“And no Jew shall have power to alienate in fee, either to Jew or Christian, any houses, rents, or tenements, which they have already purchased, or dispose of them in any manner, or acquit any Christian of his debt, without the king’s special license, till he hath otherwise ordained. “And because holy Church wills and permits that they should live, and be protected, the king takes them into his protection, and commands that they should live guarded and defended by his sheriffs, bailiffs, and other liege people. And that none shall do them harm, either in their persons or goods, moveable or immoveable, or sue, implead, or challenge them in any courts but the king’s courts, ♦wheresoever they are. ♦ ‘wheresover’ replaced with ‘wheresoever’ “And that none of them shall be obedient, respondent, or pay any rent to any but the king or his bailiffs, in his name, excepting for their houses which they now hold, rendering rent; saving likewise the rights of holy Church. “And the king also grants, that they may practise merchandise or live by their labour, and for those purposes freely converse with Christians. Excepting that on any pretence whatever they shall not be levant, or couchant, amongst them: nor on account of their merchandise, be in scots, lots, or talliage, with the other inhabitants of those cities or boroughs where they remain: seeing they are talliable to the king as his own vassals, and not otherwise. “Moreover the king grants them free liberty to purchase houses, and curtilages, in the cities and boroughs where they reside: provided they are held in chief of the king, saving to the lords their due and accustomed services. “And further the king grants, that such as are unskilful in merchandise, and cannot labour, may take lands to farm, for any term not exceeding ten years: provided no homage, fealty, or any such kind of service or advowson to holy Church, be belonging to them. Provided also that this power to farm lands shall continue in force for fifteen years from the making of this act, and no longer.”¹ ¹ It appears that Edward had already contemplated the total banishment of the Jews in 1290, for fifteen years after that statute was enacted the Jews were altogether expelled. The provisions of this act were afterwards rigorously enforced; writs were at different periods issued to compel the Jews to reside in the towns prescribed for them, to levy the sum of three pence a head on all who were above the age of twelve years, and to oblige all who were more than seven years old, to wear the badge directed by the statute. The Jews were for a long time silent as regards the merits of the Christian religion, but they could contain themselves no longer. They began openly to abuse Christianity, and stated publicly that it could not be a religion given by a merciful God, since it allowed such inhumanity.