In vain did the Jews remonstrate against these accumulated oppressions; their remonstrances were only met by a renewal of their hardships. In vain did they pray for permission to depart from the country, in order that they might seek an asylum in some other land; this alternative was also denied them, and proclamations were issued forbidding any Jew to leave England without the king’s license. Having failed to obtain redress when sought in terms of humble supplication, they wanted not the courage to enforce their complaints in language at once bold and impressive. When the principal men amongst them had been summoned before the Earl Richard of Cornwall, the king’s brother, and the council, and were threatened with imprisonment and death, unless they forthwith supplied the sum required of them, Elias, their senior rabbi, stood up, and in the name of his brethren addressed the assembly in these words:―― “O noble lords, we see undoubtedly that our Lord the king purposeth to destroy us from under heaven. We entreat, for God’s sake, that he give us license and safe conduct to depart out of his kingdom, that we may seek a mansion in some other land, and under a prince who bears some bowels of mercy, and some stability of truth and faithfulness, and we will depart, never to return again, leaving our household stuff and houses behind us. But how can he spare us miserable Jews, who destroys his own natural English? He hath people, yea, his own merchants, I say not usurers, who by usurious contracts accumulate infinite heaps of money. Let the king rely upon them, and gape after their emoluments. Verily, they have supplanted us, which the king, however, dissembles to know; extracting from us those things we cannot give him, although he would pull out our eyes or cut our throats, when he had first taken off our skins.” With so much feeling and sincerity was this address made, that as the orator concluded it, a sudden faintness seized him, from which he was with much difficulty recovered.¹ The application for leave to quit this country was refused with as much courtesy and gentleness as possible. The king’s brother, the Earl of Cornwall, knowing that their removal would prove injurious to his money-sucking brother, replied to Rabbi Elias’ application in the following words:――“The king, my brother, is your loving prince, and ready at all times to oblige you, but in this matter could not grant your request, because the king of France had lately published a severe edict against Jews,² and no other Christian country would receive you; by which means ye would be exposed to such hardships and difficulties as would afflict the king, who had always been tender of your welfare.” ¹ The king did not leave Rabbi Elias’ speech unresented; for the following year, the king deprived him of the high office he held amongst the Jews, without alleging any offence against him. See Appendix M. ² See Appendix N.