[67]. Trans. Jew. Hist. Soc., vol. iii. pp. 82–86.
[68]. Jacob Sasportas, who had acted as a “corrector” in Menasseh’s printing-office in Amsterdam, and was afterwards elected Chief Rabbi in London, was a member of the mission (Graetz, vol. x. notes, p. xix). Raguenet states (Histoire d’Oliver Cromwell, p. 290) that two other Rabbis accompanied it, “Rabbi Jacob ben Azahel” and “David ben Eliezer of Prague.” I have not been able to identify these persons, but tentatively I am disposed to think that “Azahel” is a corruption of “Heschel,” and that the person referred to is Rabbi Josua ben Jacob Heschel of Lublin. Menasseh’s elder son lived for some time in Lublin, and it is quite possible that Heschel came to London to lay the case of the persecuted Polish Jews before Cromwell.
[69]. Wolf, “Menasseh ben Israel’s Study in London,” Trans. Jew. Hist. Soc., vol. iii. pp. 144 et seq.
[70]. Felgenhauer, Bonum Nuncium Israeli, p. 110.
[71]. Infra, p. 47.
[72]. Infra, p. lxxix.
[73]. Graetz, Geschichte, vol. x. pp. 52–82; Mercurius Politicus, Dec. 17, 1655; Thurloe State Papers, vol. iv. p. 333.
[74]. “Annals of England” (1655), vol. iii. p. 31.
[75]. The interest of the Embassies in the question is illustrated by the frequent reference made to it in the despatches of Chanut (Thurloe, vol. ii. p. 652), Nieupoort (Ibid., vol. iv. pp. 333, 338; “New York Colonial MSS.,” vol. i. pp. 579, 583), Sagredo and Salvetti (Revue des Études Juives, No. 11, pp. 103–104). Nieupoort’s view is shown by the assurance he extracted from Menasseh that there was no intention to invite Dutch Jews to England (Thurloe, vol. iv. p. 333).
[76]. “Memorials,” p. 618.