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The Story of the Wandering few is of confiderable antiquity: it had obtained full credit in this part of the world before the year 1228, as we learn from Mat. Paris. For in that year, it feems, there came an Armenian archbishop into England, to vifit the fhrines and reliques preferved in our' churches; who, being entertained at the monaftery of St. Albans, was afked feveral queftions relating to his country, &c. Among the reft a monk, who fat near him, inquired "if he "had ever feen or heard of the famous person named Jofeph, "that was fo much talked of; who was prefent at our Lord's "crucifixion and converfed with him, and who was ftill alive "in confirmation of the Chriftian faith." The archbishop anfwered, That the fact was true. And afterwards one of his train, who was well known to a fervant of the abbot's, interpreting his mafter's words, told them in French, That his lord knew the perfon they spoke of very well: that he had dined at his table but a little while before he left the East: that he had been Pontius Pilate's porter, by name Cartaphilus; who, when they were dragging Jefus out of the door of the Judgment-ball, ftruck him with his fift on the back, Jay

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ing, "Go fafter, Jefus, go fafter; why doft thou linger ?" Upon which Jefus looked at him with a frown and faid, "I indeed am going, but thou shalt tarry till I come." Soon: after he was converted, and baptized by the name of FoJeph. He lives for ever, but at the end of every bundred years falls into an incurable illness, and at length into a fit or ecftafy, out of which when he recovers, he returns to the fame fate of youth he was in when Jefus fuffered, being then about 30 years of age. He remembers all the circumftances of the death and refurrection of Chrift, the faints that arofe with him, the compofing of the apostles creed, their preaching, and difperfion; and is himself a very grave and boly perfon." This is the fubftance of Matthew Paris's account, who was himself a monk of St. Albans, and was living at the time when this Armenian archbishop made the above relation.

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Let. 1.

Since his time feveral impoftors have appeared at intervals under the name and character of the WANDERING JEW; whofe feveral hiftories may be feen in Calmet's dictionary of the Bible. See also the Turkish Spy, Vol. II. Book The story that is copied in the following ballad is of one, who appeared at Hamburgh in 1547, and pretended he had been a Jewish fhoemaker at the time of Chrift's crucifixion.-The ballad bowever feems to be of later date. It is preferved in black-letter in the Pepys collection.

HEN as in faire Jerufalem

WHEN

Our Saviour Christ did live,

And for the fins of all the worlde

His own deare life did give;

The wicked Jewes with fcoffes and scornes

Did dailye him moleft,

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That never till he left his life,

Our Saviour could not reft.

When

When they had crown'd his head with thornes,

And fcourg'd him to disgrace,

In fcornfull fort they led him forthe

Unto his dying place;

Where thousand thousands in the streete

Beheld him paffe along,

Yet not one gentle heart was there,

That pityed this his wrong.

Both old and young reviled him,

As in the streete he wente,

And nought he found but churlish tauntes,

By every ones consente :

His owne deare croffe he bore himselfe,

A burthen far too great,

Which made him in the street to fainte,

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And fayd, Awaye, thou king of Jewes,

Thou shalt not reft thee here;

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Pafs on; thy execution place

Thou feeft nowe draweth neare.

And thereupon he thrust him thence;
At which our Saviour fayd,

I fure will reft, but thou shalt walke,

And have no journey stayed. With that this curfed hoemaker,

For offering Chrift this wrong,

Left wife and children, houfe and all,

And went from thence along.

Where after he had feene the bloude

Of Jefus Chrift thus fhed,

And to the croffe his bodye nail'd,

Awaye with speed he fled

Without returning backe againe

Unto his dwelling place,

And wandred up and downe the worlde,

A runnagate most base.

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No refting could he finde at all,

No ease, nor hearts content;

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No house, nor home, nor biding place:

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But finding it all quite deftroyd,

He wandred thence with woe,

Our Saviours wordes, which he had spoke,

To verifie and showe.

"I'll reft, fayd hee, but thou fhalt walke,"

So doth this wandring Jew

From place to place, but cannot rest

For feeing countries newe;

Declaring ftill the power of him,

Whereas he comes or goes,
And of all things done in the east,
Since Chrift his death, he fhowes.

The world he hath still compast round
And feene thofe nations ftrange,

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Defiring ftill to be diffolv'd,

And yeild his mortal breath;

But, if the Lord hath thus decreed,

He fhall not yet see death.

For neither lookes he old nor young,

But as he did thofe times,
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VOL. II.

85

When

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