When the king returned from the northern parts of England and was informed of what had passed, he blamed Sir John for promising life and limb to such a wretch, and he refused to ratify this, for this blasphemer and murderer had deserved many deaths. And when the criminal saw that an irrevocable sentence threatened him, he said: “Death threatens me, nor can Sir John save me. Now will I tell the truth to all of you. Almost all the Jews of England consented to the boy’s death of which they are accused. And from almost every city of England in which Jews dwell, certain men, chosen for the purpose, came to the immolation of the child, as to a sacrifice of Passover.”
When he had said other hateful things, he was made fast to the tail of a horse and drawn to the gallows, and given over body and soul to the evil demons of the air. And other Jews, accomplices in the crime, to the number of ninety-one, were taken in carts to London and put in prison. If perchance some Christians shed tears for their fate, their lot was bemoaned with dry eyes by the Caursins, their rivals.
Afterwards, by enquiry made by the justices of our lord the king, it was discovered that the Jews of England, by common accord, had killed this innocent boy by crucifixion, after having beaten him for several days. Later, the mother of the said boy pressed upon the king her accusation of those guilty of the death, and God, the Lord of Vengeance, meted out to them retribution according to their deserts. For on the feast of St. Clement, eighteen of the richest and greatest of the Jews of Lincoln were drawn to new gallows, prepared for them, and left to the winds. And in the Tower of London sixty more were kept in prison, expecting the same fate.
1256. At this same time, certain Jews, infamous by reason of the unhappy death of the boy crucified at Lincoln, found guilty by the oath of twenty-five knights, and condemned to death, lay in prison, to the number of three score and eleven, in order that they might be hanged. They sent, as their rivals declare, secret messengers to the minorite friars with the view that they should intercede for them, that they might be released from prison, notwithstanding that they were worthy of a most ignominious death. The friars, as the world said (if the world is to be believed in such a matter), were induced by money to procure the freedom of the Jews by their prayers and intercession, from the imprisonment and death they had deserved. But in my opinion, it is to be believed that the friars acted from piety, guided by a spirit of compassion, because, so long as any one is alive in this world, he can still use his will, so that there is hope of him. But for the devil and for those manifestly damned, one can neither hope nor pray, because there is no hope for them. Now death and a final sentence had irrevocably ensnared them. But this way of looking at the matter cannot excuse the friars, nor prevent scandal from blackening their character. The people drew back their hands from giving them alms as they had before done. So it fell out that the devotion of Londoners towards the minorites grew lukewarm, just as the charity of the Parisians grew cold towards the preachers, who there sought to weaken the ancient and approved customs of the University.
In the same year, on the Ides of May, four score and eleven Jews were released from the Tower of London, where they had lain in fetters, for the crucifixion of Saint Hugh, the boy of Lincoln. These Jews, I say, were found guilty upon oath, in accordance with the statement of the Jew who at the first was hanged at Lincoln.[119]
1267. It happened about the Feast of Saint Katherine [November 25] in this year, that a dispute arose between certain of the craft of the goldsmiths and certain of the craft of tailors: to whom adhered, on the one side and the other, some of the trade of the parmenters [dealers in broadcloth] and some of the tawyers [who prepared fine leather], which persons held great assemblages, and for three nights together went armed through the streets of the City, creating most severe conflicts among themselves. Hence, without doubt, as was said, more than five hundred of these mischievous persons were collected together at night, and in the affray many of them were wounded: but still, no one would act a part that belongs only to the Bailiffs. For every one was waiting by force of arms to take vengeance on his adversary, against the peace and his own fealty to his lordship the King: the Bailiffs and discreet men of the City understanding which, had more than thirty of them seized and imprisoned in Newgate: and these, on the Friday next after the Feast of Saint Katherine, appeared before Laurence de Broc, the Justiciar assigned for gaol delivery, who took proceedings against them in the King’s behalf, saying that they, against the peace and their fealty to his lordship the King, had gone armed in the City, and had at night wickedly and feloniously wounded some persons, and had slain others, whose bodies, it was said, had been thrown into the Thames.
They however denied violence and injury, &c., and as to the same put themselves upon the verdict of the venue. But on the morrow, those who by the said venue were found to have been in the conflict aforesaid, were, by the judgment of the said Justiciar, immediately hanged, although not one among them had been convicted of homicide, mayhem, or robbery. Hence, one Geoffrey, surnamed “de Beverley,” a parmenter by trade, because certain of those misdoers had armed themselves in his house, and he himself had been present with them in arms in the said affray, was hanged, together with twelve others who had been indicted, as well goldsmiths as parmenters and tawyers. All this however was done that others, put in awe thereby, might take warning, that so the peace of his lordship the King by all within the City might be the more rigidly maintained.[120]
1278. In the month of November in this year all Jews throughout England were seized on the same day, and imprisoned in London, for clipping the king’s coin. And the Jews gave information as to very many Christians in league with them, and chiefly among the more renowned of London. On this occasion two hundred and eighty Jews of both sexes were hanged at London: in other cities of England a very great multitude. The king exacted an immense sum for the ransom of the Christians, some of whom also were delivered to the gallows.[121]
1284. In this year Bow church, which, as we have seen, witnessed a great tragedy in 1196, was once more the scene of a terrible affair. It may be told mainly in the words of Stow:—
In the year 1284, the 13th of Edward I., Laurence Ducket, goldsmith, having grievously wounded one Ralph Crepin in Westcheape, fled into Bow church, into the which, in the night time, entered certain evil persons, friends unto the said Ralph, and slew the said Laurence, lying in the steeple, and then hanged him up, placing him so by the window as if he had hanged himself, and so was it found by inquisition: for the which fact Laurence Ducket, being drawn by the feet, was buried in a ditch without the City: but shortly after, by relation of a boy, who lay with the said Laurence at the time of his death, and had hid himself there for fear, the truth of the matter was disclosed.