For

The story of the Wandering Jew is of confiderable antiquity: it had obtained full credit in this part of the world before the year 1228, as we learn from Mat. Paris. in that year, it feems, there came an Armenian archbishop into England, to vifit the Shrines and reliques preserved in our churches; who being entertained at the monastery of St. Albans, was asked several questions relating to his country, &c. Among the rest a monk, who fate near him, inquired "if he had ever seen or heard of the famous person na¬

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"med Jofeph, that was so much talked of, who was pre-
"Sent at our Lord's crucifixion and conversed with him,
" and who was still alive in confirmation of the Chriftian
"faith. The archbishop answered. That the fact was
true- And afterwards one of his train, who was well known
to a Servant of the abbot's interpreting his master's words,
told them in French, that his lord knew the person 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 Pon-
tius Pilate's porter, by name Cartaphilus; who, when they
were dragging Jefus out of the door of the Judgment hall,
ftruck him with his fift on the back, faying, “Go faster,
"Jefus, go fafter; why dost thou linger?,, Upon which Je-
fus looked at him with a frown and faid,
"I indeed am

Soon after he

"going, but thou Shalt tarry till I come.,,
was converted, and baptized by the name of Jofeph. He
lives for ever, but at the end of every hundred years falls
into an incurable illneß, and at length into a fit or extasy,
out of which when he-recovers he returns to the Same State
of youth he was in when Jefus fuffered, being then about
30 years of age. He remembers all the circumstances of the
death and refurection of Christ, the faints that arose with
him, the compofing of the apostles creed, their preaching,
and difperfion; and is himself a very grave and holy person.

This is the fubftance of Matthew Paris's account, who was
himself a monk of St. Albans, and was living at the time
when this Armenian archbishop made the above relation.

Since his time Several impoftors have appeared at intervals under the name and character of the WANDERING JEW; whose several histories may be seen in Calmetes dictionary of the bible. See also the Turkish Spy, Vol. 2. Book 3. Let. I. The story that is copied in the following ballad is of one,

who

who appeared at Hamburgh in 1547, and pretented he had been a Jewish Shoemaker at the time of christ's crucifixion.

The ballad however, Seems to be of later date, It is printed from a blackletter copy in the Pepys Collection.

WHEN as in faire Jerufalem

Our Saviour Chrift did live,

And for the fins off all the worlde

His own deare life did give;

The wicked Jewes with fcoffes and feornest

Did dailye him moleft,

That never till he left his life,

Our Saviour could not reft.

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I

When they had crown'd his head with thornes, I

And fcourg'd him to disgrace,

Both old and young reviled him,

As in the ftreete he wente,

And nothing found but churlifh tauntes,
By every ones confente :

His owne deare croffe he bore himfelfe,

A burthen far too great,

Which made him in the street to fainte,
With blood and water fweat.
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Being

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Being wearye thus, he fought for reft,

To eafe his burthened foule,

Upon a ftone; the which a wretch

Did churlif hly controul;

And fayd, Awaye, thou king of Jewes,

Thou shalt not reft thee here:

Pafs on; thy execution place

Thou feeft nowe draweth neare.

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And thereupon he thrust him thence;

At which our Saviour fayd,

I fure will reft, but thou shalt walke,
And have no journey ftayed.

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From towne to towne in foreigne landes,

With grieved confcience ftill, Repenting for the heinous guilt

Of his fore-paffed ill.

Thus after fome fewe ages paft

In wandring up and downe, He much again defired to fee Jerufalems renowne,

But finding it all quite deftroyd,

He wandred thence with woe,

Our Saviours wordes, which he had spoke,
To verefie and fhowe.

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60

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

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Their idol gods doe change:

To whom he hath told wondrous thinges

Of time forepast, and gone,

And to the princes of the worlde

Declares his caufe of moane:

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