Part 22

P. 37, l. 15. “_R. Mardochus Japhe._” Bohemian Rabbi (1530–1612) (Graetz, “Geschichte,” vol. ix. pp. 465–467).

P. 37, l. 26. “_Another worthy of credit._” In the original Spanish, Menasseh gives his name as Señor H. Meyr Rophé. This is omitted from both the Latin and English editions.

P. 37, l. 34. “_R. Moses Gerundensis._” Moses ben Nachman (1200–1272), also called Nachmanides, and Ramban. Christian scholars sometimes speak of him as Gerundensis from his birthplace, Gerona. The greatest Talmudic authority of his day, author of a Bible commentary. His public disputation at Barcelona with Pablo Christiani in 1263 is famous (Graetz, “Geschichte,” vol. vii. pp. 131–136, Schechter “Studies in Judaism,” art. “Nachmanides”).

P. 38, l. 1. “_Benjamin Tudelensis_,” Benjamin b. Jonah of Tudela, famous Jewish traveller (see Itinerary by, translated by A. Asher. Lond., 1840).

P. 38, l. 4. “_The City Lubin_”: misprint for Lublin.

P. 45, l. 14. “_Rabby Simeon ben Johay, the author of the Zoar._” Rabbi Simeon was a famous doctor of the Mishna and disciple of Akiba. He laid the foundation of the Sifre, the Halachic, or legal exposition of Numbers and Deuteronomy. He figures in Jewish legend as the greatest master of the Cabbala. He was not the author of the Zohar. Internal evidence stamps that work as a product of the thirteenth century, and its authorship is now ascribed to Moses ben Shemtob de Leon (Hamburger, “Real-Encyclopädie,” arts. Simon b. Jochai, Sifre, and Sohar).

P. 45, l. 22. “_Rabbi Seadiah_” = Saadja ben Joseph or Saadja Gaon (892–942). The most celebrated of the Geonim, who were the chiefs of the schools of Sura and Pumbaditha, and the ecclesiastical counterparts of the Exilarchs. Saadja was one of the most prolific and versatile writers Judaism has produced (Graetz, “Geschichte,” vol. v. pp. 302 _et seq._).

P. 45, l. 23. “_Moses Egyptius_” = Moses Maimonides.

P. 45, l. 24. “_Abraham bar Ribi Hijah_” = Abraham ben Chijah ha-Nasi of Barcelona (1065–1136), Jewish astronomical and geometrical writer; was Minister of Police during the Moorish domination in Spain (Graetz, “History,” vol. iii. p. 320).

P. 45, l. 24. “_Abraham Zacculo_”: misprint for Zaccuto (d. _c._ 1515). He was a Jewish astronomer employed at the Court of Manuel of Portugal. His works influenced Columbus (Kayserling, “Christopher Columbus,” pp. 9, 13, 14, 46–51, 112, 113).

P. 45, l. 30. “_The letter (m) in Isa._ ix. 7.” The reference is to the sixth verse of Isaiah ix., in the first word of which, ‏לםרבה‎, the second letter, which should be ‏מ‎, is written in its final form ‏ם‎.

P. 47, l. 13. “_Diogo d’Assumean_”: misprint for Diogo da Asunçao (Graetz, “History,” vol. iv. p. 711; Kayserling, “Juden in Portugal,” pp. 282, 292).

P. 47, l. 20. “_The Lord Lope de Veray Alacron_” = Don Lope de Vera y Alarcon. His martyrdom is the subject of a poem by Antonio Enriquez Gomez, “Romance al diuin Martir Juda Creyente” (Kayserling, “Biblioteca Española,” p. 50; Graetz, “Geschichte,” vol. x. pp. 101, 197).

P. 47, l. 38. “_Isaac Castrensis Tartas_” = Isaac de Castro Tartas (Graetz, “History,” vol. v. p. 33).

P. 48, l. 9. “_Eli Nazarenus._” His real name was Francisco Meldonado de Silva (“Publications of the American Jew. Hist. Soc.,” vol. iv. p. 113).

P. 48, l. 13. “_Thomas Terbinon._” Doctor Thomas (Isaac) Trebiño de Sobremente (“Pub. Amer. Jew. Hist. Soc.,” vol. iv. pp. 124–161).

