1796. | 
ever refide among them. This prince 
was not free from the confifcatory policy 
fo common in the dark ages, but fre- 
quently pillaged the Jews: his necefhi- 
ties, however, would have continued to 
tolerate them, had not the Pope fent 
ever the Caurfini, Chriftians and Lom- 
bards, who were gradually to fupercede 
the ancient practitioners of ufury, by 
conducting it in a manner not difapprov- 
ed by the church. To fuch a pitch of 
hatred was the prejudice, which had 
beén gradually inftilled into the people 
apainit the Jews, arrived, during this 
reign, that in 1262, when the king, re- 
fuling to fland to the:agreement lately 
made with his barons at Oxford, with- 
drew into the Tower, and threatened the 
Londoners for taking part with his ene- 
mies ; the barons fuddenly entered Lon- 
don with great forces, and (to keep the 
citizens more ftrongly in their interett) 
gratified them wh the flaughter of feven 
bundved Fews at once, whole houfes they 
firft plundered, and then burnt. their 
new fynagogue to the ground. It was, 
however, rebuilt ; but, in 1270, taken 
from them, upon complaint of the Friars 
Penitents, that they were not able to 
make the body of Chrift in quiet, for 
the great howlings the Jews made there 
during their worthip. 
In the third year of Edward I, a law 
paffed the Commons concerning Judaifm, 
which feemed to promife a qualified fe- 
curity; notwithftanding which, in the 
year 1290, and the 18th of his reign, 
the king feized upon all their real 
eltates, and the whole community was 
for ever banifhed the kingdom. Yet no 
fooner (adds the hiftorian) was the in- 
ventory made, and every thing fold to 
the bett bidder, than the whole produce 
was unaccountably f{quandered away, 
without one penny being ever fet afide 
for thofe pious ufes, which the king had 
talked off. From fifteen to fixteen thou- 
fand Jews were thus ruined, and then 
expelled. During the preceding cen- 
tury, they mult conftantly have been in 
a flate of rapid and progreffive diminn- 
tion: neither is it probable, that the 
more refpeétable portion of them fhould 
have put fo much confidence in ediéts of 
recall, thus frequently and perfidioufly 
revoked, as to have been found feitled 
in England. Yet even thefe left behind 
them feveral valuable libraries, one par. 
ticularly at Stamford, and another at 
Oxford, which lat being purchafed 
among the fcholars, moft of the Hebrew 
books were bought by the famous Roger 
Pedefirian Tour in North Wales. 
15 
Bacon, who, by a fhort note written in 
one of them, declared they were of great 
fervice to him in his fiudies. This ex- 
pulfion was fo complete, that no farther 
traces of Englifh Jews vecur until long 
after the reformation. 
[The fublequent periods of this Hiftory awill be con= 
tinued in our next Mugazine. | 
J 
er 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SER, 
SUBMIT to your confideration the 
propriety of inferting the following 
fketch of a Tour made laft fummer into 
Wales. » The fame ground has, no doubt, 
been gone over by rormer travellers, but 
the fame fcenes firike different obfervers 
in fo very different a manner, and fo 
much depends on the weather and the 
temper with which places are viewed, 
as almoft to preclude the poffibility of 
famenefs. Though the grand featurés, 
of a landfcape, its mountains, valleys, 
and itreams, are unchangeable, yet the 
different fituations from which it may 
be viewed, the accidental circumfance 
of funfhine or’rain, of a clear ora hazy 
ky, of morning, or evening, or moon- 
light, excite very various fenfations in 
the mind of the fame beholder; and the 
variety is almolt infinite where the 
diverfity of tempers, purfuits, and pre- 
vious habits, is taken into the account. 
For thefe reafons, I am induced to fend 
you the inclofed journal, in hopes that it 
may afford fome entertainment to your 
readers, if not by its intrinfic merit, yet, 
at leatt, by contributing to the variety of 
your Collection. , 
June 29, Wet out at four inthe 
morning, oz the coach (for we withed 
to /ec the country through which we 
travelled) from Shrewfbury to Chirk, 
where we arrived about nine. From 
Salop to Ofweitry, the chief objeét in 
the profpeét was the Breiddin-hills, 
which, fometimes half obfcured by 
clouds, at others partially illuminated — 
by the rays of the fun, formed matter 
for much and conftant obfervation. The 
rocks alfo at Nefcleff, both before and 
after we pafled them, were ftriking 
features in the landfcape. From Of{- 
weftry to Chirk, the road winds in a 
beautiful manner round the bafes of the 
hills, and, being confiderably elevated, 
afforded us an extenfive view of the 
large plain, as it then appeared to us, 
which was circumfcribed by the 
Wreakin, Stretton-hills, and: Pim-hill. 
The 
