and
gentleness of the young mother. He therefore
brought them carefully to his own stronghold in

88 Legends of the Virgin and Christ.

the mountains, where he and his wife ministered
unto them.

" Robbers by the road flung spear and sword
Down on the sand, and laid their fierce brow there.
Convinced of evil by mere majesty
Of Babe and Mother."

Sir Edwin Arnold: T/w Light of the JVoridA

The woman brought water, and helped Mary
bathe the Infant Saviour. This water she pru-
dently saved, and when her husband was
wounded, some time after the Holy Family
left them, she used it to bathe his wound and
he was miraculously healed. This is only the
first of an endless series of legends, where the
water in which the Christ Child was bathed
served to cure people of blindness, leprosy, and
all manner of illness.

Some learned commentators argue that it is
not at all improbable that thf. Holy Family met
the bands of thieves who roamed all over the
country at that time, and long after. They add
that Mary and her Son escaped unharmed be-
cause their helplessness could not but appeal
even to such rough men, but the remainder of
the tale is, of course, purely mythical, although
very poetical.

1 Funk and Wagnal!.

FLIGHT INTO EGYPT. (Van Dyck.)

The Sojourn in Egypt.

A favou-ite legend, especially among artists, to
whom it affords a lovely subject for a picture,
is that of the palm tree, an episode of the jour-
ney to Egypt. Weary and warm, Mary once
descended from her patient ass, and sought
refuge with her Child beneath a solitary palm.
The tall stem of the tree, crowned with its tuft
of foliage, afforded her very little shade until the
Christ Child bade it move its branches so as to
overshadow His mother.

Another much more elaborate version, related
in the apocryphal gospels, runs as follows :
*' And when the blessed Mary had sat down
there, she looked at the foliage of the palm and
saw it full of fruit, and she said to Joseph, I
desire that I may be able to partake of the
fruit of this palm." Joseph gazed doubtfully at
the tall straight stem, and although anxious to
gratify her every wish, he felt too weary and
old to attempt to climb the tree. So he told
Mary that he felt no craving for the tempting
fruit hanging overhead, but longed for a spring
of water where he might renew their scanty
supply which was almost exhausted. The Christ
Child, seeing Mary's evident disappointment,
now spoke to the palm-tree, saying: '* O tree,
bend down thy branches, and with thy fruit
refresh my mother." At these words the lotty

90 Legends of the yirgin and Christ,

-i

tree bent down, so that Mary could pluck the
fruit hidden among its leaves, and it remained
in this humble position until Jesus cried: *' Raise
thee, O palm, and be strong."

Then, mindful of Joseph's wants also, the
Infant Saviour slipped down from His mother's
lap, and, thrustmg a tiny finger into the dry sand,
He bade the water spring out to refresh them.
A fountain gushed forth, and there was water
in abundance for them all, as well as for the
patient ox and ass which accompanied them.

The Holy Family tarried under the palm-tree
that night, and on the next morning, when about
to depart, the Saviour, anxious to bestow some
reward for its good offices, said, " This privilege
I grant thee, O palm, that one of thy branches
shall be taken by my angels, and planted in
the Paradise of my Father. And this blessing I
will confer upon thee, that unto all who have
conquered in any contest it may be said, Ye
have attained the palm of victory."

These words were scarcely finished, when, in
the presence of them all, the sky opened and an
angel came floating down from heaven to do His
bidding. Plucking a branch from the top of
the tree, the angel winged its way back to Para-
dise, to plant it there by the River of Life, where
it would flourish forever.

The Sojourn in Egypt.

Needless to state there is a very obvious
anachronism in this legend, for the palm had
long been considered an emblem of victory by
the ancients, as can be seen in many anti-Chris-
tian writings. This legend was therefore in-
vented, like so many others, merely to give a
Christian signification to an old heathen symbol,
which it was neither possible nor advisable to
do away with entirely. In early Christian art,
the palms brought to the martyrs by angels are,
moreover, supposed to be leaves plucked from
the miraculously transplanted tree under which
Our Lord once found rest.

Shortly after the halt under the obedient palm-
tree, Joseph, feeling the intense heat sorely, con-
sulted Jesus, — whom many legends make the
director of the journey, — and asked Him whether
it would not be possible to hold their course
along the sea shore where every passing breeze
would refresh them } In answer to this question
the Christ Child said : *' Fear not, Joseph, I
will shorten the way for you, so that what you
were to go in the space of thirty days, you shall
accomplish in this one day."

These words were soon fulfilled, and before
nightfall the Holy Family reached the town of
Sotinen on the borders of Hermopolis. As no
one came out to offer them hospitality, and as

92 Legends of the yirgin and Christ*

they did not know where else to go to obtain
shelter, they soon directed their steps to a sanc-
tuary, " which was called the Capitol of Egypt,
in which temple three hundred and fifty-five
idols were placed, to which, on separate days,
the honour of the Deity was rendered in sacrile-
gious rites."

To give a literal interpretation to the words
of the prophet Isaiah, '' and the idols of Egypt
shall be moved at his presence," various legends
have been invented, which for the greater part
resemble one another very closely. The first is
that as Mary and the Child set foot in this tem-
ple, the three hundred and fifty-five idols fell
prostrate and lay upon the floor shattered to
pieces.

The crash of the falling images was such, that
the people ran and told their ruler, and he has-
tened to the spot with all his army. When he
arrived there all was still, and entering the
temple alone, his eyes wandered over the shat-
tered idols. They fell at last upon the divine
Child, peacefully slumbering in the arms of His
Virgin Mother, who gazed with awe at the ruins
around her.

The ruler, impressed by the repose of the
Christ Child, passed out of the temple, and after
telling the assembled people what he had seen,

Mi!
1 1 I

The Sojourn in Egypt,

he added : **'Ifthis were not the God of our
gods, our gods would by no means have fallen
on their faces before him, neither would they lie
prostrate in his sight ; wherefore, they silently
avow him to be the Lord. We then, if we do
not very carefully what we see our gods do,
may incur the peril of his indignation, and may
come to destruction, as befell Pharaoh, king of
the Egyptians ; who, not believing such great
miracles, was drowned with all his army in the
sea." Thus adjured, the Egyptians believed in
Christ, and did homage to Him.

Another version of this legend relates that, as
the Holy Family entered the temple at On, there
was a great earthquake, and the statue of Ra, the
Egyptian god, fell prostrate at their feet.

" And coming nigh to On,
"Where stands the house of Ra, its mighty God,
Cut in black porphyry, prodigious, feared, —
Fell from his seat."

Sir Edwin Arnold: The Light of the WorldX

In another place, the idols themselves are said
to have testified to the divinity of the Child who
was about to come among them, for when they
were questioned by their priests as usual, they
said: "There cometh hither a God in secret,

^ Funk and Wagnall.

94 Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

i 11

1 !

who surely is a God, neither is any God beside
him worthy of worship, because he is truly the
Son of God." Then, their reign being ended,
these idols fell, and the people worshipped the
Christ.

The Holy Family was once resting in a hos-
pital, in one of these heathen cities, and Mary
took advantage of the halt to wash the swad-
dling clothes of the Child which she spread
out upon some wood to dry. The son of a
neighbouring priest, a demoniac, mischievously
snatched one of these cloths as he was passing
by and put it upon his head. At the same
moment, " the demons began to come forth
out of his mouth, and fled in the form of crows
and serpents." Then, while the witnesses stood
there aghast, Jesus spoke to the child, and he
was healed, to the great joy of his father. When
the latter heard exactly how the miraculous cure
had been effected, he gave thanks to God, and
he also testified to the divinity of the babe by
whose agency the cure haJ been effected.

The falling of the Egyptian idols has been the
subject of many a picture, and while the old
masters have as a rule represented the occurrence
realistically, modern painters have preferred to
turn the episode into an allegory. In some pic-
tures they show us the Virgin calmly nursing her

beside
•uly the

ended,
ped the

1 a hos-
J Mary
e swad-
spread
on of a
ievously
passing
^le same
[le forth
f crows
s stood
and he
. When
)us cure
od, and
abe by

•

leen the
Ithe old
lurrence
Irred to
me pic-
Ving her

V'o

The Sojourn in Egypt*

Child beneath the huge image of Isis and her son
Horus, — idols whose power was indeed at an
end, although they did not fall into dust at the
Redeemer's appearance.

One modern picture, which exercises a great
fascination upon all who have seen it, shews us
the Virgin and Child calmly sleeping between
the great paws of the crouching Sphinx. The
mysterious riddle is thus solved by the nimbus
around the Christ-Child, and this light, with
the dim glow of the stars and the flicker of a
smouldering fire, alone illumines the peaceful
scene.

Some of the legends inform us that the Holy
Family journeyed to Memphis, where they were
received by Pharaoh (although there were no
Pharaohs left in those days), and remained there
three years. Other very extraordinary stories,
which by their resemblance to the tales of the
Thousand and One Nights betray their Arabian
origin, are also related in connection with the
sojourn of the Holy Family in Egypt.

We are told, for instance, that they once saw a
demoniac woman, who, in spite of all the re-
straints placed upon her by friends and relatives,
always managed to escape from them and run
about naked at night. Mary gazed compassion-
ately upon this unfortunate creature, and cured
her by that one kind look.

96 Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

! nl

! ■':■ I'l',!

: iiii

;'i

; i
) t

■; • i
ii';

1
j

■'1
1

., 1

!
1

i
1

A little further on they came to a town, where
the family which entertained them was in deep
sorrow. Upon inquiring the cause of their
grief, Mary learned that the daughter, a bride,
had been struck dumb by enchantment. But
when the bride had touched the Infant Saviour,
as Mary bade her, the spell was broken and
she spoke, returning thanks for her miraculous
cure.

Another woman, also a demoniac, craved per-
mission to hold the heavenly Child, and was
immediately restored to her right mind. In her
joy and gratitude she begged the travellers to
come and rest in her house, where she eagerly
brought perfumed water to bathe Christ. When
the bath was finished, the woman sprinkled a few
drops of this water upon a leper girl, who was
cured by the contact. In her intense gratitude
this maiden followed the Holy Family during
the remainder of their journey.

Their next resting place was at the house of
a prince. There, too, sadness prevailed ; but it
was only after great persuasions that the princess
confided to the girl the cause of her grief, and
told her that her only son, a child of four years
of age, was a leper. As soon as the girl heard
this she eagerly related her own marvellous
cure, and the noble mother, in obedience to

The Sojourn in Egypt,

her instructions, plunged her suffering child
into the water which Mary had used to bathe
her Son, and the lad was immediately restored.

In another house where they rested, a husband
and wife were estranged ; but in the presence of
the Redeemer no division could endure, and the
couple henceforth lived in perfect unity and joy,
while the Holy Family wandered on, leaving
only blessings in its wake.

As they entered a certain town, they saw
three women, clad in mourning, come weeping
out of a cemetery. The leper girl drew near
them to ask where her party could find shelter,
and the women, notwithstanding their grief, in-
vited the travellers into their own house, and
provided all that was necessary for their comfort.

The former leper girl vainly tried to discover
the cause of their grief ; but when she saw them
enter a special chamber, and, falling upon the
neck of a mule which was kept there, kiss it
with many tears and words of endearment, she
could no longer restrain her curiosity, and asked
them what all this meant. Still weeping co-
piously, the women told her that the mule was
their only and beloved brother. He had been
changed into a beast by magic arts on the eve
of his wedding, and although they had tried
every form of exorcism, they had not been able

! ilij

I I H

• Hi

98 Legends of the yirgin and Christ,

to break the spell and restore him to his wonted
shape.

After again relating her own experiences, the
leper persuaded the women to come and consult
the Virgin Mary, telling them she would be sure
to find some way to help them. Mary, having
heard their pitiful tale, *' lifted up the Lord
Jesus and pu* him on the back of the mule, and
herself wept along with the women ; and to
Jesus Christ she said, ' Alas ! my son ; heal this
mule by thy great power, and make him a man
endued with reason as he was formerly.' When
these words proceeded from the mouth of my
lady, Lady Mary, the mule changed its form,
and became a man, a young man, who was
whole, without any blemish. Then he and his
mother and his sisters adored my lady. Lady
Mary, and began to kiss the Child, holding him
above their heads, saying, * Blessed is thy mother,
O Jesus, O Saviour of the world ; blessed are
the eyes which enjoy the happiness of beholding
thee.' "

As the ex-leper girl had been the agent m
bringing about this marvelous cure, the grateful
family now proposed that she should marry the
restored heir, and the wedding was celebrated
with feast and dancing and song, for the house
of mourning had been turned into a place of re-

V i 1

III;

The Sojourn in E<^pt,

joicing. The only tears shed were when Mary
and the Christ Child departed, for these happy
people could not bear to lose sight of the Holy
Family, which had turned their weeping into
joy.

The travellers came at last 1o a sycamore,
which some authorities say grew in the The-
baid, a place which hence became the favourite
resort of many anchorites during the first cen-
turies of c ir era. Other versions, however,
state that the sycamore stood at Matarea, near
Cairo, where it can still be seen, ic: although
it was cut dov/n by the Saracens, it again sprang
up from its roots with renewed vigour.

Tue Holy Family pitched their tent under
this sycamore, which moved its branches from
sunrise to sunset in order to afford them con-
stant protection from the burning Egyptian
sun.

" And a way-side sycamore
Beneath whose leaves they rested, moved his boughs
From noon till evening with the moving sun
To make them shade."

Sir Edwin Arnold : Light of the World>

\ i

1 1

As there was no water here to refresh them,
a fountain sprang up at a word from the Christ

1 Funk and Wagrall.

100 Legends of the Virgin and Christ.

Child, or, according to another legend, the
fountain of bitter water which flowed there so
freely, became wholesome and sweet for their
use.

The Holy Family dwelt here for a period of
time which has been variously estimated as from
one to seven years. Mary tended her Child,
washing His garments in the fountain, and spread-
ing them out to dry upon the surrounding bushes
which blossomed spontaneously at their touch.
The Holy Family, according to some legends,
was quite well-to-do, owing to the gifts of the
Wise Men, and the contributions of the wealthy,
whom the Christ Child or His mother healed.
Other writers relate that they were extremely
poor, and were entirely dependent upon the ex-
ertions of Joseph, whose skill as a carpenter was
not very great.

Such was their poverty, that Mary went from
door to door, begging a little fine flax, until she
had collected enough to make the first garment
which her Son wore, when old enough to be
taken out of the usual swaddling bands. To
eke out their small income, Mary laboured
diligently, and in pictures representing her at
this time she is always spinning, if not busy
with household tasks, or in caring for her
Child.

77?^ Sojourn in Egypt.

lOI

Some legends state that it was here, under
the Egyptian sycamore, which is known as the
Virgin's tree, that the Infant Saviour took His
first steps. It was at sundown, and as He tot-
tered toward his mother's outstretched arms.
His shadow fell upon the yellow sand, forming
a distinct and prophetic cross.

During their sojourn there, Mary effected
many miraculous cures, generally by bathing
the affected parts of the sufferers in the same
water in which she had washed her Child.
Sometimes, sick children recovered as soon as
they were laid in her arms, and hence many
people suppose that the Infant in the arms of
Holbein's celebrated Mayer Madonna, is not
her own child, but one whom the Virgin has
been implored to save from death or disease.

A mother in the neighbourhood of Matarea
had two children who sickened at the same time.
One of them died and was buried, and then the
other became so very ill that the mother saw
she would lose it too. As a last hope of saving
her child, she took it in her arms and carried it
to Mary, whose help she anxiously besought.

Gazing upon the sick child, Mary saw that it
had died on the way ; but she made no sign and
only bade the woman lay her babe in the cradle
beside the sleeping Jesus. The woman did so,

102 Legends of the yirgin and Christ.

• :U!|:

ill)

ill^j

and when the dead child came into contact with
the Redeemer, he was restored to life and per-
fect health. The legends add that his name was
Bartholomew, and that he became one of the
twelve disciples who followed Our Lord during
His short time of ministry upon earth.

Mary Cleopas, whom some writers claim as
an elder half-sister of Mary the Virgin, dwelt
not far from there with her husband and child.
Her life was not happy, for in the same house
dwelt her rival who had a child of the same age
as hers. Both children sickened, but Mary
Cleopas, having wrapped her boy in a garment
which had belonged to the Christ Child, saved
him, while her rival's son died.

Envious of the happiness of Mary Cleopas in
the continued possession of her child, the rival
now sought to injure the lad, whom she thrust
into a heated oven one day when the mother
had been called away for a few minutes. Mary
Cleopas returned in haste, and after some search
found her child in the oven, not burned to a
crisp as her rival expected, but well and com-
fortable, thanks to the Saviour's garment which
he wore beneath his own clothes.

Sometime after this, the envious woman thrust
the cliild into a well, but he floated like a water
lily on the surface of the water until rescued

The Sojourn in Egypt,

103

from this perilous position. Baffled and angry,
the wicked woman stood gazing down into the
well and wondering why the child, whom she
hated, had not been drowned. Suddenly, she
lost her balance, and fell into the water, where
she sank like a stone and perished miserably,
because she had no magic garment to preserve
her like the innocent child.

There are several other cures recorded of the
sick and the blind, and many extraordinary cases
of the ejection of evil spirits, which in various
forms, such as dragons and vampires, tormented
unfortunate women. But there is so much
similarity about these tales, that they need not
be given here at any length, and it will be suffi-
cient to relate the most important, which is as
follows : —

A woman, whose son was possessed of an
evil spirit, once brought him to Mary, imploring
her to cure him. In answer to this appeal, the
Infant Saviour stretched out His hand and
touched the child, bidding the demon depart.
Thus adjured, Satan, in the form of a dog, left
the child, throwing him into convulsions. In
his writhing the sufferer struck Christ in the
side, on the very spot where He received the
cruel lance thrust at the time of the Crucifixion.

Such was the pain that the Christ Child felt

I'i

liil

ill:.

104 Legends of the Virgin and Christ.

that He wept aloud, until His mother comforted
Him. Then the grateful woman departed with
her son, Judas Iscariot, and he lived to betray
the Redeemer who had delivered him in vain
from the power of the Evil One.

It was also during that sojourn at Matarea
that the Holy Family were visited by a gypsy,
who begged to see the palm of the Christ Child.
She foretold the salient points of His career,
such as His baptism, temptation, ministry, trial,
and crucifixion, filling Mary's heart with anguish.

I ■'' I

i I m;

!lii

ill

II Mil"

ii!ii:iH

" Thy Son so well beloved
Thou once shalt see Him He,
Stretched out upon a cross
To suffer there and die."

JVe7v Ballad of Our Lady.

This legend, which was very popular in the
Middle Ages, and which is preserved in songs
which were sung in the sixteenth century, has
given rise to several noted pictures, where we
see the Christ Child with one or more gypsies.
In some versions of the ballad, the gypsy, in ex-
change for her prophecy, receives the guerdon
of true repentance and eternal life ; in others
several gypsies end by begging a coin to *' wet
their thirsty throats."

Artists have often used the Repose in Egypt

The Sojourn in Egypt,

105

n in vain

as theme for their pictures, and examples of this
subject are as varied as numerous. Besides
sometimes embodying one or more of the legends
related above, we often see the Christ Child
playing near His mother or Joseph, and fre-
quently He has, as companions or playmates, a
host of little child angels, generally supposed to
represent the Holy Innocents.

These little cherubs, whom some painters
represent more like Cupids than anything else,
are often busy playing with the shavings, or
picking up chips, and pretending to help Joseph
or Mary in their homely avocations. In the
background of the picture we often see some
scene from the Old Testament, or a foreshadow-
ing of the life which awaited the Redeemer upon
earth.

There are a few more legends which properly
belong to this epoch. For instance, we are
told that " Jesus was three years old, and when
He saw boys playing, He began to play with
them. And He took a dry fish and put it in a
basin, and ordered it to breathe, and it began
to breathe. And He said again to the fish : * Re-
ject the salt which thou hast, and move in the
water,' and so it came to pass."

The legends which depict the Christ Child as
a healer, comforter, and helper, in that they re-

io6 Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

':jii|!J |,i|

tain at least a faint sense of His mission upon
earth, and show some perception of His charac-
ter, are, however untrue, still not repulsive, but
a legend like the one above quoted, where it is
claimed that a miracle was performed as a pas-
time, shows how ignorant the people must have
been who could imagine such a thing in connec-
tion with His Name. There are, though, so
many legends of this kind, that, however false,
puerile, and even at times shocking, they may
be, it is impossible to have any idea of the
nediacval literature on this subject, unless they
are mentioned together with those which are
more pleasing.

Thus we are told that as Jesus passed through
the streets of a certain city, with Mary His
mother. He came upon the market-place, where
a teacher was instructing his pupils. The mas-
ter sat beneath a high wall, and was so absorbed
in his teaching that he paid no heed to a nest
full of sparrows quarrelling directly over his head,
until the birds fell into his lap. Jesus laughed
aloud at the master's dismay, and His rude
laughter so provoked the teacher's anger that
the latter drove him out of the town.

CHAPTER VI.

THE BOYHOOD OF CHRIST.

The return to Nazareth — Christ and St. John — The broken
pitcher — The children refuse to play — Tlie story of the
kids — The young king — Simon Zelotes — The seven
pools — The sparrows — Two boys slain — The wrathful
parents — The miracles — The education of Jesus — Zaccheus

— Levi — The fruit tree — The roof accident — The dead
babe — The sojourn at Jericho — The prain — The lions —
The bedstead — The throne — The sojourn at Capernaum

— The dead man restored — The sojourn at Bethlehem —
James cured — Tie mason — Christ's home life — The
dyer — The twelvr year old Christ at Jerusalem.

'T^HE sojourn of the Holy Family in Egypt,
-*• whether long or short, was ended by a
heavenly warning to Joseph, according to the
Scripture narrative, or by an angelic visitation
to Mary, as is stated in the legends. The Christ
Child was now old enough to walk, and although
the return journey must have been performed
nearly in the same way as the flight, artists
generally represent the Saviour as walking, and
sometimes even as leading the ass, or carrying
Joseph's bag of tools. The massacre of the

1 1

io8 Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

A it!'

Holy Innocents, which at times is introduced in
the background, is here intended to remind the
spectator of the cause for the hurried flight from
Palestine.

The Holy Family, as we know, had intended
to return to Bethlehem, but when Joseph *' heard
that rchelaus did reign in Judea in the room of
his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither;

notwithstanding,

being

warned of God in a

li >' :

dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee;
and he came and dwelt in a certain city called
Nazareth."

Tnis was, as we have seen, the native place
of the Virgin Mary, and while some comm> 'ita-
tors argue that the Holy Family went to dwell
in the rather palatial dwelling which she had
inherited from her father Joachim, others claim
that they lived in one of the rude huts, such as
were used in those days by the fisher folk among
whom they had come to dwell.

Here, while Joseph plied his trade as a car-
penter, and Mary looked after the household,
the boy Christ "grew and waxed strong in
spirit, filler with wisdom ; and the grace of
God was upon him." These few words contain
all the real information which has been vouch-
safed us concerning the boyhood of Our Lord.

This, in some respects, tantalizing brevity

The Boyhood of Christ,

109

leaves the field open for conjecture ; and while
some of us like to imagine the Saviour as spend-
ing a beautiful, healthy, and happy childhood,
in close communion with nature, quite like all
other children except in His perfect sinlessness,
the apocryphal and mediaeval writers have imag-
ined stories, grave and gay, poetical and puerile,
beautiful and malevolent, and have thus tried to
complete the biography of Christ. Were it not
for the evidently good intentions of those who
imagined these tales, and who sinned through
ignorance only, many of these stories would be
branded as sacrilegious, which, considered from
our point of view only, they undoubtedly are.

It has been a much discussed matter whether
St. John really was a playmate of Our Lord, as
so many artists have taken pleasure in represent-
ing him. This can never be positively decided,
and as Holy Families often include, besides the
Mother and Child, St. John, Elizabeth, Joseph,
and Zacharias, we are familiar with the two
children in art. Although in some pictures St.
John is represented as four or five years older
than his Master, he was His senior only by about
three months. St. John often holds a cross in
his hand, of which the shadow either falls behind
him, to show that the Crucifixion took place
after his death, or directly upon the Christ

%M.

I lo Legends of the Virgin and Christ.

Child, who sometimes stretches out His hand
for it as if to claim the cross as His own.

The children are seen in art playing together,
embracing each other, clinging to the Virgin's
knee, gathering flowers, going to school, or
running to fetch water from the fountain. One
legend relates that the Christ Child, in His
hurry to bring water to His mother, once broke
His pitcher. Undismayed by this accident. He
brought the water home in a corner of His robe,
or in the handkerchief which He, like all the
people around Him, wore on His head to pro-
tect Himself from the too ardent sun.

Another legend tells us that one day Christ
ran out in search of playmates. He soon came
to a group of merry children, but when He asked
them to play with Him they one and all refused,
because they had heard rumours of His strange
birth, and did not consider Him their equal.

** He said, * God bless you every one,
May Christ your portion be !
Little children, shall I play with you,
And you shrill play with Me ? '

*' But they jointly answered ' No ; *
They were lords' and ladies' sons.
And He, the meanest of them all,
Was born in an ox's stall.*'

Thi Holy Well

The Boyhood of Christ,

III

Grieved by this refusal, the Christ Child slowly
turned away and went home again, while His
tears dropped down "like water from the skies."
Running into the house, He told the whole
story to His mother, who — contrary to her
well known gentleness — bade Him make use
of His power to destroy the children who had
thus slighted Him.

" Sweet Jesus, go to yonder town,
As far as the Holy Well,
And take away those sinful souls.
And dip them deep in Hell."

The Holy Well.

But this advice was not followed by the Divine
Child. He dried His tears, made up His mind
to forget the insult, and forgave the children
whose refusal to share His games had caused
Him such a grievous disappointment.

" ' Nay, nay,* sweet Jesus mildly said,
* Nay, nay, that must not be ;
For there are too many sinful souls
Crying out for the help of Me.' "

The Holy WelL

On another occasion Jesus went down into
the village to play with the boys. As the latter
did not wish to share His games, they hid away
in the houses, telling their mothers not to reveal

112 Legends of the Virgin and Christ.

their hiding place. The Christ Child soon came
to the door of a house where several boys were
concealed, and asked the woman who stood on
the threshold where her children might be. She
promptly answered that she did not know, al-
though the suppressed titter of the children, and
their rustling in the straw where they were
hiding, were quite audible where she stood.
Gazing up into her face in wonder, the Christ
Child asked: **What is the noise I hear?"
Unabashed by this question, the woman said it
was only the kids rustling in the straw. Then
Jesus cried aloud : *'Come out here, O Kids,
to your shepherd." The rustle in the straw be-
came louder, and in a few minutes the woman
saw her children rush out into the street in the
shape of kids and begin to skip around the Lord.
In her terror the mother now besought Christ
to forgive the lie she had uttered, and restore
her children to their former condition. Ever
ready to forgive, the Lord Jesus therefore said :
** Come, boys, let us go and play ; " and imme-
diately, while the woman stood there, the kids
were changed back 'nto boys.