P. 48, l. 25. “_My booke, De Termino Vitæ_” (English edition by P. T. [Thomas Pocock]. Lond., 1700).

P. 49, l. 8. “_His wife Benuenida_” = Bienvenida Abravanela (Kayserling, “Die Jüdischen Frauen,” pp. 77 _et seq._, 111).

P. 49, l. 16. “_Don Selomo Rophe._” Rabbi Solomon ben Nathan Aschkenazi, surnamed Rophe, or the Physician, was a diplomatist in the Turkish service who secured the election of Henry of Anjou to the throne of Poland. (Graetz, “Geschichte,” vol. ix. pp. 396, 399, 438, 580; Levy, “Don Joseph Nasi,” pp. 8 _et seq._).

P. 49, l. 18. “_D. Ben Jaese, Anancus, and Sonsinos, are of great authority with the Turk._” These are the names of Jewish families who played an important part in Turkey in the sixteenth century. This is a chapter of Jewish history on which the historians have as yet shed little light. The materials are chiefly in manuscript, and the present author proposes dealing with them in a communication to the Jewish Historical Society. On the Ben Jaese (Ibn Jachya) family, the reader may provisionally consult Carmoly, “Chronica Familiæ Jachya,” and on the Soncinos, Mortara, “Indice Alfabetico.”

P. 49, l. 20. “_Abraham Alholn_”: misprint for Alhulu, treasurer to the Pasha of Egypt. (See _infra_, p. 86.)

P. 49, l. 21. “_Don Josephus Nassi._” A wealthy Jew, nephew and son-in-law of Donna Gracia Nasi (see note, _infra_, p. 163). He was in the service of the Sultan, and conquered Cyprus for the Turks. In addition to the sources indicated by Menasseh, see Levy, “Don Joseph Nasi, Herzog Von Naxos” (Breslau, 1859), and Graetz, “Geschichte,” vol. ix. _passim_.

P. 49, l. 25. “_Jacob Aben Jaes._” He is sometimes referred to as Don Solomon. He was of the Ibn Jachya family, and was uncle to Joseph Nasi. For a time he was in the service of Queen Elizabeth, and corresponded with her physician Rodrigo Lopez, to whom he was related. The Sultan created him Duke of Mytilene. (MS. materials.)

P. 49, l. 29. “_D. Samuel Palaxe._” (See Henriques de Castro, “Keur Van Grafsteenen,” pp. 91, 94.)

P. 50, l. 6. “_D. Benjamin Mussaphia._” Dionysius Mussaphia (1605–1674), physician and philologist, court physician to Christian IV. of Denmark, afterwards Rabbi in Amsterdam (Graetz, “Geschichte,” vol. x. pp. 24, 26, 202, 227, 243, 244; Kayserling, “Juden in Portugal,” p. 298.)

P. 50, l. 9. “_King Cochini._” A mistranslation; should be “King of Cochin.” The Jews of the Malabar coast settled there in the fifth century. Local tradition gives the colony a much greater antiquity. Menasseh gives further particulars of them in his “Humbler Addresses,” _infra_, p. 85 (Graetz, “Geschichte,” vol. iv. pp. 470–472; Satthianadhan in the _Church Missionary Intelligencer_, 1871, pp. 365 _et seq._)

P. 50, l. 12. “_Mardocheas Maisel._” Mordecai Meisel (1528–1601). The first Hebrew capitalist in Germany. Created an Imperial Councillor by the Emperor Rudolph. His charities were on a princely scale. He built two synagogues at Prague (Graetz, “Geschichte,” vol. ix. pp. 477, 478.)

P. 50, l. 14. “_Jacob Bathsebah._” Jacob Basevi Schmieles (1580–1634), an influential Bohemian Jew, ennobled by the Emperor Ferdinand, receiving the title of Von Treuenburg and a grant of arms. (Graetz, “Geschichte,” vol. x. pp. 41–47; Wolf, “Jewish Coats of Arms.”)

P. 50, l. 22. “_Moses Amon_” (1490–1565). Physician to Solymon II. Translated the Bible and Hebrew Prayer-Book into Arabic, and was employed by the Sultan on diplomatic missions (Levy, “Don Joseph Nasi,” pp. 6–8).

