Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

as perilous as the one I have told you of—perhaps there are many such women; but for this one, whose story is before you, pray that her candle may burn a little longer, since this record of her charity is true. ORRIS.

A CHINESE FUNERAL.

A FEW days before my departure from Singapore, I had an opportunity of being present at the funeral of an opulent Chinese. The procession passed our house, and in spite of the heat of 65 degrees of Reaumur,* I joined it, and followed it to the grave about two miles off. At the grave, the ceremony lasted two hours, but I did not stir from the place, as I was so much interested in it.

The way was led by a priest, at whose side went a Chinese with a lantern two feet high, covered with white cambric. Then followed two musicians, the one of whom beat a small drum, and the other two brass cymbals. After them came the coffin, over the upper part of which, where the head of the corpse lay, a servant held a large umbrella spread out. At the side went the eldest son or nearest male relative, with dishevelled hair, carrying a small white flag. The relatives were in deep mourning-that is, they were dressed in white; the men even having white caps, and the women being so covered with white cloths, that one could not even see their faces. Those who followed besides were in groups, each wearing a strip of white cambric round the body, the arm, or the head. When they saw me following the train, a man came up to me holding several of these strips, and gave me one, which I twisted round my arm. The coffin, a solid trunk of a tree, was covered with a dark cloth, some plaited flowers were hung to it, and on it lay rice wrapped up in a cloth. Four and six men bore the heavy burden on enormous poles. The bearers, whenever they changed, were very merry, sometimes laughing and sometimes quarrelling. The others showed not more mourning and devotion. They talked, smoked, and ate, and some of them carried in little buckets cold tea to quench their

* Equal to more than 178 degrees Fahrenheit, and more than sufficient to boil spirits.

thirst. The son alone kept quite aloof, going according to custom near the coffin, plunged in sorrow. As the procession approached the road leading to the resting place, the son threw himself on the ground, covered his face, and sobbed audibly. After some time, he arose and staggered after the coffin; two men had to lead him, and he seemed to suffer much and sorrowed deeply. I afterwards learnt that this conduct is mostly assumed, as custom demands that the chief mourner become weak and ill through grief, or, at least, should appear so. On arriving at the grave, which was dug seven feet deep on the slope of a hill, they took off the bier-cloth, the flowers, and the rice, strewed a quantity of gold and silver paper in the tomb, and lowered down the coffin, which, as I now saw for the first time, was finely worked, varnished, and hermetically closed. This act occupied at least a quarter of an hour. The relations at first threw themselves on the ground, covered their faces, and howled piteously; but as the placing the coffin lasted too long for them, they sat down in a circle around, had their little baskets with betel, lime, and aréca-nut brought to them, and began to chew quite cheerfully. After the coffin had been let down, one of the Chinese went to the upper part of the grave, opened the little bundle of rice, and set up a sort of compass. A line was handed him, which he drew over the index of the compass, and pushed about to and fro till it lay in a line with the needle; a second line, to which a sink lay attached, was then hung to the first, and dropped into the grave. According to the position of this line, the coffin was pushed to and fro till its centre lay in the same line with the needle. The process lasted at least a quarter of an hour. After this, the coffin was covered several times with large sheets of white paper, and the Chinese who had taken the measurements had a short speech, during which, the children of the deceased threw themselves on the ground near the grave. When the oration was over, the speaker strewed some of the rice over the coffin and the children. They held up the corners of their garments to catch as much as possible, but as they only got very few, the orator gave them a few thimbles- full to boot. These they carefully tied up in the corners of their dress, and took with them. The grave was at last filled up, at which the relations raised a fearful howl, but,

so far as I could see, every eye was dry. After this ceremony, they set boiled fowls, ducks, pork, fruits, pastry, and a dozen cups filled with tea, together with the tea-pot, in two rows on the grave. Six painted wax tapers were lighted and put in the earth near the food; they then burnt a great quantity of gold and silver paper. The eldest son again approached the grave, threw himself down before it, and touched the ground each time with his forehead. They handed him six shining sweet-scented little tapers, which he waved a few times in the air, and then handed back. These were also planted in the grave. The relations also imitated this ceremony. During the whole time the priest stood afar off, taking no part in the matter, and sitting under the shade of a mighty umbrella. He now came forward, held a short prayer, rang between whiles a bell, and then his service was over. The food was taken away, the tea poured over the grave, and the procession turned away homeward joyfully, and accompanied by the music which had occasionally played at the grave. The food, they informed me, was given to the poor.Ida Pfeiffer's Voyage round the World.

ARMILLUS, OR ARMILAUS.