** Now in the month of Adar, Jesus assembled
the boys as if He were their king ; they strewed
their garments on the ground, and He sat upon
them. Then they put on His head a crown

The Boyhood of Christ.

iif3

wreathed of flowers, and like attendants wait-
ing on a king, they stood in order before Him
on His right hand and on His left."

** In month of Adar, Syrian boys
Playing in Nazareth, — as thou hast seen,—
With girdled frocks, striped tunics, and feet bare,
Found Him, and crowned Him with white lily-buds,
And put a stick of lilies in His hand,
And set Him on the hillside, bending knee
In merry worship, and macie whoso passed
Halt and bow lowly, crying : ' Hither come,
Worship our King, rbenwend upon thy way.*"

Sir Edwin Arnold : Light of the fVoridA

This pretty picture, which is preserved for us
in the Arabic Gospel of the Infancy, has never
yet, as far as I am aware, been used by artists,
although it is often alluded to by poets. The
latter add that the Christ Child held as sceptre
a slender reed, a shoot of the flowering almond,
a branch of lilies, or a spike of gladiolus.

When all was ready, the boys who acted as
ushers forced all those who passed along the
road to come and do homage to the king whom
they had chosen, before they would allow them
to pass along their way. Presently there came
two men carrying a boy who seemed dead.
This lad had gone into the forest, where, climb-

^ Funk and Wagnall.
8

114 ^g^^s of the Virgin and Christ,

'■''il'Hi.

III::,:.

ing a tall tree, he eagerly thrust his hand into a
nest to steal the eggs it contained.

But there was a poisonous serpent coiled up
in the centre of the nest, and it bit the boy, who
had only strength enough left to crawl down
from the tree. He lay upon the ground, like
one bereft jf life, when his relatives came in
search of him.

Notwithstanding the evident grief of the
bearers, the boys forced them to come and do
homage to Jesus. But He, learning the cause of
their sorrow, rose from his improvised throne,
and bidding them follow Him with the dead,
hastened to the spot where the accideni had
occurred.

Here Jesus, pausing at the foot of the tree,
called to the serpent, and at His voice it came
forth and did homage to Him. Then Jesus said :
*'Go and suck out all the venom which thou
hast infused in the boy." The serpent obeyed,
and when the operation was ended, the Lord
cursed the serpent, which was *' rent asunder,"
and stroking the child gently, restored him to
life. This boy was, we are told, Simon Zelotes,
who eventually became one of Christ's faithful
followers.

After a violent rain storm, the child Jesus
Oiice went to play near the banks of the Jordan,

M . : , H

The Boyhood of Christ,

115

where He made seven little pools in the mud,
and connected them by small channels. Then,
displeased with the turbid appearance of the
water, He cleared it with a word, and bade it
flow back and forth as He pleased.

Fascinated by this sight, the children of the
neighbourhood all gathered around Him, and
presently all began to fashion animals out of the
moist clay. The little ones were delighted with
their handiwork, until Jesus showed the superi-
ority of His, by making them alive at a word, or
changing them back into mere clay at His will.
Last of all, Jesus fashioned twelve clay sparrows,
which stood in a row before Him and with which
He was greatly pleased.

The children's pastime had not been un-
noticed however, and a Pharisee, shocked by
such garr.es on a Sabbath-day, went to Joseph
and inquired why he allowed the Child Jesus to
do that which was not lawful on the Sabbath-day.
Joseph hastened to the spot where his foster son
was playing, and addressing Jesus reproved Him
for not observing the Sabbath-day.

Jesus gazed up at him in wonder for a moment,
and then spreading out his hands, He said to the
sparrows : ** Retire aloft and fly ; ye shall find
death from no one." At these words the spar-
rows, or plovers, soared upward, and thj Ice-

ii6 Legends of the Virgin and Christ.

landic legend claims that they all chirped
deerrin or d/rnhin, which means '* glory," a cry
which they have repeated ever since.

" He made
Birds out of clay, and clapped His hands, and lo !
They chirruped, spread their wings, and flew away."

Sir Edwin Arnold: Light of the Worldy

The son of Annas, Hanani, or of a devil, as
he is variously termed in Apocryphal writings,
was standing by with a willow wand. He now
maliciously closed all the channels, so that the
water could not flow to and fro, or he broke
them open and allowed all the moisture to
escape.

When Jesus saw this wanton mischief. He was
very angry indeed, and cried : " Impious and
lawless one, how have the pools offended thee
and why hast thou emptied them ? Thou shalt
not finish thy journey, and shalt be withered
like the stick which thou holdest." This awful
curse was soon accomplished, for the child fell
down and expired. His terrified playmates then
ran to tell his parents, and Joseph, who hastened
down to the spot, took the Christ Child by the
shoulder, and led Him home. On the way
thither, another boy, also "a worker of in-

1 Funk and Wagnall.

The Boyhood of Christ,

117

iquity," jostled the Child Jesus so roughly that
He turned upon him, saying : " Thou shalt not
return whole from the way in which thou goest,"
and immediately he too fell down and died.

According to one account, Joseph took the
Christ Child by the ear and scolded Him
roundly ; according to another he liared not say
a word to Him, but begged Mary to reason
with Him and bring Him back to a better state
of feelings. While Mary was arguing with
Jesus, whom the legends, in their ignorant sim-
plicity, describe as sullen and revengeful, the
parents of the dead children came with the
corpses, which they laid at Mary's feet, uttering
loud complaints and accusations. The Christ
Child began by striking His accusers blind;
but, relenting after a while. He restored them
to sight and brought the children back to life.
The apocrypha describes the process of one of
these resurrections in these words: *'The same
hour Jesus took the dead child by the ear, and
held him up from the ground in the sight of all ;
and they saw Jesus talking with him as a father
with his son. And his spirit returned into him,
and he lived again." The account closes with
the appropriate remark, *' and they all mar-
velled," as everyone must, at their having dared
to imagine such tales in connection with One

hi;.: .
f 1!

If .

'''-■ ■' I ';

i'ii'i:

1 'I'li'iii

ii8 Legends of the Virgin and Christ.

whose life was full of forgiveness for all those
who injured Him, and whom they thus maligned,
although they recognized His divinity.

The people were so terrified at the power of
the Christ Child, that they implored Joseph and
Mary to go away, or to teach the Child to bless,
instead of blasting them with terrible curses
which took such prompt effect.

Now, while most of the legends say that Jesus
must have taken His first lessons at His mother's
knee, the apocrypha relates His experience with
several school-masters. For instance, we are
told in the apocrypha that Jesus was taken first
to Zaccheus, where He refused to learn His
letters or to repeat the law, saying, " I was be-
fore the law, thou shalt be instructed by Me."
Ana then, to the amazement of the teacher, He
repeated the letters which He had never learned,
and expounded their occult meaning in the fol-
lowing words, which are intentionally unintelligi-
ble : '* Hear Me, doctor, understand the first
letter. Observe how it hath two lines ; in the
middle, advancing, remaining, giving, scattering,
varying, menacing; threefold and doubly min-
gling ; like the mind at the same time having all
things common."

The astonishment of the teacher was further
increased when this uncanny pupil began to re-

I ' : ■,'!!

The Boyhood of Christ.

IT9

late how He had seen Abraham and Noah, and
that He was born before the world was made.
Zaccheus, in a quandary, then implored Joseph
to talce the Child away, declaring he could teach
Him nothing, and saying that he knew not
whether the pupil proposed to him was God or
an angel. Jesus, angry with this man for having
presumed to try and instruct Him, now struck
him dead with a word ere He returned home.

Jesus' next teacher, Levi, was much like the
first, and when Christ bade him explain the
hidden meaning of the letters he pretended to
teach, he remained dumb, and threatened his
pupil with ''a rod of thorax tree." Scorning
the threat, Jesus proceeded to give him also an
explanation as mysterious as the one quoted
above.

Levi, still more amazed than his predecessor,
now made a complete apology, and acknowledged
the divinity of his Scholar. This recognition of
His powers pleased the Christ Child, who pro-
claimed a general amnesty, saying: "Let the
unfruitful be fruitful, and the blind see, and the
lame walk well, and the poor enjoy good things,
and the dead live again, that in a restored con-
dition every one may return and abide in Him
who is the root of life and of perpetual sweet-
ness." At these words, all those who were ill,

120 Legends of the Virgin and Christ.

and all those whom He had stricken with blind-
ness, were restored, and even Zaccheus came
back to life.

During the first centuries of Christianity we
are told that pilgrims visited the school which
Christ attended, saw the A. B. C. book which
he had used, and gazed in awe upon a miraculous
beam upon which Me had once sat. This beam,
which could easily be moved by Christians,
could not be lifted by Jews or unbelievers, if
the account of a sixth century traveller is to be
believed.

It was during the sojourn in Nazareth that
Christ is said to have created a tree. The fruit
which immediately appeared upon it was dis-
tributed among His little playmates, who had
longed for such a treat, and whose tastes He
took pleasure in gratifying.

Once, when a whole troop of children were
playing on the usual flat roof of an oriental
house, one of their number was accidentally
pushed over the low parapet. He fell to the
ground, where he lay lifeless, and his terrified
playmates fled. Jesus was standing by him
when the parents came in haste, and accused
Him of having pushed the child over and thus
caused his death. Jesus did not reply a word
to this storm of accusations, but remained

The Boyhood of Christ,

121

obstinately silent until Mary implored Him to
speak and tell them that He was not to blame
for the accident.

Turning to the dead child, Christ now ad-
dressed him by name, saying, *'Zeno! (for so
his name was called) rise and tell me ; did I cast
thee down i* " And immediately he rose and
said, " Nay, Lord, Thou hast not cast me down,
but raised me up." The parents, overjoyed at
seeing their child alive once more, and as well
as ever, departed, blessing the Lord, who had
done such a miracle in their favour.

Some time after, Christ heard a woman wail-
ing over the body of her dead babe. Touched
by her sorrow, Jesus laid His hand upon the
infant, saying: 'M say unto thee, babe, do not
die, but be with thy mother;" and the child, re-
stored to health, smiled in its mother's arms.

Although, as we have seen, some of these
imaginary miracles were benevolent and in keep-
ing with what we know of Christ's character,
the remainder were so uncanny that the people
again asked Mary and Joseph to go a vay, and
they went to dwell at Jericho.

Here the Child went out with his foster-tather
to sow corn ; but while Joseph sowed a measure
of grain, Jesus sowed one single seed. This,
however, grew and multiplied so rapidly that the

122 Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

Christ Child, having reaped and threshed the
grain, ** made a hundred quarters of it," which
He bestowed upon all the neighbouring poor.

On the road which led from Jericho to the
Jordan, there was then a cave where a lioness had
taken up her abode with her cubs. This raven-
ous beast was the terror of the whole country
side, and many people lost their lives in trying
to pass along the road or to slay her. The
Christ Child, who was then only eight years of
age, resolved to put an end to this state of
affairs, and He marched fearlessly down the
road, followed at a safe distance by the awe-
struck people. They, of course, expected to
see the lioness pounce upon Him and tear Him
limb from limb ; but, to their intense surprise,
the wild beasts all fawned upon Him.

While they caressed Him, Christ turned to the
wondering people and said, "How much better
than you are the beasts, which recognize and
glorify their Lord ; and ye men, who are made
in the image and likeness of God, know Him
not. Beasts acknowledge Me, and grow gentle ;
men see Me, and know Me not."

This speech ended, Christ bade the lions
follow Him, and led them down to the Jordan,
whose waters parted on the self-same spot where
the ark had been carried over in the days of

'fti

The Boyhood of Christ,

123

Joshua so many centuries before. Jesus thus
led the lions across the river to the desert, on the
other side, where He dismissed them, saying,
*' Go in peace."

I As has already been stated, Joseph was a car-
penter. He seems, moreover, to have been a
nad bungler at his trade, for in the apocrypha
we constantly find him making mistakes, which
the Child Jesus rectifies by miracles. With a
touch Jesus seems to have filled the edges which
refused to meet, and smoothed the rough places.
Several anecdotes relating such miracles have
been preserved for us. For instance, we hear
that Joseph, called upon to make a bedstead for
a certain ruler, went with the Child into the
forest in search of the necessary timber. When
the pieces were ready, Joseph discovered that
one was much shorter than the other, and began
to bewail his lost labour. But the Christ Child
bade him not give way to despair, saying,
*' Come, let us take hold of the ends of each
piece of wood, and lay them together end for
end, and let us pull them toward us, for we
shall be able to make them equal." Joseph
obeyed, and after a little vigorous tugging, the
board, miraculously lengthened, was just the
right size for the required bedstead.
Shortly after this occurrence, Joseph was

124 Legends of the Virgin and Christ.

commissioned to make a throne for the king of
Jerusalem, and given the exact dimensions of the
place it was to occupy. Two whole years of
constant labour were spent in carving this
throne ; but when it was completed it p> oved
too short to fit the required space. Joseph was
in despair. Fearing he had lost the proceeds
of two whole years of work, he went to bed in
sorrow, after refusing to partake of any food.
The Christ Child, seeing his evident grief, in-
quired what caused it, and having learned the
whole story. He bade Joseph seize one end of
the throne, grasped the other Himself, and
pulled until it had stretched to the right length.
As the Christ Child was such an efficient
helper, it is no wonder that Joseph took Him
with him wherever he went, so that He might
remedy his manifold mistakes.

" Afterwards, people told
Strange tales of those hid days, — how, at His toil,
Touching a plank, it stretched to rightful length,
Or shortened at His will, — the dead wood quick
To live again and serve Him.*'

Sir Edwin Arnold: Light of the Worlds

We next hear of the Holy Family as settled
at Capernaum, where a man was taken violently

*■ Funk and Wagnall.

Tlje Boyhood of Christ.

125

ill and soon died. Hearing the lament for the
dead, Christ now bade Joseph take the hand-
kerchief off his own head and lay it upon the
face of the corpse, saying, ** Christ save thee."
Joseph obeyed, and the man was restored to his
happy family. It may be this story which gave
rise to the mediaeval belief in the curative powers
of Joseph, as well as of Joachim.

While the Holy Family dwelt for some time
at Bethlehem, Joseph sent James out into the
garden to gather herbs to make pottage. Jesus
accompanied his brother, and was playing near
him when He suddenly heard James utter a
cry of pain. Looking up, the Christ Child saw
that a viper, hidden under the leaves, had bitten
James, whose hand was already swelling fast.
To spring forward, grasp the injured member,
and breathe gently upon it was the work of a
moment. As the breath of the Holy Child fell
upon his wound, James felt it heal, and when
he turned around in search of the viper he saw
it dead at his feet.

On another occasion Jesus and James went
out into the woods to tie faggots. Here James
accidentally cut his foot with the axe, and he
would have bled to death had he not been mira-
culously cured by his little brother. A similar
tale is also told of a woodcutter, who, accord-

126 Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

ing to some legends, actually died from loss of
blood, and was restored to life by the Christ
Child.

One day there was a great clamour in the
small town where the Holy Family lived, for a
man had fallen from a house which he was build-
ing and had been killed. Jesus arose and went to
the scene of the accident. There He took tiie
dead man by the hand, and cried : " I say unto
thee, man, arise, and do thy work." At these
words the m'm arose and after worshipping Him
returned to his unfinished labours.

The apocryphal gospels further tell us that
whenever Joseph and Mary made a feast, none
of their guests dared touch the food until the
Holy Child had broken and blessed it and par-
taken of it first. If at any time He refused to
come to His meals, the family could not eat, and
all fasted as long as He was not there to share
the food with them. Thus, His relatives, ** hav-
ing His life before their eyes as a light, regarded
and feared Him. And when Jesus slept, whether
by day or by night, the brightness of God shone
on Him."

Many writers claim that Jesus' '* brethren,"
as they are called in the Scriptures, were not
Joseph's sons by a previous marriage, but rather
his nephews. Other authorities state that they

The Boyhood of Christ.

127

were related to Our Lord through Hir. mother,
because Anna, the wife of Joachim, cither be-
fore she married this worthy, or after his death,
had had two other husbands Cleopas and Salome.
From these three unions we are told that Anna
had three daughters, all called Mary, and while one
was the Mother of Christ, the others were called
Mary Cleopas, and Mary the wife of Zebedee.

A curious legend is related to account for a
custom, still prevalent in Persia, of calling all
dyeing establishments '* Christ Shops." It seems
that when Our Lord wn^v only a boy, He once
ran into the shop of Salem, the dyer. There lie
saw a heap of garments to be dyed and flung
them all into a vat full of Indian blue. When
the dyer returned after a momentary absence,
and saw what mischief the Christ Child had
done, he wrung his hands in despair, for the
garments had been sent to him that he might
dye them in various colours according to the
owners' taste. Jesus, seeing the dyer's sorrow,
bade him dry his tears, and added : ** Of what-
ever cloth thou wishest the colour changed, I
will change it for thee." Then, while Salem
stood there beside Him, He drew the garments
out of the blue dye, but they came out of what-
ever colour the dyer wished, and all " who saw
this miracle and prodigy praised God."

128 Legends of the yirgin and Christ.

The boyhood of Christ closes with the event-
ful journey to Jerusalem which is recorded in
the Scriptures. The legends add but few de-
tails to this scene, and only state that the Christ
Child astonished all the rabbis by His great
learning, not only in the law and prophecies,
but in all the sciences, He expounding to them
" the number of the spheres and celestial bodies,
and their natures and operations, their opposi-
tion, trine, quartile, and sextile aspect, their
direct course and retrogression, degrees and the
sixtieths of degrees, and other things which rea-
son does not attain unto."

After He had been found in the temple by
Joseph and Mary, the gospels tell us that Christ
returned to Nazareth, and was "subject" unto
his parents, and that He " increased in wisdom
and stature, and in favour with God and man."
Some legends add that after twelve He became
a Rabbi, and taught openly in the synagogue,
but others aver that He lived a quiet and retired
life, labouring hard at His work as a carpenter.
In proof of this assertion the early Christians
showed carefully-preserved ox-yokes, and rude
utensils which they claimed had been made by
Our Lord.

/ent-
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r de-
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great
;cies,
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le by

CHAPTER Vir.

THE MINISTRY OF CHRIST.

History of Joseph the Carpenter — Joseph warned of death —
Joseph's request — Mary's plea to Christ — The angels
receive Joseph's soul — Joseph shrouded — The burial of
Joseph — Christ's promise — Christ the cari .'.e; -The
Shadow of the Cross — The Baptism — The Tcinp ion —
The wedding at Cana — The wine measur Tiij goose

— The woodpecker — The Virgin's terror - . 'oi / of Abgar

— Description of Christ — The parting of Ot st and His
Mother — The Passion Play — The birth o Tudas — Crimes
and repentance of Judas — The treachery i judas — The
death of Judas — Judas in hell — The colour of Judas —
The seamen and Judas — Leonardo da Vinci's Judas.

TT was probably some time during the early
^ manhood of Christ that Joseph died. The
Scriptures make no mention of this event, but
we have a detailed account of it in a curious
work entitled " History of Joseph the Carpen-
ter.'* This is supposed to contain the account
given by Our Lord himself, after the resurrec-
tion, while He sat on the Mount of Olives,
instructing His chosen disciples.

130 Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

This document is of such great antiquity that
it is believed to have existed already in the
second century of our era. It relates the first
marriage of Joseph at forty, his conjugal life
during forty-nine years, his short period of
mourning, and his second marriage to Mary,
whom he sheltered two whole years, before he
was called upon to be the protector of the In-
fant Saviour.

By a miraculous dispensation of Providence,
Joseph the Carpenter " laboured under no in-
firmity of body, his sight failed not, and no tooth
in his mouth decayed, nor was he ever insane
in mind in all his life ; but, like a youth, he
always displayed juvenile vigour in his affairs,
and his members remained whole and free from
all pain.''

When he attained the advanced age of one
hundred and eleven years, and his life had
'* been prolonged to the utmost limit," the arch-
angel Michael made known to him that the
hour of death was drawing near. Troubled
by this announcement, Joseph went down to
Jerusalem, and having gone into the temple,
he fervently prayed that God would send down
the archangel Michael, to attend upon his soul
and body until they parted company. He also
asked that his guardian angel might not forsake

The Ministry of Christ,

'31

him, until he had been brought safely before the
Judgment throne.

When Joseph reached home again, the shadow
of death began to hover over him, and he became
very ill. Mary, seeing his suffering, and per-
ceiving that he was about to die, now begged
her Son to save him. But Jesus, looking down
upon her with infinite compassion, gently an-
swered : " O my mother, most loving, surely
upon all creatures which are born in this world,
lieth the same necessity of dying ; for death
hath dominion over all the human race. Thou
also, O my virgin mother, must expect the
same end of life with all other mortals. Never-
theless, thy death, as also the death of this pious
man, is not death, but perennial life forever.
But it behoveth me too to die, as respects the
body which I received from thee. But arise,
O my venerable mother, go and enter to Joseph,
the blessed old man, that thou mayest see what
happeneth when his soul goes up from his body."

Thus adjured Mary went back to her place
at Joseph's bedside, where she sat holding his
hand, and anxiously awaiting the end. Christ,
too, shared this painful watch, and placing His
hand upon Joseph's breast He finally '' perceived
his soul already near his throat preparing to
depart from its receptacle." This strange state-

132 Legends of the yirgin and Christ.

ment is made on the strength of an ancient belief
which was still current several centuries after
the beginning of our era, that the soul, clad in
the material form of a tiny new-born infant, a
bird, or even a mouse, escaped through the
mouth at the moment of death.

After Joseph had taken an a(Tectionate fare-
well of ail his family, he bewailed his sinfulness
and cursed every part of his body, from his eyes,
'* which have looked upon offence," to his feet,
** which have too often walked in ways dis-
pleasing to God." His children, Mary, and
Jesus, who were all standing around him, wept
aloud and lamented.

Christ alone was not so overcome by His
sorrow, that He could not notice what was
happening, and looking up suddenly He saw
** Death now coming, and all Gehenna with it,
crowded with its hosts and attendants ; and
their garments, faces, and mouths cast out fire."
Joseph too perceived the infernal legions, and
groaned so loud that Christ earnestly prayed
His Father to send down the angels Michael
and Gabriel, with all the heavenly host, to
drive away the demons and take possession of
the good man's soul.

In answer to this appeal the angels came,
wrapped Joseph's soul in a garment of dazzling

The Ministry of Christ.

133

belief
s after
:lad in
fant, a
gh the

e fare-
fulness
s eyes,
is feet,
ys dis-
■y, and
1, wept

by His
lat was
saw
ith it,
and
fire."
IS, and
Drayed
ichael
St, to
ion of

came,
azzling

purity, and carried it ofT to heaven. By Christ's
command some of the angels also wrapped his
body in a miraculous winding-sheet, so that it
should never see corruption. The chief men of
the place, coming a few moments later to per-
form this pious duty, were unable to unfasten
this shroud, which adhered to the body like iron,
and in which they could find no edges.

The friends now bore Joseph to his last rest-
ing-place in the sepulchre of his fathers. When
they returned home, Jesus, remembering all the
good man had done for Him in His helpless
infancy, promised that his body should be pre-
served entire until the millennium, pronounced
his eulogy, and added the folloving words :
'* And whatever mortal is mindful of the obla-
tion on the day of thy memorial, him will I
bless and reward in the congregation of virgins.
And whoever giveth to the wretched, and
poor, and widows, and orphans, of the work
of his hands on the day when thy memory is
celebrated, and in thy name, he shall not be
without good all the days of his life. Whoever,
also, shall offer to drink a cup of water or of
wine to the widow or orphan in thy name, I
will give him to thee, that thou mayest go in
wifh him to the banquet of a thousand years.
And jvery man that shall attend to the oblation

1 34 Legethis of the Virgin and Christ.

on the day of thy commemoration, I will bless
him, and give him a recompense in the church
of virgins ; I will return him (I say) thirty,
sixty, and one hundred for one. And whoso-
ever writeth the history of thy life, thy labour,
and thy departure from this world, and this dis-
course delivered by my mouth, I will commit
him to thy guardianship while he shall remain in
this life. And when his soul departeth from his
body, and when he must leave this world, I will
bun the book of his sins, nor will I torment
him with any punishment in the day of judg-
nent ; but he ^^n\\ cross the fiery sea, and shall
traverse it without difficulty and pain. This is
incumbent upon every needy man who cannot
do any of the things which I have mentioned, —
that if a son is born to him, he shall call his name
Joseph. So neither poverty nor sudden death
shall have place in that house forever."

Needles'^ to state that the above account of
the death of Joseph, from which we have quoted
freely to give an idea of the quaintness of the
work in which it is recorded, has never been
believed by any religious sect. The Roman
Catholics honour Joseph as a saint, and keep the
anniversary of his death on the 19th of March,
but they only venture to conjecture that Joseph
died a holy and peaceful death, cared for to

The Ministry of Christ.

135

the very end by his Virgin spouse and adopted
Son.

" Thrice happy saint of God, whose dying breath
Was poured forth in the fond encircling arms
Of Jesus and of Mary, glorious death,
That knew no fears, no terrors, or alarms.*'

D. French, Tr. : Hymn to St. Joseph.

Tradition relates that from the time of Joseph's
death until the beginning of His public career,
Christ, now the sole breadwinner of the little
family, laboured hard at His trade as a carpenter.
This natural conclusion, which has sanctified man-
ual work in our eyes, has encouraged artists to
represent Our Lord in the humble carpenter shop
at Bethlehem. In one of these pictures, Mary,
gazing at the gifts of the Magi, the crown, sceptre,
and censer of gold, and musing upon the many
strange things which had occurred and which all
seemed to point toward an unusual destiny for
her only Son, suddenly raises her head to look
at Him. It is just the iiour of evening prayer,
and the weary Saviour, with hands and eyes up-
raised, is holding silent communion with His
heavenly Father.

Mary looks upon Him with reverent awe for
a moment, and then cowers down terrified, for
the setting sun has cast His shadow against the

136 Legends of the Virgin and Christ.

wall, where the joists and tools help to form a
ghastly representation of the coming Crucifixion.
The shadow of the crown of gold assumes the
appearance of the spiked crown of thorns, while
the sceptre looks like the fatal lance, and the
censer like the vessel in which the guards gave
Him vinegar to drink.

" One eve, they say,
The shadow of His outstretched arms, cast strong
By sun-down's low-shot light, painted a cross
Black on the wall ; and Mary, trembling, drew
Her garment o'er the lattice. But He spake :
" Near unto me is near to loss and death,
And far from me is far from Life and gain."

Sir Edwin Arnold: The Light of the World >

The legends are strangely silent concerning
these years of preparation ; even the beginning
of His ministry and the Baptism in the Jordan
are left in nearly all their Scriptural brevity and
dignity. The only legendary additions to the
account of the Baptism are that the angels were
present and held His garments, and that as He
came up out of the waters they were changed
into a mass of glowing fire.