P. 50, l. 23. “_Elias Montalto._” Felipe Montalto, or Eliahu de Luna Montalto, brother of Amato Lusitano. Portuguese physician. Practised in Italy, and afterwards was appointed physician-in-ordinary to Maria de Medicis; died at Tours 1616, and buried in the Jewish Cemetery at Amsterdam (Kayserling, “Biblioteca Española,” pp. 72, 73). Montalto was also known as Don Philipe Rodrigues. Among his descendants is Prof. Raphael Meldola (MS. materials).

P. 50, l. 25. “_Elias Cretensis._” Better known as Elia del Medigo (1463–1498). Lectured publicly on philosophy in Padua, and arbitrated in a dispute between the professors and students of the university at the request of the Venetian Senate. Pico di Mirandola was one of his pupils. He was a prolific writer (Graetz, “Geschichte,” vol. viii. pp. 240–247).

P. 50, l. 26. “_R. Abraham de Balmas_” (d. 1521). Physician, philosopher, and grammarian. Like Del Medigo, he lectured in Padua, and was one of the Hebraists whose teaching influenced the Reformation. Daniel Bomberg, the famous Venetian printer, was one of his pupils, and translated his poems into Latin (Graetz, “Geschichte,” vol. ix. p. 215).

P. 50, l. 27. “_Elias Grammaticus._” Better known as Elia Levita (1498–1549). A German Rabbi who taught in Padua, Venice, and Rome, and who exercised a strong influence on the Hebrew studies which produced the Reformation. Scaliger describes him as “the greatest Hebrew scholar of his age.” Among his pupils were the Cardinal Egidio de Viterbe, the French bishop and ambassador George de Selve, and the theologians Münster and Fagius (Günsburg, “Masoreth Hamasoreth”; Karpeles, “Geschichte d. Jüd. Lit.,” pp. 855 _et seq._).

P. 50, l. 33. “_David de Pomis._” Physician, lexicographer, and theologian (1525–1588), translated Koheleth into Italian. Author of “De Medico Hebræo” (Graetz, “Geschichte,” vol. ix. p. 483; Karpeles, “Gesch. Jüd. Lit.,” pp. 880–881). There is a curious tradition that De Pomis was residing in Hull in 1599 (Symons, “Hull in ye Olden Times,” Hull, 1886, pp. 82, 83).

CONSIDERATIONS UPON THE POINT OF THE CONVERSION OF THE JEWES

Pp. 57–72. This Appendix is, as will be seen, by the English translator, Moses Wall. It does not appear in the first edition, and it is printed here as throwing light on the motives of the English supporters of Menasseh ben Israel.

P. 67, l. 21. “_E. S._” Sir Edward Spenser, M.P. for Middlesex. See Introduction, p. xxvii.

P. 68, l. 36. “_Did Mr. Broughton gaine upon a learned Rabbi._” See Broughton, “Ovr Lordes Famile” (Amst., 1608), and “A Reqvire of Agreement” (1611).

THE HUMBLE ADDRESSES

(pp. 73–103)

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

For the origin of this tract, and the probable date and circumstances of its preparation, see Introduction, pp. xxxviii-xxxix.

There are two editions, neither of which bears any imprint or date. Both are 4to, but one has 26 pp. and the other 23 pp. It is difficult to say whether, and which, one of these two versions is a revision of the other, as the only difference between them is that the following sentence is added at the end of the 23 pp. text: “Which is the close of Rabbi Menesse Ben-Israel, a Divine, and Doctor in Physick in the Strand over against the New-Exchange in London.” The British Museum copy of this edition is dated in MS. “Novemb. 5th (London), 1655.” This edition must have been printed after Menasseh’s arrival in London, and it is probable that the other is the _Libellus Anglicus_ of which he speaks in his letter to Felgenhauer in February 1655, and which, consequently, we may assume was printed in Amsterdam.

The latter was reprinted in Melbourne in 1868, with an introduction by the late Rev. A. F. Ornstien:—

“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 Physic, in behalfe / of the Jewish Nation / 1655. / Reprinted by H. T. Dwight, / Bookseller and Publisher, Bourke Street East, Melbourne, / 1868.”

