"This instantly brought on a warm fracas indeed. The cudgels were taken up on both sides: the contest as fierce as if the fate of empires depended on the decision. At length victory declared in our favor. Armstrong began to make concessions. Franks, with more reluctance, at length gave up the ground. Both acknowledged the New England States were entitled to an equal share of merit with any in the Union, and declared they had no intention to reflect. We had the satisfaction to quit the field with an air of triumph, which my little companion enjoyed with a high relish; nor could he forget it, all the way to Philadelphia. But we parted with our antagonists on terms of perfect good humor and complaisance. My companion frequently afterwards mentioned the pleasure it gave him to see Armstrong and Franks, "so completely taken down," as he expressed it, which led me to conclude he was of the party opposed to them in the political quarrels of Philadelphia." (Historical magazine, Third Series, Vol. II, pp. 84-85).
But let us pass from Franks to another Canadian.
II.
Chevalier de Levis.
The student of Canadian history is very familiar with the name of Levis, which bids fair to be perpetuated in several geographical names in that country. The name was borne by Henri de Levis, Duke of Vontadour, Viceroy of Canada for some time after 1626, but was rendered more famous through the brilliant career of his relative, the Chevalier de Levis, Montcalm's able lieutenant, subsequently his successor as commander of the French forces in Canada, and still later Marshal of France. Numerous striking illustrations of his gallantry and chivalry are extant, and it is suggestive that Montcalm should have spoken some of his last words, in praise of "his gallant Chevalier de Levis," for whose talents and fitness for command he expressed high esteem. The writer hereof does not claim that either of these two de Levis' were Jews, but he does believe that they were of Jewish descent, less on account of their family name than on account of the following curious explanation of it: "A family that considered itself to be the oldest in Christendom. Their chateau contained, it was said, two pictures: one of the Deluge in which Noah is represented going into the Ark, carrying under his arm a trunk on which was written: 'Papiers de la maison de Levis.' The other was a portrait of the founder of the house, bowing reverently to the Virgin, who is made to say: 'Couvrez-vous, mon cousin.' 'It is for my own pleasure, my cousin,' replied the descendent of Levi."
(Compare Horace Walpole's Letters, Kingsford's History of Canada, Vol. I, p. 77, Parkman's Montcalm and Wolfe, I, 150, 360, 363, 378-379, 455, 478, 466; II. 308, 312, 354).
III.
Lopez and Hart, of Newport.
In the last volume of our "Proceedings" and also in Judge Daly's work, numerous references are to be found to the interesting career of Aaron Lopez, of Newport, whom the present writer has described as probably the richest and most successful Jewish man of affairs who lived in this country before the Revolution. It may be remembered that Lopez was one of a number of Jewish residents of Newport who found it necessary to flee from that city at the beginning of the war, when the British forces moved against the city. Lopez withdrew to Leicester, Massachusetts, with his family, and remained there until May, 1782. (Daly's Jews in North America, p. 86). Short as was his stay there, however, he left a noble memorial of his sojourn behind him, as appears from the following extract from the Diary of a journey from Plymouth to Connecticut by Samuel Davis in 1789. (Mass. Hist. Society Proceedings, 1869-1870, p. 11). "Leicester is situate on very high ground. The Meeting house is a decent edifice, very illy painted. Near it is the Academy, founded by the late Mr. Lopez, a worthy merchant of the Jewish tribe. It is a long building of two stories, with a cupola and bell, and two entrances, fronted by porticos; appears to be decaying. Mr. James observed at Worcester, that he supposed the preceptor and pupils would be removed to a handsome new school house in that town."
But Newport contained many Tories as well as Patriots, many of whom must to-day be regarded as no less patriotic than those whom we designate by that term. It is, therefore, not surprising to find Jewish Tories there, and one of the number appears to have been a martyr to his views, as the following item shows: "Mr. Isaac Hart, of Newport R. I., formerly an eminent merchant and ever a loyal subject, was inhumanly fired upon and bayoneted, wounded in fifteen parts of his body, and beat with their muskets, in the most shocking manner in the very act of imploring quarter, and died of his wounds a few hours after, universally regretted by every true lover of his King and country." (Account of the attack on Fort St. George, Rivington's Gazette, December 2, 1780).
To leave no doubt as to his faith, the following item, (from Du Simmitiaire, MSS., 1769) accompanies the preceding one in the Magazine of American History (Vol. III, p. 452): "At Mr. Isaac Hart's, a Jew, living at the Point, in Newport, R. I., there is a portrait of the late Czar, Peter I, done, I believe, by Sir Godfrey Kneller."