The populace, who, as usual, only waited for an opportunity to rob and plunder, as soon as the verdict was pronounced, set fire to the houses of the Jews and reduced them to ashes; and so barefaced were those murderers and robbers, that when the sheriff of Norfolk ventured to interfere on behalf of the wretched Jews, they complained to the king of the sheriff’s audacious interference. The Jews residing then in Newcastle-upon-Tyne were banished from that place: we are not informed, however, of the cause of that cruel measure; but simply in consequence of a petition of the inhabitants of that town, who, in all probability, mortgaged their houses to the Jews, and by the expulsion of their creditors from amongst them, hoped to rid themselves of their debts, as no offence whatever is mentioned in the king’s letter.¹ ¹ See Appendix C. The king began zealously to espouse the conduct of the Church towards the Jews; and by royal proclamation prohibited Christian women from entering into the service of Jews as nurses:¹ and the reason given for this interdict is, that there was an universal custom among the Jews of obliging their hired Christian nurses to abstain from nursing their children for three days after Easter, lest the body and blood of Jesus Christ――which all Christians in those Popish times were obliged to receive at that holy festival――should by incorporation be transfused into their children. ¹ See Appendix D. This abominable instance of blasphemy and folly emanated from the pen of Pope Innocent the Third, in an epistle to the Bishop of Paris, in a style unworthy of the polite English ear.¹ How inconsistent! The Jews are first accused of little faith, or of total unbelief, and then again of believing too much. The ridiculous reason would imply that the Jews believed not only in the doctrine of Christ, but also in that of antichrist, viz.: the doctrines of transubstantiation. If the Jews had at all such a practice as above alluded to, it would have been because of Easter generally occurring about the time of the Jewish passover; and the fear of leaven being introduced into their dwellings, might have induced them to have recourse to such an expedient. ¹ See Appendix E. The Christian inhabitants of Southampton, followed the example of those of Newcastle, and petitioned the king to rid them also of the Jews, and perhaps with them of their debts, which the king readily granted. The king’s continual want of money was a never ceasing torment to the poor Jews, for when he could not obtain any money, to squander away, from his barons and nobles, he fell upon the Jews and wrung out of them whatever he wanted.