English reprints of the 23 pp. text have been published in the _Jewish Chronicle_, Nov.-Dec. 1859, and in Kayserling’s “Life of Menasseh ben Israel,” with annotations in 1877 (_Miscellany of Hebrew Literature_, Second Series, pp. 35–63). According to Barbosa Machado (“Biblioteca Lusitana,” vol. iii. p. 457) a Spanish translation was published in London simultaneously with the first English edition. Its title is given as follows:—

“Las Humildes suplicaciones En nombre de la Nacion de los Judios a su Alteza el Señor Protector Oliver Cromwell de la Republica de Inglaterra, Scocia, y Yrlandia. Traduzido del Original Ingles. En Londres, 1655.”

A copy of this translation in MS. existed in the library of Isaac da Costa of Amsterdam (_Misc. Heb. Lit._, ii. p. 84). Kayserling first translated the tract into German, and published it in his “Menasse ben Israel, sein Leben und Wirken” (Berlin, 1861).

A very large number of the historical references in this tract are taken without acknowledgment from Imanuel Aboab’s “Nomologia” (Amst., 1629) and Daniel Levy de Barrios’s “Historia Universal Judayca.” Kayserling has given many of the original passages in his notes to his “Life of Menasseh ben Israel” (_Misc. Heb. Lit._, Series II.).

TO HIS HIGHNESSE, &c.

P. 77, l. 9. “_The Ambassadors of England._” The St. John Mission (see Introduction, pp. xxx-xxxi, and _Vindiciæ_, p. 111).

P. 81, l. 19. “_Merchandizing is ... the proper profession of the Nation of the Jews._” In so far as this implies that the Jews have an inborn genius for commerce this is a vulgar error (see Loeb, “Le Juif de l’Histoire et le Juif de la Legende,” pp. 7–14).

P. 85, l. 7. “_These in India in Cochin._” See note, _supra_, pp. 159–160.

P. 85, l. 21. “_In the Turkish Empire._” See Nicolas de Nicolay, “Navigations, Peregrinations et Voyages faicts en la Turquie,” Anvers, 1576, pp. 243 _et seq._

P. 86, l. 20. “_In this estate some of the Jews have grown to great fortunes._” The Jewish notabilities referred to in this paragraph are also mentioned in the “Hope of Israel.” See note, _supra_, p. 159.

P. 87, l. 6. “_Isaac Iecells._” Jessel or Joesel is a diminutive of Joseph. The person referred to is probably Asher ben Joseph of Cracow (see Steinschneider, “Bibl. Bodl.,” p. 751).

P. 87, l. 9. “_The Cosaques in the late warres._” The rising of Chmielnicki, 1648–1649. (Graetz, “Geschichte,” vol. x. pp. 52–82.)

P. 87, ll. 22 et seq. The references to Jewish families in this paragraph are taken from Aboab and De Barrios. See notes 201–204 to Kayserling’s “Menasseh ben Israel” (_Misc. Heb. Lit._, ii. p. 88).

P. 88, l. 17. “_Seignor Moseh Palache._” See De Castro, “Keur Van Graafsteenen,” p. 93; “Cal. State Papers, Dom.,” 1654, p. 91. On the Jews of Morocco, see _Jew. Quart. Rev._, vol. iv. pp. 369 _et seq._

P. 89, l. 5. “_Sir Duarte Nunes a’ Acosta._” See Da Costa, “Adellijke Geslachten onder de Israelieten.”

P. 89, l. 8. “_Emanuel Boccaro Rosales._” See p. lxxx (Menasseh’s letter to Felgenhauer); Kayserling, “Sephardim,” p. 209; “Biblioteca Española-Portugueza-Judaica,” pp. 95–96.

P. 90, l. 16. “_As the Chronicles do declare._” This paragraph is almost literally translated from Aboab’s “Nomologia,” p. 290. The story does not appear in the earlier Jewish chronicles, such as _Schevet Jehuda_, _Emek Habacha_, and _Zemach David_, although the events of the reign of Pedro the Cruel and Don Enrique so far as they affect the Jew are fully dealt with in them. The “Chronicle” referred to by Menasseh is probably that of Pedro Lopez d’Ayala, which is the original authority for the story.