The scene of the temptation was, however,
so congenial to the minds of early writers,

1 Funk and Wagnall.

SHADOW OF DKAIH. (Hoi.man Hunt.)

The iVUnistry of Christ,

^i7

that they have preatly enlarged upon »t, and
have depicted Christ subject to as many and
peculiar temptations as St. Anthony during his
sojourn in the desert. The ministering of the
angels at the end of the forty days' fast, is also
related with all the realistic simplicity of the
Middle Ages, and there are several old pictures
which represent Christ as being led to a board
sumptuously spread with all manner of tempting
viands, and with such mediaeval luxuries as pea-
cocks served up in all the glory of their bril-
liant plumage. This scene, introducing the devil
whose tricks always pleased the public, was one
of the favourite parts in the old miracle play, of
which we give a fragment here in all its quaint-
ness of language and orthography : —

" Lo, how saye ye now ? is not here a pleasant sight ?
If ye wyll, ye maye here have all the world's clelyght.
Here is to be seane the kyngedom cf Arabye,
With all the regyons of Affryck, Europe and Asye,
And their whole delightes, their pompe, their rnagnify-

cencc.
Their ryches, their honour, their welth, their concupy-

scence,
Here is golde and sylver in wonderful! habum' unce,
Sylkes, velvetes, tyssues, with wynes and b^jyces of

plesaunce :
Here are fayre women, of countenance ameable,
With all kyndes of meales to the body dylectable :

138 Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

Here are camels, stoute horses, and mules that never

wyll tyre,
With so many pleasures as your heart can desyre."

JoHAN Bale: Christ's Temptation,

The Scriptures mention the fact that Mary
was present at the wedding at Cana, and tradi-
tion adds that ihe bride and groom were John
the Evangelist and Mary Magdalene, who im-
mediately after the feast devoted themselves
entirely to the service of Christ, leading the
austere lives of a monk and nun.

Some Roman Catholics aver that the time for
the public manifestation of Christ's power had
not yet come, but that constrained, as it were,
by His mother's wishes He was forced to anti-
cipate it. " Thus it was that the Blessed Virgin
had the first fruits of the miracles of her divine
Son, and that her ".ntercession caused even the
will of God to bend in her favour." Because
Mary's prayers thus prevailed upon this one
occasion, her worshippers still credit them with
CMiual power at all times, and hence consider
her as a powerful mediator.

As Christ sometimes passed out of Galilee,
and once even visited Perea and the land there-
about, where He preached the Gospel to the
Cv.^'^tiles, mediaeval writers have liked to imagine

The Ministry of Christ,

139

that He wandered still further afield, and even
visited the principal parts of Europe. Hence
there are extant a number of traditions, connect-
ing His name with some noted place or subject.

Among these peculiar fancies we have, for
instance, a Moselle legend, where we are told
that Christ once wandered along the banks of
this picturesque stream, accompanied by His
small but devoted band of disciples. It was in
summer, the heat was overpowering, and as
they came within sight of the town of Coblentz,
situated at the junction of the Rhine and Moselle,
Christ sat down by the roadside, and bade Peter
go to the city, and purchase a measure of wine
so that they might all drink and be refreshed.

Provided with a small sum, taken from Judas'
jealously guarded purse, Peter sped on to the inn,
where he bought a wooden measure filled to the
very brim with wine of the country's growth.
Peter immediately set out on his return journey,
but he had scarcely taken a few steps, when the
wine overflowed, and a few drops of the refresh-
ing draught fell down upon the dry sand of the
road, where they were quickly absorbed.

The waste of such good wine seemed nothing
less than wicked to Peter, and reasoning that it
would be far better to drink the surplus than to
lose it thus, he applied his parched lips to the

140 Legends of the Virgin and Christ.

rim of the vessel. His thirst was so great that
he drew a deeper draught than he intended, and
when he raised his head he perceived, with dis-
may, that the measure no longer seemed full.
In his anxiety to conceal his wrong-doing, and
afraid lest the Master should comment upon
the space between the wine and the top of the
vessel, Peter now had recourse to his knife, and
carefully pared down the measure until it again
seemed quite full. Then he resumed his journey.
After a few steps, however, the wine again over-
flowed ; the same reasoning took place, and
Peter's thirsty lips made such a difference in the
contents of the vessel, that he was again forced
to resort to his knife.

Thus sipping and snipping, Peter continued
his way, and by the time he reached his com-
panions, the measure was reduced tj such small
dimensions, that only a tiny draught of wine re-
mained in the now shallow vessel. The Saviour
gazed at it for a moment in silence, and then
calmly remarked, *' What miserably small mea-
sures the people here sell!" Then He added
that as there was barely enough wine in the ves-
sel to moisten the lips of a single person, Peter
might keep it as his share, for he liked the taste
of the native vintage, as the drops of wine still
clinging to his beard plainly testified.

*!'

!! . i,

ist.

The Ministry of Christ,

141

^jreat that
ided, and
with dis-
med full.
oJng, and
lent upon
op of the
^nife, and
il it again
IS journey,
gain over-
ilace, and
nee in the
;ain forced

[Continued
his corn-
such small
wine re-
le Saviour
and then
mall mea-
He added
n the ves-
5on, Peter
d the taste
wine still

I. %

"While the crestfallen Peter withdrew to one
side, to drink the wine allotted to him, the
Redeemer called the disciples around Him, and
by a miracle provided generously for all their
wants. Ever since this occurrence the people
along the banks of the Moselle have used shal-
low measures for their wine, and these vessels
have always been called, *' Miserabelchen,"
or miserable little things, in memory of the
contemptuous epithet applied to them by Our
Lord.i

Another legend relates that Christ and his
disciples, in the course of one of the excursions
in Germany, once came to an inn, where there
was no food to be had except a lonely goose
still waddling near the door. The innkeeper
offered to serve this fowl for their breakfast
upon the morrow, and when one of the disciples
discontentedly muttered that the bird would
scarcely be enough for a single guest, Our
Lord exclaimed : '* Very well, the goose shall
be the portion of the one among you who
dreams the best dream."

The weary disciples now retired, and anxious
to woo the desired dream they were soon sound
asleep. All slept heavily, except Judas, who,

^ See the author^s Legends of the Rhine. A. S. Barnes
& Co.

142 Legends of the l^irgin and Christ.

:\ i

:> 11

■ i:

after thinking over the few chances in his favour,
fancied that it would be better to make sure
of the goose by killing and eating it overnight.
Without waking his companions, he softly went
in search of the fowl, which he deftly killed,
plucked, and cooked, and when he had eaten it
he went back to bed.

Early the next morning Judas was awakened
by the clatter of the disciples' tongues, for they
were all eagerly relating their dreams, and each
loudly claimed that his was the best. After
listening to their dispute for some time in silence,
Judas said, '* Hold, friends, my dream was the
best of all, for methought I ate the goose."

The disciples were not ready to acknowledge
his claim, and went in search of the disputed
fowl. Of course they could not find it, and
when they finally discovered its feathers and
bones, Judas calmly remarked : " I told you
my dream was the best, and I am now inclined
to think that it was a reality."

Another very peculiar legend is told in Nor-
way, in connection with the red-crested black
woodpecker. It is as follows : Once when Our
Lord and St. Peter were wandering together
upon earth, they came to the house of a woman
who was busy baking her bread. This woman
was named Gertrude ; she was remarkably quick

The Ministry of Christ,

143

in all her movements, aiid flitted hither and
thither in her kitchen, in her trim dress and with
a bright-red hood upon her head.

Looking in at the open door, Christ begged
this woman to bake a little loaf for Him, be-
cause He and His companion had tasted no food
since early morning and were nearly famished.
Gertrude glanced at the Saviour, and then taking
a very small pinch of dough, she deftly moulded
it into a tiny loaf, which she set on the fire to
bake. To her surprise it swelled out and grew
so large that it soon filled the whole pan.

The woman thought such a loaf far too large
for alms, so she set it aside, and taking a smaller
piece of dough, baked a second loaf, which
turned out even larger than the first. This too
was reserved for her own family, while she made
a third attempt to bake a very small loaf. When
that failed also, the grasping woman said to the
Saviour: " You must go without alms, for all
my bakings are too large for you."

This niggardliness so incensed Our Lord, that
He turned upon the woman and said : ** Because
thou gavest me nothing, thou shalt for a punish-
ment become a little bird, shalt seek thy dry food
between the wood and the bark, and drink only
when it rains."
. 'Hardly were these words spoken when the

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144 Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

woman was transformed into a woodpecker
(known in Norway as the Gertrud Bird). She
flew away through the kiichen chimney, where
the soot made her dress very black, but did not
dim the bright scarlet of her hood. Since then,
the woodpecker constantly taps the bark of the
trees with its strong bill, to secure its suste-
nance, and its harsh cry or whistle is a call for
rain, so that it can quench the thirst which can-
not else be satisfied.

The authentic narrative of Our Lord^s sayings
and doings is too well known to require any
mention here, and the legends have ventured
to add but little to the Bible account. Some
commentators are of the opinion that the Virgin
Mary, with a few other devoted women, fol*
lowed Him throughout His ministry, but others
suppose that she remained at home, where her
Son visited her from time to time.

She was, we are told, warned of Christ's peril
when the angry people of Nazareth led Him to
the brow of the hill upon which their city was
built, with the avowed intention of casting Him
down headlong. Trembling with fear, Mary ran
thither as fast as she could, but, overcome by her
emotions, she sank fainting upon a spot which
is still dedicated to '* Our Lady del Tremore."

The fame of Christ's miracles had in the

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The Ministry of Christ.

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Jpeckcf
). She
, where
, did not
ice then,
k of the
ts suste-
1 call for
hich can*

's sayings
quire any

ventured
nt. Some
the Virgin
omen, fol*
but others

where her

hrist's peril
ed Him to
ir city was
asting Him
r, Mary ran
come by her

spot which
Tremore/'

had in the

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mean time spread far and wide, and had even
come to the ears of Abgar, or Abgarus, king
of Macedonia. This monarch, suffering keenly
from an incurable disease, now penned a letter
to Christ, imploring Him to come to his aid,
and offering to share his throne with Him.
This epistle, which is preserved in the apocrypha,
tnd which Eusebius and some modern writers
consider genuine, was entrusted to the care
of Ananias, a painter. The messenger hastened
to Palestine, delivered the letter, and Christ,
touched by Abgar's evident faith, wrote an
answer, promising to send one of His disciples
to Edessa after His ascension.

Ananias, hoping to give his master some
idea of the beauty of Christ's countenance,
once tried to sketch His portrait while He
was exhorting the multitude as usual. The
Redeemer, noticing the painter's vain efforts,
and perceiving that he was dazzled by the
radiance of His countenance, now called Ananias
to Him, Then, taking either the canvas upon
which the painter had fruitlessly striven to
paint His features, or a cloth. He wiped His
face upon it. The painter, receiving this cloth
from the hands of the Redeemer, was surprised
to see that it bore a perfect imprint of His
divine countenance.

146 Legends of the yirgin and Christ,

iUi

The legend goes on to relate that Ananias
departed with this relic ; but, becoming afraid
of it for some mysterious reason, he buried it
under a heap of rubbish lying by the road-side.
PeoplQ passing by became aware of a strange
yet steady light which shone forth from the
rubbish, and upon seeking to ascertain what
produced it, they found the cloth. The bricks
lying near it were now seen to bear the same
imprint of Our Lord's face. Some writers
claim that the cloth given by Christ to Ananias,
and preser ed at Rome or Genoa, cured Abgar
as soon as he gazed upon it ; but others assert
that the king was healed only when Thaddeus
came to him, as Christ had promised. Abgar
was not only cured, but he became an enthu-
siastic convert, and his city was one of the
strongholds of the new faith. Christ^s letter
to Abgar, which is also preserved in the
apocrypha, is undoubtedly a forgery, although
there is some cause to think that Abgar may
have been the author of the epistle ascribed
to him.

The oldest description now extant of Christ's
physical appearance is that contained in the
apocrypha, and purporting to have been written
by Lentulus, a contemporary of the Redeemer,
and an eye-witness of some of His miracles.

ist,

Ananias
ig afraid
Duried it
oad-side.
1 strange
from the
ain what
he bricks
the same
e writers
> Ananias,
red Abgar
icrs assert
Thaddeus
:d. Abgar
an enthu-
ne of the
st's letter
d in the
, although
^bgar may
ascribed

of Christ's
led in the
en written
Redeemer,
s miracles.

The Ministry of Christ,

147

The description is interesting, if not authentic>
and runs thus: "There has appeared in our
times a man of tall stature, beautiful, with a
venerable countenance, which they who look
on it can both love and fear. His hair is wav-
ing and crisp, somewhat wine-coloured, and
glittering as it flows down over His shoulders,
with a parting in the middle, after the manner
of the Nazarenes. His brow is smooth and
most serene ; His face is without any spot or
wrinkle, and glows with a delicate flush. His
nose and mouth are of faultless contour ; the
beard is abundant and hazel-coloured like His
hair, not long but forked. His eyes are pro-
minent, brilliant, and change their colour. In
denunciation. He is terrible, calm and loving
in admonition, cheerful but with unimpaired
dignity. He has never been seen to laugh,
but oftentimes to weep. His hands and limbs
are beautiful to look upon. In speech He is
grave, reserved, modest, and He is fair among
the children of me) .''

Strangely at variance with this description,
to which artists have more or less conformed,
is the belief, current at one time among
Christians, that Jesus was ill-favoured, de-
formed, and utterly wanting in all outward
graces or attractions. Fortunately for art, this

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148 Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

fashion soon died out, and artists have since
striven to represent the beauty of the bodily
temple of the One who was *'all glorious
within."

It is supposed that before starting out upon
His last eventful journey to celebrate the Pass-
over at Jerusalem, Christ took an affectionate
leave of His Virgin mother. She was very sad,
for she felt that the time was near, when the
sword prophesied by the aged Simeon would
pierce her breast. The parting scene, often
represented in art, was also incorporated in
the Mysteries, or religious plays, which were
current until the time of Shakespeare, and
which, in a very modified form, still subsist
in the Passion Play given at Oberammergau
every ten years. This dramatic presentation
of the Life and Suffering of Our Lord, is
given by the peasants of the community, with
the deepest feelings of reverence, in conse-
quence of a vow made in 1634, at the time
when an awful plague was causing great rava-
ges in the village and neighbourhood. The
vow has been faithfully kept, and every ten
years the Passion Play has been given there,
in an open-air theatre constructed for that ex-
press purpose.

With the increased facilities for travel, throngs

I since
bodily

rlorious

at upon
le Pass-
ctionate
ery sad,
rhen the
n would
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irated in
ich were
are, and

II subsist

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sentalion

Lord, is

ity, with

fin conse-
the time
eat rava-
,d. The
;very ten
en there,
that ex-

CHRIST TAKES LEAVE OF HIS MOTHER. (Plockhorst.)

jl, throngs

The Ministry of Christ. 149

of people from all countries have hastened thither
for all the representations, and we have descrip-
tions of the play and of the impression which it
produces upon the spectators, from the pens of
several able writers. The scene of the final
parting between Mother and Son is, it seems,
particularly affecting, and while it is taking place
the chorus sings : —

" Ah, they come, the parting hours !
Deepest wounds they now inflict,

Mary, on thy heart I
Ah, thy Son must leave thee now
On the cross to faint, to die ; —
"Who can weigh the mother's woe ? "

Passion Play at Oberammergau,

Many legends are connected with the closing
scenes of Our Lord's career upon earth. They
h«ve served as themes for poets and painters,
and are hence worthy of notice, although they
jar upon modern taste. The creations of the
fertile brains of long successions of pilgrims,
preachers, and minstrels, who were debarred
from access to the Scriptures by the rarity of
manuscript copies, — these tales, which at first
seem very irreverent, were the natural outcome
of the prevalent ignorance.

As the Last Supper is one of the most impor-

150 Legends of the yirgin and Christ.

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tant events of Our Lord's life at this epoch, and
came so soon after the parting at Nazareth,
and the triumphant entrance into Jerusalem,
many traditions have naturally been connected
with it.

The personality, for instance, of one of the
guests, Judas, is brought forcibly to our notice.
Except in direct connection with his heinous
crime, Judas is seldom mentioned in the Scrip-
tures ; but where the inspired writers remained
silent, the legends delight in furnishing many a
grewsome detail. Judas' betrayal of the Lord
deservedly made him a by-word, and poets
and painters have constantly vied with one
another in depicting him in the most repulsive
colours.

As nothing seemed too bad to say or write of
this traitor, the minstrels and playwrights of the
Middle Ages gave their imagination free play,
and combining all the most horrible incidents
found in the classical literature of the heathen
world, they gradually evolved the following
legend, or series of legends, about him.

Judas, the traitor, belonged by birth to the
tribe of Reuben, and even before he came into
the world his mother dreamt that her child
would be accursed. Like CEdipus, he was to
murder his father and marry his mother ; but

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The Ministry of Christ,

X5I

instead of causing the downfall of his native
country, like his prototype, Judas was destined
to sell his God.

Terrified by this awful dream, the woman
hastened to impart it to her husband, and to-
gether they decided that it would be wiser that
the child should perish, than live to finish such
an unenviable career. When the child was born
they had not the courage to kill him themselves,
but entrusted him to a servant who exposed him
in a cask or chest, like Perseus, to the fury of
the waves. The sea, however, refused to keep
Judas, and cast him ashore, where he was found
and adopted by a benevolent king and queen.

Evil by nature, Judas repaid theu- care with
base ingratitude, quarrelled with his playmates,
and after a disagreeable childhood slew the king's
own son. Soon after this he killed the monarch
himself on account of a dispute over a game of
chess. This bloody result of a peaceful game
is, by the way, a favourite incident in mediaeval
literature, and appears in nearly all the noted
romances of the period.

Afraid of punishment for these crimes, Judas
now fled, and after some wandering, reached
Judea, where he became a page of Pontius
PilatCc While in the latter's service, driven
on by relentless fate, Judas fell into a brawl

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152 Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

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with his own father, whom he slew, and some-
time after, he married his unfortunate mother.
She discovered his identity only too late, and in
despair revealed to him the secret of his birth.

In spite of his innate wickedness, Judas was
so horror-struck at this revelation, that hearing
of Christ's power to forgive sins, he eagerly
went in search of Him, and falling at His feet
implored His aid. Although cognizant of all
things, and well aware of the fact that Judas
would eventually betray Him, Our Lord received
the sinner among His chosen band of followers,
and made him keeper of the common purse.

Judas had already been the victim of every
vice, except avarice. He now became a prey to
this failing also, which he carried to the utmost
extreme, secretly begrudging every penny which
he was obliged to expend, and openly bewailing
the waste of the precious ointment which Mary
Magdalene poured out upon the feet of Our
Lord. It was by an appeal to his last besetting
sin, avarice, that the Sanhedrim, after much
chaffering, induced him to deliver up Christ into
their power for thirty pieces of silver.

The narrative now follows the Scriptures
closely, merely adding that Judas designated
Jesus by a kiss, because there was such a
strong resemblance between Him and James the

i some-
mother.
;, and in
i birth,
adas was

hearing

eagerl>f

His feet
nt of all
lat Judas
i received
followers,
purse.

of every
5 a prey to
he utmost
nny which

bewailing

ich Mary

It of Our
|t besetting
tfter much

,hrist into

Scriptures
[designated
IS such 9.
James the

The Ministry of Christ,

'53

Less, that the guards might else have arrefited the
wrong man. The treason accomplished, Judas,
struck with sudden horror, flung the thirty pieces
of silver on the temple floor, and rushing out
wildly, tilled the measure of his awful iniquities
by committing suicide.

" He now runs rav'ng to and fro,
And finds no rest .'or evermore.
Till he, alas I torn by despair,
Casts from him in bewilder'd haste
The intol'rable load of life."

I^assion Play at Oberamtnergau,

Tradition relates that Judas hung himself either
upon an elder-tree, which Sir John Mandeville,
the fourteenth century traveller, claims to have
seen, or upon an aspen, whose trembling is as-
cribed to the horror felt by the tree at bearing
tuck fruit.

"On the morrow stood she trembling,
At the awful weight she bore,
When the sun in midnight blackness
Darkened on Judaea's shore.
Still, when not a breeze is stirring.
When the mist sleeps on the hill,
And all other trees are moveless.
Stands the aspen trembling still.''

In some of the mediaeval Passion Plays, which
were so popular during more than six centuries.

154 Legends of the Fir gin and Christ.

Judas repents when he sees Christ before the
Judgment seat of Pilate. He rushes madly away,
and Remorse, a real actor, taking possession of
him, torments him so unmercifully that, unable
to endure further torture, he calls for Despair,
also a real person.

Thus summoned, Despair grimly advises him
to commit suicide, and glibly enumerates all
the various modes by which he can do so. He
even, in his anxiety to help Judas, proffers the
necessary implements, with all the persuasive
airs and speeches of a chapman setting forth his
wares to tempt a reluctant buyer. Judas, after
much wavering, finally selects a rope and goes
forth to hang himself.

To represent everything as realistically as pos-
sible, some of these mediaeval Mysteries were
played upon stages divided into three horizontal
parts. The upper part was reserved for God,
Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the angels. The
middle was supposed to be the earth, where the
principal part of the play was performed, and
the lowest stage was reserved for the demons.
The mouth of hell was shown either as the
gaping jaws of a huge monster, as an immense
kettle, or as a bottomless pit, whence rose smoke
and blue dames.

The denouement of the Judas story, which

The Ministry of Christ,

155

is given in the Scriptures with graphic brevity,
" he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels
gushed out," was carried out in these plays with
the utmost fidelity, to gratify the public taste for
horrors. The demons in the lower space then
came out, and greedily snatched and gobbled up
the sausages provided to simulate Judas's intes-
tines, when the catastrophe occurred. But even
this realistic performance was not enough to sat-
isfy the mediaeval imagination, for we are also
told that Judas's soul, unable to escape through
the lips which had given that fatal kiss, left his
body with the bowels. The Devil or his emis-
saries then pounced upon it, and dragged it
down to hell, where Satan, rising from his
throne to do homage to one whose wicked-
ness surpassed his own, welcomed Judas with
a kiss I

Another account relates that Judas was too
sinful even for hell, and that his soul was tossed
like a ball from one demon to another, none
of them wishing to undertake the endless task
of punishing such a superlative sinner. This
superstition has been used by some of the early
masters, who also represent Judas's suicide and
entrance into the Lower Regions.

The instruction, and shall we say the amuse-
ment, given to the people by the Mysteries was

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156 Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

considered of such advantage and importance,
that, even at the time of the Reformation, and
after the invention of printing, Luther warmly
advocated them, saying they were far more
effective than many sermons in bringing out the
moral teachings of the Holy Writ. The very
first of these plays was composed, as far as we
know, in the fourth century, and was attributed
to Gregory Nazianzen. Given at first only on
the great church days, by the clergy, in the
church itself, the throng of spectators soon
became so great that the play had to be per-
formed in the church porch or in the grave-
yard. But the desecration of the graves by the
tramp of many feet could not long be endured,
so the stage was set up in the mafket-place, or
on a large meadow outside of the city. Then
the plays ceased to be given by the priests and
monks themselves, and were represented by
chartered companies of strolling actors, or by
the various guilds of the large towns.

The Mysteries continued to win applause until
the eighteenth century, when they were for-
bidden by law. They had by this time outlived
their usefulness, and had so degenerated, that
instead of being, as they were first intended, a
means of edification, they had become, on the
contrary, a stumbling block to many.

The Ministry of Christ,

157

Thanks to the "vivid representation they gave
of the infamous career of the traitor Judas, he
was generally abhorred. As he appeared on the
stage, in a garment of dirty yellow, this colour
was soon considered as the badge of infamy, and
none but criminals ever wore it. Even now, the
galley slaves in Spain and Italy still wear a garb
of that hue ; and we are told that the Jews in
Venice were compelled by law to wear yellow
hats all through the Middle Ages, as an outward
mark of the estimation in which they were then
held by all Christians.

In most paintings Judas is represented as very
repulsive-looking, but tradition says he bore a
close resemblance to Our Lord. The Moham-
medans add, that, owing to this similarity of
feature, *' God devised a stratagem " against
the Jews, and caused them to crucify Judas
instead of Jesus, who was snatched up into
heaven bodily by the angel Gabriel, and was
not allowed to taste of death.

We are told that Portuguese and South
American sailors still observe a yearly cere-
mony called the flogging of Judas Iscariot. A
block of wood, rudely carved to imitate the
betrayer, is clad in a sailor's suit and publicly
hanged early in the morning. At about eleven
A. M. this figure is lowered into the water, and

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158 Legends of the Virgin and Christ.

ducked three times. Then it is again hoisted on
board the vessel, and after it has been kicked
about to the sailors' content, it is lashed to the
mast, where all hands flog it with knotted ropes
until its garments have been cut to pieces. The
ship's bell, in the mean while, keeps up a con-
stant tolling, and all the men who are not en-
gaged in flogging the effigy, chant denunciations
against it, until this peculiar ceremony is ended
by the burning of the dummy which represents
the arch-traitor.

In pictures representing the beginning of the
Last Supper, the figure of Judas is never omitted.
We are informed that while Leonardo da Vinci
was at work on his masterpiece, which has, alas I
nearly entirely fallen into decay, he searched long
and vainly for a model for Judas. The prior of
the convent, a rude and ignorant man, once
ventured to chide the painter for progressing ^o
slowly. Leonardo da Vinci tried to excuse him-
self by explaining his difficulty; but the prior,
knowing nothing of a painter's requirements,
impatiently exclaimed that any man would do.
There words so nettled the artist that he
gravely promised to finish the picture in a few
days provided the prior were willing to sit for
Judas! Of course the prior did not accept the
invitation, but he was so taken aback by the

ne Ministry of Christ. ,59

mere proposal that he never ventured to hurry
the artist again. ^

The common superstition, concerning the un-
luckiness of the number thirteen, is also con-
nected w,th the celebration of the Last Supper.
And because one of the thirteen who sat down
to the board d.ed upon the Cross shortly after
people have since said that whenever thirteen
guests sit down to the same table, one of them
«s sure to be called away within the year

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CHAPTER VIII.

THE PASSION WEEK.

The Last Supper — Lucifer's crown — Revolt of Lucifer —
Man's downfall planned — The legend of Israfil — Banish-
ment of Adam and Eve — The Holy Grail — The blood of
Christ — Joseph in prison — Vespasian and Getus — Ve-
ronica's handkerchief — The first crusade — The Holy Grail
in France — The Round Table — The Siege Perilous —
The Holy Grail in England — Christ before Pilate — The
officer — The standards — Procla's dream — The witnesses
— The sentence.

