CHAPTER XIII.

While the ship continued steadily on her voyage, Alexis found abundant sources of amusement. It might seem that being shut up in a ship was a kind of imprisonment, but our young Sable-Hunter did not feel it to be so. He often talked with Suvarrow, of Tobolsk, of home, of his father, and, above all, of his sister. Upon this latter subject, Suvarrow did not say much, but he spoke in such terms of tender interest as at once to bind the young officer to his heart, and, at the same time, to assure him that he was sincerely attached to Katrina.

The disguised merchant often took occasion to converse with Alexis, and while he cautioned him to keep his secret, he spoke of his plans and wishes. “I desire,” said he, “once more to see the princess Lodoiska; I desire to bid her farewell; and then I am ready to lay my head on the block, if the emperor wishes to take my life. At all events, death, imprisonment, the rack--anything is preferable to Siberia. To live in that chill, lonely, desolate exile; to waste, drop by drop, the blood of life; to see existence creep away with the slow ticking of the clock; to gnaw one’s own heart in very anguish--is what I cannot and will not endure. I will see the princess--and then I will go to the emperor; I will tell him that I once saved his life; and now, if he chooses, he may take mine as a compensation?”

Alexis was almost awed by the energy and firmness of the Polish nobleman; yet he looked upon his present enterprise as little better than courting death. One thing led him to hope for better things: he had sent the sable-skins designed for the princess, to Katrina, requesting her to see them forwarded to Petersburgh. This, he had no doubt, would be done; and, as it contained evidence that Count Zinski was still living and entertained the deepest affection for the princess, he fancied, with the fond ardor of a youthful mind, that she would be incited to obtain his pardon.

Intent upon gathering knowledge, Alexis listened to the various observations of the officers of the ship, several of whom were intelligent men; and as Japan naturally became the subject of discourse, while, for several weeks, they were sailing near the Japanese islands, he learnt a good deal about it. One day, one of the officers told him the following story:

“The people of Japan, like many other nations, pretend that their nation has existed for ages, and they tell of rulers that lived millions of years ago. Yet they were entirely unknown to Europe, till discovered by the Portuguese navigators, who were the first to explore that portion of the world. The government of Portugal was then eager to take advantage of intercourse with these eastern nations, and, accordingly, they sent ships and ambassadors to Japan. They also despatched missionaries to introduce the Catholic religion into that country.

“At first these were kindly received, and, in the space of sixty years, about one half of the whole empire was converted to Christianity. Had the Europeans conducted wisely, they might have effected the complete introduction of Christianity into Japan, and the permanent establishment of intercourse between that country and other civilized nations of Europe. But, instead of that, their conduct was licentious, and they meddled, improperly, in political matters. Accordingly, in 1617, the missionaries were banished forever from the country, and the Japanese, who had become Christians, were subjected to the most cruel persecution. These were continued for forty years, and several millions of people were sacrificed to the fury of the storm. It is a story of this persecution that I am now going to tell you.

“It was long after the missionaries had been banished, that there lived a rich Japanese merchant in the great city of Jesso. This is on the island of Niphon, and the capital of the empire. It contains as many inhabitants as London, but the houses are generally small.

“The name of this merchant was Nanky; he was greatly esteemed for his good character, his kindness to the poor, and his observance of all the duties of religion and society. His wealth was almost boundless. It is true, he had no ships, for the Japanese have little commerce on the sea, their vessels being small and only able to creep along the margins of their own islands. But he owned vast landed estates, and as the cultivation of the soil is the most honorable occupation there, he chose to be called a farmer, and brought up his only son to that occupation.

“This young man, named Sado, was now about twenty years old, and lived upon a fine estate situated in a valley, called Noorki, at the foot of Mount Fusi. This is the loftiest peak in all Japan, and its top is so high as to be always covered with snow. The estate of young Sado, however, had a warm and delightful climate; in winter it was not so cold as to injure the orange trees, and in midsummer, the breezes came down from the top of old Fusi with a refreshing coolness. Here the young man dwelt, beloved and respected by all around.

“At a little distance from the valley Of Noorki, lived a nobleman by the name of Gasaki. Like many of the nobles of Japan, he was poor and proud. He pretended to be of celestial origin, his remote ancestors being, as he claimed, divine beings.

“He dwelt in a castle, once of great strength, but now in a ruinous condition. He, however, affected all the pomp and circumstance of the loftiest peer; he collected his taxes and enforced his authority on all the people around him with severity; and required the utmost nicety of etiquette to be observed by all who came to his castle. It is true, that, with all this pretence, his celestial descent, his ancient castle, and his great authority, Gasaki was obliged to carry on a manufactory of baskets and varnished boxes, to increase his scanty income and supply his necessities. This, however, was done as secretly as possible, and no one was permitted to allude to the circumstance.

“Gasaki had two children, a son named Lofo, and a daughter named Soonki. The former was now required to live at Jeddo, in the palace of the Cobi, or king of Japan, as a hostage, to ensure the good conduct of his father towards the government: it being understood that if Gasaki should do anything to offend the king, Lofo must die. Such is the custom of Japan, and all the chiefs or nobles are thus obliged to keep a part of their families at court, as hostages, and pledges for their good behavior.

