Menasseh ben Israel's Mission to Oliver Cromwell: Being a reprint of the pamphlets published by Menasseh ben Israel to promote the re-admission of the Jews to England, 1649-1656Manasseh ben Israel
History
Menasseh ben Israel's Mission to Oliver Cromwell: Being a reprint of the pamphlets published by Menasseh ben Israel to promote the re-admission of the Jews to England, 1649-1656
Manasseh ben Israel
Jews -- Great Britain
_Now when they were got out of the City_, Montezinus _confessed himselfe
to be an_ Hebrew, _of the Tribe of_ Levi, _and that the Lord was his
God; and he told the_ Indian, _that all other gods were but mockeries;
the_ Indian _being amazed, asked him the name of his Parents; who
answered_ Abraham, Isaac, _and_ Jacob; _but said he, have you no other
Father? who answered, yes, his Fathers name was_ Ludovicus Montezinus;
_but he not being yet satisfied, I am glad (saith he) to heare you tell
this, for I was in doubt to beleeve you, while you seemed ignorant of
your Parents_: Montezinus _swearing, that he spoke the truth, the_
Indian _asked him, if he were not the Son of_ Israel, _and thereupon
began a long discourse; who when he knew that he was so, he desired him
to prosecute what he had begun, and added, that he should more fully
explaine himselfe, for that formerly he had left things so doubtfull,
that he did not seem at all assured of any thing. After that both had
sate downe together, and refreshed themselves, the_ Indian _thus began:
If you have a minde to follow me your Leader, you shall know what ever
you desire to know, only let me tell you this, whatsoever the journey
is, you must foot it, and you must eate nothing but parched_ Mayz, _and
you must omit nothing that I tell you_; Montezinus _answered that he
would doe all_.
_The next day being Munday_, Cazicus _came againe, and bid him throw
away what he had in his Knapsack to put on shooes made of linnen
packthred, and to follow him, with his staffe; whereupon_ Montezinus
_leaving his Cloake, and his Sword, and other things which he had about
him, they began the journey, the_ Indian _carrying upon his back three
measures of_ Mayz, _two ropes, one of which was full of knots, to climbe
up the Mountaine, with an hooked fork; the other was so loose, for to
passe over Marshes, and Rivers, with a little Axe, and shooes made of
linnen pack-thred. They being thus accoutred, travelled the whole weeke,
unto the Sabbath Day; on which day they resting, the day after they went
on, till Tuesday, on which day about eight a clock in the morning, they
came to a River as bigge as_ Duerus; _then the_ Indian _said, Here you
shall see your Brethren, and making a signe with the fine linnen of_
Xylus, _which they had about them instead of a Girdle; thereupon on the
other side of the River they saw a great smoke, and immediately after,
such another signe made as they had made before; a little after that,
three men, with a woman, in a little Boat came to them, which being come
neare, the woman went ashore, the rest staying in the Boat; who talking
a good while with the_ Indian, _in a Language which_ Montezinus
_understood not; she returned to the Boat, and told to the three men
what she had learned of the_ Indian; _who alwayes eying him, came
presently out of the Boat, and embraced_ Montezinus, _the woman after
their example doing the like; after which, one of them went back to the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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