/^NE of the most important mediaeval legends,
^^ that of the Holy Grail, is intimately con-
nected with the Last Supper, to which as a
rule, tradition has ventured to make very few
additions. The above mentioned legend relates
either to the dish in which Our Lord dipped the
sop which He handed to Judas, or to the cup
in which He gave His disciples the sacramental
wine. " I

Tradition relates that, long before the creation
of Adam and Eve, God once forsook his throne

SAINT MICHAEL. (Raphael.)

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The Passion Week.

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to view the earth, his new creation, and pro-
nounce it good. Lucifer, one of the highest
among his angels, seeing the heavenly throne
temporarily vacant, ventured to seat himself
upon it, and to claim the worship of the angels,
some of whom did homage to him. To show
their reverence for Lucifer, these subservient
creatures further tendered him a marvelous
crown, studded with countlei s stones of great
price, which they set upon his head, calling him
their king. Such insolence on the part of the
angel and his adherents was, however, soon to
be punished; for, although the rebels banded
their forces together, they could not resist the
onslaught of the celestial host, led by Michael,
and the War in Heaven ended with the down-
fall of the insurgents.

Lucifer and all his crew were then hurled head-
long out of heaven, and in the fall one of the pre-
cious stones, detached from the crown, dropped
down upon the earth unnoticed. Michael and
his angels closely pursued the demon crew, who,
losing their angelic form and attributes as thry
fell, were finally pinioned fast in the Infernal
Regions, which were henceforth to be their
abode. This legend, so magnificently embod-
ied by Milton in our greatest English epic,
Paradise Lost, has also been the theme of

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1 62 Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

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Caedmon, and was embodied in the religious
plays of the Middle Ages.

The next stage in the narrative sets forth
Lucifer's plan to seduce the newly crf^^^^d
human pair and make them disobey their C .or.
To prevent any harm from happening to Adam
and Eve, a more recent legend tells us that God
bade his angels keep close watch around the
garden of Eden as long as the nightly shadows
made it possible for any one to enter Paradise
unseen. The guard was faithfully kept, until
Israfil, one of the younger angels, prompted by
curiosity, forsook his post and went to gaze
upon the sleeping Eve. During his temporary
absence, Satan entered the Garden unperceived,
and, on the very next day, induced Eve to eat of
the forbidden fruit, and forfeit the life of endless
bliss promised her.

The legend then goes on to relate that the
curse did not fall only upon the serpent, Adam,
and Eve, but that God also punished Israfil,
whom he condemned to be the angel of destruc-
tion and death.

" When in the evening cool the Lord appears,
Sees the forbidden tree with broken bloom,
The garden desolate and lost in gloom,
The mortals hiding from his searching gaze,
IsrafiJ, speechless, hears

The Passion iVeek.

163

Their fate pronounced, sees their repentant tears,

And death's dread shadow hanging o'er their days.

And now on him the rays

Of the Eternal Vision fall, the word

Of his own doom is heard :

* Since death by thee is come unto the earth,

Be thou its messenger. Thy name shall be

A terror unto all of human birth :

The shadow of the grave forever follow thee.* "

Mrs. Frances L. Mace : IsrafUy

The angel, who had never seen death and
knew not what it meant, cowered with appre-
hension. He wandered out into the Garden
after the Lord had gone, and gently handled
the flowers, which, to his horror, were blighted
by his touch. Now he knew the meaning of the
curse which had been pronounced upon him,
and realized that he would be called upon to rob
all animate things of their dearest possession, —

life!

" In a bitter grief

He murmured, ' This is death !

And this henceforth shall be my destiny :

To slay, but not to die, —

To blight all things of mortal breath ;

All earthly loveliness to sear ;

All that you beings hold most dear

Must perish when my steps draw near.

Nor can I shun my fearful power,

1 Harper's Magazine, May, 1877.

1 64 Legends of the yirgin and Christ,

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Or spare them from one dreaded hour.
Onward I go through all the years,
Unheeding human prayers and tears.
Let mortals seek through toil and fears
Some transient gleams of love and joy,—
I follow after to destroy.' "

Mrs. Frances L, Mace: I$rafil>

Israfil could not have endured this prospect,
had not the Son of God suddenly appeared to
him then, and revealed that God had given the
Redeemer the power of restoring life to the
dead flowers and birds, and that He would also
give everlasting life and happiness to all those
whom Israfil had slain.

" Then spake fie : • Israfil.

The Father to the Son a boon hath given.

Go forth, but I am with thee. Do his will

Who laid this doom upon thee, and be still.

Thou dost destroy, L at thus can I restore.

Angel of death, arise, and hope once more I

From Abel's blood spilt on the altar stone,

To Calvary's cross which I must bear alone,

Thou shalt be terrible to human kind,

And hope but dimly light the troubled mind ;

But from that grave which yields to me its portal,

Faith shall come forth, the comforter immortal,

And thou, new crowned, shalt be

Seen by believing eyes linked hand in hand with me.' "

Mrs. Frances L. Mace : Israfil.^
* Harper's Magazine, May, 1877.

The Passion Week.

i6s

Thus comforted, the sad-faced angel of death
went forth to do God's will, and carried de-
struction wherever he passed. He visited first
Abel, then Adam and the lovely Eve, whom he
had so much admired, and dogged the footsteps
of all the human race.

It was one of the direct descendants of Adam
and Eve who found the precious stone which
had fallen from Lucifer's crown, and fashioned
from it a priceless cup. After many centuries,
this vessel came into the hands of Joseph of
Arimathea, in whose house Christ kept the feast
of the Passover with his disciples. When the
Crucifixion followed so closely upon the Last
Supper, Joseph took this cup, and standing
beneath the Cross, received into it a few drops
of the blood of Our Lord. It was owing to this
circumstance that the vessel was called Sangraal,
Sangreai, or Holy Grail, for the divine blood
had not only sanctified it, but had given it mirac-
ulous powers which soon became manifest.

The Jews, afraid lest Caesar should claim the
body of Christ, — which they could not pro-
duce, — resolved to kill Joseph of Arimathea
immediately after the Resurrection, and then to
accuse him of having stolen and concealed the
body of our Lord. To keep this murder a
secret, Joseph was taken by night, and placed

1 66 Legends of the Virgin and Christ.

I 11

i| lilt

r' .

i !

\ mi

in a sealed prison-cell, where the Jews fancied
he would soon die. But here he was marvel-
ously fed and sustained by the Holy Grail,
which filled his prison with beams of refulgent,
life-giving light.

The mediaeval legend, regardless of such
trifling matters as history, chronology, or even
probability, now goes on to relate that a knight,
returning from Palestine, related the Passion of
Our Lord to the Emperor Vespasian. The lat-
ter's curiosity was so aroused, that he sent a
commission into Judea to investigate the matter,
and especially to bring back some holy relic,
which might relieve him of a painful disease.
This, the early writers gravely assert, was a
wasp's nest in his nose, and he hoped the relic
would also cure his son Titus of leprosy.

On their return, the ambassadors gave Pilslte's
account of the trial and Crucifixion. Then,
when Vespasian clamoured for a relic, they pre-
sented to him a woman called Berenice, of
Veronivca, who had been cured of an issue of
blood by touching the garments of Our Lord,
as He once passed through a crowded street.

In her gratitude for her miraculous cure Ver-
onica loved the Saviour and longed for a portrait
of Him. According to one version of the story,
Saint Luke painted her a picture, which was

The Passion Week,

167

quite satisfactory until she compared it with the
model. But another version relates that Christ
met her as she was carrying the canvas to St.
Luke, took it from her hand, and burying His
face in it for a moment, handed it back to her
stamped with His divine features. A third ver-
sion claims that Christ, aware of Veronica's
desire to obtain a portrait, once went to her
house to supper, and that, asking for water and
a towel. He washed His face and left His im-
print upon the cloth He used to wipe it dry.

The fourth version of the story, is, however,
the one generally adopted by poets and painters.
In it we are told that on the way to Calvary,
Christ fell beneath His cross, which He was
forced to carry to the place of torture. The
faithful women, who had followed Him all
through His ministry, did not desert Him now,
but knelt by the roadside, weeping bitterly.
As He fell. He saw their mournful faces, and
lenderly addressing them said : '* Women of
Jerusalem, weep not for me."

The perspiration on His brow, and the blood
which flowed from the cruel wounds inflicted
by the crov/n of thorns, seemed for a moment
to obstruct His sight, so Veronica off*ered Him
her veil, with which He wiped His face ere He
passed on. It was on this piece of linen, called

'!
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1

, i

i \k

■ V !|l i
; 111'

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'11

Nil

'if

KJlgi

m':i\\i

i68 Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

the Sudarium, or Vera Icon, that His features
were stamped, and Veronica piously kept it as
her greatest treasure, although she also possessed
a very life-like statue of Our Lord, which was
placed in front of her house at Paneas.

No sooner had Vespasian and Titus gazed
upon Veronica's portrait of Christ, which she
had refused to entrust to any one's keeping,
and had brought to Rome herself, than they
were miraculously cured of their painful diseases.
They naturally questioned Veronica closely
about Jesus, and learning from her how cruelly
the Jews had treated Him, Vespasian set out for
Palestine at the head of a large army. Thus, in
mediaeval literature, the siege of Jerusalem by
the Romans, is made to appear as a Holy War,
and is called the First Crusade 1

When Jerusalem had been taken, Vespasian
and Titus vainly tried to make the Jews give up
the body of Christ, which they wanted to secure
as a most precious relic. But all the Jews
insisted that Joseph had stolen it, and Vespasian
put one of their number under torture to discover
the truth.

This man remained silent as long as he could,
but finally confessed that Joseph had been
secretly walled up in a prison-cell about a year
before. To ascertain the truth of this confes-

illlpi'iil!

The Passion Week,

169

sion, Vespasian had the wall torn down, and he
was surprised to see Joseph of Arimathea come
out alive and well, and to hear him greet him by
his imperial title and name. Although deliv-
ered from prison by miracle, Joseph of Arima-
thea feared further persecutions on the part
of the Jews. So he left Jerusalem, went to
Joppa, and there embarked on a waiting vessel
with his sister and brother-in-law. They sailed
away, and after a long journey landed at Mar-
seilles, in France, still bearing with them the
Holy Grail, which continued to provide for all
their wants.

Besides supplying them with the food and
drink they liked best, the Holy Grail, whose
beneficent powers were renewed every Good
Friday, — because a dove then came down from
heaven bearing a consecrated wafer which was
deposited in the cup, — cured them when they
were ill, and served as an oracle. When Joseph
and his friends did not know what to do, they
spent a certain time in preparation and prayer
before they uncovered the Holy Grail. Upon
its luminous edge they could then read, in letters
of flame, commands which none of them ever
ventured to disobey.

Joseph of Arimathea, and his little band of
faithful followers, were perfectly happy in

1. 1

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lit

i;i!!i

wmM

i;'!i

itmt

!»ii II'

!;■;& iih

iili ill!!! 1 1

170 Legends of the Virgin and Christ.

France, until one of their number committed
a secret but grievous sin. Plague and famine
broke out in the country, and Joseph, hoping to
discover and punish the sinner, consulted the
Holy Grail. By its orders he built a Round
Table, and made a supper to which all were
invited. Then, warned by the Holy Grail that
the culprit would be designated by a miracle,
Joseph watched each guest closely as he took
his seat. When it came to the turn of Moses,
the sinner, to take his place at the board, the
ground opened, and swallowed him up, and the
prediction was made that the seat which he had
occupied should be called the '* Siege Perilous,"
because it would be fatal to all sinners who ven-
tured to sit in it.

Shortly after this event, Joseph of Arimathea
was warned in a vision that the Siege Perilous
would be worthily occupied by one of his own
decendants, a stainless knight. Then, after
sojourning for some time in France with the
Holy Grail, Joseph carried it to Glastonbury, in
England. Reaching this point, which tradition
identifies with the spot where Alfred watched
the cakes in the herdsman's hut, and with the
fabled land of Avalon, " v/here falls not hail, or
rain, or any snow,'* Joseph of Arimathea,
weary of wandering, thrust his staff of hawthorn

rist.

:ommitted
nd famine
hoping to
suited the
a Round
ti all were
Grail that
a miracle,
as he took
of Moses,
board, the
up, and the
hich he had
s Perilous,"
rs who ven-

Arimathea
re Perilous
of his own
'hen, after
le with the
jtonbury, in
Ich tradition
;d watched
id with the
[not hail, or
Arimathea,
if hawthorn

The Passion Week.

171

deep in the ground, where it miraculously took
root and bloomed at Christmas time. The thorn
tree thus planted still exists, and on this spot
was built the first Christian Church in England,
if tradition is to be believed.

Joseph of Arimathea and his few followers
established the first monastery at Glastonbury,
and they mounted guard over the Holy Grail,
while preaching the gospel to all the people
around them, and converting many by the mira-
cles they wrought. Years passed on, and the
sacred vessel remained visible to all the good ;
but sin having at last appeared even among its
chosen guardians, the Holy Grail was carried
away by the angels. It had sojourned so long
in England, however, that the monarchs of
that country were given the highest seat at
religious councils in the Middle Ages, and
could claim precedence over even the French
kings, the avowed champions of the Virgin
Mary.

From time to time, some specially favoured
mortal was permitted to view the Holy Grail,
which plays such an important part in the
legends of King Arthur, of Parzival and of
Lohengrin, and, as the Holy Grail legend was
incorporated in these chivalric romances, it be-
came the theme of poets and minstrels, and was

i :
! I

ia:

i''s i'i

172 Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

soon familiar to all.^ In modern times the old
legend has been used by Tennyson, in his Idylls
of the King, and by Wagner in his last great
opera. Mr. Abbey has also availed himself of
it for the series of paintings with which he has
so beautifully decorated the Boston Public
Library.

In the Gospel of Nicodemus, in the apocrypha,
we find a detailed account of Christ's three
successive trials. While the Bible account
forms the real basis of this work, it is adorned
by many legends, which have figured in the
Miracle plays. But, as the authentic record is
so familiar to all readers, we will here give the
traditional account only, as it is related in the
apocrypha.

The chief priests and scribcs, having taken
council together, visit Pilate and in his presence
make a formal charge against Jesus, saying :
** We know this man that he is the son of
Joseph the carpenter, born of Mary, and he
saith that Le is the Son of God and a king ;
moreover he profaneth the Sabbath and wishes
to abolish the law of our fathers."

This accusation is so general, that Pilate in-
quires more closely into the nature of the

1 See the author's Legends of the Middle Ages, Amer-
ican Book Co.

Tl)e Passion Week,

173

charges, p.nd in answer to his questions, the
angry Jews relate Chrst's miraculous cures on
the Sabbath-day, accuse Him of being a magi-
cian, and especially of driving out demons in the
name of Beelzebub. The Roman governor listens
contemptuously to all the Jews' denunciations.
He soon perceives that there is no real ground
for arresting Jesus, and hoping to be able to
escape doing so without giving any offence to
Ehese prominent men, he asks with simulated
innocence: *'Tell me how can I, who am a
governor, try a king } "

This question provokes a new storm of indig-
nant accusations, and after listening for some time
to their protests that the man is not a king,
although He claims to be one, Pilate calls one
of his officers and sends him to get Jesus, saying :
*' Let Jesus be brought with gentleness."

The officer, thus instructed, goes out in
search of Jesus, and when he comes into the
Saviour's presence, he recognizes and worships
Him. Then spreading out his scarf or mantle
before Him, with the deference he would have
shown to a king, he says, "Lord, walk here,
and come in, for the governor calleth thee."

The Jews, seeing the outward marks of
respect shown to the prisoner by the Roman
officer, are indignant ; so Pilate, urged by them,

174 Legends of the yirgin and Christ.

asks the officer why he treats Christ with such
extreme deference. In answer to this question
the officer relates how he saw Christ enter Jeru-
salem in triumph, and that even the children of
the accusers had strewn palms before Him,
singing his praises and loudly hailing Him,
**King of the Jews." The scribes and high
priest, furious at this statement, which they can-
not deny, try to confound the officer by ask-
ing how he, a Greek, could understand the cries
of Hebrew children. But the officer answers
that a man standing by had told him that
** Hosanna" meant "Save thou, thou that art
the highest: Blessed is he that cometh in the
name of the Lord.*'

The Jews, strange to relate, do not object
to this explanation, but again insist that Jesus
be brought into the council-hall before Pilate.
So the officer shows Him in with every outward
mark of deepest respect, and as Christ enters
the Judgment hall, the standards in the hands
of the guards bow down before Him.

The exasperated Jews now loudly accuse the
bearers, who vow that the standards bowed
down of their own accord, and to test the truth
of this statement, Pilate orders that Jesus be
taken out of the hall, and twelve strong men
selected to hold the Roman banners. The Jews

The Passion Week,

175

make a careful choice, and six strong men grasp
each standard and take up their post on either
side of the hall. But when Jesus is again ush-
ered in, the standards, notwithstanding the re-
sistance of the stalwart bearers, bow down as
before.

Impressed by this miracle, Pilate hesitates
and tries to temporize. He would like to
release the prisoner, especially after receiving a
written message from his wife, Procla, who,
although she has until then been inclined to
favour the Jewish religion, now implores her
husband not to harm the '* Just man," on whose
account she has " suffered much in a dream."

The Jews, hearing this, vow that the dream
— caused by the prisoner who is well versed in
magic — is merely another trick, until Pilate,
urged on by them, begins a systematic trial,
in which, however, much to their dismay, he
carefully investigates all the charges they make
against Jesus.

Thus, all those who had been cured on the
Sabbath-day are called in, and they one and all
testify in favour of the Physician who had
made them whole. There is, in the spurious
Gospels, a pretence of fair play, and when the
Jews bring up the question of Jesus' birth,
twelve influential citizens bear witness that

176 Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

they were present at the espousals of Joseph
and Mary.

Upon hearing this, Pilate orders the hall
cleared, and remaining alone with these twelve
witnesses he asks them : *' * On what account
wish they to slay Him >' They say unto him,
'They are jealous because He healeth on the
Sabbath.' Pilate saith, * For a good work do
they wish to slay Him?' They say unto him,

* Yea. ' "

Full of wrath which he no longer seeks to
conceal, Pilate now goes out to the Praetorium,
and taking the sun to witness ( in the old Mir-
acle plays, Pilate and Herod always swear by
Mahomet, notwithstanding the fact that the
prophet was born six centuries after Christ),
declares that he can find no fault with this man.

But the Jews are so anxious to secure their
ends, that they force him to try the prisoner
again. Once more Pilate questions Jesus,
who, when asked if He is a king, replies :
** *Thou sayest ; for I am a king ; for this was I
born, and I am come that every one who is of
the truth should hear my voice.' Pilate saith
unto him, *What is the truth?' Jesus saith
unto him * Truth is from heaven.' Pilate saith,

* Is truth not upon earth ? ' Jesus saith to
Pilate, 'Thou seest how they who say the

The Passion Week.

^77

truth are judged by those who have power upon
earth.' "

A second time Pilate acquits Jesus, and now
the Jews resort to their last expedient, and accuse
Jesus of boastful sacrilege, in regard not only to
their temple but to God. To force Pilate to do
their will, the priests and scribes proceed to
entangle him by subtle logic to acknowledge
God above Caesar, and any detractor of Caesar
worthy of death. Then, this point being reached,
Pilate is driven to give the prisoner a third trial,
in which he despairingly asks Him, *'*What
shall I do to thee } ' Jesus saith to Pilate, * As
it hath been given thee.' Pilate saith, * How
has it been given?' Jesus saith, ' Moses and
the prophets spake beforehand of my death and
resurrection.'" This statement is considered
so blasphemous by the Jews, that they clamour
more and more fiercely for the prisoner's con-
demnation and death.

"He hath blasphemed God I
We need no witness more.
Condemned to death
By law is He ; " —
So rages Sanhedrim.

Passion Play at Oberammergau.

Pilate, dreading their fury, no longer dares
resist them, and after again declaring he can

';; t:

I'll

178 Legends of the Virgin and Christ.

find no sin in the prisoner, and publicly washing
his hands in token that he is innocent of the
crime they are about to commit, he finally gives
Jesus up to them to be scourged, and then cru-
cified, in company with two malefactors, Dysmas
and Gestas.

iUiiliililiiil'

mill 1. 1:

CHAPTER IX.

THE CRUCIFIXION.

The willow-tree — The birch-tree — The crown of thorns —
Legend of the robin — The roses — Legend of the Cross —
Seth's visit to Paradise — Seth's vision — The three seeds
— Solomon and the tree — The Queen of Sheba — The
pool^of Bethesda — The legend of Golgotha — Constantine*s
cross — Constantino's conversion — Helena's conversion —
Helena's dream — The finding of the Cross — The Cross in
Persia — Heraclius and the Cross — The Invention of the
Cross — The lance of Longinus — The three nails — The
cross-bill.

'T^HE apocryphal narrative closely follows the
■*" Scripture account of the Crucifixion, and
the legends supply only a few curious details
in connection with the preparatory tortures
undergone by Our Lord. For instance, we
are told that the soldiers, after fastening Him to
a pillar, raced out into the yard to get switches
wherewith to scourge Him, as they had been
instructed. A willow-tree was growing in the
yard, and its long lithe branches seemed so suited
to their purposes, that they took a number of
them, and used them for the cruel flagellation.

!-j)

i8o Legends of the Virgin and Christ.

The men themselves felt no pity, but when the
proud tree saw the use to which its slender
branches had been put, it no longer held them
proudly upright as before, but drooped, and
actually shed tears, whence it has ever since
been known as the weeping willow. But
another legend says that the scourges were
taken from a birch-tree, which was thenceforth
struck with a blight, and that it^ descendants
are the dwarf birches, so common in many
parts of the world.

After the flagellation — so often seen in art,
and represented with horrible realism in the
mediaeval plays — came the mock coronation of
Our Lord. Many legends are connected with
the crown of thorns, and much discussion has
been indulged in concerning the name of the
plant which furnished the materials for its
manufacture.

There is, in Palestine, a creeping plant called
Spina Christi. The stems are so flexible that
it could easily be " platted, " as the Scripture
mentions, and its thorns are long and very hard.
It is probable that the crown was made of this
plant; but one legend claims that the crown
was made of the willow, and that, in sorrow
at being tho cause of pain to the Lord, the tree
drooped and wept, and the sharp thorns changed

ii»

The Crucifixion.

i8i

len the
slender
d them
id, and
r since
. But
s were
iceforth
endants
1 many

in art,

in the

ration of

ed with

'ion has

of the

for its

X called
>le that
Tipture
•y hard,
of this
crown
[sorrow
[he tree
Ihanged

themselves into soft, sad-coloured leaves, that
they might never, even involuntarily, cause any
more suffering. In Germany, France, and Eng-
land, it is popularly supposed that the crown,
placed upon the head of Our Lord, was woven
of branches of the black or white thorn (haw-
thorn), or the wild rose, whose petals, formerly
white, owe their rosy tinge to the blood with
which they were dyed as they rested upon His
brow. This superstition has given rise to the
following charm, which is supposed to prevent
any festering in a wound caused by a thorn.

" Our Saviour was of a Virgin born,
His head was crowned with a crown of thorn ;
It never cankered or festered at all,
And I hope in Christ Jesus this never shaull. "

The Italians claim that the crown of thorns
was made of the barberry, but in the West
Indies the people say it was formed out of
branches of the cashew-tree, and that since
then one of the golden petals of its flowers has
been black and blood stained.

Another superstition is that the Robin, see-
ing Our Saviour on the Cross, and wishing if
possible to save Him one pang, pecked off a
thorn, and bore it away, dyeing its breast red
with the blood of the Lord.

!'l

ill

11 '

182 Legends of the yirgin and Christ

" Sweet Robin, I have heard them say
That thou wert there upon the day
That Christ was crowned in cruel scorn,
And bore away one bleeding thorn,
That so the blush upon thy breast
In shameful sorrow was imprest I **

Bishop DoANE.

Sir John Mandeville says that he saw the
crown of thorns in the Holy land, and we are
also told that it came first into the possession of
Baldwin, second king of Jerusalem, and was
then given to Saint Louis, king of France.
Barefooted he carried one half of the precious
relic from Sens to Paris, where he built the
Sainte Chapelle on purpose to receive it. The
other half of the crown remained however in
Constantinople, where, some say, it had been
brought by the empress Helena.

Thorns from the crown of Our Lord have
been given to other churches, and all who have
seen these holy relics say that the spikes are
very long, and just like those of the eastern
creeper nabk, or Spina Christi.

Another superstition, often alluded to by poets,
is that from the blood of Our Lord, which fell
to the foot of the cross, the red and pink roses
eventually sprang. We are also told that the
crown was formed of the hawthorn, when in

Tlie Crucifixion,

183

full bloom, p.nd that the flowers which concealed
the sharp thorns were dyed red.

*' Men saw the thorns on Jesus' brow,
But angels saw the roses.''

Mrs. Howe.

There are, of course, countless legends which
center around the cross, most of which are
alluded to in noted pictures or in well-known
writings. Sir John Mandeville mentions these
legends, and while it would be too lengthy a
process to relate them in detail, as the old
writers loved to do, we here give the outline of
the principal one among them.

It seems, that although long driven out of
the Earthly Paradise, Adam and Eve still re-
tained a lively recollection of the bliss they had
enjoyed there, in the days when they were
yet free from the taint of sin. When, in the
course of years, Adam grew very old, and felt
that he was about to die, he was sorely afraid.
As yet he had seen no human being bereft of
life, except his beloved son Abel, and although
several centuries had passed over his head, and
he had endured many hardships, he longed to
live on. So he called his son Seth, and bade
him go in quest, either of the fruit of life,
which grew in the middle of the Garden of

W'l

1' !

lilPPli

184 Legends of the Virgin and Christ

Eden, or of the oil of mercy, which flowed
there, so that he might be cured of his sickness
and his life be prolonged. Seth hesitated, be-
c^.use he did not know the way to the first
abode of mankind, but Adam told him he need
but follow the traces of his parents' fleeing foot-
steps, which were branded deep in the soil.

Thus tracing his way step by step, Seth
arrived at last at the gate of the earthly Para-
dise, where he saw the Cherubim, who held a
flashing sword which turned every way. This
weapon is hence generally represented in early
art as a wheel of fire. As Seth saw that it
would be impossible to pass in without the
angel's permission, he now humbly made known
his errand, and begged that he might be al-
lowed to get the balm for which Adam longed
so sorely.

But the angel remained at his post, and after
gazing sorrowfrHy at the pleader, he told him
that five long days and half a day (five thousand
five hundred years ) must elapse before the oil
of mercy would fall upon Adam's sinful head.

Seth was greatly disappointed, and was
about to turn away, when the angel offered to
give him a peep into the Garden which his
parents had once inhabited, and which they had
forfeited by their disobedience to the divine

The Crucifixion.

185

after
him

isand

le oil

id.
was
id to
his
had

livine

commands. The third son of Adam had so
often heard of the glories of Paradise, that he
eagerly availed himself of this proposal, and
while the flashing sword stood still for a mo-
ment, he gazed eagerly through the open gate.

