Berenice smiled; and I saw that my fears of her being duped by mock
philanthropy were vain. Lord Mowbray was soon tired of his colloquy with
the priest, and returned to us, talking of the Hebrew chanting at some
synagogue in town which he had lately visited; and which, he said, was
the finest thing he had ever heard. A Jewish festival was in a few days
to be celebrated, and I determined, I said, to go on that day to hear
the chanting, and to see the ceremony. In the countenance of Berenice,
to whom my eyes involuntarily turned as I spoke, I saw an indefinable
expression, on which I pondered, and finished by interpreting favourably
to my wishes. I settled that she was pleased, but afraid to show this
too distinctly. Lord Mowbray regretted, what I certainly did not in the
least regret, that he should be on duty at Windsor on the day of this
festival. I was the more determined to be at the synagogue, and there
accordingly I went punctually; but, to my disappointment, Berenice did
not appear. Mr. Montenero saw me come in, and made room for me near him.
The synagogue was a spacious, handsome building; not divided into
pews like our churches, but open, like foreign churches, to the whole
congregation. The women sat apart in a gallery. The altar was in the
centre, on a platform, raised several steps and railed round. Within
this railed space were the high-priest and his assistants. The
high-priest with his long beard and sacerdotal vestments, struck me as a
fine venerable figure. The service was in Hebrew: but I had a book
with a translation of it. All I recollect are the men and women’s
thanksgivings.
“Blessed art thou, O Everlasting King! that thou hast not made me a
woman.”
The woman’s lowly response is, “Blessed art thou, O Lord! that thou hast
made me according to thy will.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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