The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1806-09-20 00:00:00

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JEWS.

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(Concluded horn a former Paper.)
In Germany, during the 15th and 16th cen-
turies, the Jews were subje:led to heavy taxes
by the Landgraves. In 1401 they made fresh de-
mands on them, and as they refused to pay
them, they were thrown into prisons, where they re-
mained until they released themselves indc:htually,
by paying large ransoms. 'ln 1434, the Council of
Baste, which extended its jutisdiaim into Ger-
many, decreed, that sermons should be preached in
every state, to which the Princes should invite the
Jews. Political rights, and many other advantages,
were promised to those who would be converted,
whilst a particular kind of dress was prescribed for
those who remained stedfast to their religion, and
the Christians were forbidden to hire them as bus-
bandmen, or as servants.
Thirty years after, Lewis the Tenth, of Bavaria,
banished them, and the Princes of Mnklenburg in-
timated them. In 14119, the people drove them Isom
the village of Nuremberg. Luther, the Chief of
the Reformation, conduEled himself towards them
with much violence; he prevented many Princes
from receiving them, and obliged many others to
banish them. Perhaps the remembrance of this.
and the comparison which they drew between his
condua and that of the Popes, is the cause of the
preference they still give the Catholics above the
Protestants. In Poland, and in Cracovia, they con-
tinued to be better treated than elsewhere: they
had, at this time, there, as well as in Germany,
Learned Dodors, who disputed vehemently against
the Reformers. Its Bohemia they were numerous,
but in 1538, their boots wet. burned there. In the
same yeir, Ferdinand busished them; but. in a short
time after he recalled *rm. In 1574, they were
persecuted by the people in Moravia, and in Fran-
conia ;, and, to 1392, they established themselves in
the Duchy of Brunswick ; in a word, at the latter
end of the sixteenth century, there was no place in
Germany where they did not carry en trade.
We have before said, that in Poland they enjoyed
all sorts of privileges ; in the 17sh century there
were there many celebrated Rabbis, and man;
zealous Jews sent their chilleen to be educated at
their schools. However, many of these Rabbis
freely embraced the Christian Religion, and began
to argue against that which they had quitted.—
Their establishments still continued in Servia,
Croatia, Moldavia, Wallachia, and all the rich cities
in Germany. They were so well situated in Ham-
burgh, that they called it the Little Jerusalem.—
Their Synagogue, hotever, was at Altona. They
continued at. Augsburei for a considerable time,
and it is said they were numerous at Frankfort.
At present, of all the States of Europe, Holland
is the country where they are the most numerous.
They there, as elsewhere, dLvided themselves into
German and Portugucce Jews ; and though they
only differed in some ceremonies. they detested each
other no less than idolaters.

Tuesday se'nnight, alarge oak tree, growing nigh
to CoMb Place, the seat of Geoarse Silts' see, Esq.
about two miles from Lewes, was shivered to pieces
by lightning ; but the storm was by no means
violtnt.
A respeeiable tradesman in the Isle of Sheppy,
who hkd some time since lost his wife, had a deity.*
to inclose the spot where her remains were deposited
with an iron railing; but wishing to ascertain the
expence which would attend this mark of respea, he
applied to the meek and humble Minister appointed
to instrua himself and his neighbours in the trne
principl-s of Christianity, to know what his fee
would be on such an Occasion ; he was informed by
the Rev. Reaor, that for such an indulgence, ten
guineas would be the expefted acknowledgment ;
this was thought to be so large a sum, that the idea
of the railing was given up. The clergyman, who
does not reside in the island, did not, however, easily
resign his hopes of getting something ; and. there-
fore, the very next time he set his foot in Sheppy,
for the purpose of performing his holy ministerial
funaions, he made a point of calling on the trades-
man, and broached the subject without much cere-
mnny, by saying, " I think, Mr. s you
called on me come little time back, respeaing a
certain iron railing which you wish to erea—the
terms I then mentioned did not meet your appro-
bation, I have, therefore, now called, as I have a
great respeft for you, to say, that though the sum
I then named is the customary fee, and less than
which I would not take from any other person, I
will grant you what you desire, and lam sure you
will think rte very moderate, for five guineas, which
is the very smallest sum I would take for such a
purpose from any living creature." The trades-
man, notwithstanding his spiritual teacher's opinion
of its moderation, still thought the sum too large
for the bare permission of railing in six square feet
of consecrated ground, and consequently declined
to accept of such permission. even on the low terms
last specified by the Rev. Gentleman. Some time
elapsed, and the tradesman had almost given up
all thoughts of inclosing the place so sacred to
' his sorrow, when his Reverend Pastor again pre-
sented himself, and accosting him with a familiar
how d'ye do, proceeded to inquire when the
railing was to be put up—when your fee is more
moderate, was the reply; upon which, after a short
cough, he observed, " Well, well, Mr.
to cut the business short, I'll e'en accommodate
you in this little affair for three guineas, which is
absolutely the very lowest sum that can possibly be
taken. Even this offer was declined, and the wor-
thy Minister finding his honest endeavours to make
the most of the bargain had failed of success, as a
der/ries resonrce, made an appeal to the liberality
of his parishioner, by saying " Well, Mr. --,
pray now what will you give " Why, Sir, I really
did not think that your fee at the utmost would
have been two guineas, more than that I had deter-
mined not to give."—" That is very little indeed,
but we have come so near to each other in the bu-
sine's," said the clergyman, " I'll even splat the
difference with you, and the matter shall be instantly
adjusted." The tradesman, no doubt, from the
example of his Rev. Teacher, having learnt to de-
spise the mammon of unrighteousness, and not
wishing to appear illiiseral in such an affair, agreed
to spht the cOrerence, and nowillu,gly concluded the
unholy bargain.