His delighted eyes rested longest however
upon a tree in the center of the garden, whose
roots reached down to the nethermost depths
of hell, while its branches towered far up into
the sky. A later version adds, that upon the
topmost bough, he even beheld a beautiful young
woman holding a radiant babe in her arms, and
as the glance of the Infant rested for one mo-
ment upon him, his heart was filled with awe.

A moment 'ater, the flashing sword had
resumed its swift rotary motion, and Seth
learned from the guardian angel, that the child
whom he had seen was the Redeemer, whose
coming had been foretold when the curse was
pronounced upon Adam and Eve, so many
years ago.

Then, the angel stretched out his hand,
plucked three seeds from the tree of life, and
gave them to Seth, bidding him place them
under Adam's tongue, when the latter had
breathed his last and was laid to rest in He-
bron. Seth went home and carefully carried
out the angel's orders.

1 86 Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

III!

From the three seeds — nourished by the
substance of the corruptible Adam — there
soon sprang up three slender trees, which, join-
ing together, in the course of time formed but
one trunk, which has always been considered
an emblem of the Trinity. This tree grew and
spread its mighty branches until Abraham came,
and rested beneath its ijhadow, when he first
came into Palestine, led by the voice of God.
The wonder-working rods of Moses and Aaron,
were both twigs from this marvelous tree, and
it is said that the great Jewish lawgiver sweet-
ened the bitter waters of Marah by dropping a
bit of its bark into the fountain.

Some authorities declare that Adam had been
buried in Lebanon, and that David, charmed
with the beauty of the tree which grew on his
grave, had it transplanted into his palace gardens
at Jerusalem. When Solomon began to build the
temple which bore his name, he gave orders that
the tree should be cut down, and its wood used
in the new construction. But, in spite of Hiram,
the architect's, well known skill, the tree could
never be utilized, for it always proved too long
or too short, too thick or too thin, for the
purpose fo. which it was designed. Furious at
this peculiar obstinacy on the part of a mere
block of wood, Hiram flung it aside in anger.

The Crucifixion,

187

• the
there
join-
d but
jercd
V and
:ame,
J first
God.
aron,
;, and
weet-
)ing a

been
armed
)n his
rdens
dthe
sthat

used
iram,
could

long
the

us at

mere
Inger.

Sometime after, a woman (Sibylla the legends
call her) came and sat down upon the discarded
log. But her clothing took fire as she came in
contact with it, and as the flames surrounded
her, she wildly prophesied that this piece of
wood was destined for the utter destruction of
the Jews.

To prevent the repetition of such an accident
as the one described above, the log was cast
into the brook Cedron, whence the mediaeval
writers gravely inform us that it drifted down
into the Jordan and Dead Sea, and from
thence into the Red Sea or Persian gulf!
Here it was found by the Queen of Sheba,
on her way to pay her memorable visit to
Solomon, to test his wealth, wit, and wisdom.
This Queen had heard of the king's mania for
building, and anxious to offer him a present such
as she knew he would appreciate, she had the
huge piece of timber fished out of the waters,
and brought to Jerusalem, where she solemnly
presented it to Solomon.

Another version of the story claims that
the log, discarded by Hiram at the time of
the building of the temple, was thrown across
a stream, where it served as a bridge. When
the Queen of Sheba wa«, about to pass over
it, she was favoured by a vision of the future,

..!

1 88 Legends of the Virgin and Christ.

and, rather than tread upon the sacred beam,
she kilted up her gown, and waded barefoot
through the stream.

The miraculous log was by her order brought
to Solomon, who covered it with plates of gold,
and set it directly above the door of the temple.
Here it remained until Abijah, the great king's
grandson, pulled it down for the sake of the gold ;
and, hoping to conceal what he had done, ordered
it buried deep down in the Judean soil.

Many years later the pool of Bethesda was
dug on the very spot where the wood lay buried,
and the waters owed their curative powers to its
presence only. It remained there, unseen, until
a few days before the Crucifixion, when it mys-
teriously rose to the surface, was drawn out and
laid on the bank to dry.

The executioners were just seeking a piece
of wood from which they could make a cross
for the torture of the Nazarene. Christ's sen-
tence had followed so closely upon His arrest,
that they had but little time for preparation, so
they took the traditional log from which they
rudely fashioned the Cross.

Strange to relate, the Cross was planted
upon the very spot where the tree had grown
so many years before, and tradition says that
the men, in digging, came upon Adam's skv!!,

;/.

I beam,
)arefoot

brought
of gold,
temple,
t king's
he gold ;
ordered

sda was
\} buried,
jrs to its
en, until
1 it mys-
out and

a piece

a cross

st's sen-

s arrest,

ition, so

|ich they

planted

grown

lys that

's skull,

THE CRUCIFIXION. (Michakl Angelo.)

fHlltlt'

^'11

1!!;

The Crucifixion.

189

which they left at the foot of the Cross.
Hence the hill was called Golgotha, the place
of the skull, and the legend adds that as Our
Lord hung upon the Cross, some drops of His
blood fell upon the skull of Adam, fulfilling the
Cherubim's prophecy. It is on account of this
legend, that painters so often represent a skull
at the foot of the Cross, and when it is seen
there, it is intended to indicate that the power
of the Redeemer extends from the beginning of
the world, and the first man, to all eternity.*

We are told that after the Crucifixion, the
Cross of Our Lord, together with the crosses
of the two thieves, was hastily buried upon
Golgotha. There it remained undisturbed,
until the reign of the emperor Constantine,
with whom the subsequent part of the legend
is intimately connected.

This monarch was on his way to fight his
rival Maxentius, in 312 a.d., when all at once,
he and his army beheld a luminous cross in
the sky, and the words, ** By this sign con-
quer." Constantine, who, at that time, had
no idea of the meaning of the Cross, was
nevertheless so awed by this phenomenon, that
he had a standard made like it. The new ban-

^ See the author's Legends of the Rhine. A. S. Barnes
&Co.

til

190 Legends of the yirgin and Christ,

ner was called Labarum, and was borne before
the emperor in the next battle, where he won a
brilliant victory. It has been, and is still, a
matter of dispute where this miracle really took
place ; but we find the inhabitants of Autun,
Andernach, Sinzig, Verona, and a few other
places, all eager to claim that it occurred near
their own town.

Shortly after this victory, Constantine, visited
by the frightful disease called leprosy, was
told that he could be cured only by bathing
in the blood of three thousand small children.
The physician who had given this peculiar
prescription, was about to order the massacre
of the children whom he had collected for
this purpose, when the mothers rushed into
the emperor's presence and begged that their
little ones might be spared. Touched by the
anguish of these poor women, the emperor re-
fused to follow the physician's advice, and gave
the children back to their mothers, saying :
** Far better is it that I should die, than cause
the death of these Innocents."

This magnanimous conduct was soon re-
warded, for that night St. Peter and St. Paul
appeared to Constantine, and bade him send
for Sylvanus, bishop of Rome, who would
show him a pool where he might wash and

mm I'

The Crucifixion,

191

before
; won a

still, a
[ly took

Autun,
s other
ed near

I, visited
isy, was

bathing
children.

peculiar
massacre
jcted for
Ihed into

at their

by the

peror re-

and gave
saying :

in cause

ioon re-

ISt. Paul

iim send

would

rash and

be healed. When morning dawned, Con-
stantine sent for Sylvanus, whom his guards
had much trouble in finding, for, owing to
the constant persecutions, the Christians were
all hiding in the catacombs or in caves.

The guards, having finally discovered Syl-
vanus in a cave near Monte Calvo, led him to
Constantine, who described his vision, asking
the names of the men he had seen. As soon
as he finished, Sylvanus exclaimed that he had
evidently been visited by St. Peter and St.
Paul, and he produced their effigies, which
Constantine immediately recognized.

Sylvanus now began to instruct Constantine,
who, hearing of the new religioii, became an
enthusiastic convert, and begged to be baptized
without delay. As the water touched him,
he was healed, and gave loud thanks for the
miracle which had been worked in his favour.
On the very next day he made a decree that
Christ should be worshipped as the only God,
and that all blasphemers should die. Not
content with this demonstration in behalf of
the new religion he had embraced, he com-
manded on the third day that aii who insulted
Christians should be punished. On the fourth
day, Sylvanus, bishop of Rome, was made
the first bishop of the world ; on the fifth the

! (

192 Legends of the Virgin and Christ.

Christian Churches were publicly given the
right of sanctuaries. The sixth day, Constantino
added that no church should be built without
the consent of the bishop ; on the seventh
he gave the domains of Rome to the Church ;
and eight days after his conversion, he per-
sonally began to dig for the foundations of
the Lateran Church.

The rumour of Constantino's adoption of
the new creed soon spread abroad, and came
in time to the ears of his mother Helena, who
had joined the synagogue. She boldly pro-
fessed the ancient Jewish faith, and loudly
denounced her son for supporting the Christians.
Constantine, wishing to prove to her how mis-
taken she was, begged her to come to his court
with ail the most learned rabbis she could find,
and there confute the Christians openly.

The result was an august assembly of learned
rabbis, who, unable to resist the arguments
of Sylvanus, finally had recourse to magic.
They sent for a bull, and when one among
them had whispered tl^e Jewish name of God
in the animal's ear, it fell to the ground dead.
The rabbis then triumphantly pointed to it,
bidding the spectators recognize the power of
a god who could thus slay at a word. Sylvanus,
who had listened to their arguments in silence,.

ist.

yen the

istantine
without
seventh

Church ;
he per-

tions of

3tion of
id came
sna, who
dly pro*
i loudly
iristians.
iiow mis-
lis court
>uld findy

f learned
'guments
> magic.
; among
I of God
nd dead,
d to it,
power of
jylvanus,
I silence »,

I m\ ■

tJlu

VISION OF SAINT HELENA. (Veronese.)

The Crucifixion.

193

now said that if they could restore the animal
to life by a word, he would be more ready to
believe in the religion they taught. But although
the rabbis could kill, they could not restore.
Then Sylvanus, stepping up to the dead bull,
bade him rise in the name of Christ, and when
all the witnesses saw the animal rise up alive,
they testified in favour of the new religion, and
Helena became a Christian.

She showed her zeal for the new faith by
visiting the Holy Land, where she discovered
many relics. She also practised the new religion
so carefully that she subsequently won the title
of Saint, by which she is known in the Roman
Catholic Calendar.

Helena's greatest wish, we are told, was to
recover the Cross, and when she arrived at
Jerusalem she began to search for it with great
zeal. Some of the Jews knew that it had
been buried on Golgotha, immediately after the
Crucifixion, and as they had heard a prophecy
to the effect that the Cross would overthrow
their religion, they resolved to keep the matter
a secret. They therefore bound themselves by
solemn oath never to reveal that it lay directly
beneath a small temple, which was dedicated to
the worship of Venus.

As Helena could not obtain the information

194 Legends of the yirgin and Christ,

she wanted, she began to torture the Jews,
and finally wrung from one of them a promise
to reveal the spot where the Cross was buried.
Led by this man, Zaccheus, the empress went
to Golgotha, and after some search they found
the three crosses. But, as Helena did not know
upon which Our Lord had suffered, she made
several tests of the power of these crosses, and
when she found that one of them cured the sick
and restored the dead to life, she knew that
she had found the object of her pious search.
Helena longed to have the three nails also,
and after a fervent prayer for their recovery
they appeared above ground, bright and shin-
ing like gold.

The Cross, thus recovered, was divided into
two pieces, one of which was left in Jerusalem,
while the other was carried to Rome, where
it was placed in a church built on purpose to
receive it, and known as the Church of Santa
Croce. The empress also carried off the three
nails, placed one of them in her son's crown,
the second in his horse's bit. and flung the
third into the Adriatic. There, it had a miracu-
lous effect upon the whirlpool which had once
made this sea most dangerous to mariners, and
which now became still.

In the year six hundred and fifteen, the

The Crucifixion.

195

Persian king Chosroes took Jerusalem, and
bore off in triumph tlie other half of the Holy
Cross. He was however soon forced to re-
linquish this trophy, for Heraclius pursued
and defeated him, and brought the relic back
to Jerusalem amid general rejoicings. The
emperor rode in triumph at the head of his
army, but as he drew near to the gates of
Jerusalem, he was surprised to oce the walls
close up by miracle, to prevent his entrance.
While he paused astonished, an angel of the
Lord appeared to him, saving, *' When the King
of Heaven and Earth entered through this gate
to suffer for the sins of the world. He entered not
with regal pomp, but barefooted and mounted
upon an ass." Thus rebuked, Heraclius hastily
dismounted, removed his crown, royal garments,
and footgear, then, taking the Cross upon his
shoulders, he marched toward the walls, which
now opened of their own accord to let him in.
A festival, called the Invention of the Cross,
has been celebrated on the third of May ever
since the sixth century, to commemorate this
recovery of the Holy Cross from the Persians.

From that time until a comparatively recent
date, it was customary to preach a sermon to
the Jews on that day. All through the Middle
Ages, this unfortunate race was driven by force

196 Legends of the Virgin and Christ.

to church on that day, and compelled to hear
mass. This compulsion was then considered
▼ery praiseworthy, and we find in a sixteenth
century diary the following comment upon this
custom, which Robert Browning has utilized
ibr a strange poem.

" And a moving sight in truth, this, of so many
of the besotted, blind, restive, and ready-to-perish
Hebrews, now maternai^y brought,— nay (for He
saith: * Compel them to come in'), haled, as it
were by the head and hair, and against their ol>
Stinate hearts, to partake of the heavenly grace."

There is also in Rome, in the same church as
the relics of the Cross, the title of accusation,
which was also found by Helena. It is a piece
of wood, painted white, and the threefold in-
scHption is marked upon it in red letters.

The sponge from which Our Lord tasted the
vinegar is also preserved in the church of St.
John Lateran, as well as the lance which
pierced the Saviour's side, and of which the
head is carefully preserved in the Sainte Cha-
pelle in Paris.

We are told that this lance belonged to the
Roman Centurion Longinus, who was present
at the Crucifixion. He was suffering at that
time from an affection of the eyes ; but having

The Crucifixion.

197

accidentally touched them with the hand upon
which some of the Saviour's blood had fallen,
his sight was restored. Converted by this
miracle, he went in search of the apostles, who
baptized and instructed him ; then he proceeded
to Cesarea, where his dearest wish was granted
and he was allowed to die for his faith.

The lance he wielded, — which some authori-
ties claim was brought to Europe by the returning
crusaders in 1098, — plays an important part in
some of the legends of the Holy Grail. In the
story of Parzival, we find that the cruel wound
of Amfortas, which causes him such untold suffer-
ing, was inflicted by this holy lance, when he
strayed from the path of virtue. His suffering
is however ultimately ended by the same means,
and in the opera based upon this legend, the lance
is a very picturesque feature.*

The nails of the Crucifixion, of v hich the
legend speaks, have been said to possess such
miraculous powers, that nails made like them,
and merely brought into contact with the origi-
nals, have been endowed with similar virtues.
In connection with the nails we have a beautiful
German legend which has been translated as
follows by Longfellow : —

^ See the author's Stories of the Wagner Opera.

r I

198 Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

" On the cross the dying Saviour
Heavenward lifts his eyelids calm,
Feels, but scarcely feels, a trembling
In his pierced and bleeding palm.

" And by all the world forsaken,
Sees he how with zealous care
At the ruthless nail of iron
A little bird is striving there.

" Stained with blood and never tiring,
With its beak it doth not cease,
From the cross 't would free the Saviour,
Its Creator's son release.

" And the Saviour speaks in mildness :
' Blessed be thou of all the good I
Bear as token of this moment,
Marks of blood and holy rood I '

" And that bird is called the crossbill ;
Covered all with blood so clear.
In the groves of pine it singeth
Songs, like legends, strange to hear.*' ^

Julius Mosen.

Houghton, Mifflin and Co.

CHAPTER X.

D£ATH, BURIAL, AND RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.

The Wandering Jew in fiction — The legend of the Wandering
Jew — The Wandering Jew in Europe — The Crucifixion —
The seamless coat — The legend of Pilate — The penitent
thief — The fallen idols — The descent from the Cross —
The Pieta — The entombment — La P&moison — The Jews'
decision — Joseph imprisoned — Guards at the sepulchre —
Joseph missing — The guards* defence — The Ascension —
The rumours — The search for Christ — The finding of
Joseph — Joseph's account of his escape.

n^HE next legend, important enough to claim
•*• our attention, is that of the Wandering
Jew, which appears so frequently in literature,
and which has been used in fiction by many
authors, among whom are Eugene Sue, F.
Marion Crawford, Gen. Lew Wallace and Eu-
gene Field. The last named writer has cleverly
identified the old-time story with the Holy Cross
Mountain, where he has generously granted the
Jew his long-sought-for rest.

There are many versions of this legend, and
the Wandering Jew is called Josephus, Isaac

200 Legends of the Virgin and Christ.

Lakedion, Cartaphilus, or Ahasuerus. He is
said to have been only about eight years older
than the Christ, and to have been Pilate's
porter, or a shoemaker who dwelt near the
gate of the city. He belonged to the tribe of
Naphtali, and when Jesus, fainting beneath
the burden of His cross, fell in front of his door,
he struck the Saviour a savage blow with his
fist, and roughly said: *'Go faster, Jesus, go
faster, why dost thou linger?" The Saviour
glanced reproachfully at him, and answered :
*' \ indeed am going, but thou shalt tarry till I
come."

Some authors claim that the unhappy man,
urged on by a power he could not resist, began
his endless wanderings at that very moment.
Summer and winter, under sun and rain, he
journeys on. No danger appals him, sickness
and death pass him by, and at the end of each
century the Wandering Jew falls into a sort of
trance, from which he awakens only to find
himself as young &s when he thrust the Lord
away from his door.

As the plague in the Middle Ages, and the
cholera in more recent times, has appeared mys-
teriously in one place after another, it is a
popular superstition that it follows the Wander-
ing Jew wherever he goes, and that it is part of

I beneath

CHRIST BEARING THE CRUSS. (Rafhakl.)

ii,i

III

■ !

Death, Burial, and Resurrection, 201

his awful punishment to leave death and sorrow
in his wake.

In Westphalia they declare he can only pause
for a short rest in places where he finds two
oaks growing in the form of a cross. The Danes
say that he rides about on a white horse,
uttering dark predictions of future woes, such
as battle, murder, or great conflagrations. In BeU
gium, the Wandering Jew is credited with similar
powers, and several persons seriously asserted
that they had seen him, even in the last century.

Besides the legends connected with the
instruments of the Passion, and the Wandering
Jew, tradition has ventured to make very few
additions to the account of the Crucifixion a«
given in the canonical works. Still there are
a few details of which artists have made use,
and which, on that account, claim a brief
notice.

For instance, we are told that Christ's mother,
seeing Him bound and helpless, knotted her
own veil around Him, when the brutal soldiers
had divested Him of the seamless coat for
which they cast lots. This latter garment was,
however, soon purchased by Pilate. He wore it
under his own robes, when summoned to Rome
to give an account of himself, after Veronica^s
handkerchief had cured the Emperor Tiberius

! )

. I lit,

•\H

202 Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

of leprosy, as one tradition claims. As long as
Pilate wore this garment, the furious Tiberi'is
could do him no harm, and did not even dare to
revile him as he wished. But the emperor, hav-
ing discovered what it was that protected Pilate
from his anger, gave orders that the seamless
garment should be taken from the ex-governor.
Pilate, afraid of retribution, now committed
suicide, if one of the versions of the legend
is to be believed ; but according to another,
he was converted and died a martyr, his wife
Procla expiring of joy when she saw his soul,
or his head borne up to heaven.

The first legend claims that the virtuous
Romans, indignant at Pilate for having con-
demned Christ to death, flung his body into
the Tiber river. The stream shrank with
horror from such an accursed man, and over-
flowing upon the neighbouring country, caused
so much damage that the Romans were only too
glad to fish Pilate's body out again, and fling it
into the sea. The Mediterranean, as anxious to
preserve its purity as the Tiber, r.'so refused to
cover the body with its waves, and tossed it up
on land, where further unpleasant manifestations
made it clear that Pilate's tomb was doomed
to be a place of turmoil. So the Romans
placed the corpse upon a barge, and sent it

ist.

Death, Burial, and Resurrection. 203

i long as

, Tiberi'is

in dare to

eror, hav-

ted Pilate

seamless

governor.

;ommitted

le legend

another,

his wife

his soul,

virtuous
ving con-
ody into
k with
nd over-
, caused
only too
d fling it
xious to
fused to
sed it up
estations
doomed
Romans
sent it

up the Rhone to Vienne, because they owed the
inhabitants of that city a secret grudge. The
body, cast into the river there, caused such
a commotion that it was taken out, and con-
veyed to a lonely mountain peak, where it was
buried in a little pool.

A third legend claims that Pilate, haunted
by remorse, could find no rest. He too became
a wanderer upon *he face of the earth, and
having at last come to a high mountain in
Switzerland, he flung himself down from one
of its rocky projections, into the Lake of
Lucerne below it. It is in memory of this sui-
cide that the mountain still bears his name, and
the peasants think that his unhappy ghost still
haunts the barren heights of Mount Pilatus.

As Christ hung upon the Cross, with a male-
factor on either side of Him, we are told that
He remembered the promise made so many
years before. So He turned to the merciful
thief, and bade him hasten to the gate of
Paradise, where the angel would immediately
admit him if he only showed the sign of the
Cross which he bore upon his shoulders.
Another very curious legend states that Our
Lord (although nailed to the Cross) wrote a
letter which He gave to the repentant thief,
biduing him give it to the angel at the gate

';3

304 Legends of the yirgin and CbrisL

of Paradise, and assuring him that it would
do him good service as a passport.

A third legend, conforming a little more
closely with the Scripture narrative, tells us
that after making him the solemn promise,
** Verily, verily, I say unto thee that to-day
thou art with Me in Paradise," Christ bade the
thief precede Him to Hades, and there announce
His coming to all the dead who had so long
awaited their release.

The phenomena attending the Crucifixion,
as recorded in the Gospels, are all repeated
in the legends, which add that at the Saviour's
last cry, ** It is finished," the heathen gods
gave up their sway, and a mournful voice was
heard proclaiming far and near, '* Pan is dead.'*
This belief has been embodied in a beautiful
poem, by Mrs. Browning, of which only a frag-
ment is given here : —

** Calm, of old, the bark went onward,
When a cry more loud than wind,
Rose up, deepened, and swept seaward,
From the piled Dark behind ;
And the sun shrank and grew pale,
Breathed against by the great wail,—
Pan, Pan is dead.

" And the rowers from the benches
Fell, — each shuddering on his face,r-

Death, Burial, and Resurrection. 205

While departing Influences
Struck a cold back through the place ;
And the Shadow of the ship
Reeled along the passive deep, —
Pan, Pan is dead.

** And that dismal cry rose slowly
And sank slowly through the air,
Full of spirits' melancholy
And eternity's despair I
And they heard the words it said, —
Pan is dead, — Great Pan is dead, —
Pan, Pan is dead.

" 'T was the hour when One in Sion
Hung for love's sake on a cross ;
While His brow was chill with dying,
And His soul was faint with loss ;
When His priestly blood dropped downward,—
Then, Pan was dead.

" Wailing wide across the islands
They rent, vest-like, their Divine 1
And a darkness and a silence
Quenched the light of every shrine ;
And Dodona's oak swang lonely
Henceforth to the tempest only 1
Pan, Pan was dead."

After the Crucifixion, one of the most fre-
quently used subjects for works of art is the
Descent from the Cross. Here again the Scrip-
ture account is very brief, but the legends

2o6 Legends of the Firgin and Christ.

tell us that Joseph of Arimathea, a member of
the Sanhedrim, went to Pilate, and in a long and
cleverly devised speech, besought permission
to bury the body of our Crucified Lord.

Pilate would not at first accede to this request,
because he deemed it impossible that Christ
should already be dead, but when the centurion
confirmed the news, he gave Joseph the re-
quired permission. Tradition relates, that besides
the Virgin and the fai^^hful women who attended
her, John, Nicodemus, and a few others helped
Joseph in his pious task.

To save poor Mary every possible pang, John
carefully concealed the cruel nails, and when
the Lord's body had reverently been taken down
from the Cross, it was laid on the Virgin's lap.
Then the Virgin once more clasped her beloved
Son to her aching heart, which had indeed been
pierced by a sword as Simeon had predicted.

This scene, frequently represented in art, and
called the Pieta, sometimes includes a host of
sorrowful angels, who gaze in reverent awe
upon the shattered temple of Our Saviour's
body, while a few among them soar heavenward
with the emblems of the Passion.

The purification and embalming of the body
of Our Lord is also often depicted, and the
slab ai rock upon which the corpse was laid,

MATER DOLOROSA. (Guiuo Rbni.)

Death, Burial, and Resurrection. 207

and which is known as the Stone of Unction, is
now in the chapel of Calvary, where it is pro-
tected by a covering of white marble and sur-
rounded by an iron balustrade.

As the Virgin is supposed by some authori-
ties to have fainted at the sight of the awful suffer-
ing of her beloved Son, she is sometimes rep-
resented in a swoon as Our Lord passes on to
Golgotha, when He is nailed to the Cross, at the
moment when His body is lowered, or at the
entombment. It is on this account too, that
the Church of Rome holds a mournful commem-
orative service of this pitiful circumstance. All
throughout southern Europe this office is held
in the Holy Week, and in France it is known
as La Pdmoison, or the swoon.

When all was over, and as the sun was rapidly
sinking on that awful Good Friday, John, mind-
ful of the charge which he had received, took
the Virgin to his own home, which she never
left as long as she lived. And, while the small
band of faithful mourners sat weeping together,
the Jews, having recovered from the terror
they had experienced at the miraculous darkness
and the violent earthquake which overthrew
twenty cities in Asia, again assembled in coun-
cil. They had heard that the body of Jesus had
been given to Joseph of Arimathea for burial,

208 Legends of the yirgin and Christ,

and furious against him and Nicodemus, they
expelled them both from the synagogue.

Not content with thus disgracing these two
prominent men, they further decided in their
anger, that Joseph of Arimathea deserved death.
They could not execute him now that the
Sabbath was so near, so they had him seized,
and imprisoned in a windowless hut, around
which they Ut' ud guards, keeping the key,
lest they shoc .■ be ^^eprived of their revenge.

Then, remei. yerin ' that there had been a
rumour among the disciples of the Christ, that
He would rise again on the third day, they made
Pilate station a guard of five, or five hundred
men, at the tomb, before whose opening they
placed a ponderous stone which they carefully
sealed. Their precautions had been so well taken
that they felt it impossible that any trickery
should be used^ and as soon as the Sabbath was
over, early on the third day, they assembled to
decide how they should put Joseph of Arimathea
to death. As some sort of a trial was indis-
pensable^ the high priest gave the key of the
prison to one of his satellites, and bade him
fetch the delinquent.