P. 91, l. 27. “_Don Isaac Abarbanel._” See note, _supra_, p. 154.

P. 92, l. 1. “_They everywhere are used to pray._” See Singer, “The Earliest Jewish Prayers for the Sovereign” (_Jewish Chronicle_, Feb. 22, 1901).

P. 92, l. 18. “_He that giveth salvation unto Kings._” This is the first English translation of the Prayer for the Sovereign. See Singer, preceding note.

P. 93, l. 3. “_R. Simon Ben-Iochai in his excellent book called Zoar._” See note, _supra_, p. 158.

P. 93, l. 26. “_One famous lawyer in Rome, and Osorius._” The whole of this, and the following paragraphs relating to the expulsion from Spain, is taken from Aboab’s “Nomologia.” Osorius (Hieronymo Osorio, 1506–1580) was author of a history of the reign of King Emanuel, which was translated into English by Gibbs (Lond., 1752). See notes to Kayserling’s “Menasseh” for parallel passages from Aboab.

P. 99, l. 22. “_As Vasquo saith._” For Vasquo read Usque. Menasseh is quoting from the “Consolacam as Tribvlacoens de Ysrael,” by Samuel Usque (Ferrara, 1552), see pp. 198–200. Samuel Usque was one of three brothers, all distinguished Marranos. He fled from the Portuguese Inquisition and settled at Ferrara, whence he emigrated to the Holy Land. He was a protégé of Donna Gracia Nasi (see Note on “Don Josephus Nassi,” _supra_, p. 159; also Kayserling, “Jüdischen Frauen,” pp. 80–86).

P. 100, l. 5. The narrative as pirated from Aboab’s “Nomologia” ends here. For fuller details of the Portuguese persecutions, see Kayserling, “Juden in Portugal,” pp. 120 _et seq._

P. 101, l. 17. “_As for killing of the young children of Christians._” See _infra_, notes on “Vindiciæ Judæorum,” pp. 165–167.

P. 102, l. 9. “_In Araguza_” = Ragusa. For a fuller version of this story see _infra_, “Vindiciæ Judæorum,” pp. 116–117.

P. 102, l. 20. “_As for the third point._” Menasseh himself was largely responsible for the charge of proselytising, inasmuch as in the “Hope of Israel” (_supra_, p. 47) he had boasted of the converts made by the Jews in Spain. There can be no doubt that these conversions were very numerous, but they were probably due in a larger measure to the oppressive policy of the Inquisition than to any active proselytising on the part of the Jews.

P. 103, l. 33. “_In the Strand._” For a full discussion of the place of Menasseh’s abode while in London, see _Trans. Jew. Hist. Soc._, vol. iii. pp. 144 _et seq._

VINDICÆ JUDÆORUM

(pp. 105–147)

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

For the origin of this tract see Introduction, pp. lxii-lxiv.

It has often been reprinted and translated, especially on occasions of Jewish persecution. In 1708 it reappeared in the second volume of “The Phœnix; or a Revival of Scarce and Valuable Pieces.” In 1743 it was reprinted as an independent pamphlet (Lond., 8vo, pp. 67). Ninety-five years later it was again reprinted by M. Samuels in the prolegomena to his translation of Moses Mendelssohn’s “Jerusalem” (Lond., 1838, vol. i. pp. 1–73), together with a translation of Mendelssohn’s introduction to the German edition (pp. 77–116).

On the Continent it was first published in 1782 in connection with the Mendelssohnian movement for Jewish emancipation, which was participated in by Lessing and Dohm. The fact that it should have been considered by Moses Mendelssohn worthy to stand by the side of Lessing’s _Nathan der Weise_ is a striking tribute to its merits. The Mendelssohnian issue is more famous than the original English edition, for in its German form the work became a classic of national Jewish controversy, whereas in English it was only associated with the local history of the British Jews. The following is the full title of the German edition (pp. lii, 64, sm. 8vo):—

Manasseh Ben Israel / Rettung der Juden / Aus dem Englischen übersetzt / Nebst einer Vorrede / von / Moses Mendelssohn./ Als ein Anhang / zu des / Hrn. Kriegsraths Dohm / Abhandlung: / Ueber / die bürgerliche Verbesserung / der Juden./ Mit Königl. Preussischer allergnädigster Freyheit./ Berlin und Stettin / bey Friedrich Nicolai / 1782.

