[Illustration:  Fig. 366.—­Legend of the Jew calling the Devil from a Vessel of Blood.—­Fac-simile of a Woodcut in Boaistuau’s “Histoires Prodigieuses:”  in 4to, Paris, Annet Briere, 1560.]

In some countries, especially in England, precautionary measures were taken for regulating the compacts entered into between Christians and Jews.  One of the departments of the Exchequer received the register of these compacts, which thus acquired a legal value.  However, it was not unfrequent for the kings of England to grant, of their own free will, letters of release to persons owing money to Jews; and these letters, which were often equivalent to the cancelling of the entire debt, were even at times actually purchased from the sovereign.  Mention of sums received by the royal treasury for the liberation of debtors, or for enabling them to recover their mortgaged lands without payment, may still be found in the registers of the Exchequer of London; at the same time, Jews, on the other hand, also paid the King large sums, in order that he might allow justice to take its course against powerful debtors who were in arrear, and who could not be induced to pay.  We thus see that if the Jews practised usury, the Christians, and especially kings and powerful nobles, defrauded the Jews in every way, and were too often disposed to sell to them the smallest concessions at a great price.  Indeed, Christians often went so far as to persecute them, in order to obtain the greatest possible amount from them; and the Jews of the Middle Ages put up with anything provided they could enrich themselves.

[Illustration:  Fig. 367.—­View and Plan of Jerusalem.—­Fac-simile of a Woodout in the “Liber Chronicarum Mundi” large folio, Nuremberg, 1493.]

It must not be supposed, however, that, great as were their capabilities, the Jews exclusively devoted themselves to financial matters.  When they were permitted to trade they were well satisfied to become artisans or agriculturists.  In Spain they proved themselves most industrious, and that kingdom suffered a great loss in consequence of their being expelled from it.  In whatever country they established themselves, the Jews carried on most of the mechanical and manual industries with cleverness and success; but they could not hope to become landed proprietors in countries where they were in such bad odour, and where the possession of land, far from offering them any security, could not fail to excite the envy of their enemies.

If, as is the case, Oriental people are of a serious turn of mind, it is easy to understand that the Jews should have been still more so, since they were always objects of hatred and abhorrence.  We find a touching allegory in the Talmud.  Each time that a human being is created God orders his angels to bring a soul before his throne, and orders this soul to go and inhabit the body which is about to be born on earth.  The soul is grieved, and supplicates the Supreme Being