But all monks, friars and nuns were bound by their vows never to marry, nor leave their retirement; and to be in all things obedient to their superior.
When the Court of Inquisition was set up in Spain, it was directed to pay particular attention to the conduct of the Jews, as the clergy had found out that their change of religion was generally only a pretence; and therefore the Pope exhorted all Christian princes to bring them to punishment.
Great numbers of the Jews, terrified at the fate which awaited them, gave up the observance of their own rites and ceremonies, and submitted to any penance or punishment appointed by the clergy: but many of these unhappy creatures were put to death, even after they had confessed Jesus Christ to be the Messiah: others were imprisoned for a long time, and when set at liberty, were obliged to wear two red crosses on their upper garment, which was considered as an acknowledgment that they deserved to be burnt. Property was, of course, seized; and besides their persecution by the Inquisition, the populace oppressed and ill-used them, so that their condition was as miserable as possible. The sufferings of the Jews whom Ferdinand drove out of Spain, were most extraordinary. The greater part embarked on board ships, some of which, from being too heavily laden, sunk, and all on board were drowned; some of the ships are said to have been burnt; some were wrecked on foreign shores, where the miserable passengers died of want. The master of one ship determined to murder all his passengers, in order, as he said, to avenge the death of Christ, whom their ancestors had crucified: the Jews, aware of his design, reminded this bad man, that one doctrine of Christianity was, that Christ desired the salvation, and not the death of sinners; but the master, instead of feeling how little his conduct was like what a Christian's ought to be, caused the Jews to be stripped, and landed on the coast of Africa, where he left them. Some of these poor creatures were destroyed by wild beasts; some died of hunger; but some were saved by the master of another vessel. Some of the Jews, on leaving Spain, sailed direct to the city of Fez, in Africa; but the inhabitants cruelly refused to admit them into the city, and they, too, died of want. Another party sailed to Genoa, which was at that time suffering from a scarcity of food, so that provisions were very dear: the inhabitants, seeing the miserable condition of the Jews, who had no money to buy food, met them with a cross in one hand and in the other bread, which they refused to give to any one who would not first worship the cross. Many who had hitherto resisted all temptation to conform to Christian worship, could hold out no longer, and did what was required of them.
The way in which Ferdinand had treated the Jews, was greatly blamed; and many nations expressed their astonishment, that the king should have so little regard to his own interest, as to banish a people, whose skill in money matters was so useful to the country. This very skill enabled the Jews to disappoint the avarice of the king; for they had managed to send the greater part of their wealth safely out of the country, and consequently Ferdinand got much less money from them than he had expected.
Meantime his subjects felt the loss of Moors and Jews, and the nobles complained that their towns were deserted and ruined.
Many of the Jews on leaving Spain, went into Portugal, where their brethren had done good service to the king, by bringing him accounts of the coasts of the Red Sea; and also by helping his subjects to discover the way of reaching India, by sailing round the southern point of Africa.
But notwithstanding the services of the Jews already in Portugal, the king only allowed the fugitives from Spain to enter his dominions, on condition of their paying a sum of gold, with an understanding, that on a certain day fixed, they must either leave Portugal again, or be sold as slaves: on his part, the king promised to provide ships to take them wherever they wished to go.
When the time came, the king really wished to keep his promise; but his orders were not obeyed, and the Jews who were about to sail, were so barbarously used by the seamen, that they chose rather to be sold as slaves than to put themselves into the power of such ruffians.
The next king of Portugal had pity on the Jews, and set them free from slavery; but afterwards, in order to gain favour with Ferdinand and Isabella, he ordered the Israelites to leave the kingdom on a certain day, after which, all who remained would be again treated as slaves. But the king did not like the idea of expelling such a number of skilful and industrious people, and he determined at least to keep all the children under fourteen years of age, and have them baptized and brought up as Christians. When, therefore, the time of departure drew near, he forbade the Jews to embark from any port except Lisbon; and when they came to that city, the king's officers seized their children, and dragged them away from their parents. We may imagine what a dreadful scene this was! Many, in despair, rather than give their children up, killed them and then put an end to their own lives. Besides this, the king contrived to delay their embarkation so much, that the day fixed passed away before they had sailed, and consequently they became slaves. In utter despair, these poor creatures now agreed to become Christians, in order to recover their liberty, and their children. But such Christianity could only be a pretence; and their enemies, suspecting this, watched them narrowly. The least sign of their observing any of the rites and ceremonies of the Jewish religion, or of their preferring the Law of Moses to the Gospel, exposed them to the horrible cruelties of the Inquisition. Shame upon Christians, who could thus treat their fellow creatures! and instead of trying to win them over by Christian love, could thus render the very name of Christian more and more hateful to them.