“Now Soonki was one of the most beautiful girls that ever was seen; and as women in Japan have as much freedom as among us, she often met young Sado, whose estate was near her father’s castle. They accordingly became well acquainted, and in time they loved each other very tenderly.

“I must tell you that near the foot of Mount Fusi was a shaded glen, in which were a number of deep and dark caves. Into one of these, a Catholic priest had retired during the persecutions, and here he had continued to dwell. Only a few persons knew of his residence there; these were some who still held the Christian faith. It was necessary for them to cover their opinions with the utmost secrecy, for exposure, or suspicion even, would have subjected them to cruel torture and agonizing death.

“Among these followers of the hermit priest, was one of the seven wives of Gasaki and she was the mother of Soonki. She had carefully educated her daughter in her own faith, and more than once, they had both stolen to the glen and held religious interviews with the now aged and decrepit father. It seems to be a fact that a religious faith is only loved the more, if it bring danger and trial upon its votary; and therefore the youthful maiden received the faith of the cross with all the fervor of youth, and all the devotion of a martyr.

“It was not long after the acquaintance between young Sado and Soonki had commenced, before he avowed his affection, and asked her hand in marriage. She replied evasively at first, and then stated that a fatal obstacle to their union existed. Sado urged her to explain, but for a long time she refused. At last she confessed the fact that she was a Christian. Sado was shocked, and for a time the intercourse of the lovers was suspended; it was, however, renewed; the cause of separation became the topic of discussion, and, under the tutelage of Soonki, Sado became a Christian. He was also accepted by her as her lover. He now applied for the consent of the haughty father, and received the following reply:

“‘Is it possible, that a young man, whose father is a merchant, should hope to match himself with a maiden who is descended through ten thousand generations from the immortal Tensio Dai Sir? Have you, whose name is but of yesterday, the audacity to ask to ally yourself with a family that ranks among its members the many-headed idol Quanwan; Amida, the judge of departed souls; Temacco, the keeper of the door of the damned, and Driso, the commander in chief of purgatory? Young man, you aspire to an honor of which peers and princes might be proud: but sir, I am not only a peer of Japan, with the oldest and best blood of the empire in my veins, but I am a father. Soonki is my only daughter, and she rules my heart. She says her happiness is allied to yours: take her and make her blest!’ The old man now made sixteen stately bows, nearly to the ground, and backed himself out of the room, as is the custom of Japan. Sado retired, and Gasaki was left rubbing his hands with delight to think that his daughter was to wed the richest youth living in sight of old Fusi’s lofty peak.

“Gasaki was so much elated that he determined to make a pilgrimage to Meaco, a famous city, where are a great many temples, and where the Dairi, the spiritual chief of the empire, resides. He was very anxious to swell his retinue, for a Japanese peer is estimated according to the number of his followers. Both Soonki and Sado sought to avoid this expedition, but the chief insisted on their going, and required Sado also to muster as many of his own men as possible, and to join his train. This being done, they set out with about four thousand people. Couriers were despatched to go before the company, and engage lodgings and provisions at the taverns, which are numerous along the road.

“The chief persons of the party, as Gasaki, several of his wives, his daughter, Sado and others, rode in small carriages drawn by oxen, buffaloes, or little horses. There were no asses, camels, mules, or elephants, for these are not used in Japan. The train was attended by thousands of dogs, which are held almost sacred by the Japanese; and left to their own pleasure, they barked, howled, snapped and fought with each other, making such a din as almost to drown every other sound. Add to this the lowing of the oxen and buffaloes, the neighing of the little horses, the gabble of the men and women, and the prayers and petitions of thousands of beggars that lined the road, and you may imagine the turmoil and confusion of the scene.

“The road on which they travelled was of great width, and nicely fenced; on all sides, the lands seemed burthened with the richest crops of vegetation. Every inch of ground was cultivated like a garden; even the steep hill sides were supported with terraces, yielding their harvest of fruits.

“As the pilgrims moved along, they met other parties returning, some from Meaco, and some from Isje, the seat of the temple of Tensio Dai Sir, the chief of the celestial spirits. It might seem strange that so many thousand people, passing and repassing, could find support: but it must be understood that in Japan they reject meat, milk, butter and cheese; and live, with wonderful frugality, upon vegetables alone.

“Gasaki and his party at last arrived at Meaco, and proceeded to the great temple of Fokosi. This is a vast edifice, one thousand feet in length, paved with squares of white marble, adorned with a hundred columns of cedar, and having a colossal idol of Budda, eighty feet in height. Having performed their religious services here, the party went to the temple of Kwanwan, and paid their reverence to the goddess of thirty-three hands, and the little deities arranged on shelves, of which there are thirty-three thousand three hundred and thirty-three.

“Having spent some time at Meaco, which is a vast city, twice as large as New York, and the centre of Japanese trade; and having not only performed their religious ceremonies, but paid all due obeisance to the Dairi, the spiritual king of Japan, Gasaki and his vast retinue returned home. All had passed off well, and the old chief was delighted, particularly as Sado had paid the expenses of the expedition, and, by his liberality, had even left some broad pieces of gold unexpended in his treasury.

