244 OF THE PROLONGATION" 



take no notice of the violent florin ocean* oned by the 

 tumult at Paris in 1393 againft the jews, then the fa- 

 vourites of the court, but abominated by the nation, 

 The people infifted on a general expulsion of the jew$ 

 from out the kingdom, and becaufe that was not im- 

 mediately complied with, they broke into the houfes 

 of the receivers of the public money, who were then, 

 for the moft part, jews or lombards, opened their cof- 

 fers, flung the money into the ftreet, tore their papers 

 and books of accounts* and happy were they who? 

 efcaped with their lives. In one ftreet alone no lefs 

 than forty jew- houfes were plundered, and a number 

 of jews put to death who were endeavouring to favc 

 themfelves by flight*. — May not this prove fomething 

 of a key to the myftery of our adept ?• Might not 

 Mailer Flamel, as well as any other perfon, have fal- 

 len upon the coffers of fome well-larded jews or lom- 

 bards, and, inftead of throwing the money out at 

 window, have thought it more advifeable quietly to 

 walk off with it to his corner-houfe rue des Ecrivains-^ f 

 - — Or, if this furmife fhould feem too uncharitable, 

 was it not very poflible, that fome rich jews of his ac « 

 quaintance, for he appears always to* have had dealings 

 with the jewSj. might have run privately to him with 



* Vid. Meufel's Miftqry of France, vol. ii. p» 459, and the au- 

 thorities there quoted. 



f That we may not, however, deprive the good and difcreet ma- 

 dam Pernelle, Flamel's dear wife, of her fliare in the acquifition of 

 this commonwealth ; might fhe not accidentally have been now and 

 then palling by a houfe where the money was tumbling out of the 

 windows, and, as a careful houfewife, have picked up a large apron- 

 full, 4 carried it home ? 



their 



