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Leader (1850-1860), 8th November 1856, Edition 2 of 2, Page 20, DRAMATIC AND MUSICAL NOTES. The Italian ...

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      1076 The Ieadeb, _____Ino. 346, Sactbdat...

      1076 THE IEADEB , _____ INo . 346 , SactBdat .

      The Travels Of A Jew. Travels Of' ' -Rab...

      THE TRAVELS OF A JEW . Travels of ' ' -Rabbi' Petachia , qf Eatisbon . Translated from the Hebre-w toy Dr . A . Benisck , with Explanatory Notes by the Translator , and William F . Ainswortb , F . S . A . & C . . Trubner . The heart of Rabbi Moses Petachia , brother of Yizchak the White , and Nacbman the Learned , burned within with him the desire of-visiting his brethren of the captivity , scattered over the various districts and through the numerous cities of Western Asia and Southern Europe . Hence ue resolved to encounter the perils of far journeyings , and being , if not wealthy , in easy circumstances , he made the necessary preparations .

      Rabbi Petachia , the reader ought to know , was born about tb . e middle of the twelfth century at Batisbon , distinguished , at the time of his birth , for its numerous congregations of wise men , which gained for it the title of the Jewish Athens . In what year he set out upon his travels is unknown ; but it must have been before the year 1187 , since he describes the Holy Land as _ being still held by the Crusaders . On his return , he told the marvellous things ^ that he had seen and heard to the groups of faithful and credulous Israelites who gathered around hinx "Whether , however , he -wrote an elaborate account of his travels , an abridgment of which we have before us , or whether he only kept an itinerary , or whether Rabbi Yehoodah the Pious , who was amongst his hearers , obtained possession of his notes , It is difficult to say . From the fragmentary character of this work , and oilier internal

      evidence we are led to beli-eve that it is the production of the Rabbi Yehoodah , and not of Petacbia himself . Travellers are privileged to tell strange tales , and the travellers of the middle ages availed themselves abundantly of this privilege . Benjamin of Tudela before him , and Marco Polo after him , saw things , or related that they saw them , which excellently keep in countenance the experiences of the Rabbi Petachia . In fact , the marvellous is never a stumbling-block to his reason . Whatever he . sees he believes , whatever he hears he credits . Yet his fondness for the marvellous has its limits . If a miracle is performed it must be wrought by some prophet , or the disciple of a prpphet , or he is incredulous . Ail the wonders he relates to his brethren take place at or near the tombs of the holy men of God , and though not so voluminous in

      bulk , this work before us savours of the spirit of the A eta Sanctorum . ^ Rabbi Petachia set out on his tiavels from Prague in Bohenaia , journeying to Poland , from Poland to Kieff , in Russia , and from Russia in six days to the River Dnieper . This river he crossed on ten extended horsehides sewn together—a kind of leathern . raft which served the country people for a boat—and thus entered the country of Kedar or Lattle Tartary , where there were no Jews , only heretics . The inhabitants live in tents , we are told ; are far-sighted , recognizing objects not distant less than a day ' s journey , and have beautiful eyeis , because they eat no salt , and feed on fragrant plants . Thence , traversing Togarma or Armenia , our traveller passed through the country of Ararat , and in eight days , which , bythe-by , is Impossible , arrived as far as Nisibis , leaving the high mountain of Ararat to the right . In three more days he comes to New Nineveh

      which , according to his account , is three , days * journey from Old Nineveh . The whole land around this latter city is . black like pitch . There is neither herb nor any vegetation whatever . He exclaims that it has s"hared the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah . However , at New Nineveh his heart is rejoiced , for there he finds more than six thousand Jews ruled over by two princes of the seed of David . Here the Rabbi sees an elephant—for the first time . " It is big , " he tells us , " and eats about two waggon loads of straw at once ; its mouth is in its breast , and when it wants to eat it protrudes its lip about two cubits , takes up with it the straw , and puts it into its mouth . When the sultan condemns any body to death , they say to the elephant , * This person is guilty . ' It then seizes him with its lip , casts him aloft , and kUls him . Whatever a human being performs with his ha . nd it performs with its lip ; this is exceedingly strange and marvellous . " At Nineveh the Rabbi embarked on the Tigris , and descending its stream , came to Babel , where was a garden belonging to the head of the academy ,