“But events soon occurred to darken the prospects of Gasaki and those who were connected with him. A few days after his return from Meaco, a messenger arrived from the Dairi, commanding his immediate presence at Meaco. The chief was alarmed, for he knew that such a summons portended danger; yet he dared not refuse obedience. He went accordingly, and was immediately conducted to the Dairi’s palace. This place was itself like a town, it being of immense extent, surrounded with walls, and containing several thousand people. Gasaki was taken into the presence of the Dairi, who is a descendant of the ancient emperors, and who still claims the sovereignty of the empire. But the Cobi, having gradually usurped all political authority and power, the Dairi is only permitted to interfere in religious matters; but in these he is supreme.

“The Dairi immediately proceeded to accuse the chief of harboring Christianity in his family. This accusation struck him with horror, for he knew that no crime was equal to the faith of the cross. He therefore denied it, and challenged his accusers to adduce the proof. The Dairi then proceeded to state that his favorite wife Leos and her daughter Soonki as well as her betrothed lover, young Sado, were all observed to avoid trampling on the cross before the great temple of Fokosi, and also to omit many of the essential ceremonies of that holy temple.

“Gasaki grew pale, for he knew that in religious persecution, suspicion is as fatal as proof; and beside, he had himself noticed some peculiarities in the persons accused, which made him fear that the awful charge was true. But a Japanese chief never fails in courage and independence, he therefore declared his own innocence and expressed his hope, nay his confidence, that his wife and daughter as well as Sado, were all free from the imputed guilt. But this could not relieve the chief from suspicion; he was therefore ordered into prison, where he was chained, and confined in a dark room.

“Now it happened that in Meaco, and in the Dairi’s palace, and among his own servants, there were several persons, who still cherished, in secret, the religion of Christ. These soon learnt what was going forward, and they sent swift messages to Sado, communicating the tidings of what had taken place. He went immediately to Gasaki’s castle, and told Leos and her daughters of the appalling events. What was to be done? They knew that a mandate for their appearance at Meaco would soon come, and then nothing but torture and death could be their lot. Several plans were prepared, one of which was to fly and find safety with the hermit in the caverns of Fusi. But this would confirm the suspicions of the Dairi as to Gasaki, and he and his son were sure to be sacrificed. The fidelity of friendship in Japan, is true to the last--and after praying for divine aid, they went severally to their employments, determined to wait for events, and yield to the decrees of heaven.

“It was not long before the anticipated summons arrived, and Leos, Soonki, and Sado, being taken into custody, were escorted by a body of some twenty soldiers, mounted on horses, towards Meaco. It was now the latter part of August, and the heat was excessive, until the party began to wind through the ravines that lay at the foot of Mount Fusi. Here, sheltered by the overhanging cliffs, and refreshed by the breezes that came down to fan the heated lowlands, the party proceeded with a reluctant step, as if enchanted by the wild, yet lovely, scenes around. While they were still treading their way through the glen, a dark cloud began to gather over the top of Fusi, and the thunders to come muttering down its sides. The lightning was soon seen, darting from cliff to cliff, and the peals of thunder, growing louder and louder, seemed to shake the mountain to its very foundation.

“There is no part of the world where such fierce thunder storms are experienced as in Japan; and on the present occasion it seemed as if the elements were striving to display their utmost fury. The air grew dark, almost as night; the winds died away, save only an occasional gust that wrung the heavy trees, like so many wisps, and then left them still and silent. The lightning came flash on flash, and the thunder, peal on peal. The startled horses dashed away from their masters, and the trembling men stood horror-struck on the spot. Near by was a post with a board, having the appearance of a cross, but the board moved on a pivot, and was used by the Japanese as a praying machine; though in fact it stood before the hermit’s cave, and was looked upon by him as a cross. Several of the soldiers ran to this, and turned the board rapidly round, hoping to appease the angry deity of the mountain and the storm, by the abundance of their petitions; each revolution of the board being deemed a prayer!

“At last the rain began to fall, and the water came down the mountain in torrents: at the same time, the wind burst like a hurricane upon all around--the trees were dashed to the earth--the darkness thickened--there was a fearful roar. This lasted but a few moments, and the tempest was over. The soldiers, who had fallen to the ground, now rose and looked around. They were all unhurt--but where were the prisoners? Not one of them was to be seen. In vain did the soldiers examine the rocks around: in vain did they inspect the rivulet that now foamed and fretted at the bottom of the glen. They were gone, and no trace of them could be discovered. It was plainly a miracle; the accused were innocent, and the offended genius of Fusi had sent the storm, not only to rescue them, but to confound their accusers!

“The story was carried to the Dairi, by the soldiers. These were put to the torture; but as they all persisted in the same tale; and, moreover, as news soon came that Leos, Soonki, and Sado were all safely at home, as if nothing had happened, their account was believed, and their interpretation of the matter was adopted. Gasaki was set at liberty; a large deputation was sent to turn round the board at the foot of Fusi, thirty-three thousand three hundred and thirty-three times, so as to ensure the pacification of the mountain god; and the whole matter ended. Soonki and Sado, who, with the mother of the former, had fled into the hermit’s glen, during the storm, were united in the Japanese fashion, the bride lighting a torch at the fire of one of the altars, and he lighting another at hers. They were afterwards married, according to the rules of the church, in the cave of the priest, and while they adhered to their Christian faith, they lived and died among the Japanese, as those who were under the guardianship of celestial beings.”

