freely. I left this gentleman in a very friendly way, he expressing a desire to see me soon again. I hardly think he will repeat the wish."

We read the whole of that veracious report to our Bible-class of Jewish ladies and gentlemen, described in our first article, on Saturday, the 9th ult. To their hononr be it recorded, those ladies and gentlemen never see the paper.--The former felt shocked at the vulgarity of the writer, and the latter almost made observation to the following effect, (in reply to my remarking, "Gentlemen, you know now the character of the inquisitor, who will follow you up if only once he gains a clue ?") "Both my butler and footman know a sorry sneak when they see him; however, I will give them another hint to look sharp," was the rejoinder of every Jewish gentleman present. The following is the reply of a Hebrew Christian brother, in whose knowledge and varacity we have the most unswerving confidence, in answer to a question which we put to him, by letter, on the subject. He writes:

"I have read the article in the Jewish World. It is a complete tissue of lies. The Tunisian proselyte did not give the replies, nor did any special commissioner put the pretended questions. The master of the bookbinding department, as well as the journeymen, were present when this fictitious conversation is reported to have taken place. But what can one expect from a man who does not hesitate to publish his own shame! From his own statement, it is evident that he is a stranger to honesty and uprightness. Deception and dissimulation appear to be ingrained in his very nature. . . . . From the style of the writer, I am inclined to suspect that he tried to impose on one or more missionaries, but as they detected his duplicity, he seeks to avenge his disappointed expectations in harmless Billingsgate effusion," &c. &c. We cannot divest ourselves, however, of the horrible fact that, if Jewish bigotry and infidelity shall gain the ascendency for a short time, when unbelieving Israel shall, for the predicted time, become the confederate of the antichristian nations, then will a Jewish inquisition of an infinitely more tremendous character than ever existed under Popery, under a Jewish leader more cruel and merciless than Torquemada, be organised against the followers of the Lamb, especially against such as bear the name of HEBREW CHRISTIANS. It is to this period that the opening of the "fifth seal" points :-" And when He had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the Word of God, and for the testimony which they held: and they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.*

*Rev. vi. 9-11.

THE BANISHED ONES FETCHED HOME.

AN HISTORICAL SERIAL TALE, ILLUSTRATIVE OF THE CHEQUERED ANNALS OF THE

JEWS IN THIS COUNTRY.

BY AN INTIMATE FRIEND OF THE FAMILY.

BOOK IV.-CHAPTER I.

THE MINORITY OF HENRY III.
(Continued from page 121.)

:

MISS IGNOTA was as good as her word; she not only betrayed no

symptoms of impatience for that evening's narrative to come to a close, but she was as attentive a listener as any of the most attentive audiences that ever gave heed to an absorbing discourse. She followed the rest to the domestic sanctuary, and joined heartily in the evening orisons and songs of praise. It was not till a full quarter of an hour after the evening family worship was over that she made her way to Sir Francis Palgrave, put her small hand gently on his arm, and looked beseechingly into his face. The deputy master of the Rolls, with the chivalrous gallantry of his nature, took the little hand in his, first pressed it to his lips, then put it under his arm, and then led the speechless yet anxious inquirer into the conservatory. There the two walked up and down for a full hour, Sir Francis talking almost all the time, whilst Miss Ignota seemed thoroughly transported with gladsome anticipations too enjoyable for words. Asher, his sister and cousins, Mr. and Miss Goodall, Lord Soulwinner and myself walked up and down, and conversed, in the large drawing-room, where we could not but catch frequent glimpses of the elderly gentleman and the young lady. On their returning to the big room, Sir Francis said to his companion, in the hearing of us all, “I have only furnished you with a few threads, all I have got, of the extraordinary texture which constitutes your history. Sir Sampson will be here in a few days, probably before this week expires, when he will very likely follow the lord of the mansion with his wonderful tale of the BANISHED ONE FETCHED HOME. You may, however, forthwith dispense with the names which were temporarily put upon you. Let Nora Ignota be no more even named; your own honoured name is Signorina SEGULLAH NUNEZ."

"SEGULLAH!" exclaimed the young lady, whilst her whole countenance beamed with the sunshine of happiness. "It was the name of my little cousin, who died about the time that I was born!"

