Lady Montefiore, Sir Moses said, made, no will, but among her papers was found an unfinished letter to him in her hand writing, in which she most touchingly expressed the wish that a token of her esteem should be handed to relatives whom she named, to friends, and to charitable and educational institutions, when it should please the Almighty to call her away from this world. In compliance with her wishes, Sir Moses sent upwards of 360 very liberal souvenirs and parting gifts to relatives, friends, Synagogues, and charitable and educational institutions in England and abroad. He then invited a number of distinguished Hebrew poets to prepare an epitaph to be engraved on the marble slab which covers the grave of Lady Montefiore. This was followed by the following lines in English:—
"Angels saw thy glorious works, and called thee to join them in singing the praises of the Most High in Heaven, where God is thy strength.
"Ask mercy for thy husband, and also for thy brethren, and pray that the light of Zion may again shine, when in its splendour thou shalt re-appear in radiance."
"Sacred to the Memory of Judith, Lady Montefiore, the Beloved Wife of Sir Moses Montefiore, Bart., and Daughter of Joshua Levi Cohen, Esquire, who Departed this Life on the Eve of the First Day of the New Year, 5623 A.M.
In the course of a few months an edifice, surmounted by a cupola, was erected, after the model of the Tomb of Rachel on the road to Beth-Lékhém. Tablets, containing prayers and psalms to be recited by those who visit the tomb, were placed on the walls, and a lamp suspended from the centre of the cupola, bearing a Hebrew inscription, the translation of which is, "The spirit of man is the light of the Lord" (Prov. xx. 27). A seat was placed in the corner, intended for Sir Moses, who often used to visit the mausoleum, and remain there in prayer and meditation.
The Tabernacle festivals which for half a century had always been spent so happily by Sir Moses at East Cliff were this year shrouded in the gloom of sorrow and affliction. There was no other way to rouse him than by reminding him of his useful pursuits, which soon prompted him to follow in the path which his angel wife had so often traced out for him, and in the continuance of his service in the cause of all that is good, noble, and holy. It had been the ardent wish of Lady Montefiore that Sir Moses should pay another visit to the Holy Land, in order to secure from the Turkish Government some concessions which were greatly needed for the proper working and expansion of the institutions that had been established for the benefit of our poor brethren. Although suffering in mind and very weak in health, Sir Moses determined to fulfil the desire Lady Montefiore had so often expressed before her lamented death, and prepared for the journey. He began by addressing the following letter to Musurus Pasha, the Turkish Ambassador in London:—
"I need not assure your Excellency," he writes through an amanuensis, his state of health not permitting him to write the letter with his own hand, "that I feel sincerely grateful for your kind offices, and I flatter myself, at the same time, that it may interest your Excellency to learn that a considerable number of almshouses, and other buildings, and especially a large windmill, which, in consequence of the concession, were erected in Jerusalem, are offering shelter, social advantages, and employment to a great number of the poorer inhabitants.
"Being anxious to extend the scope of their benefits, as far as it may be in my power, I propose once more to revisit the Holy Land, and expect to leave England in a few days, to make a short stay for the restoration of my health in the south of France, en route for Constantinople.
"With a deep sense of the advantage of the aid and support which your Excellency has on all occasions so readily accorded to me on my visits to the East, may I request the favour of your kindly giving me, at your early convenience, letters to His Highness the Grand Vizier, and His Excellency the Minister of Foreign Affairs to the Ottoman Government, to use their good offices in furtherance of my desire to obtain from His Imperial Majesty the Sultan 'Abd-ool-Azeez a confirmation, and a letter to the Governor of Jerusalem, to afford me the necessary assistance and facilities towards the accomplishment of my objects."
The readers of these Memoirs will probably remember the difficulties encountered in Jerusalem in connection with the building of the Juda Touro Almshouses, notwithstanding the special permission for that purpose granted by the late Sultan 'Abd-ool-Medjid, and will perceive for this reason that it was a most judicious step on the part of Sir Moses, to secure the confirmation of the said permission by an edict from the new Sultan.
Musurus Pasha readily and kindly complied with Sir Moses' request, and forwarded to him the letters required.
In the month of May 1863, we find him at Constantinople, where the British Ambassador and the Turkish Ministers received him with marked attention, supporting with their advice in all matters. The Sultan accorded him an audience, whereat he confirmed all the privileges granted to his Israelite subjects, and the concessions which had been given to Sir Moses personally with regard to the purchase of land and the building of houses in Jerusalem. Vizierial letters were ordered to be forwarded to the Governor of the Holy City, and Sir Moses had the satisfaction of seeing the object of his visit to Constantinople fully accomplished.
During his stay at the Ottoman capital he visited the charitable and educational institutions of his community, and distributed generous gifts to the poor of all religious denominations, in memory of Lady Montefiore, as he had done in all places in Italy where he happened to stop on his way to Constantinople. At Rhodes, where the inhabitants suffered severely from an earthquake, he also gave donations in his own and his departed wife's name.