While the Russian officer was telling this tale, the mysterious merchant came up and listened to it with apparent interest. After it was finished, he said, “Your story of Japan reminds me of a Chinese legend, which, with your leave, I will tell. China, though often associated in the mind with Japan, is still a very different country. It is true that the Japanese appear to have sprung from the same stock as the Chinese; they have the same small, half-open eyes; the same soft and sleepy expression; the same yellow skin; and to some extent the same religion. But the government, manners and customs are very different. China has but one chief, and he is sole emperor; Japan has two--the Dairi, who is king in spiritual matters, and the Cobi, who is king in all other affairs. China has mandarins, who are considered noble, but they are wholly dependent on the emperor; the nobles of Japan live in strong castles, collect revenues of the people, claim the exclusive right to the soil, and assert their independence in many things. The Chinese are mean, cowardly, selfish and treacherous; the Japanese are frank, brave, friendly and faithful, preferring torture and death, to the betrayal or desertion of a friend. The Chinese have no honor, no self-respect; the Japanese are sensitive of their honor, keenly alive to disgrace, and, when sentenced to death, ask and obtain leave to plunge the deadly knife into their bowels, rather than to die by the hand of the executioner.

“To all this it may be added that while the policy of the Chinese has led them to exclude foreigners and avoid intercourse with foreign nations, the Japanese have only adopted this custom since the intrigues of the Portuguese and Dutch interfered in the affairs of their government, and led to the same jealous system which has attached to China for ages.

“But though there are so many points of difference between these two great nations, there is one in which they resemble each other: they both claim great antiquity, and furnish long lists of kings, who, if their historians are to be believed, existed some thousands of years before the world began. China is, doubtless, the oldest of Asiatic countries, and indeed their records go back, with pretty good authority, some two thousand years before Christ, when Yee, an emperor nine feet high, is said to have lived, and during whose sway, we are told that it rained gold for three days in succession. The Chinese wall, which is by far the greatest existing monument of human labor, was built more than two hundred years before Christ; it is fifteen hundred miles long, and in some places forty feet high. The stones of which it is composed, are sufficient to construct a wall seven feet in height around the entire world. A work so immense, proves that China was a vast empire long before Rome had reached the zenith of its power and splendor.

“It is not my purpose to relate the history of China; but these details are necessary as a preface to my story. It is matter of history that China, as well as Japan, was visited by Catholic missionaries, soon after these countries were discovered in the fifteenth century. Some of them penetrated to Pekin, and a considerable number of persons here were converted to Christianity. To this day there are Catholic missionaries in China, though, when they have once entered the country, they are doomed to continue there during their lives. There are also several thousand Chinese converts to Christianity, in different parts of the empire.

“Well, I must go back to the year 1625, when a holy father of the church was travelling in the district of Shensy, which lies on the border of Tartary. Here, at the foot of a range of lofty mountains flows a beautiful stream called Hoei-ho, a branch of the Hoan-ho, and situated upon its banks is a great city called Singan-fou. As the priest was approaching this place, he saw a temple or pagoda dedicated to the Chinese god Fo. It looked, at a little distance, like a steeple of four stories, with arched openings in each story, and the whole terminated by a conical point. It was built upon a slope of the mountain, at the foot of which swept the bright waters of the Hoei-ho. Immediately around, the scenery was peculiarly wild, while farther off all was art and cultivation. The city lay at a little distance, and covered a large space of the valley; while every elevation around it was occupied with villas, many of them exceedingly beautiful, and all kept in a state of perfect neatness.

“The holy father proceeded to ponder upon the scene, and to reflect upon the vastness and antiquity of an empire, which had attained so great a population, and reached such a pitch of civilization, as, even among the hidden and remote borders of Tartary, to present such a scene as this. While he was thinking of these things, the skies grew dark, and in the space of a few minutes the whole scene was shadowed with a thick thunder cloud, and large drops of rain began to fall. He therefore hastened forward, and took refuge in the temple I have before mentioned. He found it to be filled with all manner of images, bearing no small resemblance, in this and other respects, to a Catholic church in his own country.

“There was no person in the temple, and as the storm continued with great fury, the priest remained there for shelter, until at last the shadows of night began to fall around. It was soon quite dark, and the father saw that it was his lot to spend the night in the place. He therefore groped about till he found a sort of niche in the wall, sheltered from the blast, and here he sat down. His mind wandered from one thing to another, until, at last, he fancied himself at home, in his own country! A priest is, after all, a man, and has his affections as well as others. The idea of being once more in the land of his fathers, so engrossed his mind, that, when at last he fell asleep, his dreams were tissues woven out of the fond remembrances of father and mother, of brother and sister; of merry childhood, and ardent youth. Holy father as he was, he dreamed--though in his sleep he crossed himself--of a maiden whom he loved in his youthful days, and whose lips, in a moment of madness, met his own. His dream went on--he wooed the maiden; he won her heart; he asked her hand, and she gave her consent.