A few moments later the man returned, with-
out the prisoner, and crying that although the
seals were unbroken, and there was no possible

Deaths Burial, and Resurrection. 209

means of egress, the captive had escaped. The
Jews were speechless from amazement at first,
but even when they had recovered the use of
their tongues, they could find no explanation for
this mysterious disappearance. They were still
wondering where Joseph could have gone, when
the guards posted near the tomb of Jesus came
into the room. They announced that there had
been an earthquake, and that they had seen an
angel of the Lord come down from heaven, and
roll away the stone from the sepulchre. This
account, which is given in the apocrypha, then
continues: '^And he (the angel) shone like
snow and like lightning ; and we, being greatly
afraid, lay as if we were dead. And we heard
the voice of the angel talking with women who
waited by the tomb, — * Fear ye not ; for I know
that ye seek Jesus who was crucified. He is
not here ; he is risen, as he said. Come, see
the place where the Lord lay ; and go forth
quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen
from the dead, and is in Galilee.'"

The indignant Jews then inquired why the
guards had not laid hands upon the women,
and when the soldiers pleaded their fear of
the angel, they tauntingly exclaimed : " As the
Lord liveth, we do not believe you." This
insult proved too much, and the men, whose

f -'.

't:-!

210 Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

bearing until then had been quite humble,
although they had evidently heard some rumours
of Joseph's mysterious escape, now defiantly
said : " We have heard that ye shut up him
that asked for the body of Jesus, and sealed
the door, and when ye opened it ye found
him not ; therefore produce him that ye kept
and we will give up Jesus."

"The Jews said, 'Joseph went away to his
own city.' They of the guard said to the
Jews, * And Jesus arose, as we heard from
the angel, and is in Galilee.' And the Jews,
hearing these words, were greatly afraid, saying,
* Lest this saying should be heard, and all
men should believe in Jesus.' And the Jews
took counsel together, and took money enough
and gave it to the soldiers, saying, ' Say ye,
** While we slept his disciples came and stole
him. And if this should be heard by the
governor, we wili assure bim and make you
safe."' And the soldiers, receiving it, said
as they were admonished by the Jews, and
their saying was sent abroad among all men»"

A few days later three menv Phineas a
priest, Aggaeus a Levite, and Adas a soldier
or teacher, arrived at Jerusalem after a journey
in Galilee. They first went to the rulers of
th« synagogue, and told them that th«y had

Death, Burial, and Resurrection, 211

seen Jesus sitting on a mountain, which is
called Melek, Mamilk, and the Mount of Olives
in the different versions of the tale which
have come down to us. The man whom the
Jews had crucified sat there quietly among His
disciples, and the three strangers heard Him
say : *' Go into all the world and preach to
every creature ; he that believeth and is bap-
tized shall be saved, and he that believeth not
shall be condemned."

They also reported the Ascension of Our
Lord, which they had witnessed, together with
about five hundred spectators. Now, in spite
of the standing of these three witnesses, the
high priest refused to believe their testimony,
until they had sworn upon the sacred books
that they were telling the truth. Then, fearful
lest this news should spread and win new
adherents to Jesus, he not only bribed these
men to keep silence, but even sent them away
secretly to another place.

In spite of all these precautions, the rumour
of the Resurrection and Ascension rapidly spread ;
and, notwithstanding all that Caiaphas and those
whom he had bribed could say, many believed
that Jesus was the Son of God. Nicodemus,
hoping to strengthen their faivh, reminded them
that ascensions were not entirely unknown

^'!

212 Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

even in their history ; seeing that Enoch and
Elijah had both gone to heaven without suffering
death. He added, that just as the prophets sought
for Elijah, notwithstanding Elisha's story, they
might now send to Galilee, and make a dili-
gent search for Jesus. This advice pleased the
Jews. A search party was organized, and
although no trace of the missing Jesus could
be found, the messengers came back awestruck,
and reported to the rulers that they had dis-
covered Joseph of Arimathea, sitting quietly
in his own home.

These tidings were so startling that the
High Priest assembled his council, and after
much discussion a letter was written, inviting
Joseph to come to Jerusalem, and couched in
the following terms : " Father Joseph : Peace
to thee and to all thine house, and to thy
friends. We know that we have offended
against God, and against thee, his servant.
Therefore we entreat thee to come hither to
us thy children : for we have wondered much
how thou didst escape from prison, and we
truly say that we took evil counsel against
thee. But God, who saw that we took unjust
counsel against thee, delivered thee out of our
hands. Nevertheless, come to us ; for thou art
the honour of our people."

Death, Burial, and Resurrection. 213

Seven of Joseph's friends carried this letter
to him, and having given him every assurance
that he could visit Jerusalem in safety, they
escorted him thither. Then, in the presence
of the assembled Sanhedrim, Joseph related
how, after being locked up, he betook himself
to fervent prayer for support and consolation.

He continued thus in supplication all through
the Sabbath-day, " And at midnight I saw the
prison - house, that four angels lifted it up,
holding it by the four corners. And Jesus
entered like lightning, and through fear of
Him I fell to the ground. Therefore taking
me by the hand, He raised me, saying ; * Fear
not, Joseph !' Then He embraced and kissed
me, and said, ' Turn and see who I am.'
Therefore I turned and looked and said, * Lord,
I know not who thou art.' He saith, ' I am
Jesus, whom thou didst bury the day before
yesterday.' I said to Him, 'Show me the sepul-
chre, and then I will believe ! ' Therefore He
took me by the hands and led me away to the
sepulchre which was open. And when I saw
the linen clothes and the napkin, and knew, I
said, ' Blessed is He that cometh in the name
of the Lord,' and worshipped Him. Then He
took me by the hand, the angels also follow-
ing, and led me to Arimathea to my house, and

214 Legends of the Virgin and Christ

saith unto me. * Abide here for forty days. For
i go unto My disciples that I may instruct them,
to preach My resurrection,' "

In another version of this book of the apocry-
pha, Joseph states that he fainted at the sight of
the Lord, and recovered his senses only when a
great quantity of water had been poured upon
him, and a smell of myrrh came to his nostrils.

The members of the Sanhedrim who had
listened to his narrative with wonder, were
now filled with great fear, and fasted and
mourned until Joreph bade them be of good
cheer. They remembered the prediction of
Simeon ; but not quite satisfied by the testi-
mony of Joseph, they again sent for the three
men who had witnessed the ascension, and
began to question them once more. To maket
sure that there was no deception practised upon
them, the men were cross-questioned separately,
but their accounts tallied so closely that there
could be no doubt of their really having seen
the event they described.

CHAPTER XI.

THE DESCENT INTO HADES.

The sons of Simeon — The Jews ask for their account — The
writing of their statement — The dead in Hades — The
Light — The prophecies — The plans of Hades and Satan

— The story of Lazarus — The defence of Hades — The.
King of Glory — The entrance of Christ — The submission
of Hades — Satan boimd — The righteous delivered — Christ
appears to Mary — Christ appears to James — Christ leads
the redeemed to Paradise — Enoch, Elijah, and the good thief

— The two versions — Pilate sees report — Herod's letter —
The doom of Herodias — The death of Herod — The death
of Pilate.

X FTER these proofs the Jews could no
•**" longer doubt the resurrection of Jesus.
So Joseph of Arimathea told theiT that not only
had Jesus risen from the dead, but that He had
raised others also; and he mertioned among
others Karinus and Leucius, the sons of Simeon,
who were ^wqW known among the Jews. Many
of them had even been present at the death and
burial of these two men ; and when they heard
that they were even then living in their own

■7

2i6 Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

house at Arimathea, they resolved to go in search
of them, after ascertaining that their sepulchre
was really empty.

Annas, Caiaphas, Joseph, Nicodemus, and
Gamaliel, with a few others, were chosen for
this embassy, and hastened to Arimathea, where
they entered the synagogue, and had the two
men in question brought into their presence.
Then the high priest, addressing them, said,
** We wish you to swear by the God of Israel,
and Adonai, and thus that ye may tell the truth
how ye rose, and who raised you from the
dead I "

The sons of Simeon, who had not uttered a
word, now crossed themselves, made signs
asking for writing materials, and, locked up in
separate cells, wrote the following narrative.
This account is very important, because it
served as foundation for the Miracle Plays. In
England it was known as the Harrowing of
Hell, but on the Continent it was called the
Descent into Hades. It has also been the
basis of a number of paintings by the early
masters.

The introduction to these documents, given
in full in the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus,
is as follows: "O Lord Jesus Christ, the
resurrection and the life of the world, give us

The Descent into Hades.

grace that we may rehearse Thy resurrection,
and Thy wonderful works which Thou didst in
Hades."

Karinus and Leuciu§ then went on to relate
that they were in the dark depths of Hades with
all those who had fallen asleep in the beginning.
They were closely watched by Hades himself,
Satan, his emissary, and the many demons which
guarded the place of the departed spirits.

Great excitement reigned in the dismal pre-
cincts of Hades, for John the Baptist had
already come thither, to announce their coming
release to the weary, waiting souls. The patri-
archs and prophets, who had been longing for
the time of deliverance, crowded around John
in the gloom, when they heard him raise his
well-known cry *' Repent ye.'*

Suddenly, "at the hour of midnight, upon
those dark places, there arose as it were the
light of the sun." This light came streaming
down the pathway to Hades, growing brighter
and brighter. When its beams allowed them to
distinguish one another's faces, the patriarchs
and prophets recognised each other, and the
latter now solemnly repeated the prophecies
which are recorded in their books.

Isaiah in particular exclaimed : *' The land
of Zebulon and the land of Nephthalim, the

■I

■ 1

^ii :r

2i8 Legends of the yirgin and Christ,

people which sitteth in darkness hath seen a
great light." Then Simeon related how he had
firii seen the dawning of the promised light,
when the Christ Child had been brought into
the Temple, and he had been filled with the
Holy Ghost.

At the request of Adam, Seth told the waiting
people how he had gone to the gates of Para-
dise, where the angel had shown him the tree of
life, and given him the miraculons seeds. These
were to produce a tree which five thousand five
hundred years later would hear strange fruit,
from, whence the oil of mercy would flow for all.
Seth's story filled the hearts of the righteous
with ineffable joy, and they all anxiously watched
the light, which was growing brighter and
brighter. While the good were thus revelling
in joyful anticipations, "Satan, the inheritor of
darkness," was in close confabulation with
'* Hades, the all devouring and insatiate one."
He told him that from the haled race of the
Jews there had recently sprung .s uin, named
Jesus, who claimed to be .he Son of .^od. The
Jews, through his (Satan's) machinations had
grievously persecuted and shamefully put to
death this same Jesus, after He had resisted all
Satan's most clever temptations.

Hades shrank with fear when he heard of the

The Descent into Hades,

219

cCitilng into his abode of One who said ';hat He
was the Son of God. He therefore angriJy
asked why Satan was bringing Him thither to
undo them all. Satan tried to reassure Hades,
and repeatedly asserted that Christ was nothing
but a man, for he had heard Him exclaim "my
soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death."

To convince Hades, Satan began to enumer-
ate all his causes of complaint against Christ,
who had healed the sick, restored the blind, and
especially cast out the devils purposely sent to
torment the human race. The greatest of all
his grievances, however, was that Christ had
snatched from his grasp certain dead persons,
and restored to life those whom he had hoped
to detain in Hades forever.

Satan concluded his speech by a passionate
plea to Hades to use all his power to keep
Cbiist a prisoner when He came, as come He
must, into his dark abode. But Hades doubt-
fully shook his head, and said, "A short time
ago I swallowed a certain dead man, Lazarus
by name, and a little after, one of the living, by
a word alone, forcibly drew him out of my
bowels."

Not content with this statement, which must
have been explicit enough to suit the taste of
the times, Hades now went onto describe hii

.4m' V'ljr '-.1 V.

r ■ ■

tfif\

220 Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

sensations on that occasion ; and he ruefully
commented upon the fact that Lazarus flew
away from him '* not like a dead man but like
an eagle." Shrewdly suspecting that Lazarus
had been called forth by the very man whom
Satan now bade him detain at any price, Hades
refused to let Christ enter his realm, lest if once
admitted there He should rob him of the dead,
and annul his power forever.

At the end of a lengthy discussion, Satan and
Hades concluded to bar all their gates ; but
when that was done, a mighty voice was heard
without, crying, " Lift up your gates, O ye
rulers, and be ye lifted up, eternal gates, and
the King of Glory shall come in."

Afraid lest the very gates should fall at this
cry, Hadcs urged Satan to rush out at the head
of the demoniac forces, while he and the other
demons tned to reinforce their defences. The
righteous, hearing the orders given by Hades
for resistance, now v/arned him that his efforts
wo.ild all be vain, for Isaiah and Hosea had both
predicted many >ears before that, "The dead
shall arise, and they that are in the tombs shall
be raised, and those who are in the earth shall
be glad. And where is thy sting, O Death ?
Where i? thy victory, O H'-.des?"

Just then the V( ice without was again heard

DESCKNT INTO IIADKS (A. Dukrr.)

The Descent into Hades,

221

asking for admittance ; and, hoping to temporise,
Hades began to parley, and craftily inquired,
*'Who is the King of Glory?" The question
was no sooner asked than it was answered by a
triumphant burst of music from the heavenly
host, who loudly proclaimed Him: "The
Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in
battle."

As the walls of Jericho fell of old at the sound
of the sacred trumpets, so the gates of Hades
now burst asunder at this triumphant cry, and
the bonds of all the dead were loosened. They
sprang forward, with a cry of rapture, to greet
on the threshold the King of Glory, who
entered, holding aloft His banner, which bore
the emblem of the Cross.

All the dark corners of Hades were lighted
up by His presence, and revealed all the grimac-
ing and vindictive fiends which the ancients
loved to depict and describe. Some artists
have even gone so far, when treating this sub-
ject, as to represent Christ stepping over the
door, which has fallen upon Hades, who is
crushed flat beneath its weight.

The light which emanated from the Saviour
flooded the little group of patriarchs and pro-
phets, who fell upon their knees and worshipped
Him.

222 Legends of the yirgin and Christ,

Another version of the Descent into Hades
says that Christ was preceded by the repentant
thief, bearing his cross, and announcing the
coming of his Master. Hades, terrified at the
entrance of Christ, hastened to do homage to
the Lord, with all his demon crew ; and Christ,
after bidding His angels bind Satan, the traitor,
delivered him over into Hades' keeping, saying,
"Take him and keep him safely until my sec-
ond coming."

In his wrath against Satan, who by compass-
ing the death of Christ robbed him so sorely.
Hades condemned him to the worst tortures,
and bitterly reproached him, saying, '* All that
thou didst gain by the tree of knowledge, thou
hast lost it all by the tree of the Cross."

In the mean while Christ had graciously
stretched out His right hand and raised Adam,
in sign of complete forgiveness. Then address-
ing the righteous, whom Adam gazed at in
wonder, questioning whether they could all have
descended from him, the Saviour said, " Come
with me all ye who have died through the tree
which he touclied. For behold I raise you all
up again through the tree of the Cross."

All the blessed then returned loud thanks for
the mercy vouchsafed them, and, before leaving
Hades forever, they implored the Lord to set up

J/.

The Descent into Hades,

223

Hades
jpentant
ing the
d at the
mage to

Christ,
1 traitor,

saying,
my sec-

ompass-
) sorely,
:ortures,
All that
2;e, thou

OSS."

aciously

Adam,

iddress-

at in

all have

Come

he tree

you all

nks for
leaving
3 set up

His banner there in token of His everlasting
victory over the powers of sin and death.

" And when they had said these things, the
Saviour blessed Adam on the forehead with the
sign of the Cross, and He did this also to
the patriarchs and the prophets, and martyrs
and forefathers, and took them, and sprang
out of Hades. And as He went the holy
fathers followed Him, chanting and saying,
" Blessed is He that cometh in the name of
the Lord. Alleluia; to Him be glory from all
the saints."

The dead, thus released, were led first of
all into the presence of the Virgin Mary. She
was sorrowing, and knelt in her house at that
time, saying : " Thou didst promise, O my
most dear Son, that Thou wouldst rise again
on the third day. Before yesterday was the
day of darkness and bitterness ; and behold,
this is the third day. Return then to me, Thy
mother, O my Son, tarry not, but come." A
very old carol voices this promise of Christ
to His beloved mother in the quaint lines : —

"Upon Easter day, mother,
My uprising shall be ;
O the sun and the moon, mother,
Shall both rise with me."

The Cherry-Tree Cartl

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WEBSTER, N.Y. M5M

(716)872-4S03

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i-ii

224 Legends of the (Virgin and Christ.

Mary's prayer was scarcely ended when the
room was suddenly flooded by a brilliant light.
Then the angelic host appeared, singing a
hymn of joyful thanksgiving, and a moment
later Jesus entered, bearing the banner of the
Cross, and closely followed by the long pro-
cession of ransomed souls. They, one and all,
knelt before the Virgin Mother, humbly thank-
ing her, through whom their deliverance had
at last come.

Sight alone was not enough to convince the
bewildered Virgin that it was really her Son.
She longed to hear once more His beloved
voice, and her joy was complete, therefore, only
when He addressed her, saying, " I salute thee,
O my mother,"

Although this version claims that Christ
appeared first of all to Mary, according to an-
other He began by visiting James, who, at the
Last Supper, had vowed that he would not taste
food again until he had seen the risen Lord.
James was well-nigh fainting from exhaustion,
by this time, so Christ, appearing to him, urged
him to eat, blessing and breaking the food
which was set before them, and even partaking
of it with him.

A third version relates that Christ, upon
leaving Hades, proceeded directly to Paradise,

T})e Descent into Hades,

225

followed by about twelve thousand just men,
whom He had released from Hades. There
He delivered Adam and his progeny to the
archangel Michael, who led them through the
gates, into the garden of Eden. To their
astonishment they saw two men quietly walking
about there.

The holy fathers were so amazed by this
sight that they breathlessly asked, " Who are
ye, who have not seen death, and have not
descended into Hades, but inhabit Paradise
in body and soul ? " The men then informed
them that they were Enoch and Elijah ; and
that although translated hither in the flesh,
it was to be their privilege ♦o go forth and
fight the Antichrist. They would be slain in
this encounter ; but after three days they would
rise again and be ** caught up in the clouds
to meet the Lord."

Enoch and Elijah had scarcely finished this
explanation when the righteous beheld a third
figure coming to meet them. It was a lowly
man, bearing either a cross, or the sign of a
cross, upon his shoulders. In answer to the
inquiries of the holy fathers, this man now
gave his biography, concluding with his con-
version upon the cross, and the promise then
made to him by Jesus Christ.

226 Legends of the yirgin and Christ.

Two of the redeemed, Karinus and Leuciuf ,
were sent to earth by the archangel Michael,
with instructions to preach the resurrection,
whenever the Spirit moved them. The re-
mainder of the time they were to be dumb,
until the Lord bade them make known all
they had heard and seen.

Such was the account of the descent into
Hades, penned by Karinus and Leucius in their
separate cells. They had begun their task
simultaneously, and at the same moment they
wrote the last word, and cried aloud, *' Amen."
Their documents, handed over to the high
priest, were carefully compared, and found
exactly alike; but when the Jews would fain
have questioned these witnesses further, they
had vanished, and were never seen again.

The rumour of this report made by these
two men finally reached the ears of Pilate,
in spite of the precautions which the Jews
had taken to keep it secret, and he insisted
upon seeing it. When he bad read it all,
Pilate called the rabbis together, and made
them acknowledge that it agreed with the pro-
phecies inscribed in their sacred books.

They said that even the period of five
thousand five hundred years, mentioned by Seth,
had been plainly indicated by God to Moses

■!l

The Descent into Hades.

227

when He ordered, **'Make thee the Ark of
the Covenant two cubits and a half in length,
one cubit and a half in breadth, and a cubit and
a half in height/ By these five cubits and a
half we understood and knew the frame of
the ark of the old covenant, that in five thou-
sand five hundred years Jesus Christ should
come in the ark of the body, and we find that
He is the God of Israel, the Son of God ! "

To avoid dissension in the synagogues, the
Jews, nevertheless, resolved to be silent, and
prevailed upon Pilate not to reveal what they
had told him to any one except the emperor.
In the apocrypha we have tHerefore pretended
letters from Pilate to Claudius, as well as some
curious communications from Herod to Pilate.
In one of these, the former relates a peculiar ac-
cident which has just happened to his daughter
Herodias. As she *' was playing upon a pool of
Water which had ice upon it, it broke under
her, and all her body went down, and her head
was cut off and remained on the surface."

This catastrophe, which was considered a
judgment upon her for having asked the head of
John the Baptist, is not the only mention made
of her in the legends. We also find her subjected
to the same punishment as the Wandering Jew,
of whom she catches a glimpse once in every

228 Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

century, but only across some impassable chasm
or stream. They see and recognise each other,
stretch out longing arms, and would fain embrace
one another, for their common doom has drawn
them strangely together, and keeps them con-
stantly conscious of each other, although apart.
But they are doomed only to catch this passing
glimpse of one another, and ere they can exchange
a single word, they are both swept onward by a
force which it is impossible to resist.

In his letters, Herod then goes on to confess
that punishment is fast overtaking him for his
manifold crimes. He confesses that he was the
instigator of the Massacre of the Innocents, that
he ordered the beheading of John the Baptist,
and the scourging of Christ, although history
ascribes the first of these crimes to another king
of the same name. Punished in the person of
his wife, sons, and daughter, Herod is further
affected by dropsy, has wept himself blind, and
concludes by asking Pilate to bury his unfor-
tunate body, which is already a prey to worms,
for *Mo, I am receiving temporal judgment, and
I am afraid of the judgment to come."

Pilate answers this letter by a stilted produc-
tion, in which he declares he is innocent of hav-
ing shed the blood of Christ, and relates the
latter's resurrection and apparition in Galilee.

The Descent into Hades,

229

chasm
other,
m brace
drawn
m con-
apart,
passing
change
rd by a

confess

for his

vas the

Its, that

Baptist,

history

r king

son of

urther

td, and

unfor-

vorms.

It, and

roduc-
)f hav-
es the
aliiee.

He adds that Procla believes in Him, for she
has gone to see Him, together with Longinus,
the centurion who pierced Him with his lance,
and the guards who watched at the sepulchre.

Pilate himself, according to this version, is
favoured by a vision of the risen Saviour, and,
kneeling before Him, the proud Roman makes the
curious confession : " I have sinned, O Lord, in
that I sat and judged Thee, who avengest all in
truth. And lo, I know that Thou art God, son
of God, and I beheld Thy humanity and not Thy
divinity. But Herod, with the children of Israel,
constrained me to do evil unto Thee. Have pity,
therefore, upon me, O God of Israel."

Another account states that when Pilate was
summoned to Rome, tried and condemned for
having sentenced Christ, he exclaimed that his
punishment was just. His repentance and con-
version were so complete, that he is represented
as having died like a martyr, comforted at the
last moment by a voice from heaven, which ad-
dressed him, saying: *' All generations, and th"
families of the Gentiles, shall call thee blessed,
because under thee were fulfilled all these things
that were spoken by the prophets concerning
me ; and thou thyself must appear as my witness
second comii

judge

twelve tribes of Israel, and them that have not
confessed my name."

11
I

■m

CHAPTER XII.

ASSUMPTION AND CORONATION OF THfi VlftOm.

Mary at the Ascension — The seven sorrows of the Virgin —
Pentecost — The Holy Ghost — Disciples take leave of the
Virgin — The Annunciation — The palm — The disciples —
Mary's farewell — The Virgin's soul — The shrouding at
. the Virgin — The funeral of the Virgin — The High Priest
— The burial of the Virgin — The Assumption — Thomas'
doubts — The girdle — The Coronation — The privilege
granted to Mary — The last Judgment.

npHE Ascension of Our Lord was witnessed
"*• by the Virgin Mary, as well as by the dis-
ciples, and the five hvndred men whom the three
travellers had seen assembled on Mount Melek.
Hei3 again the Scripture narrative consists of
only a few words, and Mary is not mentioned
by name. The legends, however, add sundry
details, and tell us that as Jesus soared upward
out of her sight, Mary cried aloud in anguish,
** My son, remember me when Thou comest in
Thy kingdom I Leave me not long after Thee,
my Son ! "

i-i

Assumption and Coronation of the l^irgin. 23 1

This was the last of the Virgin's seven sor-
rows, which are often represented in art as a
series, and include the Circumcision, or the
Prophecy of Simeon, the Flight into Egypt, the
loss of the Christ Child, the procession to Cal-
vary, the Crucifixion, the Entombment, and tue
Ascension. The Ascension of Christ having
taken place, John took Mary home with him.
She I'ngered in Jerusalem with the disciples,
waiting for ihe promised Comforter, which the
Christians interpret to mean the Holy Ghost,
while the Mohammedans insist that Christ de-
signated their Prophet by this term.

Mary was not only with the disciples, but she
** continued with them in prayer and supplica-
tion" until the Day of Pentecost, when the
Holy Ghost fell upon her also according ;j
some authorities. But other commentators
state that Mary, as the personification of wis^
dom and mother of divine wisdom, had no need
of an increase of knowledge, and that the Holy
Ghost had always been with her.

Some legends of great antiquity inform us that
Mary was baptised by Peter, and received the
Holy Communion from the hands of John, the
beloved disciple of Christ. It is not known
how Mary spent the remaining years of her
life. One tradition claims that she remained

!IB(i -I'-t

232 Legends of the l^irgin and Christ.

at Jerusalem, where she spent all her time in
devotion, and in making pious pilgrimages to
the places hallowed by Our Saviour's Cruci-
fixion and Entombment. A second report is
that she withdrew to a sanctuary which Elijah
had built in her honour on Mount Carmel.
There she lived the life of a recluse, and hence
is known as Our Lady of Carmel and the special
patroness of Carmelite nuns. A third version of
the story, however, says that she accompanied
John to Ephesus, where she dwelt in his house,
instructing his many converts, who were all
anxious to see and hear the mother of their
new-found Lord and Redeemer.

Shortly after the Descent of the Holy Ghost,
which is frequently represented in art, the
disciples left Jerusalem, in obedience to the
instructions of Christ to go forth and preach
the gospel to all nations. Before they departed,
however, they all came to take solemn leave
of the Virgin Mary, and to receive her bless-
ing, for they never expected to see her again
upon earth. On this occasion they each spoke
a few words, which, joined together, now form
the Apostles' Creed.

The date of the death of the Virgin Mary
is very uncertain, and while some writers claim
that she died in the forty-eighth year of our era,

ist.

i4sstimptlon and Coronation of the yirgin, 233

r time in
mages to
's Cruci-
report is
ch Elijah

Carmel.
md lience
le special
version of
ompanied
lis house,
were all

of their

ly Ghost,

art, the

to the

preach

eparted,

mn leave

er bless-

ler again

ch spoke

low form

{in Mary
;rs claim
our era,

others are found to assert that this event took
place in the year sixty-three. It is gener-
ally supposed 'hough, that the Virgin lived
only about eleven years after the ascension.