DEAR SIR,-Our venerable friend, Buxtorf, has allowed me to send the following translation-to my mind an interesting one. It shows, among other things, the Messianic application of the prophecies quoted by the Jews; also, that they expect a Messiah who shall die. But the glory and the shame of the same Saviour seem to them inconsistent, and hence the fond fancy of two Messiahs, which also appears in these extracts. Other suggestions may occur to your thoughtful readers, and painful reflections will arise in view of the terms of reproach in which Christianity is spoken of, illustrating Isaiah liii. 3. “He is despised and rejected of men."

I remain, dear Sir,

London.

Yours, very truly,

B. H. C.

THE gigantic and final enemy of the Jews is to be thus denominated. He will come after Gog and Magog, to wage terrible wars, and to slay even Messiah, the son of Ephraim;

but he will at length himself be slain by Messiah, the son of David, as it is written, 66 By the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked one." Isa. xi. 4. which the Targum thus renders, "By the word of his mouth shall Armillus be slain."

The Rabbins say many wonderful things of Armillus, which, though fabulous, yet because unusual, and among what they regard as signs of the coming of their Messiah, shall in part be quoted.

The Book of Zerubbabel, in a conversation between Zerubbabel and Michael the Archangel, says, “I said, my lord, when shall the end be ?" Then coming to me, he took hold of me and led me into the house which is ridiculous, (i. e. the church, which is thus termed in contempt,) and showed me the marble statue of a beautiful virgin, saying, "What seest thou?" I answered, I see a statue like unto a most beautiful woman." Then he said, "That statue is the marble wife of Belial, who shall be the mother of Armilaus. He shall be at the head of all idolatry."

[ocr errors]

Further on we read, "On the 21st day of the first month, after the 990 years of the wasting of Jerusalem, shall the Lord's salvation be, and Menahem, son of Ammiel, shall come, in the days of Armillus, whom the image shall bring forth." Towards the end of the book-"In the seventh year shall flourish the root of Jesse, Menahem (son of Ammiel) before whom ten kings shall arise from the Gentiles, the first will be Seleucus, and his city will be Sepharad, &c.; the tenth king is Armillus, son of the marble statue in the shameful house of the scorners, (i. e. the Christian church.) And all nations shall come from all places and stand before that statue, and burn incense to it. Now this is the sign of Armilaus, the son of the stone-the hair of his head shall be yellow, his hands shall reach down to his feet; it shall be a span across his face, his stature twelve cubits, his eyes hollow, the top of his head double; and he shall go up and reign in Rome, the city of Satan. Father Belial is his father, and all who see him will shudder at him. But when Menahem, son of Ammiel, comes from the brook Shittim, he shall blow upon his face and slay him, as it is written, (Isa. xi. 4,) afterwards the Lord's kingdom will appear."

In another book, also printed at Constantinople, Armillus is

described very similarly, and called "The Messiah of the sons of Esau."

[ocr errors]

A more extended and circumstantial account is given in the work “Abhkath Rochel,” (Perfume-dust.) The seventh sign of the coming of the Messiah is thus illustrated. "They say that at Rome is the marble statue of a most lovely maiden, fabricated not by human artificers, but by Divine skill. This, at length, shall bear a son, who shall be called Armillus, the Adversary, whom Christians term Antichrist. He shall be twelve cubits high, and as many across the shoulders, a span from eye to eye, his eyes hollow and glaring, the hair of his head of the color of gold, &c. When arrived at man's estate he shall come to the worst of the people, and say, 'I am the Messiah, I am your God! They shall at once believe him, trust in him, and make him their king. All the posterity of Esau shall cleave unto him. He shall subdue and subjugate all countries to himself, and address men after this manner,— 'Bring me my law which I gave unto you.' And they will bring him their Tephilloth (phylacteries). It is true,' he will say, 'that I gave you these. Therefore believe in me, for I am your Messiah.' They shall believe in him. Then he shall send to Nehemiah, son of Uzziel, and to the whole people of Israel, saying, 'Bring to me your law, and publicly confess that I am your God!' They shall stand aghast at this. Then Nehemiah, son of Uzziel, going forth with 30,000 of the most valiant men of Ephraim, shall take the book of the law, and read before him,' I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt have no other God before me.' He shall answer, 'In vain does this stand in your law. Come, therefore, and confess that I am God, as all other nations have done.' Nehemiah shall resist, and say to the people, Seize, and bind him.' So, coming against him with his 30,000 men, he shall slay 200,000 of his foes. The impious Armillus, being inflamed with fury, shall gather the forces of all nations in the Valley of Judgment, (or Decision, Joel iv. 14.) And the Israelites shall slay countless multitudes, but few of themselves shall be killed. Since, however, the Lord's Messiah himself shall be one of these, holy angels shall come forthwith, and bury his body with the fathers of the world. The Israelites shall be greatly afraid, but Armillus not knowing of their loss

« AnteriorContinuar »