“Alas, that man should be thus cheated!--that a priest, who had sworn to take no wife to his bosom; to devote all his affections to the church; a Jesuit, who had forsaken his home forever; a missionary, who wandered in hopeless exile in a remote region of the earth; one who even now was crouching beneath the dark arches of a heathen temple, unknowing and unknown--alas, that such a being could be deluded, even in a dream, by scenes so improbable, so impossible, as these! But so it is--the priest’s heart had now painted upon it a bright picture of other days--and he yielded to the spell. He dreamed that he was about to be married--and to one he loved. He fancied that he and his bride had entered the church; they were at the altar; the music was pealing through the aisles and arches--when--he awoke! He crossed himself again and muttered several prayers; for the holy man felt it to be sinful for one of his profession even to dream of the pleasures of the world.

“But while he sat there crossing himself, real music, such as he had heard in his native land, and such as was unknown in China, came full and sweet upon his ears. He now looked abroad; the tempest had ceased, but amid the intense darkness, he saw lights flashing in the glen, and a procession moving slowly towards the temple. The priest rubbed his eyes, and shook himself, and then took a cord that was tied round his body, and thrashed it across his back smartly, to assure himself that he was fully awake. Still the music, soft, but sweet, came swelling toward the temple; the lights advanced, beaming brighter and brighter, and the procession moved steadily onward, through the gloom. The father was in a maze. ‘Is it a reality,’ said he mournfully, ‘or a fiction of the Evil One to tempt me to some mortal sin?’ While he was pondering upon this fearful question, the procession entered the temple; they proceeded to an arched recess on one side of the space, where, by the light of the torches, the father saw the dim outline of a cross, cut in bass-relief on the rock of the wall.

“There were two youthful figures in the party; one a female in white, and closely veiled; the other a young man, attired in the fashion of other climes. They knelt before the altar: a man who seemed a priest, read from a book. The youthful pair joined hands; the whole party now knelt; a fervent prayer was uttered by the priest, and the responses came from the numerous attendants. The torches were waved in the air; sweet music was diffused, and then a strain of music so deep, so sweet, so lovely, was poured forth, that the priest who all this time sat in his niche, in a sort of waking trance, found the tears streaming down his cheeks. In spite of his holy vows, his prayers, his penance, his heart was melted with the thoughts of home, brought back by this scene so much like the marriage rites of his native land. ‘And yet,’ said he to himself, ‘it is all an illusion. Even in this lone land, where I am lost to my country and my kindred, the devil has pursued me, and now seeks to seduce me; to turn my heart from my high purpose of scattering the seeds of Christianity in this mighty empire, by presenting the fond images of my early days--and thus sickening my heart with this desolate banishment, this weary exile. But he shall not triumph; I will wrestle like Jacob, I will prevail like Israel!’

“Saying this, the holy father crossed himself, counted his beads, and ran over his prayers. While he was thus occupied, the wedding party crossed the temple, and proceeded to a place in front of a hideous image of Fo, at least forty feet in height. It had a resemblance to a man overgrown with flesh, and besotted with indulgence. Seen in the waning light of the torches, the face had a horrid expression of vulgar mirth and satisfaction. The father looked at it, and fancied that it was laughing at him; he imagined that he could see the twinkle of triumph in his swinish eye, and a curl of derision upon his thick and brutish lip.

“It was an awful moment--and the priest paused. The party, at least a hundred in number, bowed in the Eastern fashion before the gigantic image, and proceeded to perform the marriage ceremony in behalf of the youthful couple, according to the heathen rites of the temple. ‘Alas! alas!’ said the priest--‘they taunt me with this infamous spectacle; they perform the holy rites of Christian marriage to tempt me to abandon my duty; and now they perform the wicked incantations of their heathen faith, to drive me from the land in despair. And behold that fearful image standing there, looking me in the face, and shaking his sides at my confusion! But the artifice shall fail.’--

“Saying this, the father leaped from his niche, and sprung at once into the very midst of the party. He lifted his arms to heaven, with a wooden cross in his hand, and exclaimed:--‘Avaunt--avaunt! ye spirits of darkness! in the name of the holy Catholic church, I bid you depart to the regions of the accursed. Down, down, Lucifer, and all your hosts!’

“All this was uttered in a hoarse and hollow voice--while the red blaze of the torch-light fell full upon the image of the priest--one arm lifted to heaven, and the other pointing downward; at the same time his face was haggard as death, and his eye wild as that of a demon. There was a single shriek of terror and surprise from the party, and then--they fled. The torches vanished in a moment; the music was hushed; the pageant gone. Darkness and stillness reigned around: the hideous image of Fo was invisible, and the holy father was left alone in the temple. In the morning, he departed on his way, assured that a miracle had been wrought by his hand; and confident that he was more than an overmatch for the Evil One, with all his arts and wiles. He pursued his career, and was one of those devoted and successful missionaries who planted the cross in China, where it still remains.