Although we have no authentic account of
her last moments upon earth, there are many
legends about her death, which have been gener-
ally adopted by artists, and which were accepted
with unquestioning faith in the Middle Ages, by
the uninstructed classes.

One of these legends is contained in an apoc-
ryphal work entitled the " Assumption of the
most glorious Virgin Mary," and when co*'
densed it runs as follows : The Virgin was
dwelling on Mount Sion, in John's house,
eagerly awaiting the moment when she would
be allowed to join her beloved Son, whose mem-
ory was ever present to her mind. One day her
heart was filled with such a weary longing for
Him, that she burst into tears and wept abun-
dantly. All at once an angel appeared before
her, clothed in radiant garments, and flooding
all the house with a dazzling light. Like the
Angel of the Annunciation, who had appeared
to her so many years before, this angel saluted
her saying, '* Hail, O Mary 1 " and then went
on to say ** Blessed by Him who hath given sal-
vation to Israel 1 I bring thee here a branch of

334 Legeniis of the yirgin and Christ,

palm gathered in Paradise ; command that it
be carried before thy bier in the day of thy
death ; for in three days thy soul shall leave thy
body and thou shalt enter Paradise where thy
Son awaits thy coming."

The palm, which the death angel bore, instead
of the lily borne by the angel of the Annuncia-
tion, was, we are told, an offshoot of the t >rtu-
nate tree which had sheltered Mary and her
Babe during the flight, and which had received
the reward of being transplanted into Paradise.

Mary then asked the name of the celestial
messenger, besought permission to see the
apostles once more before her demise, and
asked that they might be present at her death
and burial. She also begged that her soul,
freed from the body, might not be affrighted
by any spirit of darkness, or any demon have
power over her.

The angel then informed her that he was
called the Great and Wonderful ; but another
legend adds that he was Raphael. He had
been allowed to summon Mary to heaven, in
compensation for having been selected, in cen-
turies gone by, to forbid Adam and Eve to eat
of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil. The angel promised Mary that her
reauest should be granted, and that the twelve

rist.

Assumption and Coronation of the Virgin, 235

id that it

ly of thy

leave thy

where thy

re, instead

Annuncia-

the t >rtu-

r and her

d received

Paradise.

3 celestial

see the

mise, and

her death

her soul,

affrighted

mon have

it he was
It another
He had
leaven, in
d, in cen-
ive to eat
e of good
f that her
he twelve

disciples should be brought :o her from the
ends of the earth, in order to receive her last
messages and commit her body to the grave.
He also quieted her apprehensions, by telling
her she noed not fear the evil spirit, for her
seed had bruised his head, and put an end to
his malignant reign.

Then the heavenly visitor departed, leaving
behind him the celestial palm, which shed
light from every leaf, and sparkled as brightly
as the stars of the morning. Left alone once
more, Mary lighted her lamp, prepared her bed,
and then ly ng down upon it, and composing
herself, she calmly and prayerfully awaited the
end.

The disciples were, by this time, scattered
far and wide, but at the same moment, John
at Ephesus, Peter at Antioch, and all the
brethren wherever they happened to be, were
suddenly caught up and whisked through the
air, like the prophet Habakkuk in the Old
Testament. A moment later they were amazed
to find themselves all together once more, and
standing at the door of Mary's house at Jeru-
salem. They went in, and when the Virgin
saw them standing around her bed, she blessed
and thanked them for coming, and explained
why they had been summoned thither in such

236 Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

haste. Then she took the palm, and gave it
to John, bidding him carry it before her at her
burial.

Time passed quickly in praise and prayer,
and when the third hour of the night had come
on the appointed day, a mighty noise was heard,
and a delightful fragrance filled the whole house.
According to one version, the archangel Saint
Michael now appeared, with all the heavenly
host, to receive Mary's soul ; but another states
that Christ Himself came, accompanied by
angels, patriarchs and prophets, all singing loud
hymns of joy.

When their grand chorus was ended, Christ
tenderly addressed His mother in the words of
the Song of Songs, saying, *' Arise, my beloved I
mine elect I come with me from Lebanon,
my espoused 1 receive the crown that is des-
tined for thee!" Mary gazed upon His
beloved face in rapture and answered, *' My
heart is ready, for it was written that I should
do Thy will!"

Then, while all the angels who accompanied
the Lord again sang their hymn of joy, Mary's
soul, in the guise of a little child, left her body,
and was received into the arms of her Son.
And behold " the Apostles saw that her soul
was such that no mortal tongue could express

ist,

\ gave it
ler at her

\ prayer,
bad come
as heard,
lie house,
gel Saint
heavenly
ler states
inied by
l\vig loud

d, Christ
words of
beloved I
-ebanon,
: is des-
on His
1, " My
I should

impanied
, Mary's
er body,
ler Son.
her soul
express

,; ij

A, (:■

?;.i

ASSUMPTION OF THE VIRGIN. (Titian.)

Assumption and Coronation of the Virgin. 237

its whiteness." Still escorted by the heavenly
host, Christ now rose up to heaven again, ten-
derly carrying the released soul of the Virgin
Mary.

The apostles, looking upward and seeing
her fast vanishing out of their sight, then cried
aloud to her, saying : *' Oh, most prudent
Virgin, remember us when thou comest to
glory," while the angels surrounded her, chant-
ing, '* Who is this that cometh up from the
wilderness, leaning upon her Beloved } she is
fairer than the daughters of Jerusalem."

Mary's soil had entirely disappeared from
earthly sight, but the disciples gazed with
respect upon the empty temple of her body,
which still lingered upon earth. As the burial
could not long be postponed, however, they
soon called the maidens, who came to wash
and shroud the corpse of the Virgin. But
although they tenderly performed their office,
these women were not allowed to gaze upon the
body which had borne our Lord, for it was en-
veloped in such a glory of dazzling light that
they could not see it.

Now, while some writers have expressed a
belief that Mary did not die, but merely slept,
the majority assure us that she was really dead,
when the disciples reverently laid her body

\.n.)

238 Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

\\\

'^mk

^M^

upon a bier, and proceeded slowly toward the
valley of Jehoshaphat wh^ere they intended to
bury her. John walked ahead of the little
funeral procession, carrying the heavenly .palm ;
Peter slowly chanted the one hundred and four-
teenth Psalm; while the other disciples and
many angels softly took up the strain. The
sound of this music attracted tlie attention of
the Jews ; and the high priest rushed out in
anger, and laid his hand upon the bier, intend-
ing to overthrow it. But as he touched it,
both his arms fell paralysed along his sides.
Terrified by this accident, he now implored
Peter to restore them. So Peter gravely said :
** Have faith in Jeisus Christ and His mother,
and t'hou shalt be heated."

The high priest, converted by the miracle
which had just occurred, now ope^nly confessed
his belief in Christ and the Virgin Mary, and
as soon as he had done so his arms were made
whole. Then, the interrupted funeral service
went on, and Mary's body was laid in a tomb,
near which the disciples kept guard for some
time.

Three days after the death of His Virgin
mother, Christ spake to the assembled angels,
skying : ** What honour shall 'I confer on her
Who was m'y mother on earth and brought me

;/.

Assumption And Coronation of the Virgin. 239

ard the
ided to
e little
^ .palm ;
id four-
[3S and
. The
tion oT
om in
intend-
hed it,
i sides,
nploted
y said :
nother,

miracle
ifessed
ry, and
made
service
tomb,
some

Virgin
mgels,
in her
It rhe

forth ?" The angelic host unaminously answered :
^* Lord, suiffer not that body which was Thy
temple and Thy dwelling to see corruption;
but place her beside Thee on Thy throne m
heaven/' Well pleased with this answer, the
Lord bade the angel Michael bring the glorious
«oul of Mary into His presence, and then He
said: "Rise up, my dove, my undefiled, for
thou shak not remain in the darkness of the
grave, nor shalt thou see corruption."

At these words the soul of Mary joined her
body, and, joyfully obeying the summons she
had received, the Virgin arose from her tomb,
ail glo»nous without and within. Thus she
ascended up into heaven, surrounded by the
heavenly choir, which welcomed her with every
•demonstration of extravagant joy.

The apostles, still mounting prayerful guard
around the tomb, witnessed the Virgin's Assump-
tion, which they related to Thomas, the only
one among them who had not been present
at the time when it occurred. But Thomas
would not believe them ; and as he insisted
upon ocular demonstration, they opened the
tomb in which Mary's body had been lard, and
showed him that it contained nothing but roses
and lilies which breathed forth celestial perfume.
'Gazing upward, as if in search of the vanished

240 Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

it T

miMi

Mary, Thomas now beheld her in a glory of
light ; and as she slowly rose to heaven, she
threw down to him the girdle which is still
preserved as a relic in the cathedral of Prato.
The miracle of the Assumption, and of the
Girdle, said to have been witnessed by many
besides the apostles, is the subject of a number
of very noted paintings.

Only one more honour remained to bestow
upon Mary. She was crowned ** Queen of
Heaven," in the midst of the assembled angels.
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost participated in
this ceremony; and painters, in depicting the
Coronation of the Virgin, show her receiving
the diadem either from the hands of God the
Father, or from God the Son. On this solemn
occasion, Mary ventured to make the following
request, which causes her still to be viewed in
the light of an intercessor by many Christians.

*' Do Thou bestow Thine aid upon every man
calling upon, or praying to, or naming the name
of Thine handmaid." Christ answered : ** Every
soul that calls upon thy name shall not be
ashamed, but shall find mercy and support and
confidence both in the world that now is, and
in that which is to come, in the presence of
My Father in the heavens."

The religious plays of the Middle Ages, and

I '

St,

glory of
^en, she

is still
f Prato.

of the

)y many

number

bestow

ueen of

1 angels.

Dated in

ting the

•eceiving

God the

I solemn

oUowing

ewed in

stianSc

ery man

le name

' Every

not be

Dort and

is, and

ence of

CORONATION OF THE VIRGIN. (Fra Angei.ilo.)

;es, and

Assumption and Coronation of the Virgin, 241

the series of pictures intended to cover all the
space between the Downfall of the Angels and
the End of the World, set before the eyes of
the public the principal scenes of the Old and
New Testaments and the apocrypha, and com-
plete the story by a representation of the Last
Judgment. The most famous of all the paint-
ings treating of this subject is Michael Angelo's
magnificent decoration of the Sistine chapel,
where the Virgin seems to shrink from the
terrible wrath o^ her Son. In other pictures,
she seems to plead in behalf of guilty humanity ;
and in some cases she generously screens the
sinners behind the folds of her outstretched
robe.

i t.

i' I

I i ■ !

CHAPTER Xiri.

MOTHER AND SON IN ART.

Christ the model man — Mary the model woman — Christ in
early Christian art — The symbols by which He was repre-
sented — > Pagan and Biblical types of Christ — The Good
Shepherd — The Virgin in early art — The disputes and
schisms in the Church — The first portrait of the Virgin —
John of Damascus — The influence of the Crusades — Saint
Bemard*s vision -> The Church play« -> The influence exerted
by the Renaissance — The symbols of Mary— The legend
of the rose — The names of Mary — The vesture of Mary
and Christ — The Madonnas — Our Lady of the Snow —
Our Lady of Loretto — Our Lady of the Pillar — Our Lady
of the Chair — Series of pictures — The Incoronata — The
Mater Dolorosa — The Pieta — The Mater Amabilis —
Plants connected with Christ — Plants connected with Mary
— Conclusion.

i ■

■pROM the very first, Christians have ever
*'■ considered Christ as the model of manly
virtue, and before long they also recognised
His mother as the pattern woman. All sects
have always been ready to acknowledge the
Virgin as blessed among women ; but while
some of the Protestants limit themselves to

Mother afid Son in Art,

243

- Christ in

was repre*

The Good

sputes and

B Virgin —

des — Saint

nee exerted

rhe legend

e of Mary

le Snow —

Our Lady

ata — The

^mabilis —

with Mary

,ve ever
f manly
:ognised
^11 sects
dge the
It while
elves to

this recognition, there have always been many
Christians who place her e^bove the angels and
next to the Trinity. They ascribe to her almost
unlimited influence, and therefore address prayers
to her as well as to the Deity.

It is not positively known when this worship
of the Virgin — which some writers term Mariol-
fitry, first began. There is, however, an au-
thentic mention of invocation to her in the fourth
centu.j, and it is probable that the custom had
already been in practice for some time.

A remnant of the old Jewish belief, that it was
a sin to make likenesses of any living being,
together with a feeling of intense reverence for
the Saviour, at first prevented any attempt to
represent Him except by symbols. The linea-
m nts of the transfigured, risen, and ascending
Lord were, besides, so different from His human
presentment, that the early Christians preferred
to indicate Him by the initial letters of His name,
or by such symbols as the Cross, the Lamb, and
the Fisherman.

Later on, they indicated Him by pagan allu-
sions ; and, because Christ drew all people to
Him by the magic of His words, they repre-
sented Him as Orpheus, the mythical singer
whose lyre attracted all creatures to his side.
The next stage in art was to represent Christ

244 Legends of the l^irgin and Christ.

by types taken from the Old Testament, where,
for instance, Abraham's sacrifice was a fore-
shadowing of the great atonement to come.

The third step was to depict Our Lord as the
Good Shepherd ; and while at first He is re-
presented as carrying a sheep, He was in time
shown with a kid on His shoulder, to indicate
that He had come to bring back into the fold
the sinners who were always typified as goats.

" ' He saves the sheep, the goats he doth not save I*
So spake the fierce TertuUian ; but she sigh'd —
The infant Church ! Of love she felt the tide
Stream on her from her Lord's yet recent grave.
And then she smiled ; and in the catacombs,
On those walls subterranean, where she hid
Her head mid ignominy, death, and tombs,
With eyes suffused, but heart inspired true,
She her Good Shepherd's hasty image drew,
And on His shoulders not a lamb, a kid."

Matthew Arnold.*

As persecution and death surrounded the
early Christians on all sides, and the insecurity
of life made them feel particularly close to the
Lord, they dwelt more upon the idea of
His divinity and glorification, than upon His
humanity and sufferings. It is probably on
this account that all real knowledge of the

* Macmillan & Co.

Mother and Son in Art,

245

where,
a fore-
:ome.
I as the
is re-
in time
ndicate
he fold
oats.

jave I *
d —

te
ave.

INOLD.*

the
curity
o the
ea of

His
y on
f the

physical appearance of Our Lord is lost ;
although we find in the apocrypha the already
quoted document of Lentulus. But it was only
in the year one thousand, when all hearts were
filled with apprehension of the End of the
World, which had been fixed for that date by
the superstitious people, that Christians firat
began to dwell upon the awful scenes of the
Last Judgment, and to represent the events of
Passion Week, emphasizing the suffering and
horror as much as possible.

Whereas Christ in early art had been repre-
sented mostly by symbols, the Virgin Mary
soon occupied a prominent place in art, and
the majority of the church paintings and orna-
ments were used to set forth her perfections,
relate her story, or recommend her to the ven-
eration of the people.

As we have seen, there is but little mention
of Mary in the canonical works ; but her name
came into great prominence when various sects
in the Church began to question whether she
were mother of the human element only in
Christ's nature, or also of the divine. Nestorius
maintained the former opinion, and found so
many Christians ready to oppose him and his
followers, that disputes on the subject were
the order of the day.

246 Legends of the yirgin and Christ.

The matter was finally brought up before
the Ecumenical Council at Ephesus in 43 1 , and
after much discussion Mary was officially pro-
claimed the mother of the God, as well as of the
man, and as sucii commended to the worship
of all true Christians. This decision occa-
sioned a schism in the Church, and as outward
sign of their convictions, the Orthodox, as they
were then called, or partisans of the Virgin,
made effigies of the Mother and Child, which
they placed in their churches and homes,
stamped on their coin, and embroidered on
their garments.

Not long after the council at Ephesus, the
Empress Eudoxia visited the Holy Land, and
sent home a portrait of the Virgin and Child,
which was supposed to have been painted from
life by Saint Luke. This precious work of
art was placed in a church at Constantinople,
where Mary's remains were also brought ia
710. Some authorities claim that Eudoxia's
portrait of the Virgin was destroyed by the
Turks when they took Constantinople in 14^3 ;
but the Venetians declare that it was brought
to their city, in 1204, by iheir blind Doge
Dandolo, and placed in the church of St,
Mark, where it can still be seen.

During the sixth and seventh centuries, Ihe

St.

before
^31, and
lly pro-
is of the
worship
n occa-
outward
as they

Virgin,
1, which

homes,
ered on

Mother and Son in Art.

sus, the
ind, and

Child,
ed from
^ork of
ntinaple,
tught in
udoxia's

by the

brought
Doge
of St,

ies, (h«

worship of the Virgin Mary rapidly increased,
and her effigies became so numerous that in
the eighth century a reaction set in. Under
the pretext that these images no longer served
merely as symbols, but were worshipped as idols,
a sect called the Iconoclasts, or Image Breakers,
began a general destruction of these work^
of art. Opposition, as usual, only served as
stimulus to their zeal ; and they forcibly re-
moved from the churches all works of art that
did not represent Christ alone.

Statues wete broken, paintings burned,
mosaics shattered, and thus the principal result
of this movement was to, deprive posterity oi
many curious examples of early Christian art.
In the Council of Nice in 787, a vehement
protest was made against this general destruc-
tion, but although checked for a while, it was
soon renewed.

In connection with the Iconoclasts, we find
that John of Damascus was one of the most
realous defenders of the images of the Virgin.
He once protested so vehemently against the
destruction of a painting representing her, that
the Image Breakers called him an idolater, and
as such condemned him to lose his right hand.
Tradition adds that they hewed it off on the
spot, and that John of Damascus, falling upoa

2^8 Legends of the Virgin and Christ -

his knees, touched the bleeding stump of his
hand to the lips of the image he had suffered so
intensely to save. He had no sooner touched
the pictured Virgin, however, than a miracle
occurred, and a new hand sprang up instead of
the one which he had lost. It is in commemo-
ration of this miracle, — which naturally filled
the hearts of all the spectators with great awe, —
that the Virgin Mary is sometimes represented
in Greek art with three hands.

Another council soon restored the pictures of
the Virgin to their former places in churches,
where they have been seen ever since. But
most of these images are to be found in the
Roman, Greek, Syrian, Coptic, Abyssinian, and
Armenian churches, where she is viewed with
particular veneration.

From the East, the worship of the Virgin soon
extended to the West, where she was already very
popular in the days of Charlemagne. It was then
that returning pilgrims brought back fragments of
the apocryphal gospels, which, owing to the
prevailing ignorance, were believed implicitly,
although the fathers of the Church had already
declared them unworthy of a place in the canon.

At the time of the Crusades, the worship of
the Virgin received a new impetus ; and it is then
that the title Our Lady or Madonna came into

of his
jred so
ouched
miracle
;tead of
imemo-
y filled
iwe, —
ssented

ures of
urches,
I. But
in the
an, and
;d with

nsoon
dy very
as then
ents of
to the
>licitly,
ilready
canon.
;hip of
is then
e into

Mother and Son in Art,

249

general use. Hundreds of knights, starting out
for the Holy Land, pledged themselves to
Mary's service, wore her image or colours as a
token, and used her name as watchword and
battle-cry. The monks, equally eager to show
their devotion, wore white in memory of her
purity, black in respect for her sorrows ; and
each order became the champion of some doc-
trine concerning her, such as the Immaculate
Conception, for instance, which was supported
by the Franciscans in particular.

Those were thr days of visions, too, and Saint
Bernard relates that he once saw two ladders
leading up to heaven. At the head of one of
them stood the Lord Jesus, at the top of the
other His Virgin mother. Both gazed with
benevolent eyes, upon the sinners painfully
climbing upward to the heavenly heights ;
but while Christ remained motionless, Mary
stretched out her hands to help the strugglers
surmount the last obstacles, and tenderly drew
them up into heaven. This vision, which, he
explained, showed the Virgin as taking pity upon
and helping sinful mortals, of course served to
strengthen the faithful in their allegiance to the
Queen of Heaven.

The time of the Crusades was also a period of
intense devotion, and the painters of images,

> i

250 Legends of the Virgin and Christ.

who were at that time mostly monks, often
went to their work after spending hours in
petiance and "prayer, and in some cases painted
Christ and the Virgin only upon their knees.

The returning crusaders and pilgrims related
Ifhe tales they had heard in the East; and the
minstrels wandered from door to door, reciting
stories and singing ballads on sacred subjects
which were popular everywhere.

It is thus that the apocryphal traditions be-
came generally known, even before the Ghureh
began to make u^e of series of pictures for the
instruction and edification of the faithfu' It
was then, too, that tlie religious plays, which
first formed part of the Mass, were given out-
side of the churches, and in a far different
way.

It had long been customary to have a sort
of representation of the descent of the angel
Gabriel at the feast ef the Annunciation. Then
came the exhibition of the Nativity at Christ-
•mas, the procession of the Magi at Epiphany,
the altar strewn with white flowers at the Puri-
fication, the burial of the Cross on Good Fri-
day, and its restoration on the altar on Easter,
in memory of the glorious Resurrection of O-ur
Lord. The next step in dramatic performances
it&d been the Passion Play 'attributed to Gregory

Mother and Son in Art.

25 1

often
ufs in
>a'mted
lees.
related
tnd the
ecitmg
ubjects

ans be-
GhufGh
for the
fu' It
, which
en out*
ifferent

a sort
angel
Then
Christ-
phany,
e Puri-
)d Fri-
iaster-,
of O-or
mances
regory

Nazlanzen. This was followed by countless
similar plays, and as it became finally customary
to exhibit the mocking of Christ, on or about
the first of April, the Passion d'Avril became
by corruption the " Poisson d'Avril," or the
popular expression for '* April fool " in France.

When the plays we're no longer seen in the
churches, the monks ceased to serve as actors,
»nd the dramatic performances were given
either by the guilds of the large cities, or by
strolling bands of performers, the most cele-
brated being the French Confr^rie de la
Passion. Thv'i great centres for these plays
in England were Coventry ?.nd Chester, where
the guilds gave elaborate representations, which
were kept up until the days of Shakespeare.

In course of time the religious purpose
Was almost lost sight of, and the amusement
of the public was considered rather than their
edification and instruction. To introduce a
comic element, the shepherds camping out on
the hillside on Christmas eve played all manner
of tricks upon one another, demons took the
place of clowns, and Herod was made to rant
upon the stage, until he became a fit subject
for the proverb to out- Herod Herod, which we
owe to Shakespeare.

The stage, in England, was generally placed

Mil

:! 1:

252 Legends of the Virgin and Christ.

on wheels, and these huge carts were dragged
from place to place for the performance of
the plays. As in some cases the actors played
their parts both on the stage and in the street,
they frequently took advantage of the latter
circumstance to indulge in side play with the
spectators ; and this always proved a very
popular feature of the entertainment.

The scenery was, of course, of the most
primitive description, but the costumes were
very gorgeous if not strictly correct. God
the Father wore a gold wig to distinguish
Him from the other actors ; and the angels
were gilded, until it was discovered that this
process was injurious to the health of those
representing them. Old account-books throw
strange lights upon these performances, which,
beginning with the Downfall of Satan and the
Creation of the World, concluded only with the
Last Judgment. Among other strange items,
we find : —

** Paid to the players for rehearsal,
Imprimis to God ii s. viii d.
Item to Pilate his wife, ii s.
Paid to Fauston for cock crowing, iii d.
Paid for mending Hell, ii d.
Paid for painting of Hell mouth, iii d.
Item for setting World on Fire, v </."

Mother and Son in Art.

253

dragged
ance of
5 played
e street,
le latter
with the
a very

he most

es were

t. God

stinguish

e angels

that this

of those

:s throw

, which,

and the

with the

;e items,

Of all these plays, only one has survived, and
is still given every ten years. This is the Pas-
sion Play of Ober-Ammergau, which has been
remodelled and expurgated, until it is now one
of the must impressive dramatic representations
in the world. Like the early plays, it is used
as a means of revival, and the actors who par-
ticipate in its production are animated by the
most reverent feelings.

The general worship of the Virgin, and espe-
cially the disputes concerning the Immaculate
Conception, attracted the public attention to
Mary's parents, who were duly canonised.
Joseph, too, was admitted to the rank of saint,
and others soon followed, until the Church
calendar became quite full. With the invention
of printing, a new stimulus was given to learn-
ing; and one of the first books sent out from
the press was a poem by Gerson, where not
only the Virgin Mary, but Joseph, Anna, and
Joachim, were all recommended to the venera-
tion of the faithful. Then too, with the Renais-
sance, came the great revival of classical art and
literature, which exerted such an influence that
the pictures and statues, from merely conven-
tional, gradually became natural and beautiful.

It was at about this epoch that artists began
to represent the Holy Family, introducing into

ii!'

254 Legends of the Virgin and Christ.

the picture not only the Virgin and Child,
but Joseph, Joachim, Anna, Zacharias, Elizabeth,
and the infant Saint John. For a time now,
the outward form rather than the religious idea
became paramount ; and instead of painting
upon their knees, like some of their pred-
ecessors, a few of the artists used notoriously
bad women for models, and set up these pictures
to be worshipped in the churches.

This state of affairs was, of course, very
distasteful to the ^ruly religious ; and Savonarola,
among others, protested vehemently against
these effigies, some of which he publicly burned.
These denunciations were not without effect ;
and painters again sought to represent the
Virgin, not only as the most beautiful woman
whom their fancy could suggest, but also as
the purest and best. To express the com-
bination of human and divine in her nature,
to remind the spectator of her mission upon
earth, to recall special events in her history,
the artists now placed around her many symbols.
As their meaning is not always obvious, we
will explain a few of them here, referring the
reader to art histories for a more detailed
list.

The sun, moon, and stars are often introduced,
in allusion to the vision of Saint John, as recorded

, M^ffW-.

PREDESTINATION OF THE VIRCIIN. (Mullkr.)

Mother and Son in Art.

255

in the Apocalypse. Sometimes a star is em-
broidered on the Virgin's veil, or mantle, or
forms a clasp for the latter garment ; this is
because one of the Hebrew meanings of her
name is *' Star of the Sea." When she wears
a crown of twelve stars, or when twelve stars
appear in any part of the picture, they are
intended to represent either the twelve apostles,
or the twelve tribes of Israel. The crescent
moon and stars generally appear, together with
many cherubim, in paintings called the Imma-
culate Conception.

" The Virgin Mother stood,
Down from her flowing hair to sandal-shoon,
The mystic type of maiden motherhood.
Below her feet there curved a crescent moon,
And all the golden planets were her hood ;
In comely folds her queenly garb was moulded,
And over her pure breast her hands were folded."

Alfred Austin : Madonna's Child>

Many pictures, where the sun forms the back-
ground, and where Mary is crowned with
twelve stars, are also called the Immaculate
Conception. But where her foot rests upon a
dragon or serpent, — the emblem of Satan, —
holding in one claw an apple, — the emblem of

^ Macmillan & Co.

