| commerce, the 
td. ‘Hiftory of ews in England. 
Rad drawn together great multitudes of 
people, and among them whole troops 
of roanting faints, who were preparing 
to go with the king to the Holy Land. 
"Thefe zealous men, difdaining that the 
enemies of Chrift fhould abound in 
wealth, while they, who were his great 
friends, were. obliged to ftrip their 
wives and children of common necef- 
faries, to fupply the charges of the 
voyage, perfuaded themfelves, that God 
would be highly honoured, if they 
fhould firft cut the throats of the Jews, 
and then feize upon their money :—Sa 
ready are men to believe what makes 
for their worldly advantage. Accord- 
mgly, they flew upon them, and, finding 
very little refiftance from an oppreffled 
and fpiritlefs enemy, quickly made 
themfelves mafters both of their perfons 
and fortunes : the former of which they 
treated with all kinds of barbarity. 
Some few of them, indeed, were fo for- 
tunate as to get fhelter in the caftle; 
whither, as they fled without their 
riches, the fource of all their mifery, 
they were not earneftly purfued. And 
as thefe devout pilgrims pretended to do 
ali this for the advancement of God's 
glory, to fhow they were in earneft, they 
took thipping as faft as they could, and 
fled away for Jerufalem, not fo much as 
ene of them being detained by the ma- 
giftrates, or any farther enquiry made 
by the king, into fuch a fanétified piege 
of villainy. Internal trade muft at that 
time have been chicfly conduéted by the 
Jews, fince they were affembled in fuch 
numbers at an inland fair. They had 
probably, too beftowed, ere this, upon 
important improve- 
ment of inventing d://s of exchange, as 
mention feems to be made of them, by 
the name of Starra (from the Hebrew 
Shetar) in certain Latin documents of ~ 
this era. The Jews were {till admitted 
co the liberal profeifions, as the cruel 
edict of Richard I, fer regiftering their 
property, orders that their ** contraéts 
«* ¢hould be made in the prefence cf two 
alhened /awyers who were Jews, two 
who were Chriftians, and two public 
Notaries.” This king appointed Fu/- 
ticers of the Fews, whole office it was to 
collect and pay into the exchequer the 
taxes affeffed upon that unfortunate feét. 
Benedict de Talemunt, and Jofeph Aaron, 
were the two frit of thefe Jufticers. 
The intolerant pcelicy of Richard J, 
eccafioned the emigration of all the 
wealthier Jews, and a confequent defal- 
cation of the revenue; which was fo 
5 
ge 
66 
ae 
[ Feb. 
fenfibly felt, that John, in 1199, ufed 
feveral arts to draw them back into his 
kingdom; not only confirming their 
ancient, but offering new privileges, 
and particularly that of naming a high- 
prieft by the title of Prefbyter Judeo- 
rum. Many Jews upon this returned, 
and were afterwards more cruelly plun- 
dered than ever. Our Great Charter 
fanciions an injuftice to the Jews, by en- 
acting, that, ‘¢ lf any perfons have bor- 
‘“ rowed money of the Jews, more or 
‘< lefs, and die before they have paid 
“ the debt, the debt fhall not grow 
‘s whilft the heir is under age,’ &c. 
Henry Lil liberated fuch Jews.as were 
in prifon, ordered them to be proteéted 
againft the infults of Jerufalem pilgrims, 
and to wear upon the fore-part of their 
upper garment two broad firips of white 
linen or parchment. In this reign, 
Stephen Langton, archbifhep of Canter- 
bury, and Hugo de Velles, bifhop of 
sLincoln (in hopes to drive them away 
by want of fuftenance) publifhed injunc- 
tions throughout their refpeétive dio- 
cefes, that no Chriftian fhould prefume 
to have communieation with, or fell them 
any prowifion, under pain of excommu- 
nication. And the fame feems to have 
been done by the bifhop of Norwich. 
Perfons unacquainted with the nature 
of faife zeal (continues Tovey, p. 83) 
when backed by authority, will fearcely 
believe, that the Jews had been in any 
great danger of ftarving, though the king 
had not interpofed in this matter. Yet 
Rapin tells us, that when the Gerhar- 
dine heretics made their appearance, in 
the time of Henry II, He orders were 
giyen not to relieve them, the prohibi- 
tion was fo punctually ebferved, that all 
thofe wretches milcrably perithed with 
hunger. 
_Be it remembered, however, that the 
prior of Dunftable, much about this 
time, granted to feveral Jews free liberty 
to refide within his lordfhip, and to en- 
joy ali the privileges of it, im confidera- 
tion of the annual payment of two filver 
{poons. 
During the funfhine of the king’s 
favor (in 1230) the Jews ereéted a very 
ftately fynagogue in London, which fur- 
pafied in magnificence the Chriftian 
churches. But the people petitioned 
the king to take it from them and have 
it confecrated; which accordingly he 
complied with. In the 18th year of his- 
reign, upon a petition of the inhabitants: 
of Newcaftle, he granted them the in- 
hofpitable privilege, that no Jew fhould 
eyer 
