The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-10-08

possess dwelling houses built OF stone. prop-
sbly for purposes OF protection. ne well a. OF
comfort. Az an example OF their influence on
monsssio architecture, Il is recorded that no
less than nine Cistercian monasteries OF tho
north country wore built with moneys lent BY
the great capitalist. Aaron OF Lincoln. who also
boosted that he had built tho shrine OF ST. Al
bans. II was chiefly the smaller barons and
the mon asteries that needed the capital OF the
Jews. and one is not surprised to learn that
their chief persecutors came from precisely
these two classes.
or course. the Church prohibition OF usury
would have been ineffective II the State had
not carried out the same policy by connscating
the chattels OF Insurer who died. as the
phrase ran. In HE ain. The provision was ap-
piled with rigorous impartiality to Jews and
Christians. but IL brought about curious re-
suit. when there came to exist class OF men
like the Jews Of Angevin England whose sole
function was to put money out Mt interest.
The State. as represented by tho King. became
the universal leRatoe Of the whole lowry. and
thus came about n sort OF sleeping PARTNER
ship between the sovercigu and the Jewish
usurers. As Jew could only be Insurer.
his estate was always potentially the Kings
and could be dealt with by the King rs
II Il were his own. 1t was not. how
ever, to the Kings advantage to take the
Jews wealth In his own hands, for he, as
good Christian could not get usnry Tor
Il. while the jew could worry soon double and
treblo 1t. since the absence OF competition en-
abled him to fix the rate OF interest very high.
rarely less than 40 per cent. and often az
much as 80. 1t should also be borne In mind.
as an excuse for the high rate OF interest,
that this usury was in the nature OF bet
against tho Jews life. because. when he died.
his estate was conlscated to the Kings ex-
chequer and the King would presumably ac-
cept small sum as composition for the debt.
The current rate OF interest. however. being
enormous. It was natural that the expression.
| rich as n Jew" should have passed into
proverb. OF those riches the King reaped the
benefit in several ways. One This main sources
OF income was selling justice. and Jews were
among his best customers Then from them.
as from his other subjects. he claimed fines
and amercements for all the events OF life.
We are told that the Pipe Rolls contain entries
OF fines paid by jews to marry. not to marry.
to become divorced. to go q journey beyond
sea, to become partners with other Jews.
and in short for all i'm portant Affairs. Above
all. the King got frequent windfalls from the
heirs OF deceased Jews. who paid heavy reliefs
to keep their fathers charters and debts. OF
which. as we have seen. they con:d make more
profitable use than the King. to whom the
Jews property escheated. not qua Jew. but qua
Insurer. In Ln9 case Oh Aaron Vi LlhCOih tho
King refused to disgorge anything at the Jews
death. but kept in his own hands the treasures.
lands. houses and debts OF the great financier.
Aaron's treasures, indeed. were lost at sea.
but his debts amounted to some 100000
| sterling more than half the Kings income and
required special branch Of the excheQuer to
| look after them for many years. This great
windfall which occurred In 1877. may we'll have
opened the eyes Of the Kings officials to the
source OF income that lay in Jewish usury.
Three years later they learned the dangers to
which this source was exposed. The riots OF
1890 eliminating in the massacre at York.
had. as one OF their principal objects. the de-
etruction Of the deeds and charters belonging
TO the Jews. In York all such written evil
| dences OF indebtedness were burned In the
| Minister. The loss thus sustained by the
Crown led to the organization OF the Jewry in
| 1874. when the ordinances OF the Jewry were
| promulgated. These provided for q full rec
| ord OF all Jewish business. to be kept in the
| Kings hands. so that he might know exactly
| how much each Jew was worth and how much
| he could extract from him.
| In addition to these quasi-regular sources Of
| income from the Jews. the King claimed from
| them. as he did from his other subjects.
| various contributions from time to time. under
! the names Of gifts and tallages. Here he seems
| occasionally to havo exercised an uniavorable
| discrimin alton against the Jews. In 1887 the
year OF Aaron of Lincoln's death. he took a
| tenth from the rest OF England. which yielded
! 10000 sterling. and quarter from the Jews.
which returned as much as 100000 sterling.
! In other words. the Jews were reckoned to
have at that date moro than quarter OF the
movable wealth OF the kingdom. Altogether.
Mr. Jacobs reckons that. In the latter
half OF the twelfth century. the English
| sovereign drew on an average sum
| OF $4,000 sterling per annum from his
| jewish subjects. As his whole income did not
amount to much more than $4,000. the Jews
| contributed one-twefth of his resources. They
ury. gathering up all the floating money Of the
country to be squeezed from time to time into
searches have led him to believe that. at one
time in the reign Of Henry II there was an
idea Of making them the Kings tax gatherers.
| Pipe Rolls OF that monarch. which show that
balances OF the fern OF each county-the main
| source Of the Kings income-to certain Jews.
to Ru the discovery S that stronSbeWs expedition
to Ireland had been 4na9 nance by the Jews.
otbes na Cor We Ps
| NOT exactly in his own interest.
The .ns s sss
| actions m ay be regarded as the arch-usurer
| OF the Kingdom. BY this means he was able
/ to bring pressure on any OF his baronS who
| were indebted to the Jews. As ho pressed them.
| they trans shifted the pressure TO their inferior
| vassals, from whom they demanded grants in
order to free themselves from their Indebted
| tenantry were affected by Jewish usury since
| they conducted their own business mainly by
barter. and had no reason for resorttng to the
with emphasis because Il is substantially
| new. that the King. az King. did not enter into
| Tetreatod Christians and jewish usurors alike.
| claiming their money At their decease with
| the Angevin state knew OF any disability OF
| Jews for any position apart from the initia-
! Mr. Jacobs has even come on evidence Of Jews
paying knights fees, and there is overwhelm-
Ing prooft that they held many man,ors as liens.
| II not as fiefs. Tho author reminds us that in
this century the whole Parlamentary struggle