66

Even so, SEGULLAH NUNEZ. SEGULLAH was a favourite feminine name in your family for generations and ages. The name of Don Israel Ibn Nunez, as well as of Isaac Nunez Ibn Paltiel, and of other variations from those estimable names often occur in the great genealogical chronicle of Toledo Villa. But I must not anticipate Sir Sampson, who is himself a NUNEZ hibernicised into Fitznun."

"I can now wait patiently, dear Sir Francis. You have utterly changed my nature by having revealed to me my own name. The only appellation I shall object to will be that of Signorina. My heart is thoroughly English. I shall never give up the idea that the Anglo-Saxons, Danes,

B

and Normans are also the natural descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."

"We all have certain besetting idiosyncrasies. As long as they are innocent and harmless-as yours, in the present instance, undoubtedly is-we tolerate them in one another. Good night, Miss Nunez."

"Good night, dear Sir Francis; but you should not call me Miss Nunez, you should call me simply SEGULLAH. Dearest Tabitha and Salome! you two must henceforth call me SEGULLAH."

The three young ladies wished "Good night " to the gentlemen, and left the drawing-room together. The following morning, an especially solemn and grateful air pervaded the congregation in the oratory of the mansion. Every worshipper felt that God was about to manifest an especial token of His providential watchfulness over some of His most tried children, akin to the winding up of Joseph's story. Every portion of the service-supplicatory, expository, and choral-seemed characterised with the grateful and solemn feeling. The impending dénoûement was the chief theme of conversation amongst the different groups which formed themselves in the park in the course of the day. The lord of the mansion, his lady, son, and daughter, along with Sir Francis and Miss Nunez, formed a group to themselves. The burden of the conversation of the representative of the PALTIELS was the wonderful circumstance that he should have unwittingly entertained his bona fide niece. Asher, who frequently joined me and others, retailed to me his parents' remarks and ejaculations on the subject.

The venerable historian of the BANISHED ONES FETCHED HOME determined to begin his melancholy narrative earlier that evening, as well as on the following one, than on the previous evenings, so as to finish the whole on Friday night. "We shall have no ears after that," he remarked, "but for Sir Sampson's tale of his SEGULLAH; his BANISHED ONE FETCHED HOME." On taking up his place that evening in the lecture alcove, the lord of the mansion commenced as follows:

The coincidence is not a little remarkable that several of the chroniclers who will furnish me with materials this evening and the next, bear the names of Nunez and Barbaniel joined to that of Paltiel. The reason by which this is accounted for is the change of government during the minority of Henry III. The mild rule of the Earl of Pembroke and of Hubert de Burgh induced many of our people from Spain to come over and settle in this country, some of which intermarried into our family, whose children retained their maternal, as well as paternal, names and surnames. For a generation or so this rolling scroll, which gathered volume as it rolled on, had found its way to Ratæ, or Leicester. Thus records one of my ancestors on his contemporary history:

"The Lord hath broken the staff and sceptre of our wicked ruler; his pomp has gone down into the grave, worms now cover him and feed upon him who had hitherto persecuted without restraint. We may now break forth into song, for the whole island is at rest and peaceful. During the domination of the graceless John" [the writer indulged here in a pun upon the name, which he characterised in the original as JOHANAN LOUANAN, John the unfavoured], "I came with my family to sojourn here in Rate; for here in this place our people, ever since they came

to settle here, along with the Romans, have always lived on brotherly terms with the other peoples, whether they were the Romans, or their successors the Saxons, the Danes, or the Normans. Our people continued to increase and to thrive in this place. No Jewish inhabitant of this place was ever charged with the crime of crucifying Christian children, or clipping the coin of the realm, or of any other misdemeanor or felony. Even in the days of the iron rule of John our people here remained unmolested. I could not but suspect the poison in that serpent, even when he appeared as harmless as a dove, and would even have allowed a Jewish infant to handle his face, to smite his cheek-bone, and to try to break his teeth. I therefore brought my household and almost all my substance to this place. We heard, with much sorrow of heart, of the afflictions of our people in other places in this land; but those afflictions did not come nigh unto us. Our people through the country began to hope for better days,-when the cruel tyrant king hid himself, after his lords made him sign and seal the terms of the STAR of liberty,--and began to trust that he would never again defile the land with his sanguinary heel; but he did not remain in his secret place longer than a few months: he came forth more infuriated with rage than ever, and with a greater army even than heretofore, and began to perpetrate such cruelties and barbarities as to make the most secure quake and tremble. So that our people in this hitherto safe retreat began to fear for their life, especially as we heard that he was encamped at Newark, a place not very far off from here. I began, therefore, to plan of withdrawing from this island altogether, and to return to SEPHARD, the land whence my forefathers came, when the gladsome tidings came from Newark of the decease of the weakener of the people. The happy news came when our people celebrated the festival HOSHAANA RABBAH.* They therefore interpreted the event as an earnest of further deliverance; and hitherto the interpretation has held good.

