41 



" Bonnie Sir Hew."* On my return, I arranged and extended 

 my own memoranda, so as to form a sort of supplementary 

 paper to those read on Lincoln localities ; and to make the 

 reminiscence more interesting, I did so on the recorded anni- 

 versary of the event, the 27th of August. It has been suggested 

 that the Paper might not be unstated for this Society ; as the 

 line of inquiry is one which is rarely followed out, the circum- 

 stances are interesting to the archaeologist, the student of 

 human nature, and the **■ metre ballad-monger ■" and the tra- 

 dition is so widely extended, that no country of Europe is 

 unacquainted with it. 



The Christian people of past ages, with some Mahome- 

 tans and Christians of the present day, appear as the plaintiffs ; 

 the Jewish people of past and present times, are the defendants. 

 The popular indictment is substantially the following : " That 

 "the Jews have for several ages followed up the practice of 

 ""murdering a Christian annually, or at convenient intervals, 

 " the sufferer being usually, but not always or necessarily, a 

 " child, on one or more of the three following alleged grounds, 

 " viz. (1) to procure the human blood necessary in some of 

 " their religious ceremonies ; or (2) to bring into contempt the 

 " circumstances of the crucifixion of our Lord ; or (3) to pro- 

 cure the materials for magical or medicinal purposes." The 

 defendants plead " Not Guilty" to the whole indictment, and 

 challenge the production of legitimate evidence. 



In examining the facts of the case, we find that if the 

 ordinary amount of credence is to be attached to some of our 

 received histories, the following points are certainly established: 

 1st, several convictions, upon this charge, have taken place 

 in our own country ; 2nd, in some instances the accused have 

 confessed their guilt ; and, 3rd, the independent evidence af- 

 forded by the murdered persons, is slightly corroborative of 



* It was afterwards stated, conversationally, that a Paper had been prepared on 

 this snlject by Charles Tucker, Esq., F.S.A., one of the Honorary Secretaries; but 

 that, with several others, it was passed over tor want of time. 



