1801.4 ( 
Extra&is from the Port-folio of a Man of Letters. 
127} 
EE ree 
ERUEL USAGE of the JEWS i# FORMER 
TIMES. 
HE fituation of the Jews from the 
time of their difperfion, after the de- 
ftruGtion of Jerufalem, about the year of 
Chrift 70, was truly deplorable. Of thofe 
who furvived the fiege of that city, fome 
were fold for flaves and carried to different 
countries ; yet their numbers increafed, 
and by their addrefs and application to 
trafic they acquired wealth, and, confe- 
quently, had always money to fupply the 
neceflities of the fovereigns of the country 
wherein they refided. In France they 
were imprifoned, accufed of magic, of 
crucifying children, and of poifoning the 
ublic wells, in order toextort money from 
them, Their wealth was at one time con- 
fifcated if they embraced Chriftianity; and 
their bodies at another committed to the 
flames, if they perfifted to follow the reli- 
gion of their fathers. In England our 
king John imprifoned the. rich Jews to 
poflefs himfelf of their riches. The ftory 
is well known of the feven teeth which he 
caufed to be plucked out ofa Jew’s head, 
to make him give up his wealth. His 
fon, Henry the third, followed his exam- 
ple, and laid an impofition upon the Jews 
for their redemption, and received at times 
from Aaron, a Jew of York, thirty thou- 
fand marks of filver, an immente fum 
in thofe days! Yet not contented with 
fleecingthe Jews himfelf, he ‘Jet them out 
to farm (fo Daniel the h.ftorian terms it) 
to his brother, the rich earl of Cornwall.”’ 
According toMathew of Paris,(ui guos rex 
excoriaverat comes evifceraret,) ‘* that he 
might cut them up altogether.” Inan ancient 
manu(fcript of laws and cufioms eftablith- 
ed inthe reign of Richard the firft, for 
the government of the dominions be- 
longing to the crown of England in France, 
I find the following inftruétion refpecting 
Jews coming into the [fle of Olerven.~ It 
is contained in thefe words: “* Ceu eft 
lou peage des Jues. Chafcuns Jues et 
Juere non eftant en Oleron par chafcune 
fois quil venent en oletron devent de lor 
chef iuj d’ dopaage au rey. E fi la Jueve 
eft prainz ele endeit vuj por fey et por 
Jenffant dau ventre. Et dit hom que 
guarners chafteaus quant il fut fenefchaus 
doleyron juja quant li Jues ou la Jueve 
fenraloit ob lo dit peaage il freit qualez 
en la mer une foyz por legage dau dit 
peage et la Jueve prainz ifeit qualce does 
fez por fey et por lenffant. Quar por ceu 
Fs 
que tout laver aus Jues font aus grans 
feignors daus terres for cvy il eftont ct ne 
fereit pas corteifie quon en prift lor deners 
por gage, mas au meifme cors dau jue 
quit fait la malefaite en tort lo demage.” 
Which may be thus tranflated: ‘‘ This is 
the'toll for the Jews—Every Jew and 
Jewefs, not fettled in Oleron, muft pay 
each a tax of four deniers to the king, for 
every time he or fhe comes to Oleron. 
And if the Jewefs be pregnant, fhe muft 
pay eight for herfelf and the child in her 
womb. And it is faid that when Guar- 
ners Chafteaus was fenefchal in Oleron, 
he adjudged that a Jew or Jewefs, not 
paying the faid toll, fhould be once duck- 
ed. in the fea, as a fine for non payment 3 
and the Jewefs that was pregnant fhcuid 
be ducked twice; once for herfelf, and 
once for her child. For, inafmuch as all 
the poffeflions of Jews, belong to the chief 
lords of the places where they dwell, it 
were not juftice that money be taken from 
them, by way of fine for their offences ; 
but that they fhould receive corporal pu- 
nifhment for them.’ Thus far this ex- 
tract from this ancient manufcript. Péage 
is a word ftill inufe in France, if not now, 
at leaft under the old government ; it is 
defined, **Droit pour un paffage,” <* A toll 
for paffing througha place.” The Jews, 
in the age of Richard the firft, or Coeur 
de Lion, and before and fince, were con- 
fidered as ferfs, or conftituting, like vil- 
lains- and cattle, part or parcel of the 
eftates of the great lords whereon they 
were fettled, and poffefiing no property 
but what was fubjeét to their arbitrar 
will and pleafure. Hence was derived the 
right thefe lords exercifed of calling upon 
the Jews for whatever monies they thought 
proper. On this ground the property of 
Jews was confifcated upon their conver- 
fion to Chriftianity ; becaufe, as Moa- 
tefquieu has obferved, the lord had no 
right to continue his exactions after a Jew 
was converted, as he was no longer ferf 
main mortable; that is to fay, ** a vaffal 
commuting with money the fervices he 
owed and could: not render in perfon.”"— 
This confifeation therefore was in the na- 
ture of an alienation-fine, or purchafe of 
thofe rights. On the like ground our 
kings laid thofe heavy fines beforemen- 
tioned. on the rich Jews; that is to fay, 
by way of redemption of the taxes due 
from the whole of the nation within their 
“dominions ; which redemption, however, 
was 