This translation is said to have been made by Dr. Herz, the husband of the famous Henrietta Herz (Kayserling, “Moses Mendelssohn sein Leben und seine Werke,” p. 354), but it was probably done by his wife, who knew English so well that during her widowhood she was engaged to teach it to the daughter of the Duchess of Courland. (See “Life” by Fürst, also Jennings’s “Rahel,” pp. 19 _et seq._) The introduction supplied by Moses Mendelssohn fills fifty-two pages, and is as famous as the _Vindiciæ_ itself.

Besides being reprinted in Mendelssohn’s collected works, the German edition of the _Vindiciæ_ was republished in 1882, in connection with the Anti-Semitic agitation, under the title “Gegen die Verleumder,” and again in 1890.

The following editions have also appeared:—

1813. Hebrew by Bloch (Vienna).

1818. Hebrew with a preface by Moses Kunitz (Wilna).

1837. Polish by J. Tugenhold (Warsaw).

1842. French by Carmoly (Brussels, _Revue Orientale_, ii. pp. 491 _et seq._).

1883. Italian by Nahmias (Florence).

THE FIRST SECTION

P. 108, l. 11. “_The Jews are wont to celebrate the feast of unleavened bread, fermenting it with the blood of some Christians._” This accusation, now known as the Blood Accusation, has been for many centuries the favourite superstition of the Jew-haters. It was revived by Prynne and Ross during Menasseh’s sojourn in London. During the residence of the Jews in England previously to 1290, it played a conspicuous part in their persecution. (See Joseph Jacobs’ “Little St. Hugh of Lincoln,” _Jew. Hist. Soc. Trans._, vol. i., especially pp. 92–99. “The Blood Accusation, its origin and occurrence in the Middle Ages,” reprinted from the _Jewish Chronicle_, 1883.) There is a very voluminous literature of the Blood Accusation (see especially Zunz’s “Damaskus, ein Wort zur Abwehr,” Berlin, 1859), but it has not hitherto been noticed that during the period the Jews were banished from England (1290–1655) the superstition continued to haunt the public mind. We have a curious instance of it in 1577. When John Foxe, the martyrologist, baptized a Moorish Jew named Nathaniel Menda, on April 1 of that year, at All Hallows, Lombard Street, he adopted the Blood Accusation in the address he delivered to celebrate the occasion. “Moreover, if he (Abraham) had seene your unappeaceable disorder without all remorse of mercy in persecuting his (Jesus’s) disciples; your intolerable scorpionlike savageness, so furiously boyling against the innocent infants of the Christian Gentiles: ... would he ever accompted you for his sonnes.” To which the printer’s gloss runs thus: “Christen men’s children here in Englande crucified by the Jewes, Anno 1189 and Anno 1141 at Norwiche, &c.” (John Foxe, “A Sermon at the Christening of a certaine Iew at London,” London, 1578; p. E. iii.) This sermon, originally delivered in Latin, was translated into English and published _in extenso_, together with the confession of Nathaniel Menda, in 1578. It was dedicated to Sir Francis Walsingham, Principal Secretary of State to Queen Elizabeth.

Thomas Calvert, “Minister of the Word at York,” was the next to lend his name to the superstition, and to give vigorous expression to it in his “Diatraba of the Jews’ Estate.” This was a preface to “The Blessed Jew of Marocco; or A Blackmoor made White, by Rabbi Samuel, a Jew turned Christian; written first in the Arabick, after translated into Latin, and now Englished” (York, 1648. The British Museum copy is dated in MS. “July 25, 1649.”) His exact words are as follows:—

“So much are they (the Jews) bent to shed the blood of Christians, that they say a Jew needs no repentance for murdering a Christian; and they add to that sinne to make it sweet and delectable that hee who doth it, it is as if he had offered a _Corban_ to the Lord, hereby making the abominable sin an acceptable sacrifice. But beyond all these they have a bloody thirst after the blood of Christians. In France and many kingdoms they have used yearly to steale a Christian boy and to crucifie him, fastning him to a crosse, giving him gall and vinegar, and running him in the end thorow with a spear, to rub their memories afresh into sweet thoughts of their crucifying Christ, the more to harden themselves against Christ and to shew their curst hatred to all Christians” (pp. 18–19).