10. But tho' they should be fo difpersed, yet they should not be totally destroyed, but still subsist as a distinct people, as Mofes had before foretold, Levit. XXVI. 44, And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will not caft them away, neither will I abhor them, to deftroy them utterly, and to break my_covenant with them. The Jewish nation, (8) like the bush of Mofes, hath been always burning, but is never confumed. And what a marvelous thing is it, that after fo many wars, battles, and fieges, after fo many fires, famins, and peftilences, after fo many rebellions, maffacres, and perfecutions, after fo many years of captivity, flavery, and misery, they are not defroyed utterly, and tho' fcattered among all people, yet fubfift as a distinct people by themfelves? Where is any thing comparable to this to be found in all the hiftories, and in all the nations under the fun? 11. However, they should fuffer much in their difperfion, and should not reft long in any place, ver. 65, And among these nations shalt thou find no eafe, neither shall the fole of thy foot have reft. They have been fo far from finding reft, that they have been banished from city to city, from (8) Bafnage's Hift. of the Jews. Book 6. Chap. 1. Sect. 1. (9) Sce 1 from country to country. In many places they have been banished, and recalled, and banished again. We will only juft mention their great banishments in modern times, and from countries very well known. In the latter end of the thirteenth century they (9) were banished. from England by Edward I, and were not permitted to return and fettle again till Cromwell's time. In the latter end of the fourteenth century they (1) were banished from France (for the seventh time, fays Mezeray) by Charles VI; and ever fince they have been only tolerated, they have not enjoyed entire liberty, except at Metz where they have a fynagogue. In the latter end of the fifteenth century (2) they were banished from Spain by Ferdinand and Isabella; and according to Mariana, there were a hundred and feventy thousand families, or as fome fay eight hundred thousand perfons who left the kingdom: Moft of them paid dearly to John II for a refuge in Portugal, but within a few years were expelled from thence alfo by his fucceffor Emanuel. And in our own time, within these few (9) See Kennet, Echard, and Bainage's Hift. of the Jews. B. 7. Chap. 19. (1) On enjoignit aux Juifs pour la feptiefme-fois &c. See Mezeray Abregé Chronol. & Bafpage few years, they were banished from Prague by the queen of Bohemia. 12. They should be oppressed and spoiled evermore; and their houfes and vineyards, their oxen and asses should be taken from them, and they fhould be only oppressed and crushed alway, ver. 29 &c. And what frequent feizures have been made of their effects in almost all countries? how often have they been fined and fleeced by almost all governments? how often have they been forced to redeem their lives with what is almoft as dear as their lives, their treasure? Inftances are innumerable. We will only cite an (3) hiftorian of our own, who fays that Henry III "< always polled the Jews at every "low ebb of his fortunes. One Abraham, "who was found delinquent, was forced to pay seven hundred marks for his redemp❝tion. Aaron, another Jew, protested, that "the king had taken from him at times thirty "thousand marks of filver, befides two hun"dred marks of gold, which he had presented to the queen. And in like manner he used many others of the Jews." And when they were Bafnage. B. 7. C. 18. (2) See Mariana's Hift. of Spain, B. 26. Chap. 1. & 6. VOL. I. and Bafnage. B. 7. C. 21. (4) Sea were banished in the reign of Edward I, their eftates were confifcated, and immenfe fums thereby accrued to the crown. 13. Their fons and their daughters should be given unto another people, ver. 32. And in feveral countries, in Spain and Portugal parti cularly, their children have been taken from them by order of the government to be educated in the popish religion. The (4) fourth council of Toledo ordered, that all their chil dren fhould be taken from them for fear they should partake of their errors, and that they fhould be fhut up in monafteries, to be inftructed in the chriftian truths. And when they were banished from Portugal, "the king," fays (5) Mariana, ordered all their children, "under 14 years of age, to be taken from "them, and baptized: a practice not at all juftifiable," adds the hiftorian, " because none ought to be forced to become Chriftians, nor "children to be taken from their parents." 14. They fould be mad for the fight of their eyes which they should fee, ver. 34. And into what madnefs, fury, and defperation have (4) See Bafnage. B. 7. C. 13. Seft. 14. (5) Mariana B. 26. C. 6. they (6) Jofephus de Bell. Jud. Lib. 7. C. 8 & 9. Edit. Hudfon, (7) Baf. they been pushed by the cruel ufage, extortions, and oppreffions which they have undergone? We will allege only two fimilar inftances, one from ancient, and one from modern hiftory. After the deftruction of Jerufalem by Titus (6), fome of the worst of the Jews took refuge in the castle of Mafada, where being closely befieged by the Romans, they at the perfuafion of Eleazar their leader, firft murdered their wives and childen; then ten men were chosen by lot to lay the reft; this being done, one of the ten was, chofen in like manner to kill the other nine, which having executed he fet fire to the place, and then ftabbed himself. There were nine hundred and fixty who perifhed in this miferable manner; and only two women, and five boys efcaped by. hiding themselves in the aqueducts under ground. Such another inftance we have in our English hiftory. For (7) in the reign of Richard the firft, when the people were in arms to make a general maffacre of them, fifteen hundred of them seised on the city of York to defend themselves; but being but being befieged they offered to (7) Bafnage. B. 7. Chap. 10. Sect. 20. who cites Matt. Paris. p. 111. & Polyd. Virgil. 1. 14. p. 248. O 2 (8) Baf |