New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-11-12

crime Of this sort annually. case In Hungary at
tractcd worldwide attention few years ago. and
II has been only short time since the Jews APP
pealed 10 Pope Leo XIII for formal pronounce
ment his part against popular prejudice
Mr. Jacobs does not hesitate to say that the profits
reapcd by the religious houses which fell heir TO
the renown of these juvenile saints had not little
to do with the spread OF the superstition But the
most troublesome question Is how II started IN thc
first place Ii Will be remembered that the ancient
tale represented the Jews as putting their victim
to death by crucihxion usually initiating with MI
mute care the killing OF Jesus. even 10 the wound
In the side made by the Eoman soldiers spear.
But the Evangelists have never been favoritc read
ing with Jews and it would be fanciful to think
that they should cherish "A morbid interest in one
feature OF the Gospel narrative for ages and sud-
denly decide to put 1t in practice again about the
middle of the twelfth century ms however,
must have been what happened If any part OF the
famous story of William OF Norwich has n basis OF
fact For that was the first case of the blood
cusation."
1t now appears that CapGraves version Of the
tale in the "Acta Sanctorum' was abridged from
a hitherto unpublished manuscript. written by
Thomas OF Monmouth who lived near the date
of the crime. Thomas gives the names of two
Jews. supposed be concerned in the affair,
one of whom was called Dcusadjuvet OEleazar):
the other "Theobald formerly Jew and afterward
monk" 1t was the latter who is represented
as disclosing the secret Of the murder. "Ac-
cording to him. lots were cast at Narbonne as
TO the place where the bloody sacrifice should
be held and fell upon Norwich The mar
rat:ve shows that the sheriff. after an investi-
CATION OF the matter. refused TO arraign the Jews.
SO that there could not have been even pr.m1
facie against them. However the super
stt!ous accounted for the obstinacy Of the sheriff
by reporting that the Jews had bribcd him. The
mention Of the apcstatc Jew. TheobaId appears
,ba Of fha Vho "a
Thomas emphasizes the significance of 1t by re-
atng an anecdotc about William OF Hastings,
Dean OF Norwich. The anecdotc was told by the
Dean himself and was to the effect that he was
once present at lawsuit between two Jews. III
which one ancrily excaimed '';ir William. h.
that speaks before thee so confidently, does not
deserve to be heard by the. If thou art
Christian For he was the first 10 cast hands upon
the Christian. whom yc call the martyr william
and slew him with bloody hands !enc" In very
truth, he is not worthy to remain among Chris
tians" Thus. In this case, and doubtless In IN
Vulnerable others. the worst enemies of the Jews
were those OF their household The mere
r,lmor OF Jewish completely would put a terrible
weapon in the hands OF any vlanous jew who
wished TO cmbarrass fellow Jew Thus az
Mr. Jacobs adds the curious result comes out
that the attribution Of the death Of William Of
Norwich to Jews and so OF the long Tram oi
similar charges down to the presen, day. is due
a
Of the Jews themselves" The story of Harold
the boy martyr OF Gloucester though written by
a contemporary. was even less explicit than that
OF William of Norwich. The chroncler repeated
everything with an ut Is said or IN the cinioh
Of many
IL took the sarcastic and cynical Richard OF
Devices in his short Chronicle Of Winchester, t.
prncture these legends in the true medieval style
that IT, with an irony which unnoticeI by
mos, people and which left III" author sa" from per-
sccuton. because Winchester. he remarks Siyly
had not to be- deprived of her due reward for
preserving peace to the Jews. the Jews Of IN
chester studious for the honor OF their city In
their Jewish way earned renowned glory Tor them
selves by MARRYING boy at Winchester, as was
shown by nIica Of the deed. though by chance
the deed itself was absent" Gould anything b.
more pointed than that? No boy was murdered
but the evidences Of boy murder were numerous
in the minds % the credulous. Then Richard pro
cceds to bring his boy from France AM puts In tn"
mouth of the gucful Hebrew who has charg" OF
the lad in France Il speech which is satire ON
every town in England. except Winchester TINS
is such excellent place whcre The citizens are
p,ous the clergy all wise and liberal. that the
old Jew has hall mind - 70 AMI Dc a christian
lecr and perhaps with that familiar gesture 10
common among Ms brethren the Nlntonisns yen
gesture it may b. rirht to -.y That II was IN
century. How otherwise ono interpret the
description Of tie conduct 90 Jew, who IN sco.iins
M tho miracles Of II fridoswlle 'd.rlslvely drew
w lis hands AMI stretched them out? lui t.
return 10 Rlcnstd OF Deyizcs-hc not merely saf-
irizos Enrl.s. lowI-. bat hc uses his imaginary
French jew t. give a hard rap at - Thomas
a Beckett Of Cant"rbury. Their h. In IT tCaatef-
hury) tn whole collection Of lost souls around
man recently Geiied. I forget his name sharp
thrust that. worthy OF \oltiifan tn"s-"he WAS
archprcst 81 the !lcn Of Canterbury. Surely that
was plain talk FOR tho tw'iiih century, even T. II
half In fun
A great part ~ tho volume g. taken up with the
financial transactions of ID" Jew. In which the
King was Interested. The King was. as Mr. Jacobs
POINTS out. the arch-Isurer. At almost ever turn
h. succeeded III squeezing something ont Of Ms
Jews. But the English Jcwf were also busy IN H.
erature though They never bccam" so famous
their brethren on the Continent. Mr. Jacobs d"yotes
several short essays to showing that sosnr of the
famous men Of tn. race credited t. other countries
really belong 10 ENGLAND. FraGm'niary the
book II Possesses great Interest 1t IT, not history
so much the material FOR history. II has mum
Der Of curious Illustrations.