61 



were ready to believe, for they thought that in robbing and 

 destroying the Jews, they were shewing their zeal for the 

 Christian religion. In Poland, where for many centuries Jews 

 have been numerous, the charge was first made at Cracow, in 

 1407 ; and before the decree in favour of the accused could be 

 issued, many had fallen victims to the groundless fury of the 

 populace. It is gratifying to know, however, that in nearly 

 all the countries of Europe, the most intelligent and distin- 

 guished Christian people regarded the accusation as a slander, 

 from a very early period. Many interesting cases are quoted 

 by Tugenhold, in the preface to his Polish translation of 

 Menashe-Ben-IsraeFs " Vindiciae Jtidaeorum." * 



After a statement of the success of Sir Moses Montefiore's 

 embassy, the Archives Israelites de France,^ for November, 

 1840, contains the following, in the spirit of which every 

 reader will naturally sympathize. 



" Louange a Dieu, qui a fait descendre les rayons de sa consolation divine, au 

 milieu de ces scenes de deuil et d' horreur ! 



" Gloire au pacha d' Egypte, qui pour prover qu'il ne que juste, a efface tout ce 

 qui pouvait le faire resembler a une grace! 



"Honneur aux chambres frangaises et anglaises, qui out demande que la justice 

 fiit opposee au fanatisrae! 



"Reconnaissance aux governements d' Europe et d' Amerique, qui out tendu 

 le main a 1' humanite outragee ! 



" Eternelle fratemite aux hommes eclaires de la litterateure et de la presse, qui 

 appuyes sur les exemples du passe, ont combattu cette calumnieuse reminiscence 

 contre le jiula'isme ! 



" Joie et bonheur aux Merlato, anx Laurin, qui ont pousse le premier cri de pitie ! 

 Joie et bnnheur aux Cremieux, aux Montefiore, qui ont publie la premiere parole de 

 defense! " 



The ballad of Sir Hugh of Lincoln — of which four parallel 

 versions are given — exhibits by this harmonious arrangement, 

 the uniformity as well as the variety of oral tradition. Where- 

 ever our Anglo-Saxon is spoken, the story is told in one of 

 these versions, or in a similar one ; and it would seem, too, 



* Dr. Loowe. + Vol. i., p. 652. 



