368 PATRONISES THE CONVERTS' HOUSE.

other ministers, in order regularly to attend to all the regulations of the house. The king also ordered, that if any of the converts residing in the house were qualified to act as assistant Chaplains, they should be preferred to all others, in the Presbyter's election. And if any of the convert-inmates appeared likely to become scholars, they should be sent to efficient schools, and properly educated. And if any were more fit for business, they should be sent to learn a trade, but have their board and lodgings in the institution. Should the literary converts, however, be promoted to the Church, they were to cease to participate in the benefits offered by the house. The king also ordered that if after all the expenses of the house were discharged, there should still remain some balance in the hand of the collector or treasurer, the whole of that surplus should be applied to the repairing and beautifying of the chapel belonging to that institution.

But, as I said before, we are not favoured

BELAGER, A JEWISH CONVERT.

369

with many records of the conversion of the Jews in this reign: yet those we have registered are of a very satisfactory nature. We read of a certain Oxford Jew, Belager by name, who became a Christian, and from the schedule of his goods, which was seized for the king in consequence of his conversion, we have every reason to believe that Belager was a man of learning, for his moveable goods consisted chiefly of books.* His conversion was, therefore, owing to powerful conviction, as is generally the case with a Jew when he is led to make a public confession of his faith.†

Whilst it is pleasing to register the concessions which were thus made on the part of the crown in favour of the Jewish converts, it is no less painful to have to record

* See Appendix E.

† By this I do not mean to insinuate that there are no impostors amongst baptized Jews. It is a painful truth that the human nature of the Jews is as deceitful and as desperately wicked as that of the Gentiles.

370 EDWARD WANTS MONEY-THE JEWS

that the Jews in general still continued to be subjected to tallages of very heavy amounts, the payment of which was enforced by seizure of their goods, and by banishment. The king's exchequer being completely exhausted, Edward stood greatly in need of money in consequence of his Welsh war: the rearing of the two castles in Wales-viz. that of Caernarvon, as also that of Conway-must also have amounted to a vast expenditure. Then the question arose, where was all the money to be got? Answer-By orders which were at various times issued to open and examine the chests in which the Jewish properties and possessions were enrolled; and great part of their effects were taken, and the sums which other persons were indebted to them were levied and appropriated by the king. Accusations were, moreover, at different periods made against them, of various descriptions of crimes. The principal offence with which they were now charged, was with clipping and falsifying the coin of the realm; and many, on account of this

ACCUSED OF CLIPPING THE COIN. 371

calumny, were condemned to suffer death, and were executed. In the seventh year of this reign no less than two hundred and ninety-four were put to death for this imputed crime; and all they possessed taken to the use of the king. To what extent the Jews were really guilty of this latter offence for which they suffered, or whether they were guilty at all, it is impossible now to determine.

It is probable, however, that many of you may decide at once that this charge must have been true; for Edward the First, who is called the English Justinian, for the excellency of the laws enacted by him, caused them to be tried for this offence. You may perhaps suppose, that under a sovereign, who is to this day celebrated on account of the laws enacted in his reign, these Jews had all regular trials, and were justly convicted upon evidence. I candidly confess, that those were the opinions I entertained at my first reading this accusation, which induced me to examine the subject

372

THE CHARGE OF CLIPPING

rigorously; and the following is the result of my examination of this subject. It is true that where there are good laws enacted, we naturally look for an upright administration of them, but it is possible for a prince to enact good laws for the government of his people, and yet to be misled by his ministers, to conduct his government without the least regard to law and justice; and there are few reigns in which greater acts of oppression, cruelty, and injustice were committed, than in the reign of Edward the First, although the brilliancy of his exploits, and the greatness of his abilities, have thrown an unmerited gloss over his administration. Does not

history declare that the very fountains of justice were polluted, and that loud complaints were made of the corruption and venality of the judges in Edward's reign ?* Kings are ever entitled to profound respect, and it is the liberal policy of the present age ever

* Henry's Britain, vol. vii. p. 75.