“But after all, it seems that the vision of the temple was a reality; for a few years after, another missionary, travelling in the vicinity of the temple of Sin-gan-fou, discovered a cross of stone, and an abstract of the Christian law, together with the names of seventy-two Nestorian preachers inscribed beneath the date, A. D. 640. On further inquiry, he found that a tradition existed among the people, that some foreigners, of fair hair and blue eyes, had visited China at the above date--and introduced a new and strange religion among the people. This still lingered in the country, though it was now generally mixed with the prevailing pagan worship of the land, and had imparted to the rites of Fo a curious resemblance to the ceremonies of the Romish Church.

“This, with some other facts, cleared up the miracle of the holy father, of which I have given an account. It seems that the Nestorians had still certain followers, who so far retained the traces of Christianity, as to perform some of its rites, while they were willing to place the religion of Fo on an equal footing. But as Christianity was not a popular or safe religion at the period of our story, they selected a dark and stormy night for the performance of a marriage ceremony, according to its creed.”

THE fogs in England have been always complained of by foreigners. A Spanish ambassador told a friend who was going to Spain, to give his compliments to the sun, whom he had not seen since he had been in England. A Neapolitan minister used to say that the only ripe fruit he had seen in England were _roasted apples_; and he took the liberty of saying once, when conversing with the king, that he preferred the _moon_ of Italy to the _sun_ of England.

* * * * *

“NO.” The celebrated John Randolph, in one of his letters to a young relative, says, “I know nothing that I am so anxious you should acquire as the faculty of saying ‘no.’ You must expect unreasonable requests to be preferred to you every day of your life, and must endeavor to deny with as much facility and kindness as you acquiesce.”

Varieties.

The following ludicrous description of the effects of influenza, is an extract from a letter by the celebrated writer, Charles Lamb.

“Did you ever have a bad cold, with a total irresolution to submit to a water gruel diet? My fingers drag heavily over the paper; I have not a single thing to say to you; I am flatter than a denial or a pancake; duller than a stage when the actors have gone. I am weary of the world and the world is weary of me. I can’t distinguish veal from mutton. I have not volition enough to dot my i’s; my brains are gone out, and did not say when they would come back; I acknowledge life only by an occasional cough. Yet do I try everything I can to cure this obstinate cold, but they only seem to make me worse, instead of better.”

* * * * *

THE mahogany tree, which grows in the tropical parts of America, is said to be 200 years in attaining its growth. Its trunk sometimes measures four feet in diameter, and the timber of a single tree is sometimes worth 4 or 5000 dollars, when brought to market.

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THE following verse in the book of Ezra contains all the letters of the alphabet but one: “And I, even I, Artaxerxes, do make a decree to all the treasurers which are beyond the river, that whatsoever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of Heaven shall require of you, it be done speedily.”

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AN Irish post-boy, having driven a gentleman a great many miles, during torrents of rain, the gentleman said to Patrick, “Are you not very wet, my lad?” “Arrah, I don’t care about being very _wet_, but, please your honor, I’m very _dry_!”

* * * * *

THE almond tree resembles the peach both in leaves and blossoms; it grows spontaneously only in warm countries, as Spain and Barbary. It flowers early in the spring, and produces fruit in August. Almonds are of two sorts, sweet and bitter. The fruit of both is contained in a hard shell, that is enclosed in a tough sort of cotton skin.

* * * * *

A gentleman nearly a century old, on hearing that a neighbor of his had died at 85 years of age, remarked that all his family were _short-lived_!

* * * * *

IN Kentucky, a traveller on the other side of the table at a hotel, will address you with, “I say, stranger, give us a leetle sprinkle of that bread, if you please.”

* * * * *

A MAN seeing an oyster seller pass by, called out, “Hallo! give me a pound of oysters.” “We sell oysters by measure, not by weight,” replied the other. “Well, then give me a yard of them!”

* * * * *

A lady passing through New Hampshire observed the following notice on a board: “Horses taken in to grass; long tails three shillings and sixpence; short tails two shillings.” She asked the owner of the land the difference of the price. He answered, “Why, you see, marm, the long tails can brush away the flies, but the short ones are so tormented by them that they can hardly eat at all.”

* * * * *

THOMAS WILSON, who was Bishop of the Isle of Man about a century since, was a particularly benevolent man. To supply the poor with clothing, he kept in constant employment at his own house several tailors and shoemakers. On one occasion, in giving orders to one of his tailors to make him a cloak, he directed that it should be very plain, having simply a button and loop to keep it together. “But, my lord,” said the tailor, “what would become of the poor button-makers, if every one thought in that way? they would be starved outright.” “Do you say so, John?” replied the bishop; “why then button it all over, John.”

* * * * *

TEMPERANCE.--Temperance puts wood on the fire, flour in the barrel, meat in the tub, vigor in the body, intelligence in the brain, and _spirit_ in the whole composition of man.

* * * * *

THE following anecdote was told by Lord Mansfield, a celebrated English judge. He had turned away his coachman for certain small thefts, and the man begged his lordship to give him a character that he might obtain another place.

“What kind of a character can I give you?” said his lordship.

“Oh, my lord, any character your lordship pleases to give me, I shall most thankfully receive.”

