172 JUDAH, SON OF R. SHABTHI. צג "me with a feeble voice, I knew that they were .6 not upright; and I said unto him, Let me "know their names, that I may know the good.' "And they were expressed by name from his "mouth; and I considered them, and behold, among the number of their names, was a man, "whose name was Judah, the son of the Rabbi "Shabthi* (may his remembrance be for a bless"ing!) in whom I recognized that there was an"cestorial piety for his salvation, and I said, "Call him unto me;' and he called him, and he 66 came. And I said unto him, I am the servant 66 of Solomon, who remaineth in the city of Pesaro "with the duke of that city, and he sent me about "his affairs. And behold, I am much fatigued "from the way; therefore, bring me, I pray thee, "into the house of one of the children of Israel, "that he may give me bread and relish† to eat, "to relieve my soult.' And he led me into the synagogue, and commanded one of his ac 66 66 quaintance to honor me with all his power. "And the slanderers knew my dwelling-place, "and they slandered me unto judgment, and 66 set watchmen at the gates of the city to lay hold on me. But because the pope was not in "the country, I leaped over the wall of the city .שבתי * + i. e. obsonium, saporetto. See the Zemach David, of David de Pomis. Also the Kehilath Jahacob of Moreira, p. 63. Lam. i. 11. 16. צג 66 SOLOMON'S FLIGHT. 173 and went to meet him, and the horse was left in "the city; and after I had secured myself, I "went into the synagogue on the Sabbath-day, " and waited until the time when the book of the "law was brought out, for they were not aware of my return; and I went up into the pulpit, and I 66 66 began to preach on the verse, "man that trusteth in the Lord*.' "from Sabbath to Sabbath, from Blessed is the And so I did day to dayt. "And this was my manner until I removed thence, "for fear of the waters of the flood, accord 66 66 66 66 66 ing as it had been commanded me. And in those days I heard them say that the prince David was come into Italy, and also upon him passed the cup of slandering from the wicked sons of our people. And I purposed, that when I should see "his face he should teach me knowledge; but it "was the reverse of this, for he inquired of me. "Yet I do not believe but that he is a very wise 66 man; and when he saith, that he does not know "the law and wisdom, it is only to steal the mind of the people, and also to see how I would behave "towards him. And this being my intention, I was constantly with him, like the servant before "his master. And when I was at Venice, whither I went to speak unto the printer, to print for me "wonderful and deep things from the mysteries of "our holy law, to encourage every one that studies * Jer. xvii. 7. i. e. Many succeeding Sabbaths. 1 174 JACOB MANTIN AND ELIAS CHALPHON. 66 צג "therein; there was there a physician, and he appeared in my sight as a man of faith, and his 66 name was Doctor Rabbi Jacob Mantin*, and he "had strife with another physician, the son of an 66 Ephrathite, and his name was Doctor Elias Chalphon†; and I would make peace between them, but he would not. And he was minded "to go to Rome, but I would not let him; when "I told him, that the day of their destruction by "the waters of the flood was night, he went to 66 6 another city; saying, That he would not stay "in a country with his enemies.' And when he "saw that I had friendship with the physician "aforesaid, he turned out an enemy toward me. "And during these events, the flood was upon the land of Rome. And they said unto him, 'Why "doest thou recompense evil for good?' He an"swered, that this knowledge was like the 66 knowledge of sorcerers; and he spake of me a great many things before the government, to "fulfil the saying of our rabbies of blessed me66 mory, 'The mustard burns the man who wrought "the spoon§.' For had not the Lord been my מאנטין * .a changer of money חלפון * The famous inundation mentioned by Benvenuto Cellini in his Life, cap. xi., and by other cotemporary writers. -Cochlear quod sculp,כפא דחט נגרא בגוויה נשרף לחרדלא sit artifex eo urit sinapi, scil. os artificis. Berach. fol. 28. 1. Sic opus noxium redit in caput artificis. Buxtorf, Lex. Talmud. צד 66 66 66 SOLOMON POISONED. 175 help, they had almost done me wrong. And by the hand of Jews, they gave me deadly 'poison; but from that also the Lord delivered me. And after I was healed, I went to Rome, to ob"serve the stars and their appearance; and before they came, I told it all unto the I told it all unto the pope, and to some of the cardinals belonging to the great of the court, "written in a letter. And I also wrote unto the 66 66 66 'king of Portugal by the hand of his ambassador, "for I spake to him in his chamber*. And when the earthquake came, they marvelled much. And "the ambassador said unto me, 'If the king had "known before thou removedst from Portugal, that "thou art so very wise, he had given thee permis"sion to act by every law thou wouldst.' And 66 daily he and his servants honored me much at "his house, and before the pope. And the cardinals "held meetings upon meetings, and assemblies upon "assemblies. When they beheld the honor be"stowed upon me by the pope, some said, 'He "should be killed, because he has despised the "waters of baptism which passed over him in Portugal; and some said, ' He should not be killed, "for he is a very wise [y] man, and he told us things to come;' and they honored me before the "multitude of the people with their words and "their deeds. 66 66 832. "And the report was heard by the wise * i. e. A private audience. 176 66 AMBASSADOR OF PORTUGAL. צד man, the experienced Doctor Rabbi Jacob Mantin, at Venice, and he said unto the Jews "who were there, 'Now I will arise and go to Rome, and pursue the man Solomon to injure 66 him, until he return unto his manner*, or else " he shall be burned with fire.' And the Doctor "Jacob Mantin came to the city of Rome, and "went first unto the house of the ambassador of 66 Portugal, and said unto him, 'Why art thou not “zealous to honor the king, thy master; because "of that man who standeth in the court of the pope, who was a scribe in the house of the king "as one of his servants, and now he is a Jew?" And "the ambassador answered him, That is not our 66 66 66 way, and thus shall not be done in our place†, to go about slandering, and to follow such as slander privily, and this was never my manner.' And he "went out from before his face with a burning 66 66 66 wrath§; and he went before the judges, the great men of the city, who knew law and judgment, "with a voice the voice of Jacob, and the hands "the hands of Esau, &c., and with all the "forces of his strength. And the judges an"swered him, saying, We can do nothing "without witnesses: when it is in the power * 10, i. e. to his Christianity. † Gen. xxix. 26. Ps. ci. 5; Levit. xix. 16; Jer. vi. 28. § Exod. xi. 8. || Gen. xxvii. 22, i. e. like a wolf in sheep's clothing. Job. xxxvi. 19. |