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


common thing to hear three bands playing
close TO each other at the same time.
The Sew. In Anrevin Enginpa.
tia well known that all Jews were banished
by Edward l.. and that for many centuries
they continued to be vigorously barred out OF
ENGLAND. It is also fact known to historical
students that England seems to have been
moro civilized In the reign Of Henry II. than che
was two centuries later. Is there any connec-
ton between these facts? What was the num-
Der OF the jews in England at the time OF their
expulsion' What was the quantity and nature
OF their possessions; to what extent were they
educated. and how did they compare In this
resnect with the surrounding Christian popu-
lation: In word, what were they contributing
to the development Of English civilization at
the date when they were cast outf For the
first attempt made In English to answer these
questions we are indebted to Mr.. JOSEPH JACOBS.
the author OF tho latest addition to tho
English History by Contemporary Writer'S
series, now In course OF publication by the
Putnams. This book. The Jecs of Ap0epin
Englond. Is based upon documents and rec
ords extant In tho Hebrew and Latin Ian
guaEes, but now for the first time collected
and translated. In this volume the author has
included every scrap OF evidence ne has been
able to find in print or manuscript relating to
the Jews Of England up to the year 1905 He
has stopped his extracts from the archives ut
the year named. because this terminus ena-
bled him to give specimens OF the principal
documents without overburdening his pages
with legal. details. 1t also enabled him to
show the important position held By the
Jews toward the royal TREASURY. Another rea-
son was the lack Of spnce. Mr.. Jacobs esti-
mates that It would take score OF vol
umes to complete the history OF the
English Jews on the same scale for the eighty
four years that elapsed before their expulsion
in 1890 There was It seems. an even moro
important reason for stopping short at 1905.
That date. whom England lost Normandy.
formed. It appears. an epoch in the internal
history OF the jewish communities in England.
Hit"erto they had been in touch with their
brethren abroad. and had Joined In their spir-
itual life to the fullest extent The authors
researches among both the Latin and Hebrew
records Of this period have led him to the con-
clusion that during the last third OF the
twelfth century the English Jews took the
lead in spiritual and literary activity among
the Israelites OF northern Europe. He
believes himself to have discovered among
them whole school OF Massorites
and gram marians. a couple Of religious poets. I"
writer's OF distinction. and. in particular. he
claims to have indicated for England one OF
the most conspicuous literary figures in
medieval Judaism. Berachyah Nakdan.
henceforth as he hopes to be known as Bone
dict le Puncteur OF Oxford It should not In
deed. surprise us to learn that the Jews Of
England shared in the spiritual hegemony
which her position as head OF the Angevin
empire gave England at the end of the twelfth
century over all the Incorporating no
tions Of Europe. especially as. for nearly
twenty years Of that time 1l82-'aSi. Jews
were excluded from French territory by the
harsh decree OF Philip Augustus
The presence Of the Jews in early England
was due to a financial experiment OF the Nor
man King, rendered necessary by the policy Of
the Church toward msury. That the expert
ment had ultimately to be abandoned is at
tributed partly to its costly character. but
mainly to tho rise Of religious fanaticism due
to the crusades and the preaching friars.
There Is no evidence Of the existence Of Jews
RS a class In England before the Conquest.
though the Gallo-Jewish slave traders prob
ably paid flying visits to tho British islands.
William Of Mulmesbury distinctly says that
the Conqueror brought them overfrom Rouen.
and there is nothing to offset his statement.
Even under the Norman Kings there are only
the slightest traces Of the presence of Jews In
England. and we only begin to got full and spe-
cic information about them with the accession
OF Henry II. From that date. however. We
have coplous and often minute details relat-
ing to the outer life OF the English Jews. and
shedding some light also on their inner life
and spiritual activity. The English records
oh IN fba advapt NJ tho ApuayIn dc.
nasty. the Jews start in England on a footing Of
comparative equality. and the mo rigorous
restrictions of the thirteenth century are not
encountered. or only in slight measure. be-
fore the reign Of John. 1t was the Church and
the Church alone that eventually produced
what was peculiar and unfortunate In the po-
sition OF the Jews In Angevin England. 1t
was owing to the close connection OF the
Church with the national lie that the Jew
could find no career In agriculture. trade. or
public office.
Mr.. jacobs. however does not fall to recog-
nize that the Church had some reason tc
dread rival. or at least a disturbing element.
in the Jews. 1t is true. as he says. that the
Christianity OF early England was but n thin
veneer over thick crust of underlying pagap-
ism. much Of which still survives In the form
OF folk lore. The presence OF Jews In such
country subjected the claims OF Christianity to
q sharp test. AS she had to recognize them as
Gods chosen people. their rejection of her
claim was peculiarly damaging. Hence the
eagerness with which Christianity urged con-
versions OF Israelites: hence. too. the increas-
ing bitterness with which she regarded them
when her attempts at conversion failed. Our
author notes the marked increase OF acrimony
between the controversy OF Gilbert Crispln.
Abbot Of Westminster. with Rabbi Simeon
Chasid of Treyes at the beginning of the twelfth
century and the treatise of Peter OF Blois
against the perfdy ofthe Jews at the end OF the
same century. The antipathy may have been
accumulated by the public derision cast by the
Jews on the more assailable sides of Christian
ity. as. for instance. the worship OF images
and the performance OF miracles. The jews OF
Angevin England were painfully Interested In
miracle monger!nc inasmuch as the myth OF
the blood accusation" alleged murder
OF Christian children mt Passover for ritual