His lordship accordingly sat down and wrote as follows:

“The bearer, John ----, has served me three years in the capacity of coachman. He is an able driver and a sober man. I discharged him because he cheated me. Mansfield.”

John thanked his lordship and went off. A few mornings afterwards, when his lordship was stepping into his coach, a man in a handsome livery made him a low bow. To his surprise, he recognised his late coachman.

“Why, John,” said his lordship, “you seem to have got an excellent place; how could you manage this with the character I gave you?”

“Oh! my lord,” said John, “it was an exceedingly good character; my new master, on reading it, said he observed your lordship recommended me for a good driver and a sober man.” “These,” said he, “are just the qualities I want in a coachman. I observe his lordship adds that he discharged you for cheating him. Hark you, sirrah, I’m a Yorkshireman; I defy you to cheat me.”

* * * * *

WHEN Capt. Clapperton, the African traveller, breakfasted with the Sultan Bautsa, he was treated with a large broiled water rat, and alligators’ eggs both fried and stewed.

* * * * *

GOOD MEASURE.--“I don’t know how it is,” said a person who was fond of writing poetry for the public journals, but whose productions had always met with a rejection--“I have written a great deal, but my pieces have never been published.”

“Perhaps,” replied his friend, “there were faults in your effusions that you were not aware of, but which were easily detected by the hawk-eyed editors. The measure might not have been correct.”

“There it is now,” rejoined the disappointed poet; “I can always write the first line well enough; but I am often perplexed about the second. Now, this is poetry, but it don’t seem to jingle to my satisfaction.

‘Tread lightly, stranger, o’er this hallowed dust, For if you don’t mend your ways--lay like me you must.’”

“Pshaw!” exclaimed the critic, “that’s bad measure.”

“Bad measure! why, man, you’re mistaken, it’s very good measure--it’s more than enough!”

* * * * *

“BOY,” said a gentleman to a lad in the West, “boy, is there any game where you live?” “Yes,” said the lad, “there’s a _power_ of turkies, a _heap_ of squirrels, and a _right smart sprinkle_ of deer.”

* * * * *

A RETORT.--An old miser, owning a farm, found it impossible one day to do his work without assistance and accordingly offered any man food for performing the requisite labor. A half-starved pauper hearing of the terms, accepted them. Before going into the fields in the morning, the farmer invited his help to breakfast; after finishing the meal, the old skin-flint thought it would be saving time if they should place the dinner upon the breakfast-table. This was readily agreed to by the unsatisfied stranger, and dinner was soon despatched. ‘Suppose now,’ said the frugal farmer, ‘we take supper; it will save time and trouble, you know.’ ‘Just as you like,’ said the eager eater, and at it they went. ‘Now we will go to work,’ said the satisfied and delighted employer. ‘Thank you,’ replied the delighted laborer, ‘I never work after supper!’

* * * * *

AN ILLUSTRATION.--There was once a converted Indian, who, being asked if he believed in the Trinity, said he did. He was then asked his reason. He said he would answer in his Indian way. ‘We go down to the river in winter, and we see it covered with snow; we dig through the snow and we come to ice; we chop through the ice and we come to water;--snow is water, ice is water, and water is water,’ said he; ‘therefore the three are one.’

* * * * *

THE SCOTTISH THISTLE.--The origin of this national badge is thus handed down by tradition:--When the Danes invaded Scotland, it was deemed unwar-like to attack an enemy in the pitch darkness of night, instead of a pitched battle by day; but on one occasion the invaders resolved to avail themselves of this stratagem; and, in order to prevent their tramp from being heard, they marched bare-footed. They had thus neared the Scottish force unobserved, when a Dane unluckily stepped with his naked foot upon a superbly prickled thistle, and instinctively uttered a cry of pain, which discovered the assailants to the Scots, who ran to their arms, and defeated the foe with a terrible slaughter. The thistle was immediately adopted as the insignia of Scotland.

* * * * *

OSCEOLA.--It is stated that the name of Osceola was given to that famous chief by an old lady in a frontier village, who had newly arrived in the country, and had never seen an Indian. On his approach, she broke forth in utter astonishment--“_Oh see! oh la!_ what a funny looking man!”

To Correspondents.

_College Hill Poughkeepsie, July 30th, 1842._ MR. MERRY:--

I have made out the following answers to some of your puzzles in the August No. of the Museum, which it will be gratifying to me to know are correct. Yours respectfully. WILLIAM ----.

To the first, of 6 letters,--_Stable_. To the second, of 16 letters,--_Washington Irving_. To the third, of 13 letters,--_North Carolina_. To the fourth, of 15 letters,--_Marie Antoinette_.

☞ Our friend William is a good Yankee, and has, therefore, guessed right.

MR. MERRY:--

SIR,--If you think the following puzzle worthy a place in your excellent magazine, by inserting it you will confer a great favor on A SUBSCRIBER.

I am a word of 16 letters.

My 4, 5, 13, 15, 8, 13, is a city in Spain. My 13, 14, 12, is a river in Russia. My 1, 2, 16, 3, 5, 1, is a part of the body. My 4, 11, 1, 2, is a very troublesome insect. My 7, 8, 9, 9, 8, 5, 4, is a boy’s name. My 10, 8, 13, is what all are guilty of. My 6, 12, 3, 7, is something very common in cold weather. My whole is a person who has created some excitement of late.

