The Writ for compelling the Jews to attend Church.――E. Belager’s Goods and Chattels. ――F. The Proclamation against accusing the Jews of clipping the Coin.――G. The Original of Ben ♠Virga’s Account.――H. Of Rabbi G’daliah.――I. Letter to the Editor of the _Jewish Chronicle_. ――J. Extract from Bishop Bale. ♦ ‘Satutum’ replaced with ‘Statutum’ ♠ “Verga’s” replaced with “Virga’s” LECTURES ON THE HISTORY OF THE JEWS. LECTURE I. BEFORE I begin with the immediate subject which brings me before your notice this evening, I would venture to crave your indulgence if my lisping, broken accents, and my limited attainments, should not reflect the credit upon your noble Institution which it so richly deserves. I humbly trust, that you will kindly take into consideration that it is comparatively but a short time since I began to pay attention to your language and literature. It is but little more than eight years since I landed on the shores of England, and eight years to a _day_¹ since I arrived in your town of Liverpool, at a time when you, in all probability, little thought of erecting such a magnificent edifice for so laudable a purpose. As for me, I positively aver that I did not then entertain the least ambition of ever appearing before you as lecturer in any shape whatever, being then totally ignorant of your language. I trust, therefore, to your kind and well-known courtesy, that you will put the best construction you possibly can on my humble efforts. ¹ October 28th, 1845. Whilst it would be unpardonable presumption in me, seeing as I do before me such a host of learned and highly-gifted men, to imagine that there were not those present who, from more extensive reading, were not better acquainted with several, if not with all the subjects which will come before them in the progress of these lectures; it would be, at the same time, regarded as mere affectation and false modesty if I pretended that there were not others less conversant with these subjects than myself, and to whom it may be in my power to impart some information which they may not before have possessed. The history of the Jews――part of which I purpose bringing before you in this and five following lectures――stands indeed associated with all that is sublime in the retrospect of the past, affecting in the contemplation of the present, and magnificent in the future history of mankind.