“That the concealment of any particular should be forfeiture of body and whole estate. “That six or seven public places should be appointed, wherein all their contracts were to be made. “That all such contracts should be made in the presence of two assigned lawyers, who were Jews, and two that were Christians, and two public notaries. “That the Clerks of William de Sancta Maria, and William de Chimelli, should likewise be present at all such contracts. “That such contracts should likewise be made by indenture: one part of which was to remain with the Jew, sealed with the seal of him to whom the money was lent; and the other in a common chest, to which there was to be three locks and three keys. “One key whereof was to be kept by the said Jewish lawyers, the other by the Christian lawyers, and the third by the aforesaid Clerks. “The chest also was to be sealed with three seals. “The aforesaid Clerks were also commanded to keep a transcript roll of all such contracts; which roll was to be altered as often as the original charters of contract were altered. “And the fee for drawing every such charter was to be three pence; one moiety whereof was to be paid by the Jew, and the other moiety by him to whom the money was lent. Whereof the two writers were to have two pence, and the keeper of the rolls the third. “It was ordained likewise, that as no contracts for money, so no payment of it, or acquittance, or any other alteration in the charters, or transcript rolls were to be made, but in the presence of the aforesaid persons, or the greater part of them. “The aforesaid two Jews were to have a copy of the said transcript roll, and the two Christians another. “Every Jew was to take an oath upon his roll,¹ that he would truly and faithfully register all his estates, both real and personal, as above directed; and discover every Jew whom he should know guilty of any concealment; as likewise all forgers, or falsifiers of charters, and clippers of money.” ¹ Parchment MS. of the Pentateuch. Under those regulations the Jews lived peaceably; for they very seldom, on their part, violate any regulations established between themselves and others; and as it was the king’s interest to adhere to the above regulations on his part, the Jews therefore enjoyed comparative tranquillity. But at no small expense. The justices of the Jews at that time were a certain Benedict, and Joseph Aaron. Their contracts, or, as they were then called, _Shtaroth_, from the Hebrew, or rather Chaldee, word שטר _Shtar_, were written either in indifferent Hebrew, or bad Latin, or the same sort of French.¹ That court where all those documents were deposited, obtained the name of “The Star Chamber.”² It was well remarked that Richard made the Jews most unfortunate. He used them as a press, with which to squeeze his subjects. By which they incurred no small degree of animosity from their Christian neighbours.³ ¹ See Appendix F. ² See Appendix G.