ancestors of these Spaniards had rendered to theirs. Even at the time when the inhabitants of Oran revolted against the Spaniards, and both famine and disease were raging in the town, the Israelites laboured with all their might, unremittingly, to make peace, and to procure food for those that were perishing.* The general history of the world will supply evidence in abundance to confirm what I have now asserted.

SIM. Thou art right. I have read of these facts myself in a Spanish historical work+.

MAI. But what reward did these wicked Spaniards give to the peaceful Israelites ?

SIM. I feel melancholy when I reflect on their ingratitude. Those same Spaniards, when they had acquired actual possession of the country, banished the Israelites from the town.

MAI. That happened in the year 1669 of the Christian era; and from that time no Israelites have been allowed to settle in the town again. Was ever greater baseness than that perpetrated?

SIM. I must acknowledge to thee, my friend, that my heart is fully alive to the injustice now referred to. How could those Spaniards, being Christians, and having been taught the doctrine the principles of which so strongly recommend the practice of mercy, so far outrage the commonest obligations of common humanity?

MAI. If all people designating themselves Christians would regulate their actions in perfect accordance with * Allgemeine Weltgeschichte, aus dem Englischen, übersetzt von J. S. Semler. B. 15. § 118.

+ Historia Univers. Jud. de Barrios.

the precepts of Christianity, they surely would be blessed both in this world and that which is to come.

SIM. I think the Spaniards have always been more rigid in their religious observances than any other Christian people.

·MAI. It is very foolish for a man to quit the middle path of his religion to go to extremes; and the violent enthusiast is generally found to be a fool. The Spaniards considered that the only way to evince the firmness of their attachment to their creed, was to avenge the death of the Messiah by forcing the whole world to become converts to Christianity, or by killing all those that refused. They also were of opinion that the more they tortured those whose system of divine worship differed from theirs, the more would they be entitled to the favourable regard of the Almighty. And they even believed, that by shewing any mercy to such, they sinned against the Almighty.

SIM. Whoever carries his religious notions to such extremes is greatly deficient in true knowledge: but fanaticism has been very prevalent in all ages.

MAI. And in proportion to the depth to which those Spaniards sank in ignorance and folly, the Israelites of that period, particularly those of Spain and Portugal, made themselves more renowned for their acquirements in literature and science than any other nation; as numerous works produced by them, and which are now extant, will testify.

SIM. (appears angry, moves his lips, and shakes his head). More renowned in literature and science! Understand well what thou sayest. Perhaps thou art

now unwittingly exaggerating; I have certainly never had reason to doubt thy own veracity.

MAI. (looking steadfastly in Simmias' countenance and smiling). I did not exaggerate; I have never done so; God forbid! I said it, do repeat it, and will also say it a third time. I will adduce the testimony of the most noted Christian authors of the present time in support of what I have asserted. But I must confess that I am much surprised that thou hast never heard of it before. Were I not fearful of losing sight of the various arguments I have to bring forward respecting the accusation of using human blood, which, as I observed a little while ago, was the starting subject of this conversation, I could convince thee, ere thou art much older, of the correctness of all that I have now been submitting for thy consideration. But I will do so ere long, nevertheless; at a fit opportunity remind me of my promise; and, if it please God, it shall be fulfilled.

SIM. I will not fail to remind thee. But now let us return to the discussion of the accusation against the Israelites of using human blood.

END OF THE FIRST CONVERSATION.

40

SECOND CONVERSATION.

MAIMOON. Good Simmias, I shall now undertake to prove to thee, from the Holy Scriptures, that this foul accusation is utterly groundless.

How

SIMMIAS. HOW wilt thou prove it?

MAI. One of the most important passages in Scripture is the commandment, "Thou shalt do no murder." By the commission of such a crime the Israelites would transgress this solemn command; and how could they do that, and still feel satisfied that they were doing what their law required?

SIM. Who can tell? Perhaps, in the opinion of thy people, that commandment refers only to an Israelite, and not to the rest of mankind; perhaps it may be thought by you that killing one who is not of thy persuasion is not much worse than killing a meaner animal, such as an ox, a lamb, or a goat; and that such is the case with thy people is a notion which your enemies do entertain.

MAI. It has already been shewn * that all the prohibitory precepts in the Bible have reference to all the

*See Bet. Yehuda, chap. 71. This book contains the principles of the Jewish religion, its history, and the history of the literature of the Jews, from the earliest date to the present time. It is worth the attention of every Christian who wishes to become acquainted with Judaism, as he will find in it every subject fully

human race; and I shall prove to thee now that the commandment, "Thou shalt do no murder," alludes to the children of Noah, under which denomination are ranged all the nations of the world. It is said in Genesis, ix. 6, "Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God made He man." The Almighty ordained that no one should escape punishment for shedding the blood of any human being whatever; and thus He spoke to the children of Noah in the same chapter, ver. 5: "And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man." King Solomon said, "A man that doeth violence to the blood of any person shall flee to the pit; let no man stay him;" (Prov. xxix. 17). We find of David, the

described and explained. It forms an appendix to the work called Téûda Bèïsrael, printed at Wilna and Huradna in the year 1828, with the approbation of the learned Israelites and a committee of Christians at Warsovie. The introduction to this work contains a letter of thanks from the committee to the author, who received a magnificent present for his work from the Emperor of Russia, Nicholas the First. The work also contains many useful observations for Christians, who wish to be informed concerning Hebrew literature and Hebrew authors of the different generations. It is there set forth the particular branch of literature in which each author distinguished himself, what was his general knowledge, moral character, and what were his opinions of the law; and at the end of the work is appended a long treatise, on the necessity of an Israelite's being skilled in some trade, written chiefly with a view to excite the Israelites to agricultural pursuits. Thanks to the Almighty, this treatise has had a most beneficial effect, for thousands of Israelites in Russia have devoted themselves to agriculture, more especially since they received permission and encouragement so to do from the Emperor: the efforts of this author have likewise induced them to establish schools in various towns in Russia.

G