צד JUDGMENT HALL. 177 "of thy hands to bring witnesses, we will fulfil "all thy desires.' And he went out to and fro, to "seek witnesses of the men of Portugal, who were "then to be found in Rome, to inquire of them if 66 66 66 66 66 they knew me; and he sought diligently, and "found witnesses, and brought them into the judgment-hall. And they wrote an accusation "to condemn me in judgment, and they called me "before them, to know of me, how and what the thing was, and upon what I claimed to be a Jew, "after having formerly belonged unto another people, and moreover, because I preach to many concerning the law; which thing ought not to be "done. Then I shewed unto them the security of the pope, written and sealed, how he had given me power and permission to do according to my desire; and no men should gainsay it in my hand. "And they took the security from my hand with "an overwhelming wrath, and went before the pope "with a great anger, and said unto him, 'Why "doth anything like this proceed from thee? And "if thou pervertest the judgment, why hast thou "made us judges?' And he returned them this 66 66 66 66 answer, 'I know it also; be silent, for I have a "secret with him; not that the right is so; but "the time requireth it so.' And when the man "saw that he could not prevail against me, he 178 SOLOMON CONDEMNED. צד "took with him the first vision, which I sent to "the Doctor Joseph Titsak*, the copy of the "whole mattert, which was stolen, and he trans"lated it into the Nazarene language, and shewed "it to many cardinals that they might be ashamed, " and blush at that which the pope suffered against "their own law; until the end of the words was, "that because of their much enticing and urging, "the pope gave permission unto the nobles of the 66 judgments, to do what the law requireth; and "unto me he said, Stay thou with me here, lest "the men who seek thy life should lay hold on "thee.' For being anxious about my honor, I "have said, Seize him, and burn him, for there "is no deliverer.' And the most high God, for "the sake of his mercies and loving-kindness "which have not ceased, caused to meet them a man in my form and in my likeness, clothed in garments like mine, and they took him suddenly, and hastened and burned him in fire. "And they came unto the house of the pope, saying, The man in whose honor thou de lightest is become a burning fire.' And I was "hid in the most secret chambers. And when I 66 came before him, he was surprized at the sight "And he called the chief of the judges, and said, Here spelled PD. The Italian. + Comp. Ecc. xii. 13. צד SOLOMON ON HORSEBACK. 179 "What deed hast thou done? Behold! there is "Rabbi Solomon with us, and thou hast burned "another in his stead; and now, hasten and "write in the judgment-place, that the man "who was burned, had reviled and blasphemed, "and cursed his king and his God, so that it may "not be known that he was burned instead of "Rabbi Solomon, lest the world go astray after "him.' And they hastened so to do. Then I said "unto the pope, Thou hast already seen the "stars with thine own eyes, according as I have told "thee from the beginning, and thou knowest what “ shall happen unto thee, according as these stars shew, that weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning*; send me away, I 66 66 6 pray thee, for I have no permission to stay any longer here upon trial.' And he dismissed me "in peace, and I rode upon a swift horse in the 66 night, and with me a goodly company, sent by “him. And all the things which I have related "unto you, ye will recognize, and know that 66 they are true, from the contents of the certificate "of the heads of the congregations of Rome and "the rabbanim, which I send unto you, and many "such and such thingst of the travail which hath come upon me; I am weary of writing them, for *Ps. xxxiii. 5. [Heb. 6.] † 2 Sam. xii. 8. 66 180 THE TWENTY-EIGHT TIMES OF CREATION. TY 66 66 no book can contain them. And also to spare "the shame of the children of our people, lest I "should uncover their shame and contempt, in all "the abominations which they have done unto me: peradventure ye shall hear part of them from "the mouth of wayfaring men. And now, behold, "I dwell here, and remain in this district to ex8 pect the hour and time of which the Lord hath "assured me to deal wonderfully with me accord 66 "to ing to his desire and pleasure; and he will be "with me, and keep me, according as he hath helped me until now, and from him will my help come, to complete what is incumbent upon me to do. For there is yet a vision for the appointed "time*, and a time for every purpose†, until the Holy One, blessed be He, shall surely make known unto his people the power of his works; "for surely, with power the works of the "Lord were made in twenty-eight times; viz. 833. (1.) "First: A time to be born:-When the Holy One (blessed be He!) had created heaven " and earth, the world conceived, and bare the first man, and the Lord blessed him, and left him in "the garden of Eden, to keep his commandments: *Hab. ii. 8. † Eccl. iii. 1. See Eccl. chap. 3, where the word y occurs twenty-eight times. power, might, contains the number 28. = 20, n = 8. צר TIME TO KILL, HEAL, BREAK, &c. 181 "and (2.) a time to die, according as he had not kept "what He had commanded him, for he was driven "from the garden of Eden, and poured forth his "soul unto death*. (3.) A time to plant :-When "he knew his wife Eve, they became fruitful, and 66 multiplied until they became a great people; "and they were planted in the world in security, "their houses being safe from fear. (4.) And a time "to pluck up that which is planted :—So great was the wickedness of man in the earth, and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was 66 only evil all the day, that he rooted them out "from the world by the waters of the flood.-(5.) A "time to kill:-When all the earth was one tongue, 66 they said each one to his neighbour, 'Come on, "let us build a city;' and the Lord scattered them "abroad upon the face of the whole earth, and 66 66 they were forgotten as the dead out of mind‡. (6.) And a time to heal:-When Abraham our "father came, he brought a remedy into the world; "for they were sick by the sickness of idolatry as it " is written; And the souls which they had gotten " in Haran§,' (7.) A time to break down:-When "wicked Esau came, he made a breach in the holy seed, and went in the way of the old serpent, * Is. liii. 12. + Gen. vi. 5. ‡ Ps. xxx. 12 (13). The Jewish commentators make of Gen. xii. 5. "The souls that they had regenerated (i. e. converted) in Haran." |