been found guilty of secret adherence to Judaism, suffered death at an _Auto-da-Fé_. Aaron de Sola (son of the above-mentioned David) was then the head of the Lisbon branch of the family, and, alarmed at the frightful fate of his two relatives, took refuge with his wife and children on an English man-of-war, which then lay at the mouth of the Tagus, only just in time to escape the officers of the Holy Office, who were in pursuit of him. Landed safely in London, by the friendly English captain, Aaron de Sola had no sooner put foot upon free soil, than he openly proclaimed his adherence to the faith which he and his fathers had so long followed in secret. This was in 1749. He proceeded shortly after with his family to Amsterdam, where he took up his abode. His eldest son, David, was the ancestor of the Abraham de Sola who forms the subject of this sketch; while his youngest son, Benjamin, became one of the most eminent practitioners in Holland, and was Court Physician to William V., and the author of numerous medical works. Another son of Aaron de Sola settled in Curaçao, and was the progenitor of that General Juan de Sola who won such high military distinction fighting under Bolivar and Paez in the revolt of the South American Colonies from Spain. In 1690 another member of the family, Isaac de Sola, became famed in London as a preacher and author. Some volumes of his writings are still to be seen among the rare collections of European libraries. Abraham de Sola was born on the 18th September, 1825. His father, David Aaron de Sola, was a very prominent rabbi, celebrated for his theological writings, and had removed from Amsterdam to London, England, early in the present century, where the subject of this sketch was born. His mother was of the illustrious Meldola family, who had furnished leading rabbis to the Jews of Europe for twelve consecutive generations. From childhood Abraham de Sola betrayed a strong inclination for study, and having received a thorough training in those branches which form the usual curriculum of higher education, he turned his attention to theological and linguistic studies, and early laid the foundation of that deep acquaintance with oriental languages and literature which afterwards won him such renown. In 1846 he was offered the position of minister of the Congregation of Portuguese Jews of Montreal, and, having accepted this call, arrived in Canada early in 1847. Here began the great work of his life. Shortly after his advent to Montreal his eloquent sermons in the Synagogue attracted the attention of the Mercantile Library Association, and upon invitation he delivered before this body a series of lectures upon the history of the Jews of England. The interest evoked by these efforts led to his delivering a further course of lectures upon Jewish history before this association the following year, and also before the Mechanics’ Institute. In 1848 he published his “Notes on the Jews of Persia, under Mohammed Shah.” This