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The history of the Jews: From the war with Rome to the present timeAdams, H. C. (Henry Cadwallader)

History

The history of the Jews: From the war with Rome to the present time

Name: The history of the Jews: From the war with Rome to the present time
Author: Adams, H. C. (Henry Cadwallader)

Adams, H. C. (Henry Cadwallader)

Jews -- History -- 70-

Such Jews as had taken refuge in Bohemia do not appear to have fared
much better than their brethren in other European countries. The
Emperor Wenceslaus, son of Charles IV., a lavish and dissipated
sovereign, anxious to recover the goodwill of his subjects, whom he
had alienated by his excesses, issued a decree discharging all his
nobles from any liabilities they might have incurred to the Jews. The
people thereupon, who had been afraid to meddle with them, because
they regarded them as living under royal protection, considering
that they had now lost the emperor’s favour, broke out into a riot
at Gotha, where they massacred large numbers of them. They were
presently joined by the peasants, and the outbreak extended to
other cities. At Spires the whole of the Jewish residents, with the
exception of some few small children, who were reserved for the font,
were put to the sword.

Soon afterwards the cry was raised again that the springs and
rivers had been poisoned; and the Jews were subjected to a second
persecution all over Germany, and in parts of Italy and France. We
are informed that the emperor was fully convinced of the falsehood
of the accusation—which, indeed, it is difficult to believe that any
person of sense and education could ever have credited. But it was
in vain to attempt to reason with the multitude; and, despairing of
obtaining peace or quiet in his kingdom so long as the Jews were
allowed to reside in it, he issued an order requiring them either
to accept Christianity or depart from the empire. The observation,
already made in the instance of other lands, naturally recurs to
us when we read his sentence. What punishment could it be to them
to leave a country where they had been so persistently and so
remorselessly wronged? Nevertheless, it is evident that it _was_ a
punishment, and a severe one to them. It is to their honour that few
of them accepted the alternative offered them, but went forth into
exile, with all its sorrows and privations, rather than forsake their
ancient faith.

The reader will not wonder that in an age of such unexampled misery,
few German Jews were distinguished for their literary success. Isaac
of Düren, Alexander Cohen of Cologne, Halevi of Mentz, Isserlein
of Marburg, and Lipman of Mulhouse, were among the most celebrated
writers of these unhappy times.


FOOTNOTES:

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

The history of the Jews: From the war with Rome to the present timeAdams, H. C. (Henry Cadwallader)

History

The history of the Jews: From the war with Rome to the present time

Adams, H. C. (Henry Cadwallader)

Jews -- History -- 70-

Such Jews as had taken refuge in Bohemia do not appear to have fared
much better than their brethren in other European countries. The
Emperor Wenceslaus, son of Charles IV., a lavish and dissipated
sovereign, anxious to recover the goodwill of his subjects, whom he
had alienated by his excesses, issued a decree discharging all his
nobles from any liabilities they might have incurred to the Jews. The
people thereupon, who had been afraid to meddle with them, because
they regarded them as living under royal protection, considering
that they had now lost the emperor’s favour, broke out into a riot
at Gotha, where they massacred large numbers of them. They were
presently joined by the peasants, and the outbreak extended to
other cities. At Spires the whole of the Jewish residents, with the
exception of some few small children, who were reserved for the font,
were put to the sword.

Soon afterwards the cry was raised again that the springs and
rivers had been poisoned; and the Jews were subjected to a second
persecution all over Germany, and in parts of Italy and France. We
are informed that the emperor was fully convinced of the falsehood
of the accusation—which, indeed, it is difficult to believe that any
person of sense and education could ever have credited. But it was
in vain to attempt to reason with the multitude; and, despairing of
obtaining peace or quiet in his kingdom so long as the Jews were
allowed to reside in it, he issued an order requiring them either
to accept Christianity or depart from the empire. The observation,
already made in the instance of other lands, naturally recurs to
us when we read his sentence. What punishment could it be to them
to leave a country where they had been so persistently and so
remorselessly wronged? Nevertheless, it is evident that it _was_ a
punishment, and a severe one to them. It is to their honour that few
of them accepted the alternative offered them, but went forth into
exile, with all its sorrows and privations, rather than forsake their
ancient faith.

The reader will not wonder that in an age of such unexampled misery,
few German Jews were distinguished for their literary success. Isaac
of Düren, Alexander Cohen of Cologne, Halevi of Mentz, Isserlein
of Marburg, and Lipman of Mulhouse, were among the most celebrated
writers of these unhappy times.


FOOTNOTES:

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

The history of the Jews: From the war with Rome to the present time

The history of the Jews: From the war with Rome to the present time

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