Curiosities of Christian History Prior to the Reformation

by James Paterson

PRESTER JOHN.

The belief that a great Christian Emperor reigned in Asia arose in the twelfth century. He was called Presbyter Johannes, and had defeated the Mussulmans and was ready to assist the Crusaders. Pope Alexander III. once sent a physician with a letter to this Emperor, but the messenger was never again heard of. The first chronicler who mentioned the existence of this doubtful sovereign was Otto, who wrote at the date 1156, and stated that the Priest John’s kingdom was on the farther side of Persia and Armenia, and that he had routed the Persians after a bloody battle. He was supposed to belong to the family of the Magi who visited Christ in His cradle. He wrote a letter in 1165 to various Christian princes, giving details of the splendour of his country and his possessions. He said seventy-two kings paid him tribute, and the body of the holy Apostle Thomas was buried in his country beyond India. His country was the home of the elephant, the griffin, the centaur, the phœnix, giants, pigmies, and nearly all living animals.

LORETTO AND THE HOLY COTTAGE OF THE MADONNA.

The small city of Loretto, about twenty miles from Ancona, has been for five centuries a popular place of pilgrimage, so called from a grove of laurels in which the Santa Casa is said to have rested. This is the holy cottage which, according to the tradition, was the birthplace of the Virgin, as well as the dwelling of the Holy Family after the flight out of Egypt. The house was held in extraordinary veneration throughout Palestine after the Empress Helena discovered the true cross, and it was conveyed by angels from Nazareth in 1291 to the coast of Dalmatia, and in 1294 it was suddenly again transported to a grove near Loretto, and the Virgin appeared in a vision to St. Nicholas of Tolentino to announce its arrival to the faithful. It three times changed its position before settling down, and pilgrims soon flocked to visit it. The city is very small, and stands on a hill three miles from the sea, and it consists chiefly of shops which carry on a great trade in crowns, medals, and pictures of the Madonna di Loretto. The place now swarms with beggars who appeal for charity, while the shrine glistens with gold and diamonds. The church contains the Santa Casa, which is a small brick house twenty-nine feet long, thirteen feet high, and twelve feet broad, and a humble dwelling of rude workmanship is enclosed in a marble casing adorned with beautiful sculptures. In a niche above the fireplace is the celebrated statue of the Virgin said to have been sculptured by St. Luke. The height of this statue is thirty-three inches, and the child fourteen inches. The figures are rude, but are hung with glistening jewels; and silver lamps are constantly burning before the shrine. There are also three earthen pots here which are said to have belonged to the Holy Family.

KING RICHARD I.’s STORY OF AN INGRATE.

About 1196 Matthew Paris says that Vitalis, a Venetian noble, who was rich and miserly, went into a forest to hunt for venison for his daughter’s marriage feast, and fell into a large pit cunningly set for lions, bears, and wolves, out of which escape was impossible. Here he found a lion and serpent; but as he signed with the cross, neither animal, though fierce and hungry, ventured to attack him. All night he called aloud with lamentations for help, and a poor woodcutter being attracted, went to the pit’s mouth and heard the story. Vitalis offered him half of all his property—namely, five hundred talents—if he would rescue him; and the woodcutter said he would do so if Vitalis would be as good as his word. A ladder and ropes were brought and let down by the poor peasant, but the lion and serpent eagerly strove to be the first to rush out, and then came Vitalis, who was conducted to a place of safety, and being asked where and when the promise would be discharged, told his deliverer to call in four days at his palace in Venice for the money. The peasant went home to dinner, and while sitting at table was surprised to see the lion enter and lay down a dead goat, and then lick his feet. Then came the serpent, and brought a jewel as a present. When the peasant went to claim his money, Vitalis pretended he had never seen or heard of the poor man, and ordered the latter to be put out by his servants and cast into prison. But by a sudden spring the peasant managed to escape, and then applied to the judges of the city. The judges at first hesitated; but when the peasant took witnesses, and visited the lion and serpent, both of which fawned on him, the justices were satisfied, and compelled Vitalis to fulfil his promise and pay compensation. This story used to be told by King Richard I. to expose the conduct of ungrateful men.

