CHAPTER XLIV.
1885.
SIR MOSES' REPLY TO THE BOARD OF DEPUTIES—HIS FAILING STRENGTH—FIRST PUBLISHED BULLETIN—SIR MOSES' DEATH.
JANUARY 29th.—The Board of the London Committee of Deputies of the British Jews having been among the first in England to convey to him its congratulations, signed by the Honorary Officers, he this day addressed the following letter to them:
"East Cliff Lodge, Ramsgate,
29th January 5645 (1885).
"To Arthur Cohen, Esq., Q.C., M.P., President; Joseph Sebag, Esq., Vice-President; Henry Harris, Esq., Treasurer; and the Members of the London Committee of Deputies of the British Jews.
"Dear and Esteemed Friends,—I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of a copy of the resolutions unanimously passed at a special meeting, held on the 14th October 1884, in which you were pleased to express your kind sentiments and sincere felicitations on the occasion of the centennial anniversary of my natal day.
"My heart is overflowing with thankfulness to the Most High for having tended me all my life unto this day, and there will for ever remain enshrined within my memory the grateful sense I entertain for the manifestations of kindness which I was permitted to receive on my entering, as well as on my completing, the hundredth year of my existence, from many valued friends. To none of them, however, will my gratitude be more intense than to the distinguished members of your Board, with whom it has been my privilege to be associated in their unceasing endeavours to promote the interests of the communities at home and abroad for so long a period.
"I appreciate highly the renewed assurance of friendship by which you have greatly honoured me, and earnestly pray that the Most Supreme may shield and protect you and your families, so as to enable you to continue your noble exertions in the cause of our holy religion, in the cause of suffering humanity, and in the vindication of truth and justice. I invoke Him who is the Eternal Disposer of events to inspire you with holy zeal, that you may not rest until all the innocent sufferers from oppression shall be relieved.—I am, yours faithfully,
"Moses Montefiore."
He next addressed the Anglo-Jewish Association, the Wardens of the Synagogues, Schools, and Colleges, and numerous public companies; but at times he was compelled by weakness to desist, and could only resume his work after a lapse of three or four days.
It was always a pleasure to him to hear of matrimonial engagements, and he never failed to send costly wedding presents to all who invited him to be present at the solemnisation of the marriage, or to the customary breakfast afterwards. He often received letters from young persons signing themselves "Moses Montefiore," who had been so named by their parents as a mark of respect to Sir Moses.
Like most persons of affluence, he often received letters from strangers in various parts of the world who claimed relationship with him, and were not satisfied with a simple assurance on his part that there was no foundation whatever for such a claim. He frequently had to write strong letters to them before he could succeed in convincing them of their error.
Many persons in this country and abroad appeared to forget that they now addressed a centenarian, and used to write to him on various subjects, asking his advice on communal or other important matters, just as, with greater propriety, they had done twenty years before. Sir Moses, on giving his orders that a reply should be sent to them, expressed the strongest desire to avoid as much as possible any phraseology that might be interpreted as a disinclination to remain in peaceful relation with his correspondents, even when he had to disapprove of the measures proposed by them.