1796. ] 
and the attention with which thofe anec- 
dotes feem te have been honoured by the 
Meritorious author of a late Appeal to 
Popular Prejudices, in behalf of the 
Jews, lead me to fuppofe, you will not 
object to infert the following anecdotes 
of Jews in Spain: ; 
In the beginning of the tenth cen- 
sury, when books were fo fcarce in Spain 
among Chriftians, that one and the fame 
bible ferved different monafterie$; the 
Spanifh Jews imported mafters from 
Babylon, where they had academies, 
fupported by themtelves. In the year 
967, Rabbee Mofes, and his fon, Rabbee 
Enoch, having been taken by pirates, 
were fold as flaves at Cordova, and re- 
deemed by their brethren, who eftablithed 
a {chool at Cordova, of which this Mofes 
was appointed the head. He being de- 
firous of returning back to his own 
country, the Moorifh king of Cordova 
would not give his confent, rejoicing that 
his Hebrew fubjeéts had now matters of 
their own religion at home, without the 
neceffity of receiving them from a foreign 
univerfity ; and every indulgence was 
granted them with re{peét to their wor- 
thip ; exhibiting atrue fpirit of tolera- 
tion, worthy to be followed by their 
Chriftian fucceffors. 
In the year 1039, Rabbce Ezechias 
was put to death at Babylon. He had 
fucceeded Hai Gazon, whofe fons fled to 
Spain, by which the eldcerfhip of the 
Gazons became extinét, and their college 
was transferred to Cordova, whence a 
{warm of Hebrew poets iffued forth, 
who have been noticed by various learned 
writers, Ourcountryman, Thomas Hyde, 
in his treatife De ludts orientalibus, men- 
tions a Hebrew poem, on the game of 
chefs, by Aben Ezra. 
In Portugal, Rabbee David Ben Solo- 
mon Ben David Iachifa, of Litbon, 
who lived in 1440, wrote a treatife on 
Hebrew Poetry, which was tranflated 
‘Into Latin, by Genebrard, and printed 
in 1587, at the end of his I/agoge, to 
read Hebrew without points: it abounds 
with quotations of the different metres 
of the Hebrew poetry in Spain. 
The Spanifh language owes to the 
Jews a particular obligation for that 
curious verfion of the Hebrew books of 
the Old Teftament, which, after their 
expulfion by John II, was printed at 
Ferrara, in 15533 in black letters. This 
verfion is thought to have been made by 
David Kimchi, in the tenth century. 
‘Father Sarmiento has given critical rea- 
fons for attributing this verfion to-the age 
z 
2 
On the Welh ee 
967 
of Kimchi, and cenfures Father Simon 
for faying it was made at the time it was 
rinted. ‘ 
Rabbee 
commonly called Lrira, was born in Por- 
tugal in the fixteenth century, and died 
in the Netherlands, in 1631. He com- 
pofed a work in the Spanish language, 
which was afterwards tranflated into 
Hebrew, and thence into Latin, with 
the title, Porta Celorum. ‘This book dif- 
plays great converfancy with the Arabian 
philofophy, favours the Cabbaliftical fa- 
perftitions, but contains fome very 
acute metaphyfical argument refembling 
Clarke’s Demonftraticns of the Being of 
a God. 
From the canonsof the Spanifh coun- 
cils, and the laws of the Vifigoths (cb- 
ferves Gibbon, vol. ili. p. 554), many 
curious circumftances may be learned 
concerning the ftate of the Jews in Spain. 
If any of your readers would point out 
the exact title of the books containing 
thefe canons and thefe laws, he would 
much oblige one who wifhes to fee the 
Jews of this country reftored to the pri- 
vilege of fitting in parliament, which 
they exercifed in the 25th year of Henry 
Tild. ‘ 

To the Edtior of ite Monthly Magazine. 
Sik, 
OUR correfpondent, Mcirion, has an- 
{fwered my objections with learning 
and liberality; I am inftruéted by.the 
one, and obliged by the other. His ety- 
mological explanation of the labours of 
Herculus, appears as ftrong as etymology 
can make it; but the examples of Valney 
and Dupuis, have fhown what bafelefs 
fabrics ingenuity and learning can rear 
upon fuch foundations. On points fo 
very remote, we muft be guided by pro- 
babilities ; and is it not more probable, 
that fuch a man as Hercules really ex- 
ifted, and that the romantic aétions of 
the hero of a romantic age, fhould be 
disfigured by panegyric and fiction, than 
that one bel‘eved by the Greeks to have 
been the cotemporary of Thefeus, thould 
be only the year perfonified ? With re- 
{pect to Geoffrey of Monmouth, Meirion 
has pointed out my ignorance. Wuli he 
allow me to profit by his knowledge? 
Are there any poems remaining of Howel, 
the fon cf Owen Gwynedh ? Where are 
they to be found? and caw he inform me 
et) 
from the Welth Chronicles, worre the 7) 
battle was fought in which he perished? 
NOUS 35 EEGs ® hn ; B. 
To 
& 
Abraham Cohen Herrera, 