MERRY’S MUSEUM.

VOLUME IV.--No. 5.

SKETCHES OF BIBLE SCENES.

[Illustration]

Ruins of Jericho as they now appear.

Jericho was situated twenty miles northeast of Jerusalem. It was taken by Joshua, who received orders from God to besiege it soon after his passage over Jordan. There was a most remarkable fulfilment of Joshua’s denunciation against any who should rebuild it: “Cursed be the man before the Lord that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho; he shall lay the foundations thereof in his first-born, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gate of it.” This warning prevented the Jews from building on the spot where the ancient city had stood; but about five hundred years after, Hiel of Bethel undertook to rebuild it, and lost his eldest son in laying the foundations, and his youngest when he hung up the gates.

The modern village, called Eicha, is situated in the midst of a plain, and is very miserable and filthy, being composed of hovels made of four stone walls, covered with cornstalks and gravel. The few gardens around seem to contain nothing but tobacco and cucumbers. About two miles from the village may be seen foundations of hewn stones and portions of walls, which render it probable that it was the site of the ancient city.

The Scriptures speak of Jericho as the city of palm trees, and Josephus everywhere describes them as being very abundant and large. The region also produced honey, the cypress tree, and the common fruits of the earth in great abundance. The sycamore tree likewise flourished there.

Of all these productions, which so distinguished the plains of Jericho, few now remain. The groves of palms have all disappeared, and only one solitary palm tree lingers in all the plain. The sycamore too is nowhere seen, and honey, if found at all, is very rare.

In the time of the crusades the sugarcane was cultivated at Jericho, but is now unknown there.

[Illustration]

Askelon.

This is a city in the land of the Philistines, on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It was once a place of great importance and note among the Philistines, and was one of their seats of government. It is also famous for a temple dedicated to Apollo, at which Herod, the grand-father of Herod the Great, officiated as priest. After the death of Joshua, the tribe of Judah took the city of Askelon.

The wine that is made in this city was very much esteemed, and the cypress tree was also common. This was very much admired by the ancients for its grace and beauty. The modern town is called Scalona, and is a small and uninteresting place.

[Illustration]

Bethlehem.

This town is situated about five miles and a half southeast of Jerusalem. There is no doubt that the village called by the Arabs Beit Lahen, which means “House of Flesh,” is the same as the ancient Bethlehem, which the Jews called “House of Bread.”

The present inhabitants of Bethlehem are all Christians, and they amount to three thousand souls. The town has gates at some of the principal streets; the houses are solidly built, but are not large. There are many olive gardens, fig orchards and vineyards round about, and the adjacent fields, though stony and rough, produce, nevertheless, good crops of grain. Here was the scene of the beautiful narrative of Ruth gleaning in the field of Boaz, after his reapers. The inhabitants, besides their agriculture, employ themselves in carving beads, crucifixes, and models of the holy sepulchre and other similar articles in olive wood and mother-of-pearls. Indeed, the neatest and most skilfully wrought specimens of these articles come from Bethlehem.

About thirty rods from the village stands a large convent, occupied by Greeks, Latins, and Armenians. It encloses the church built by the empress Helena, over the spot where, according to tradition, our Savior was born. Vast numbers of pilgrims come to view the place, especially at Easter, when such multitudes assemble, that the church is often crowded to suffocation, and contests frequently ensue between the different sects. On one occasion, the privilege of saying mass at the altar on Easter day was fought for at the door of the sanctuary itself, with drawn swords.

The pretended place of the nativity is a grotto or cave beneath the church, very splendidly ornamented with a marble pavement, recesses decorated with sculpture and painting, and massy silver lamps of exquisite workmanship. Just beneath the marble altar, upon the pavement, is a star, formed of inlaid stones, which marks the spot of the Savior’s birth, and is said to be placed immediately underneath the point where the star of the East became fixed, to direct the wise men in the object of their search.

This cave is not the only celebrated spot within the precincts of the church. One grotto is pointed out as the tomb of the Innocents; another possesses some interest as having been the abode of St. Jerome for many years. Another is shown as the spot where Joseph sat during the birth of Christ, and another is said to be the place where the Virgin Mary hid herself and her son from the fury of Herod.

The most remarkable spot in the neighborhood of Bethlehem is the reservoir called Solomon’s pools. There are three of them, of great magnitude, the waters of which are discharged from one to another, and conveyed by an aqueduct to Jerusalem.

Bethlehem is celebrated in the Old Testament as the birthplace and city of David; and in the New as that of David’s greater Son, Christ, the Savior of the world. For 1800 years the earth has renewed her carpet of verdure, and seen it again decay; yet the skies and the fields, the rocks and the hills, and the valleys around remain unchanged, and are still the same as when the glory of the Lord shone about the shepherds, and the song of a multitude of the heavenly host resounded among the hills, proclaiming, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, good-will toward men!”

TO preserve a friend, three things are required--to honor him, present; to praise him, absent; and assist him in his necessity.

Merry’s Adventures.