The young nobleman then took leave of Lady Hatfield, whom he left a prey to emotions of a very painful nature.
For deeply and tenderly did she love Arthur; and great violence did she to her feelings when she so generously and conscientiously counselled him to take the beautiful Jewess as his wife!
And as the Earl returned home to his mansion in Pall Mall, to pen a letter to Rainford, who was then on his voyage, under an assumed name, and accompanied by Tamar, Jacob Smith, and little Charley, to the United States,—he reviewed all the details of that long and interesting conversation which had that afternoon passed between Lady Hatfield and himself;—and he found that the tendency thereof was to make him ponder more seriously and more intently upon the image of the charming Esther than he ever yet had done.
[36]. We have been much gratified by observing that our attempt to vindicate the Jews against most of the unjust charges which it seems to be a traditionary fashion to level against them, has not passed unnoticed. All the Jewish papers have quoted the exculpatory passage at page [172] of this Series of "The Mysteries of London:" many provincial journals have also transferred it to their columns; and in No. 173 of Chambers's Edinburgh Journal (New Series) it was printed, with the following record of approval on the part of the Editors of that well-conducted periodical:—"We cordially agree in this manly defence of a cruelly misrepresented people."
In this enlightened age it is really horrible to think that the most abominable prejudices should prevail amongst Christians against the Jews. England boasts her high state of civilisation; and yet the Jews labour under innumerable disabilities, which have been abolished in France. After all, the French understand what civilisation really is much better than the English. The idea of a Jew sitting in the House of Commons would send all the Church party raving mad: but in France there are many Jews in the Chamber of Deputies. The learned Selden said very justly, "Talk what you will of the Jews, that they are cursed, they thrive where'er they come; they are able to oblige the prince of their country (and others too) by lending him money; none of them beg: they keep together; and for their being hated, my life for your's, Christians hate one another as much."
The worst feature in the malignant persecution and misrepresentation of the Jews, is that the evil prejudice against them has been, and still is, fostered by Christian Divines and Theological writers. A Spanish theologian has placed on record the following infamous specimen of malignity:—
"The tribe of Judah treacherously delivered up our Lord, and thirty of them die by treason every year.
"The tribe of Reuben seized our Lord in the garden, and therefore the curse of barrenness is on all they sow or plant, and no green thing can flourish over their graves.
"The tribe of Gad put on the crown of thorns, and on every 25th of March their bodies are covered with blood from deep and painful wounds.