2S6 Legends of the yirgin and Christ,

sin, — the picture should be called the Predes-
tination of the Virgin ; because it is intended to
convey an idea of her mission upon earth, as
announced to Adam and Eve in the Garden of
Eden.

The lily is always a symbol of purity. In the
Annunciation, the lily is generally without sta-
mens ; but when the picture sets forth Mary as
the patron saint of France or of Florence, the
stamens are not omitted. Thorns twined around
lilies are in allusion to the Virgin's sorrows as
well as to her purity. In allusion to the Script-
ure text, '* I am the Rose of Sharon," roses are
frequently introduced. They are also the em-
blems of love and beauty ; and, besides the
legends already given concerning them, Sir
John Mandeville gives us the following quaint
tale : —

Mary, ** blamed with wrong and sclaundered
with fornication, was demed to the Dethe, and
as the Fyre beganne to brenne aboute hire, sche
made hire Preyers to oure Lord, that as sche
was not gylty of that Synne, that he wold helpe
hire, and make it to be knowen to alle men, of
his mercyfulle grace. And when sche hadde
thus seyd, anon was the Fyer quenched and
oute, and the Brondes that weren kyndled be-
comen red Roses, and the Brondes that weren

Mother and Son in Art.

redes-
ied to
th, as
Jen of

In the
It sta-
ary as
:e, the
iround
ows as
Script-
ses are
le ern-
es the
m, Sir
quaint

dered
le, and
e, sche
is sche
i helpe
nen, of

hadde

d and
led be-

weren

257

not kyndled becomen white Roseres and fulle
of Roses. And theise weren the first Roseres
and Roses, bothe white and red that ever ony
man saughe. And thus was this maiden save^
by the Grace of God."

" The stake
Branches and buds, and spreading its green leaves,
Embowers and canopies the fair maid.
Who thus stands glorified ; and Roses, then
First seen on earth since Paradise was lost,
Profusely blossom round her, white and red,
In all their rich variety of hues."

SOUTHEY.

Among other symbols we find, still in allusion
to texts in the Old Testament, the Enclosed
Garden, the Well, the Fountain, the Tower of
David, the Temple ^i Solomon, the City of
David, the Closed Gate, the Sealed Book, the
Palm, and the Cedar, the Olive, and the Rod
of Jesse, or flowering rod. All these symbols
further serve as means to express some Bibli-
cal truth, or some quality, such as the inde-
structibility of the cedar, or the loftiness of the
palm ; while, as every one knows, the olive is
the emblem of peace. Mary is often invoked
by these and similar names, as well as repre-
sented with, or accompanied by, the symbols

they indicate.

ai'i

258 Legends of the Virgin ami Christ.

"Tower of David, Ivory Tower,
Vessel of Honour, House of God,
Mystical Rose, unfading Flower,
Sure refuge of the unconsoled,
Pray for us !

" Mirror of Justice, Wisdom's Seat,
Celestial shade for earthly heat,
The sinner's last and best retreat
Pray for us I Pray for us ! "

Alfred Austin : Madonna's ChildX

The globe and sceptre are both emblems of
sovereignty ; the serpent is the type of Satan or
sin ; and an apple, the sign of the fall of man,
which necessitated the coming of the Redeemer.
Besides the flowers, we often see fruits or grain
introduced : wheat is used to represent the bread
of life, grapes are an allusion to the sacramental
wine, and the pomegranate is the emblem of
hope, on account of its red colour, the sign of
the Cross perceived where it is cut, and the five
seeds which serve to represent the five wounds
of Christ.

" All hath been told her touching her dear Son,
And all shall be accomplished : where He sits
Even now, a Babe, He holds the symbol fruit."

Dantk Gabriel Rossetti.
> Macmillan & Co.

Mother and Son in Art.

259

The dove, so often seen, represents the Holy
Ghost, while seven doves typify the seven gifts
of the Spirit. Birds are generally emblems of
the soul, although the Goldfinch is rather a type
of the Passion, which is signified by the blood-
red marks upon its wings.

Besides being represented as already de-
scribed in a previous chapter, the Annuncia-
tion is sometimes depicted by an allegory,
which was popular in the Middle Ages. In
such pictures the unicorn, an emblem of chas-
tity, pierces the breast of the Virgin. The
unicorn, wounding only to heal, typifies the
Lord Jesus ; while the four hounds in hot pur-
suit are personifications of mercy, truth, jus-
tice, and peace. The huntsman, holding the
hounds in leash, or winding his horn, is meant
to represent the angel Gabriel.

Old Testament figures are sometimes intro-
duced to set forth its connection with events
in the New ; and thus, in paintings by the old
masters, there are often several pictures com-
bined into one not inharmonious whole. Be-
cause some of the old Greek pictures grew
dark with age, and on account of the Scripture
passage, ** I am dark but comely," the Virgin
is sometimes represented with a very swarthy
complexion ; and, strange to relate, such pictures

26o Legends of the yirgin and Christ.

are held in much greater veneration taan any
others.

In all historical works of art the Virgin Mary
is very simply clad, a red tunic with long sleeves,
an ample blue mantle, and a veil being the pre-
scribed costume. But in devotional pictures,
and particularly in those where she is called
the Virgin Enthroned, or the Queen of Heaven,
she is most gorgeously arrayed. In the Immac-
ulate Conception, and in the Assumption, her
tunic is pure white, or merely spangled with
gold stars ; but during the Passion Week, and
after the Crucifixion, she is always represented
as wearing violet or gray.

Until the fifteenth century, the Child was
always clad in swaddling clothes, or short tunic ;
but after that period, it became customary to
represent Him either partly or wholly undraped.
The adult Christ is, however, always fully clad,
and generally in a white and " seamless " robe.
It is only in the Baptism in the Jordan, the
Washing of the Disciples' Feet, the Flagella-
tion, and the Crucifixion, that this long gar-
ment is removed.

As the pictures of the Virgin and Child are far
too numerous to count, and as one artist has
frequently painted a score of pictures which are
called by the same title, most of the Madon-

in any

Mary
eeves,
le pre-
ctures,

called
eaven,
m niac-
in, her
i with
;k, and
;sented

d was
tunic ;

lary to
raped.

y clad,
robe,
n, the
agella-

g gar-

re far
St has
ch are
[adon-

MADONNA DI SAN SISTO. (Rai-haf.i..)

Mother and Son in Art,

261

nas are designated by scTie accessory which has
been introduced. Hence, we hear of the Ma-
donna of the Lily, and of the Madonna of the
Goldfinch (Cardellino) . When the picture stands
in some conspicuous place, or was painted for
some noted person, it is generally distinguished
by such a title as the Sistine Madonna, because
one of the kneeling figures is Pope Sextus II.,
or as Madonna del Gran Duca, because painted
for the Grand Duke of Florence.

Besides the names which have already been
given, the Virgin boasts of a few more con-
nected with legends which have been the subject
of pictures by well-known artists. Such is, for
instance, the title of Our Lady of the Snow. It
seems that a Roman Patrician, having no children
to whom he might bequeath his great wealth,
once prayed Mary to teach him how best to
dispose of it. His prayers ended, the Patrician
fell asleep ; and although it was in the month
of August, 352, he dreamed that the Virgin ap-
peared to him, and bade him build a church in
her honour, in a place where he would find snow
Oil the morrow.

When the Roman Patrician awoke, he related
his dream to his wife. She too was deeply im-
pressed by the vision which he had had ; and they
both went in search of the Pope, carrying with

■nB'i''

]:m

262 Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

them the plan of a church such as the Patrician
had seen in his dream.

The Roman and his wife knelt at the Pope's
feet, besought his permission to build a church
in honour of the Virgin, and related the vision
which had prompted this pious thought. The
tale they told so aroused the Pope's interest, that
he and his clergy went out with them, and, in
spite of the intense heat of a Roman summer,
they found a freshly fallen patch of snow upon
the Esquiline hill. Here the Patrician built a
church, which is known as Santa Maria Mag-
giore ; and ever since then Mary has added the
title of Our Lady of the Snow to those which
she already possessed. The Patrician's Dream
is the subject of several noted pictures, in one
of which, by Murillo, he and his wife are lost in
peaceful slumber while the Virgin hovers over
them, and in one corner of the painting are the
plans of the future church. In a companion
picture, the Patrician and his wife are kneel-
ing before the Pope explaining their wishes to
him, while in the background an ecclesiasti-
cal procession is seen going toward Mount
Esquiline.

Mary is also called Our Lady of Loretto, He-
cause it is claimed that the house where she was
born, and where the Annunciation took place,

rist.
Patrician

he Pope*s
1 a church
the vision
^ht. The
erest, that
n, and, in
I summer,
now upon
an built a
aria Mag-
added the
ose which
I's Dream
es, in one
are lost in
>vers over
ng are the
ompanion
re kneel-
wishes to
cclesiasti-
d Mount

retto, ^e-
e she was
ok place,

Mother and Son in Art.

263

was miraculously transported from Nazareth to
Loretto, in Italy. It seems that the Saracens
once threatened to profane this building, and
that four angels, seizing it by the corners,
wafted it speedily over land and sea. They set
their precious burden down in Dalmatia ; but as
the people there were not worthy to have it re-
main amongst them, the angels again took it up
and bore it over the Adriatic to Loretto, where
it has been the object of pious veneration ever
since 1295. The Santa Casa, as Mary's house
is called, has since then been entirely covered
with white marble, exquisitely sculptured by
eminent artists. Some of these bas-reliefs re-
present the translation of the House of Mary.
Our Lady of Loretto is sometimes depicted
as seated on the roof of the house, while it is
borne aloft by the angels, and calmly nursing the
Christ Child, whom she holds in her arms.

According to a Spanish legend, the Apostle
Saint James, while preaching the Gospel in
Spain, was once favoured by a strange vision.
He saw the skies open, and an alabaster pillar
descend to earth. There, seated on the top of
the pillar, he beheld the Virgin Mary holding
her Babe. This vision soon vanished ; but a
church was built upon the spot where the pillar
rested, and Our Lady of the Pillar is considered

iWi

264 Legends of the Virgin and Christ.

the special protectress of Saragossa, the place
where this miracle occurred.

If we were to attempt to relate here all the
miracles which are said to have taken place in
connection with many of the Madonna pictures,
it would require far more space than is usually
allowed for one book. Besides, they are re-
corded in many of the guide-books, and have
no interest except for people who visit the place
where the miracle is said to have happened.

But the legends of the painters, and of the
circumstances under which some noted pict-
ures were painted, are of great interest. The
most charming of them all, however, is the one
connected with Raphael's Madonna della Sedia,
or Our Lady of the Chair.

An old hermit, Father Bernardo, had built a
little retreat for himself in the Italian hills. He
was a very good man, and spent so much time
in meditation and prayer that the neighbouring
people all honoured him as a saint, and often
came to him for ad. ce. In visiting him, they
often asked how he could endure such a life,
and whether he did not feel very lonely at
times ?

The old man would shake his head, smile gently,
and teil them that although solitude had no terrors
for him, he could, whenever he pleased, enjoy the

Mother and Son in Art,

ist.

the place

re all the
I place in
, pictures,
is usually
y are re-
and have
the place
3ned.
nd of the
>ted pict-
est. The
is the one
^Ua Sedia,

id built a

lis. He
nuch time

hbouring
and often

lim, they
ch a life,

onely at

le gently,

no terrors

enjoy the

265

society of his two daughters, one of whom was
talkative, while the other was silent. The people
were at first greatly mystified by this answer ; but
they finally discovered that the old man was allud-
ing to Mary, the daughter of a neighbouring vine-
dresser, whom he had known from a child, and
carefully taught, while his second daughter was
the huge oak beneath which he had built his
hermitage.

Time passed on, and one spring there was a
terrible storm in the hills. The mountain streams
became torrents, and the freshet swspt away
houses and cattle. When the people had man-
aged to recover from their first terror, they im-
mediately thought of the poor old hermit, whose
hut lay so near the mountain stream that they
felt sure it must have been swept away.

They were all convinced that the hermit had
perished ; but Mary, the vine-dresser's daughter,
prayed that her good old master might be safe.
As soon as the storm abated, she took some pro-
visions, and, in spite of the danger, went in
search of the hermit. When she came near the
place where his hut had stood, she uttered a
cry of terror, for no trace of it remained, and
only the oak stood erect.

Her cry was, however, immediately answered
by another, and, gazing in the direction whence

266 Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

it proceeded, Mary saw the hermit, clinging to
the branches of the oak, but ahiiost fainting from
exhaustion. By her efforts, the old man was
soon rescued from his perilous position ; and
after he had returned thanks to God for his
marvellous escape, he turned to the people and
said: "I owe my preservation to my two
daughters, as well as to God, and I hope He
will reward them both by distinguishing them in
some way from the other works of His hand."

Some time after this the old monk died. Mary
married a cooper ; and the oak, cast down by
another storm, was hewn into pieces and used
to make the staves and heads of wine-casks.

Raphael, the painter, was at that time wander-
ing on foot through the country, accompanied by
a few of his pupils to whom he pointed out the
beauties of nature. He had long been searching
for a suitable model for a new Madonna, which
he had been commissioned to paint. In the
course of his wanderings, he came at last to the
secluded valley, where the cooper was merrily
hammering his casks. Mary, his wife, sat in a
chair, on the porch of his little vine-grown cot-
tage, tenderly nursing her second child, while
the eldest played with some sticks by her side.
The child had just fastened two of the twigs
together, in the shape of a cross, and was lean-

ist.

inging to
ting from
man was
Ion ; and
d for his
eople and
my two
hope He
ig them in
s hand."
ed. Mary
t down by
and used
le-casks.
ne wander-
hpanied by
led out the
I searching
na, which
In the
last to the
as merrily
fe, sat in a
rown cot-
lild, while
|y her side,
the twigs
was lean-

MADONNA DKLLA SEDIA. (Raphael.)

Mother and Son in Art,

267

ing against his mother's knee, to show it to her,
when the painter came upon the scene.

At the very first glance Raphael perceived the
beauty and touching grace of the picture, and ex-
claiming that here was the model he had sought
so long in vain, he glanced eagerly around him
for sketching materials. As there was neither
canvas nor paper at hand, he drew a sketch of
the picture on the smooth head of a cask which
the cooper was just finishing.

Raphael's pupils, and the honest workman,
gazed at him in admiration, as he rapidly
sketched the tender mother, and both her little
children. When the sketch was finished, Ra-
phael paid the cooper liberally for the barrel-
head, which he carried away with him. As
soon as he arrived home, he finished the picture
on the wood upon which he sketched it, and thus
the old monk's prayer was granted. Mary had
sit as model for one of the loveliest Virgins the
world has ever seen, and her beauty was made
well-nigh indestructible by the solidity of the
oaken board upon which it was painted, and
which came from the very heart of the old
monk's favourite tree.

It is a great pity to spoil this legend by con-
fessing that the Madonna della Sedia is painted
upon canvas, and not upon wood. The shape of

268 Legends of the yirgin and Christ.

.(,,

i;^-

iO 11

I ii

the picture however is exactly that of the head
of a wine-cask; and as a round picture was very
rare at that time, it bears out the story, which,
if not true, is at least, as the Italians say, ** ben
trovata," or happily imagined.

Besides historical series of pictures, setting
forth the lives of Christ and the Virgin Mary,
we have others, which are most frequently seen
in the Roman Catholic Churches. Thus, we
find a series of five pictures called the Joyful
Mysteries, and representing the Annunciation,
the Visitation, the Nativity, the Purification,
and Mary finding the twelve-year-old Christ
in the Tempi. .

Next come the Five Dolorous Mysteries,
which include Christ in the Garden of Geth-
semane, the Flagellation, the Crown of Thorns,
the Procession to Calvary, and the Crucifixion
with Mary at the foot of the Cross.

The Five Glorious Mysteries are the Resur-
rection, the Ascension, the Descent of the Holy
Ghost, the Assumption, and the Coronation of
the Blessed Virgin Mary.

At times, some of these pictures, together
with others, are formed into groups of seven
subjects. Then we have the Seven Joys of
the Virgin Mary, i, e., the Annunciation, the
Visitation, the Adoration of the Magi, the Pre-

rist.

the head
was very
y, which,

iay,

Mother and Son in Art,

269

ben

!S, setting
gin Mary,
ently seen
Thus, we
the Joyful
lunciation,
urification,
old Christ

Mysteries,
I of Geth-
of Thorns,
rucifixion

together
of seven
In Joys of
liation, the
fi, the Pre-

sentation of the Christ-Child in the Temple, the
Finding of the twelve-year-old Jesus, the As-
sumption, and the Coronation.

The companion series is called the Seven
Sorrows of the Virgin Mary, and sets forth the
Prophecy of Simeon, the Flight, the Loss of the
twelve-year-old Jesus, the Betrayal of Christ,
the Crucifixion, the Descent from the Cross,
and the Ascension with Mary left on earth
and longing for her vanished Son.

Another very well-known series of pictures
is called the Stations of the Holy Way of the
Cross. These pictures are generally placed all
around the church. The series begins at the
High Altar. We have : i, Jesus Condemned to
Death ; 2, Jesus made to bear His Cross ;
3, Jesus' first fall beneath the burden of the
Cross; 4, Jesus meets His afflicted Mother;

5, the Cyrenean helps Jesus to carry His Cross ;

6, Veronica wipes the face of Jesus ; 7, Jesus'
second fall beneath the weight of the Cross ;

8, Jesus speaks to the daughters of Jerusalem ;

9, Jesus' third fall ; 10, Jesus stripped of His
garments; 11, Jesus nailed to the Cross; 12,
Jesus dies on the Cross ; 13, Jesus taken down
from the Cross ; 14, Jesus laid in the Sepulchre.

There are a few more styles of pictures which
^re designated by particular terms, such as thie

'l I

270 Legends of the l^irgin and Christ,

Incoronata, or Crowned Virgin, the type of the
Church Triumphant ; the Virgin of Mercy, or
the Intercessor; the Mater Dolorosa, or the
Mother mourning for her suffering or dead Son.
In this last-named character, the Virgin Mary is
sometimes also called the Queen of Martyrs,
because her sufferings surpassed those of any
of the Christians who died to testify their belief
in her Son. The Stabat Mater is the Virgin
standing at the foot of the Cross, watching the
suffering which all her love cannot relieve even
for a moment.

" By the Cross, sad Vigil keeping,
Stood the mournful mother weeping,
While on it the Saviour hung ;
In that hour of deep distress.
Pierced the sword of bitterness,
Through her heart, with sorrow wrung."

Stabat Mater Dolorosa,

La Piet^, is the Virgin holding her dead Son
in her arms, on her knees, or bending over Him
as He lies at her feet. There are besides these
many devotional representations of the Madonna,
especially votive pictures, where the Virgin,
enthroned, is surrounded sometimes by angels
and saints, and where the family or individual
for whom the picture was painted, in fulfilment

Mother and Son in Art

271

of the
cy, or
or the
d Son.
4ary is
artyrs,
of any
r belief
Virgin
ing the
ve even

of a solemn vow, is often seen kneeling in the
foreground.

The most pleasing of all the representations
of the Virgin is that called the Mater Amabilis.
Here she is no longer an object of worship, but
merely the tender mother bending over her
Child.

" The mother with the Child
Whose tender winning arts,
Have to Hia little arms beguiled
So many wounded hearts."

M. Arnold.

\ Dolorosa,

!ad Son
rer Him
les these
ladonna,

Virgin,
angels
[dividual

ilfilment

As we have seen, the legends of Christ and
the Virgin Mary have had great influence over
art and literature. They are also closely con-
nected with botany, and it is said that the " Life
of Christ flings its shadow over the whole vege-
table world."

Many plants, besides those already mentioned,
are closely bound to religious tradition, — such
as the Vervain or Verbena, which is popularly
known as the Holy Herb. It is supposed that
this plant sprouted in the Garden of Gethsemane,
from the bloody drops of perspiration which fell
from Our Lord's brow. This herb is therefore
credited with marvellous healing properties, and
used to be gathered with special reverence.

I I

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272 Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

" Hail to thee, Holy Herb,
Growing on the ground,
On the Mount of Olivet
First wert thou found.

" Thou art good for many an ill,
And healest many a wound ;
In the name of sweet Jesus
I lift thee from the ground."

Dyer: Folk Lore of Plants.^

Next comes the Blessed Herb, with trefoil
leaf, an emblem of the Trinity, and blossoms
with five golden petals, which stand for the five
wounds of Christ. There is besides, as it were,
a whole botanical calendar, for we are told that
the stars of Bethlehem bloomed at the Nativity,
and that the snowdrops opened when Our
Saviour was carried into the Temple, and are
hence considered particularly appropriate for
church decoration at the Feast of the Puri-
fication.

The red spots on Saint-John's-wort are said
to appear on the anniversary of the day on which
he was beheaded, and the arum persicaria has
the same spots because it grew at the foot of the
Cross.

A number of the botanical legends are closely

1 Appleton & Co. . .

Mother and Son in Art.

271

}f Plants.^

h trefoil
blossoms
r the five
\ it were,
told that
Nativity,
hen Our
and are
riate for
he Puri-

are said
on which
caria has
oot of the

closely

connected with the Cross itself. For instance,
we are told that Mary, on her way to Jerusalem
with the Infant Christ, sat down under a fig-tree
by the wayside to nurse Him. As she was rest-
ing there, a sudden shivering fit seized her, and
a presentiment of coming sorrow made her clasp
her Child closer to her heart. Although Mary
did not know it, it seems that this tree was the
same which Christ cursed on account of its bar-
renness so many years later. Some authorities
claim that Judas hanged himself on this withered
fig-tree ; but others assert that the executioners
found it when seeking wood for the Redeemer's
Cross, and that they hewed it down for that
express purpose.

The Cross is also said to have been made
from the mistletoe, which used to be a large
tree, but which, thus incurring a curse, was
dwarfed and reduced to the mean proportions
of a parasite. This same reason is given for
the stunted proportions of the dwarf birch, and
sundry other species of trees which c; not
attain their full growth.

The trembling which agitates the leaves of
certain trees, and particularly of the poplar and
the aspen, is, as we have already seen, ascribed
to the horror felt by the wood, when called
upon to bear the dying Saviour.

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274 Legends of the yirgin and Christ,

Some writers claim that the Cross was made
of four kinds of wood, the emblems of the four
points of the compass. These species vary, how-
ever, and are either the cedar, cypress, palm,
and olive, or the cedar, cypress, pine, and box.

" Nailed were His feet to Cedar, to Palm His hands,
Cypress His body bore, title on Olive stands."

Another legend claims that when the men
went out in search of wood, that a!! the trees
split rather than become accomplices to the
death of Our F-ord, and that the Oak alone re-
mained whole. But this story does not hinder
the inhabitants of various parts of the world
from claiming thpt the Cross was made of ash
or elder, or of any other tree which strikes their
fancy as appropriate.

Many flowers and fruits are said to bear the
imprint of the Cross, which can be found in
the centre of the red poppy, in the gourd, and
in the banana, which the inhabitants of the
Canary Islands never cut with a kuife, on that
account.

When the Spaniards came into South America,
and first beheld the Passion Flower, they cried
aloud that Christ had laid His seal upon the
land, by causing such a marvellous flower to
grow and publish there His death on the Cross.

s/.

Mother and Son in Art,

275

is made
the four
ry, how-
s, palm,
id box.

s hands,

Is."

the men
the trees
s to the
alone re-
ot hinder
he world
de of ash
ikes their

bear the
found in
|ourd, and
s of the
, on that

America,

they cried

upon the

flower to

Ihe Cross.

The five anthers of this blossom are said to
represent the five wounds of Our Lord ; the
triple style, the three nails ; the pistil, the pillar
to which the Saviour was bound ; the filaments,
the crown of thorns ; and the calyx, the nimbus,
or glory around Him.

" The Paasion'flower long has blow'd
To betoken us sign of the Holy Rood/*

AH the white flowers are dedicated to the
Virgin Mary, and during her month — May —
the altars in the Roman Catholic churches are
adorned by a profusion of pure white blossoms.
Many other blossoms also bear her name. One
species of Orchid is called Our Lady's Slipper ;
the common ribbon grass. Our Lady's Garter ;
the dodder. Our Lady's Laces ; the marigold.
Our Lady's Smock ; the maiden's-hair fern is
also known as Our Lady's Tresses.

An experienced botanist, the Rev. Hilderic
Friend, has given a very complete and whim-
sical description of the plants connected with
Mary which we cannot refrain from quoting
here : *' How liberal we have been toward her
ladyship will appear when I enumerate some of
•the plants wMth which she is honoured. Thus,
as she reclines in her bower we provide her
with boots and slippers for her feet, garters with

2^6 Legends of the Virgin and Christ,

which to keep her hose in place, a. id laces for
her corset or shoes. We have found her a
thimble and needle with which to sew, a smock
and a mantle in which to garb herself, a cushion
on which to recline, and a comb and a looking-
glass for her hair and tresses which we also
have supplied her. Thus equipped, we find her
a nightcap to keep her curls from being ruffled
at night, and, when she needs to write to her
friends, we find her a seal or a signet for her
letter. She would be incomplete without fingers,
and these we also provide, together with a navel,
and a basin in which to wash. And, having done
all this, we plant around her bower, trees, grass,
whin, clover, cowslip, mint, bracken, foxglove,
fern, and thistle to make the garden gay. We
further find her in gloves for her delicate fingers,
eardrops to adorn her head, and a riband with
which to tie back her hair or make up a sash.
She is not content without ruffles, and these too
are found for her, and lest she should lose her
money, a purse is also provided ; yet, with all
this lavish kindness, we make her sleep on a bed
of straw."

Many artists, conversant with the popular
superstitions about plants, place in the fore-
ground of their pictures, herbs and flowers which
have a particular message for those who can

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Mother and Son in Art.

277

laces for
id her a
, a smock
a cushion
. looking-

we also
e find her
ng ruffled
ite to her
5t for her
ul fingers,
th a navel,
iving done
ees, grass,
, foxglove,
gay. We
te fingers,
band with

p a sash.

these too
lose her
with all
on a bed

read their hidden meaning. It is thus that every
detail, even the most insignificant, often has
some special purpose.

Our aim in this volume has been to explain
some cf these meanings, so that those who
have not studied the matter, and are not artists,
can nevertheless understand the most important
stories told by the pictures they see. It is a
fascinating occupation to trace out every allusion
for one's self ; but unless a large collection of pic-
tures is available, a long list of paintings where
the various symbols can be ieen is aggravating
to the average reader.

Only a few paintings have therefore been men-
tioned here, and those are so well known,
owing to the manifold reproductions of them,
that all can recall them without any effort. It
is only when the siory is clearly understood that
the finer and often hidden meaning of the artist
can be seen, and that we can best perceive the
many lessons besides those of faith, hope, and
charity which are taught by most of the pictures
of the Virgin and of Christ.

popular

the fore-

rers which

who can

THE END.