BOOK. If. CHAP. XIII. v,^3 



of ihcfe contentions is a perpetual fund for employing and fup- 

 porting the profelibrs of the geometric art. 



The Jews were very early I'ettlcd in this ifland, attra(n:ed no leG 

 by the quantity of gold and filver brought into circulation here, 

 than the mild difpolition of the government towards them. In 

 fome of the other fugar-iflands they were prolcribcd, by admittino- 

 the evidence of pagan flaves agalnft tliem in the courts of juftice. 

 Yet, although this government was comparatively lenient, they 

 w<:re opprcliLd, in fome inftances, conformably to that perfecuting 

 fpirit which zealous Chriftians ufed antiently to manifeft towards 

 all tliofc who differed from them in matters of faith, particularly 

 Jews, Turks, and Infidels. But it mult be owned, that the raf- 

 cally tricks, for which both antient and modern Jews have always 

 been dirtinguilhed, may have ferved not a little to embitter the po- 

 pular hatred agiiiuft tliCm. In 1681, a law paffed In Jamaica to 

 prevent clipping and falfifying of coin, and debafing of gold and 

 filver wares. The Jews were, at that time, the principal workers 

 in 'gold and fdver. Tlieir fondnefs for this craft in all ages is re- 

 markable, and proves the gainfuinefs of it ; and it is ftill more fo, 

 tliat perhaps there feldom has been fuch a law enacted in any coun- 

 try, which did not abound with thefe Jewifli artifls. 



I think it was in the reign of William III, that the council of 

 this ifland addreffed the crown to expel all the Jews from this part 

 of the Britifli dominions, not for the fubftantial reafon above al- 

 ligned, but for a very whimfical one, viz. becaufe " they were de- 

 " fcended from the crucihers of the bleffed Jefus." I need not 

 mention, that his majelly did not think fit to comply with their re- 

 quell. The gentlemen were not deep enough read in hiftory to 

 difcover, that the Romans, and not the Jews, puniflied by cruci- 

 fixion. But, if they fuppofed the Jews of Jamaica to be the li- 

 neal delcendents fromthat part of the Jerulalem mob wliich ac- 

 cufed our Saviour before the Romati governor, and, by importuning 

 for his execution, hectime par/ icipes cn'minis, and fo tranimitted the 

 guilt down to their third and fourth: generations; we mufr admire 

 their Ikill in pedigrees, who could thus trace the line of dcfcent 

 through a courfe of near feventeen centuries. - In thefe days of ig- 

 norance, and long after, they were not taxed like other fubjects, 



but. 



