All sorts of legends circulate amongst them about the “millions” of books which belong to the “Queen of England.” They speak mysteriously of an autograph copy of the Book of Proverbs, presented to the Queen of Sheba on the occasion of her visit to Jerusalem, and brought by the English troops as a trophy from their visit to Abyssinia, which is still ruled by the descendants of that famous lady. They also talk of a copy of the Talmud of Jerusalem which once belonged to Titus, afterwards to a Pope, was presented by the latter to a Russian Czar, and taken away from him by the English in the Crimean war; of a manuscript of the book _Light is Sown_,(218) which is so large that no shelf can hold it, and which therefore hangs on iron chains. How they long to have a glance at these precious things! Would not a man get wiser only by looking at the autograph of the wisest of men? But even the students of Germany and Austria, who are inaccessible to such fables, and by the aid of Zedner’s, Steinschneider’s, and Neubauer’s catalogues have a fair notion of our libraries, cherish the belief that they would gain in scholarship and wisdom by examining these grand collections. How often have I been asked by Jewish students abroad: “Have you really been to the British Museum? Have you really seen this or that rare book or manuscript? Had you not great difficulties in seeing them? Is not the place where these heaps of jewels are treasured up always crowded by students and visitors?” Yet how little does our English public know of these wonderful things! We are fairly interested in Græco‐Roman art. We betray much curiosity about the different Egyptian dynasties. We look with admiration at the cuneiform inscriptions in the Nimrod room. We do not even grudge a glance at the abominable idols of the savage tribes. But as to the productions of Jewish genius,—well, it is best to quote here the words of Heine, who ridiculed this indifference to everything that is Jewish, in the following lines:— Alte Mumien, ausgestopfte, Pharaonen von Ægypten, Merowinger Schattenkön’ge, Ungepuderte Perticken, Auch die Zopfmonarchen China’s Porzellanpagodenkaiser— Alle lernen sie answendig, Kluge Mädchen, aber, Himmel! Fragt man sie nach grossen Namen, Aus dem grossen Goldzeitalter Der arabisch‐althispanisch Jüdischen Poetenschule, Fragt man nach dem Dreigestirn Nach Jehuda ben Halevy, Nach dem Salomon Gabirol Und dem Moses Iben Esra. Fragt man nach dergleichen Namen, Dann mit grossen Augen schaun Uns die Kleinen an—alsdann Stehn am Berge die Ochsinnen.