ST. FRANCIS AND HIS LOVE OF BIRDS.

One day St. Francis met in his road a young man on his way to Siena to sell some doves which he had caught in a snare. And Francis said to him, “My good young man! these are the birds to whom the Scripture compares those who are pure and faithful before God; do not kill them, I beseech thee, but give them rather to me.” And when they were given to him, he put them in his bosom and carried them to his convent at Ravacciano, where he made for them nests, and fed them every day, until they became so tame as to eat from his hand. And the young man had also his recompense, for he became a friar and lived a holy life from that day forth. St. Francis also loved the larks, and pointed them out to his disciples as always singing praises to the Creator. A lark once brought her brood of nestlings to his cell to be fed from his hand. He saw that the strongest of these nestlings tyrannised over the others, pecking at them, and taking more than his due share of the food. Whereupon the good saint rebuked the creature, saying, “Thou unjust and insatiable! thou shalt die miserably, and the greediest animals shall refuse to eat thy flesh.” And so it happened, for the creature drowned itself through its impetuosity in drinking; and when it was thrown to the cats they would not touch it. On St. Francis returning from Syria, in passing through the Venetian Lagune, vast numbers of birds were singing, and he said to his companion, “Our sisters the birds are praising their Creator; let us sing with them.” And he began the sacred service. But the warbling of the birds interrupted them; therefore St. Francis said to them, “Be silent until we have also praised God,” and they ceased their song and did not resume it till he had given them permission. On another occasion, preaching at Alviano, St. Francis could not make himself heard for the chirping of the swallows, which were at that time building their nests. Pausing, therefore, in his sermon, he said, “My sisters, you have talked enough; it is time that I should have my turn. Be silent and listen to the Word of God.” And they were silent immediately. On another occasion, as St. Francis was sitting with his disciple Leo, he felt himself penetrated with joy and consolation by the song of the nightingale, and he desired his friend Leo to raise his voice and sing the praises of God in company with the bird. But Leo excused himself by reason of his bad voice; upon which Francis himself began to sing, and when he stopped the nightingale took up the strain; and thus they sang alternately until the night was far advanced and Francis was obliged to stop, for his voice failed. Then he confessed that the little bird had vanquished him; he called it to him, thanked it for its song, and gave it the remainder of his bread; and having bestowed his blessing upon it, the creature flew away. A grasshopper was wont to sit and sing on a fig tree near the cell of the man of God, and oftentimes by her singing she excited him also to sing the praises of the Creator. And one day he called her to him, and she flew upon his hand; and Francis said to her, “Sing, my sister, and praise the Lord thy Creator.” So she began her song immediately, nor ceased till at her father’s command she flew back to her own place; and she remained eight days there, coming and singing at his behest. At length the man of God said to his disciples, “Let us dismiss our sister; enough that she has cheered us with her song and excited us to the praise of God these eight days.” So being permitted, she immediately flew away, and was seen no more. When Francis found worms or insects in his road, he was careful not to tread on them. He would even remove them from the path, lest they should be crushed by others. One day, in passing through a meadow, he perceived a little lamb feeding all alone in the midst of a flock of goats. He was moved with pity, and said, “Thus did our mild Saviour stand alone in the midst of the Jews and the Pharisees.” He would have bought the lamb, but had nothing in the world but his tunic. A charitable man, however, passing by and seeing his grief, bought the lamb and gave it to him. When he was at Rome in 1222, he had with him a pet lamb which accompanied him everywhere; and in pictures of St. Francis a lamb is frequently introduced.

ST. FRANCIS AND THE WOLF.

Another story of St. Francis is, that finding the neighbourhood of Gubbio was held in terror by the ravages of a wolf, he went out fearlessly to meet the beast, and when found he addressed the latter as “Brother Wolf,” and brought him to a sense of his wickedness in slaying not only brute animals but human creatures. And Francis promised that if his friend Wolf would desist from such practices the citizens of Gubbio would maintain him. Brother Wolf, as a token of this sensible overture, put his paw into the saint’s right hand and accompanied him to the town, where the people gladly ratified the preliminaries of the treaty. The wolf spent the rest of his days in innocence and competence, and when he died in his old age he was lamented by all Gubbio.