"There were twelve persons at table, and, before dinner, Colonel Bruce introduced me to each, excepting Prince Torlonia, who came in only two minutes before we sat down.
"The conversation was on general topics. I think all spoke English except Torlonia, who spoke French with His Royal Highness. Dr Chambers, the Prince's physician, was present. We were at table about an hour and a half, then retired to the drawing-room. His Royal Highness requested each to be seated, and took a seat himself in the centre of the half circle formed by his party. He enquired if Toussoun Pasha was in England at present, and said the Viceroy had given a grand dinner to his brother.
"Soon after nine the party took leave. His Royal Highness shook hands with each. I could not have had a more gratifying evening.
"Dr Chambers told me that Mrs Chambers had a few friends and a little music upstairs, and would be happy if I would do them the honour to join them. He accompanied me to their apartments on the floor above His Royal Highness, and introduced me to Mrs Chambers. She said she remembered me by the kindness I had shewn her many years since by giving her some very thin biscuits,[3] of which she was very fond. Gradually the two drawing-rooms became very crowded. She introduced me to a considerable number of her visitors, mostly English travellers, and many from India. They all alluded to the object of my mission with feeling, and expressed an ardent desire for my success, but not one among them thought that there was a hope of it.
"The son-in-law of the late Joseph Hume, who had been in India, was there with his wife. I should think there must have been 150 persons present. Mrs Chambers and her sisters have beautiful voices, and sang delightfully. A gentleman belonging to the Royal Chapel at Rome, who is celebrated for his beautiful voice and for being an excellent musician, performed also. Dr Hodgkin, who was present, having left my dear wife weak and poorly, I got away as soon as I well could. A most lively and agreeable party."
The apprehension of failure in his mission, so strongly foretold by all who spoke to him that evening on the subject, threatened to become almost a certainty, owing to a serious accusation brought against the Jews in the Ghetto.
On Friday evening, April 15th, some officers of the police entered the Jewish quarter and searched a house adjoining the Synagogue, the room containing the cloaks, bells, &c., of the sacred scrolls of the Pentateuch, and afterwards the cellars under the Synagogue. They did not say at the time what was the object of their search, but a crowd had assembled outside the Synagogue, accusing the Jews of having stolen two children with the object of using their blood in making the Passover cakes, a woman exciting the crowd by declaring she had lost two of her children. The alarm continued for a considerable time, and it was late before the crowd left the Ghetto. Happily all was quiet the next morning, but the Jews still laboured under great anxiety, as this was the first instance of such a charge being made against them at Rome, and hitherto their Synagogues had been held sacred. Early in the morning a deputation waited upon the Governor of the city, but he had heard nothing of the matter. On enquiry of the head of the police it was ascertained that the report was spread by the malice of one of the police officers. The Governor assured the deputation of his protection, and said he would, if necessary, send a force into the Ghetto to protect the Jews.
Sir Moses on hearing of the outbreak at once offered to go to the Synagogue if the reports were repeated, but happily all remained quiet.
The next day (April 17th) he received the reassuring information that the lost child had been found, and had returned to the mother's house. It appeared that a woman had said that she had lost her child, and a neighbour advised her to go to a particular man, a barber, who told fortunes. She did so, whereupon this man informed her that her child had been stolen by the Jews, who had murdered it for the sake of using its blood with the Passover cakes. On receiving this account she went direct to the Ghetto, and created a great disturbance, calling upon the Jews to give up the child. She gave information to the office of police, and they sent to search for the child. The Governor had since put the barber and the woman in prison, but nevertheless there was a very uneasy feeling among the Jews the next night and day, as women and boys frequently cried out, "Take care of your children, or the Jews will murder them." It was a singular circumstance that until that year nothing of the kind had happened at Rome; and it was not a little remarkable that the newspaper published at Rome on the 16th inst., yesterday, called Il vevo amico del popolo, contained a letter from Smyrna, giving an account of the assassination of a Frenchman in the Jewish quarter of that city by the Jews, as it was alleged, for the purpose of using the blood in the Passover cakes. The letter also alluded to the case of Father Tomaso at Damascus. It was a most mischievous article, and could not fail to excite a very bitter feeling against the Jews, frustrating every attempt made to rescue the poor boy Mortara, and to restore him to his parents.