      in which grew mandrakes having the face of a human being . A few hours more brought him to Bagdad , -which was a day ' s journey from end to end , and three days' journey in circumference . Here no women were to bo seen , nor did anybody go into the house of his friend lest he should see the wife of his neighbour . If business calls a person to the house , he knocks with a tin knocker , when the nxaster comes forth and speaks to him . The Jews of Babylon are very learned , and well versed in the Talmud . " There is no one so ignorant in the whole of Babylon , Assyria , Media and Persia , but he knows the twenty-four books , the punctuation , the grammar , the superfluous and omitted letters , " & c . Even the daughter of one of the Rabbin was expert in the Scripture and Talmud , and gave instruction to the young men . She , however , was invisible ; her words proceeded through a dark window , whilst her disciples stood outside the house listening to catch them .

      Many strange anecdotes are told about the tombs of the prophets . The sultan who reigned in the days of Rabbi Shelomoh -wished to see the prophet Ezekiel , whose sepulchre was distant a day and a half ' s journey from Bagdad . The Rabbi objected : ' * Thou canst not see him , for he is lioly , nor must thou uncover his grave . " The monarch insisted . "My lord and king , " replied Shelomoh , " Baruch ben Neriah , his disciple , is buried near the enclosure of the prophet . If it be thy -will , uncover his grave . ^ If thou canst see the servant thou mayst try to see the master . " The princes and potentates of the kingdom are assembled and commanded

      to dig ; but whoever touches the grave of Baruch ben Neriah falls down immediately and dies . The Jews are then ordered to dig . After three days ' fasting they commence , and are not hurt . The coffin of Baruch is reached , ¦ when the sultan exclaims , < l It does not become this righteous mam to be near Ezekiel . I will transfer his coffin to another locality . " When , however , they come to the distance of a mile from tho grave of Ezekiel they cannot stir , neither ca . n horse nor mule move the coffin from its place . Then aaid Rabbi Shelomoh , « Here tho righteous man withes to be buried . And they buried there thw coffin , und built a beautiful palace over his grave . This la not the only legend in connexion with the prophets tomb . Round

      the grave ^ of Ezekiel , our traveller tells us , is a wall , a large town ancH large enclosure . Those entering the wicket have ordinarily to crawl o « hands and feet ; but on thefestival of Tabernacles , people from all countri * resort thither , when the entrance becomes enlarged by itself , so thiSS ? can enter it even on camels . Whoever wishes to go to a distant land 5 posits his purse , or any valuables , with Ezekiel , and many purses ynth mo ™! , " he there rotting , because observes the Rabbi ,. they lay there many vearf their proprietors probably having been murdered on their in / , ™ . From the grave of Ezra a column of fire ascended to the sky , during $ ' eleventh and twelfth hour , and sometimes was seen in the first hour of th night . Ry its light people could walk three or four passages , that is from twelve to sixteen miles . However , before setting out for tLe grave nf Ezra , the Rabbi Petachia was shown , at Sushan , the coffin of Daniel Ori ginally it was buried on one side of the river , and caused <* reat plentv " prosperity , and blessing . But the men on the other side of the river said 41 Because the holy man is not buried on our side , therefore is our land not blessed ; " and there were constant wars for the possession of the coffin Afc last some elders came and the affair was compromised . The coffin was sus pended by strong iron chains on high pillars , in the centre of the river + hna tnland either

      e on side obtained an equal share of the prophet's blessin * But the marvels end not here . Vessels passing underneath the coffin onfy proceeded in safety if tliose in it were pious : if this was not the case they foundered . Moreover , our traveller was assured b y the Jews inhabitants of the place , that underneath the coffin there were fish with golden pendants in their ears . However , we will dwell no longer in these gardens of enchantment though the Jew has much to tell in the style of Pinto—who may have been his imitator . We must pass by those rich trees whose "berries were pure gold , as verified by Rabbi Moses Petachia , brother of Yizchak the White and Nachrnan the Learned , himself , and forsake those beautiful cities whose gates of brass were so highly polished that the horses , seein ^ them .

      selves reflected in the panels , refused to approach . We cannot , however , conclude without observing that , stripped of the fabulous and marvellous ] the book contains incidental descriptions of manners and customs very interesting , and that the notes by which it is accompanied , arid for which we are indebted to the translator and Mr . Ainsworth , are not only useful but amusing .

