a tendency in favour of the opposite belief.-Condensed from ROSE. Biog. Dictionary, 1857.

MENASSEH (BEN JOSEPH) BEN ISRAEL.

482

3

Those who may be desirous of inspecting the first printed copy of his address to Cromwell, will find it in the British Museum Library, under the Press mark b, a small quarto, which also contains several other tracts incident to the Jews. The title-page is addressed "To His Highnesse The Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland, the Humble Addresses of Menasseh Ben Israel, a Divine and Doctor of PHYSICK, on behalfe of the Jewish nation." There is also in the same volume "The Hope of Israel," etc., by the same erudite writer. The second edition, corrected and amended, "Whereunto are added in this second edition, some Discourses upon the Conversion of the Jewes, by Moses Wall, 1652."

Many very interesting extracts could be given from these tracts; but a few must suffice.

Cromwell is thus addressed :-" And beseech you for God's sake, that ye would according to that Piety and Power wherein you are eminent beyond others, to grant," etc. "Now we know, how our Nation at the present is spread all about, and hath its seat and dwelling in the most flourishing parts of all the Kingdomes and Countreys of the World, as well in America as in the other three parts thereof." He heads the address in different sections "How profitable The Nation of the Jewes are;' "How Faithfull the Nation of the Jewes are." "The Nobility of the Jews," is also cited, but not enlarged on, "as lately it hath bene most worthily and excellently shewed and described in a certain Booke, called 'The Glory of Jehudah and Israël,'

dedicated to our Nation by that worthy Christian Minister, Mr. Henry Jessey (1653, in Dutch), where this matter is set at large; and by Mr. Edw. Nicholas, Gentleman, in his Booke called 'An Apologie for the Honourable Nation of the Jewes, and all the Sons of Israël' (in English, 1648)."

"HOW KIND!"

It is said that the late Duke of York, on the eve of his departure from Lisbon, was waited on by the InquisitorGeneral of Portugal, who humbly requested his Royal Highness to stay a few days longer, and he would treat him with an auto da fe—that is, burn a few Jews for his diversion.-Recreative Review, vol. i., p. 294.

QUID PRO QUo.

The Jews are a race of people very difficult of conversion; and if they are converted- -as we have lately foundthey must be paid for it. In Rymer's "Fœdera,” we have an account of Elizabeth, a Jewish convert, the daughter of Rabbi Moses, who was allowed twopence per day, as a consideration, in 1603, for being deserted by her family, on account of her change as to religion.-Ibid., vol. ii., P. 128.

GONDEMAR AND BACON.

Gondemar, the Spanish Ambassador, happening to meet the ex-Chancellor, after his fall, wished him a merry Easter. "And to you, Signor,” replied Bacon, "I wish a merry Passover." The reply, it must be remembered, not only comprehended a wish that the ambassador were well out of the kingdom, but alluded to his supposed Jewish origin.Secret History of James I.

VITALITY OF THE JEWISH NATION.

-a people scattered wide indeed,

Yet from the mingling world distinctly kept; Ages ago the Roman standard stood

Upon their ruins; yet have ages swept

O'er Rome itself, like an o'erwhelming flood;

Since down Jerusalem's streets she poured her children's

blood

And still the nation lives!

-Bull's Museum.

A PECULIAR PEOPLE.

And yet it is certain this is a peculiar people. Let us consider the prophecies given so long ago, of which they see the fulfilling at this day with their own eyes, of the state of the Jews for many ages past; and at present, without a king or priest, or temple, or sacrifice; scattered to the four winds, sifted as with a sieve, among all nations; yet preserved and always to be so, a distinct people from all others of the earth; whereas those mighty monarchies, which oppressed the Jews, and which commanded the world in their turns, and had the greatest human prospect of perpetuity, were to be extinguished as they have been, even that their names should be blotted out from under heaven. -Recreative Review, vol. iii., page 321.

CONVERSION Of a Jew.

The following wonderful account of the conversion of a Jew, is extracted from "The Golden Legend; imprynted at London, in Fleete Strete, at the Sygne of the Sonne, by Wynkyn de Worde, 27 August, 1527" and is not only curious for its antiquity, but for a surprising parallel to a story to be found in "Don Quixote." The old story runs

thus:-There was a man yt had borrowed of a Jewe a somme of money, and sware upon the awter of Saynt Nycolos, that he wolde rendre and paye it agayne as soone as he myght, and gave none other pledge. And this man helde this money so longe, that the Jewe demanded and asked his money. And he sayd, that he had payed him : then the Jew mayd him to come before the lawe in judgement, and the othe was given to ye dettour, and he brought with him an holowe staffe, in wyche he had put the money in golde, and he lente upon ye staffe. And when he sholde make his othe, and sware, he delivered his staffe to ye Jewe to kepe and holde whyles he sware, and then sware yt he had delyvered more than he ought to hym.* And wha he had made the othe, he demanded his staffe back agayn of the Jewe, and he, nothynge knowing of his malice, delyvered it to him; then this deceyvour went his waye, and laid him in the waye, and a cart with four wheles, came with grete force and slewe him, and brake the staffe with golde, that it spred abrode. And when the Jewe herde this, he came thyder, sore moved, and saw the fraude. And manye sayd to him that he sholde take to him the golde. And he refused it, sayinge, But yf he yt was deed were not raysed agayne to life by ye merits of Saynte Nicolas, he wolde not receyve baptysm and become Chrysten. Then he that was deed arose, and the Jewe was christened.—Recreat. Rev., vol. ii., p. 128.

* See the history of Sancho Panza's judgments on the Island of Baraturia. The More Judaico (see further) would necessitate the giving over the staff while the oath was administered. The tale is, I believe, recounted in the Talmud; but as Cervantes was most likely not a Hebrew scholar, he must have acquired his knowledge of it through some Arabic version, rendered into the Spanish language.-P. A.

NOAH AND HIS WIFE.

In Chaucer's" Miller's Tale," we have this passage, ver. 3,538:

Hast thou not herd, quod Nicholas also,
The sorwe of Noe with his felawship,
Or that he might get his wif to ship?

This anecdote about Noah also occurs in the "Chester
Whitsun Playes," where the authors, according to the
established indulgence allowed to dramatic poets, perhaps
thought themselves at liberty to enlarge on the sacred story.
MSS. Harl., 2,013.
This altercation between Noah and
his wife takes up almost the whole pageaunt of these inter-
ludes. Noah, having reproached his wife for her usual
forwardness of temper, at last conjures her to come on
board the ark for fear of drowning.

His wife insists on his sailing without her, and swears by Christ and Saint John that she will not embark till some of her old female companions are ready to go with her. She adds, that if he is in such a hurry, he may sail alone, and fetch himself a new wife. At length, Shem, with the help of his brothers, forces her into the vessel; and while Noah very cordially welcomes her on board, she gives him a box on the ear.

This salutation is still carefully preserved in the puppetshow, where Punch says, "Hazy weather, Master Noah," etc. WARTON. History of English Poetry, vol. ii., P. 373.

BISHOP GROSTHEAD.

Greathead, or Grossteste, Bishop of Lincoln, a universal scholar, and no less conversant in polite letters than the most abstruse sciences, cultivated and patronised the study of the Greek language. He wrote about two hundred