New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-21

we'll as their substance Each Of these works IL
illustrates the rest in some degree.
In many of its aspects the period covered by
the fourth volume Of Professor Graetz's history in
its English form is the saddest in the long annals
Of the Jews. 1t Is for the most part narrative
Of persecution and treachery. When the Jews
were not prosecuted by the people surrounding
them In Europe they were prosecuting each other
because of differences Of opinion. When there
was nobody else to annoy them they were almost
sure to be tormented by renegades OF their own
race. When they turned to trade they were mas
sacred by those who thought their own gains de-
creased. and when they took refuge In books they
were accused of writing and publishing things
opposed to Christianity. Those centuries wilt
messed the rise of the Inquisiion. the Protestant
Reformation. the Catholic Ant-Reformation. the
origin and full growth Of the Jesuit order the
consolidation Of the Spanish power. the Turkish
invasion of Europe the Renaissance. the evolu-
ton Of Purtanism and the foreshadowing OF mod
ern notions Of federation and religious liberty. In
spite Of himself the Jew had something to do with
all these affairs. What he marvelled at doubtless
was that while the tendency Of the age exalted
the Jewish religion it constantly lowered the
condition of the Jew.
The first of the great ant-Jewish movements
Of this period showed how we'll rulers mad
learned the lesson of hatred from the populace
Hitherto the Jews had been at peace in France
There were cities Of that country and OF Ger
many which they had inhabited from the be-
ginning of the Roman Empire II they had been
disturbed. 1t was usually only by those sporadic
forays with which riotous crusaders signalized
their departure for the Holy Land. But now
they were to be driven from the Kingdom alto
gether There is little sign Of popular agitation
such as warranted the act OF Edward In Eng
land On the contrary. Philip lie Bel seems to
have consulted only his own financial necessi-
ties. His dispute with the Pope and his war with
the Flemings had exhausted his treasury. 1t
was said. apropos Of his vglant search for
pretexts to lay new taxes. that his hand sought
the peasants fowl after 1t was In the pot.
quarrel with the Emperor Albert turned his
attention to the Jews. The Emperor demanded
the Kingdom Of Aries. claimed relic which was
said to be the veritable crown OF thorns pressed
upon the head OF Jesus at his trial before PLATE,
and above all insisted upon his right 10 an as
sessment the property Of Jews In France
This prerogative he asserted as the successor
Of Charlemagne, who. by his coronation as
Emperor Of the Romans. obtained all those
rights over the Jewish nation that were the
fruit Of the conquest of Jerusalem by Vespasian
and Titus. 1t was beautiful legal bubble.
exactly suited to the temper OF an age that took
delight In all the minutiae Of contradictory feu
dial obligations. Philips legal advisers 1t is
said. agreed that the Emperor's demand was
proper. Naturally the King chose to have none
Of the Emperor's hereditary serfs. He would
drive them all into Germany. but he would keep
their property in France. Thus the unhappy
Jews were expelled with nothing but the clothes
that covered them.
Having squeezed his victims dry. and made
an example Of a few at the stake. Philip soon
allowed them to return to France, one by 6ne.
and his son, Louis X. made their residence legal
and promised that they should have a years
warning II they were to be again expelled But
the fanatical popuace were not consulted. Jews
were murdered in numbers by the so-called
shepherd crusaders Of Northern France. and
little later were attacked with fury charge
Of poisoning wells. Slaughter. Punishment and
heavy fines became the order Of the day. The
charge that the Jews poisoned wells was only
one Of those which were always at the command
Of an unprincipled ruler or a noisy popular
leader. When the Black Death cast its shadow
over Europe, the Jews were held responsible for
II. In the midst Of universal anarchy they were
accused Of slaughtering children for unholy pur-
destroying the whole Christian population at
one stroke. The infection Of this belief like
that OF the plague ITSELF spread from village to
village from city to city. and from nation
to another The fact that the Jews suffered less
from the disease than their neghbors was SUM-
cient to convict them. and besides as contempt
rary annalists observed.i was always profitable
to loot q Jewish quarter. In many places the
hunted wretches burned themselves and their
families to death In their own houses. Repeat
such calamities year after year. and you have
the whole history Of the relation between the
ghettos and the cities and countries to which
they belonged throughout the medieval period