books. He is also said to have been profoundly skilled in the Hebrew language.

HEBREW Books.

William the Conqueror permitted great number of Jews to come over from Rouen, and to settle in England about the year 1087. Their multitude soon increased, and they spread themselves in vast bodies throughout most of the cities and capital towns in England, where they built synagogues. There were fifteen hundred of them at York about the year 1189. At Bury, in Suffolk, is a very complete remain of a Jewish synagogue of stone, in the Norman style, large and magnificent. Hence it was that many of the learned English ecclesiastics of these times became acquainted with their books and language. In the reign of William Rufus, the Jews were remarkably numerous, and had acquired a considerable property; and some of their rabbis were permitted to open a school in the university, where they instructed not only their own people, but many Christian students, in the Hebrew literature, about the year 1054. Within two hundred years after this, they were banished the kingdom. This circumstance was highly favourable to the circulation of their learning in England.

The suddenness of their dismission obliged them for present subsistence and other reasons, to sell their movable goods of all kinds, among which were large quantities of rabbinical books. The monks, in various parts, availed themselves of the distribution of these treasures. At Huntingdon and Stamford, there was a prodigious sale of their effects, containing immense stores of their manuscripts, which were immediately purchased by Gregory of Huntingdon, prior of the Abbey of Ramsey. Gregory speedily became an adept by means of these valuable

acquisitions, which he bequeathed to his monastery about the year 1250.* Other members of the same convent, in consequence of these advantages, are said to have been equal proficients in the same language soon after the death of Prior Gregory, among which were Robert Dodford, Librarian of Ramsey, and Laurence Holbech, who compiled a Hebrew Lexicon. At Oxford, great multitude of their books fell into the hands of Roger Bacon, or were bought by his brethren, the Franciscan friars of that University. WARTON, vol. i. cxxxv.

GIFT OF QUEEN ANNE.

There is a beam in the roof of the Portuguese Synagogue in Bevis Marks, which came from the timbers of a man-of-war in the reign of Queen Anne, by whom it was presented to the Synagogue. It may also be noted that there are, in the same place of worship, some seats more than two hundred years old, having been moved thither from the ancient synagogue in King Street, Aldgate, the first place of worship established since the return of the Jews to this country, about the year 1655.-COMPILED. .

JEWS IN BERLIN.

The number of Jews allowed to live in Berlin was fixed by an edict of Frederick the Great, in 1752. It was a privilege that had to be purchased. A Jew was obliged to pay for the permission to marry; he had to pay for every child; and if the number of Jews exceeded that authorised by law, the surplus had to quit the country. They were not even allowed to enter the army. Manufactures and

* Among the MSS. in Bibl. Lambeth may be seen "Libri Prioris Gregorii de Ramesey: Prima pars Bibliothecae Hebraicae," etc. This may be well worthy the inspection of Hebrew scholars.-P. A.

D

agriculture were forbidden to them, as well as liberal professions; mathematics and medicine alone were excepted. A Jew who was not born at Berlin could not reside there, unless he was in the service of one of his co-religionists. Moses Mendelsohn was only tolerated at this capital in the capacity of a shopman, in the employ of Bernhard, the manufacturer. It was a Frenchman, the Marquis D'Argens who procured for him the privilege of domicile, by addressing to Frederick, who was partial to him, the following petition:"A bad Catholic philosopher, entreats a bad Protestant philosopher, to grant the privilege to a bad Jewish philosopher." The king granted this privilege for Mendelsohn, but not for his descendants. Moreover, a thousand thalers were demanded from him for the grant; this fine, however, the king remitted.

NATIONALITY OF CHIEF RABBIS.

It may not be generally known, that the former Chief Rabbi, Reverend Solomon Herschel, was an Englishman by birth, his father having been Chief Rabbi in London when his son Solomon was born. The present Chief Rabbi, Reverend Dr. Adler, was born a subject of the United Kingdom, his birthplace being Hanover, at the time of its connection with the British Crown.-Jewish Chronicle, 1869.

INSCRIPTION AT FRANKFORT.

In the public promenade of this city was a board bearing this inscription-"Jews and dogs are not allowed here." Napoleon, when here, observed this, and instantly ordered the removal of the insulting notice.—Ibid.

"PLACE AUX DAMES."

The first series of proverbs, originating in so far a period

that they are lost in the mist of time, I intend laying before you, are, in deference to "Place aux Dames," relating to the gentler sex. I exclude, of course, all those that are to be found in that part of Semitic literature called sacred:"A good wife is a good present." "Happy the man that has a beautiful wife, his days are increased." "Descend a step to choose a wife, ascend a step to choose a friend." "If your wife is little, stoop to her." woman can love a poor boy better than a rich dotard." man can only find real delight in one wife.” "When the wife is asleep, the basket is asleep also." "A wife speaks and spins." "A man should not, while drinking from one

cup, look into another."

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I have only quoted a few of the many proverbs that lie scattered everywhere in the Hebrew literature, and it is perfectly evident that woman occupied as high and respectful a position as she does at the present day. It has been. the fault of many writers to select the worst possible garbled and detached extracts, misquoted and mistranslated, and deduce from this that woman owes her true and equal rank only to northern races.-B. L. BENAS. Liverpool Philosophical Society, 1869.

MONTEFIORE.

One of the most euphonious of Italian family names is the designation which has been so brilliantly illustrated in our own country by the present head of the family "Montefiore." The family bear on their arms mounds of flowers (monte di fiore). Montefiore is the name of a town or village in Italy.

ESTIMATION OF THE TALMUD.

The Talmudists are accused of esteeming their own works more than the Bible, and of recommending the

Mishna and Talmud in preference to it. Their traducers endeavour to support this truly absurd charge by two passages from the Talmud itself. One (according to their representation) runs thus :-" They who study the Bible, do what is deemed neither virtue nor vice. They who study the Mishna, perform something of a virtue, and on that account receive. a reward. But they who study the Gemara, perform what may be esteemed the greatest virtue." (Talmud Baba Meziah.) The other runs thus :-"The Bible is like water, the Mishna like wine, and the Talmud like spiced wine," etc. (Treatise Sophrim.) From these passages it is inferred that the Talmudists preferred their own works to the Scriptures. But really I cannot see how such an inference can fairly be drawn from them. For what regards the first quotation, the first part thereof is evidently mistranslated. The original doth not say, "That those who study the Bible, do what is deemed neither virtue "Those who

.העושקים במקרא מדה ואינו מדה nor vice, but

study the Scripture, do what is deemed a virtue and no virtue," that is to say, the knowledge of Scripture is so indispensably necessary to every Israelite, that those who are engaged in it, have no right to arrogate any particular merit to themselves, since they are only doing their duty. "Those who study the Mishna (not, indeed, to the exclusion of Scripture, as those writers would have us believe, but in addition to it) do what is meritorious, for which they may expect a reward." Because a knowledge of it is not absolutely necessary for every individual, but for those who are designed to instruct their brethren, because also it cannot be acquired without great industry and application. And a knowledge of the Talmud, in addition to the preceding, is still more laudable. The second proposition inculcates The Holy writings are compared to water, water being indispensably necessary for the preser

the same sentiments.