In order to prevent erroneous conclusions, however, it may be well just to state the probable reason why the ante-expulsion Jews yield us no light on their early history. I am aware that prejudice will readily exclaim, as a reason, “The Jews had no learned men amongst them to record their passing events;” or, “They were too much absorbed in money getting, so that they could not find time to think of anything else.” But any one acquainted with the national character of the Jews, will at once produce an array of facts which will prove incontrovertibly the fallacy of such reasons. I have already demonstrated elsewhere, that there never has been a period in their history when they were destitute of first rate genius and learning. It is a striking fact, that there is _no_ science in which some Jewish name is not enrolled amongst its eminent promoters. They always entertained a profound love for learning, and were inspired with an uncontrollable energy in the pursuit of knowledge. They grace the literary pages of Spain, as pre-eminent philosophers, philologists, physicians, astronomers, mathematicians, historians, grammarians, orators, and highly-gifted poets.¹ D’Israeli does not improperly put the following sentence into Sidonia’s mouth: “You never observe a great intellectual movement in Europe in which the Jews do not greatly participate”²――which he illustrates by notorious facts, and which Dr. Wolff corroborates. But besides all this, we shall see from their history in this country, even from the little that we can gather of it, that the ante-expulsion Jews really had learned men, who were able even to vie with the most learned ecclesiastics of their day, as I shall show in the progress of these lectures. Mr. Moses Samuel, a learned Jew of this town, (Liverpool) observes――“Let me tell you,” addressing his brethren in this country, “that you had great men living in England eight hundred years ago. The sayings of the wise men of Norwich and of York are quoted _in_ some of the additions made by the expounders of the Talmud.”³ A modern Christian writer bears testimony to the same effect; he says――“Their (_i.e._ Jews’) schools afforded a far more superior education than those of the Christians, and the children of the latter were invariably instructed in those schools in arithmetic and medicine, and also in higher branches of study.”⁴ ¹ See “the Fundamental Principles of Modern Judaism investigated”――“An Address to Christians.” ² Coningsby, vol. ii., p. 201. ³ “An Address on the Position of the Jews in Britain,” p. 27. ⁴ Knight’s London, part 31, p. 5. But what _then_ may the reason be for the melancholy deficiency of their own historical records? The probable reason strikes me to be this; the severe ill-usages which have been their painful lot to encounter. For the history of the then Jews is an extremely dreary tale of woe.