      Punch's Pocket-Book For 1857. Punch's Po...

      PUNCH'S POCKET-BOOK FOR 1857 . Punch ' s Pocket-Book for 1857 . Bradbury and Evans . Everyone knows what TuncJCs JPockei-Book is . We have only to say , then , that this year it is as usual . The frontispiece concerns hoops , petticoats , and tent-like silks and . gauzes , while in the ' miscellaneous department ' J ? zmch frolics among follies and fashions in great pride , and to the content of the jovial , generous reader .

      • (3hl^ ^Jttw *Kis P I &Lt;£*++&*. " • V

      Dramatic And Musical Notes. The Italian ...

      DRAMATIC AND MUSICAL NOTES . The Italian week at Drtjrt Lane terminated last Saturday with the performance of II Trovatore , when Madame GRisiwas seen for the first time these several years by a Xondon audience in a new part—that of Leonora , in which she first appeared at Dublin last season , and which was played here during the summer by Mademoiselle PiccolomiNi . Manrico was sustained by Mario ; and Graziani , who had been singing on the previous Thursday at Paris , was brought over express ]} - - to sing in the character of the Count de Luna on this one night . The success , as a matter of course , was immense ; the house was crowded to overflowing , and the audience was as enthusiastic as if the locality had been the bottom of the Haymarket , and the month had been May . -A . second brief season is advertized to commence next Monday .

      The same company gave a concert last Monday evening at Exeter Haix . Besides various Italian airs , Mario sang Ha / tton ' s ballad " Good-bye , sweetheart , " with the English words , which he pronounced with great correctness . Grisi enchanted the audience , not only in conjunction with Mario , with whom she sang Donizetti ' s duet , Un tenero core , " but also in the air " Taceala notte , " from the Trovatore . M . and Madame Gassier , Herr Formes , Madame Amadei , and Messrs . XoniNi , Albicinx , and Tknnant , also contributed to the success of the evening ; and between the acts a patty of Swedes , just arrived in England , performed a quintet on the Sax brass instruments , to the entire satisfaction of those who heard them . CHA . nx . ES MiTUEws made his first appearance since the death of Madame Vesthis at Drury Laue on Monday night , when he played Marplot in the-Bt ^ y Body , and one of his favourite burletta parts in Cool as a Cucumber . He was received with a perfect fever of applause , which showed itself in four demands for his appearance before the curtain , with which he complied . —The Iveeleys afterwards performed in the farce of Twice Killed .

      The Lyceum has made two additions to its stock—one , a revival ; tlie other , a new farce . The revived piece is Mr . Wjiitkiiead ' s two-act drama , The Cavalier , in which Mr . Dillox performs the part of Captain Ilarjraves , and Mrs . Dltxox that of Mrs . Margraves . Tho farce is entitled Doing the Hansom , and comprises a set of incidents of most preposterous improbability . But it gives an opportunity to Mr . Toowe ? to exhibit that genuine faculty for grotesque humour which has earned him a position in the course of a few weeks , and which , on the present occasion , a 8 on one or two others , drew forth tlie hearty sympathy of the audience . —Mr . Dillon appeared on Wednesday evening H > the part of Claude Mehtotte . in the The Lady of Lyons . ¦ , and the

      Mr- and Mrs . Barney Williams have vanished from the Axhzlvui , Green Bushes supplies the place of tlie vivacious Irishman and the fascinating " Yankee Girl , " whose acting ( we speak more especially of the lady ) was like a bit of fresh wild nature set blooming in the midst of the faded , made-up , gaslight conventionalities of tho stage , and kindled us Londoners into enthusiasm by sheer force of truth and novelty . In the cast of the revival , there was some thing sad in the absence of the well-known voices and looks of Mrs . Fitzwd > liam , Mr « . Vates , and Mr . O . Smith , two of whom have now departed from a " earthly stages ; but tho gaps were well filled up . After the conclusion ot tins , tho most successful of melodramas , a little piece was produced called A Jioratr Marriage , which brought forth the united faculties of Mr . Lkioh Muuray , M * Witwur , and Miss Wvndham , the lady giving especial delight by fighting w »"

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Nov. 8, 1856, page 20, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_08111856/page/20/