"The new king is but tender in years; the Lord Pembroke, who is the ruler of the land in the young king's name, is an upright and just man. The dungeons, in which many of our people were left incarcerated at the death of the late merciless king, he has thrown open; the heavy burdens which the dead king had imposed upon the shoulders of many of our people, Lord Pembroke has taken off. This merciful ruler sent out letters and decrees, sealed with the king's signet, commanding the principal burgesses of those towns where the Jews sojourned in great numbers, such as London, Lincoln, York, Hereford, Worcester, Stamford, Bristol, Northampton, Southampton, Winchester, Gloucester, Warwick, Oxford, enjoining those burgesses that our people should be held secure from any injury or hurt, grievance or wrong, either to their persons or properties. The Jews were especially to be shielded against any violence from the hands of those who worship the cross and fight for it. Then was there not only joy in the synagogues of this island, but the synagogues increased rapidly in numbers. For, in addition to those protective measures meted out by Lord Pembroke, a confirmation of the charter was granted which our people had obtained from the deceased king at the beginning

The reader will find an explanation of the above-named festival in our number for last November, pp. 506-508.

of his reign. In that charter most important privileges were accorded to our people, and their persons and estates held sacred from assault and plunder. At the same time with the confirmation of the former charter, our people are further set free from the jurisdiction of the courts of their bishops and priests. Moreover, that we may enjoy the safety of unhoodwinked justice, those unworthy judges who brought reproach upon their office, in our affairs in the exchequer, are deposed, and persons of probity and integrity judge in their stead.

"The synagogues, therefore, have not only joy, but also increase in numbers. Our brethren in other lands have heard the report of the good and great changes in our affairs, and are coming over in great numbers to this country, especially those from SEPHARD. Amongst the latter are two families from my own stock: Don Nunez EZRIYAH [this Ezriyah is only another term for PALTIEL]" and Don Mishael Abirbaniel. They and their sons and daughters have taken up their sojourn here. The beautiful daughter of my kinsman Don Nunez, SEGULLAH by name, is now the wife of my eldest son, Baruch, or Benedict. My eldest daughter, Naomi, is now the honoured wife of Aaron, the eldest son of my kinsman Don Mishael Abirbaniel. May God prolong their lives, and may I now be gathered in peace to my forefathers. I, Benjamin Aryeh Paltiel, have written this at Ratæ, in the third year of the government of the great and good Lord Pembroke."

Earl Pembroke died the same year that the above was penned, and at the beginning of the next year the penman himself was gathered peacefully to his forefathers. The Earl was succeeded in the administration of the affairs of this realm by Hubert de Burgh, the hero of the naval battle at Dover, which broke the arm and armament of France in this island. De Burgh was but little inferior to his predecessor; he himself continued Lord Pembroke's humane deportment towards our people. He was, however, let and hindered in his own benevolent intentions by two ecclesiastics, namely, Peter des Roches, whom the Pope created Bishop of Winchester, and Cardinal Pandulph, the Pope's legate then in this country. It was to the interference of those foreign ecclesiastics in the affairs of this realm that I trace the jarring and irritating decree that the sheriffs, of the different places where our people then resided, were directed to require that the Jews should distinguish themselves by wearing, on all occasions, a particular mark upon their clothes. The mark was to be attached to their upper garment, and was to consist of two white tablets of linen or parchment, and to be affixed to their breasts. Some historians wish to persuade us, that although this order bore the appearance of being of a nature at once degrading and oppressive, it had nevertheless been dictated by no unkindly intention; and it has been remarked, that by making the Jews thus plainly known from other persons, any one who offended against the directions given for their protection, would be deprived of the excuse they might otherwise have made, of being ignorant of their persons. This certainly sounds plausible, but a critical reader of history will at once discover that such a reason is a mere gloss. The real reason for the enactment of that strange order seems to have been, that the Jews should be discernible in the eyes of the king, in order that when he wanted money he should know were to find it without great search;