NEW CHRISTIANS, the name given to Jews who, 400 years ago, were compelled by the Spanish inquisition to embrace Christianity in order ti escape torture and death. Many outwardly complied, while their secret attachment to their own religion was un changed. But their persecutors, not satisfied with outward professions, and finding that Jewish services were still secretly held and Jewish customs rigidly maintained, resolved to seize the property of the obstinate ones even if they could not gain possession of their minds and hearts. They consequently ordered the arrest of several of the suspected converts and the confiscation of their goods, and denounced excommunication against all who favored or helped them. The Dominican convent at Seville, where the inquisi tion was held, being soon crowded with the prisoners. the tribunal was removed to the castle of Triana in the vicinity of the city. A second edict commanded every person, under penalty of excommunication for mortal sin, to inform against all who had relapsed into Judaism or were suspected of haying done so. Sentences of death were soon pro nounced. In that year about 300 New Christians were burned alive in Seville, 2,000 in other districts of Andalusia. and 17,000 were subjected to minor penalties. The property of all who were put to death was seized. The terror thus excited induced a large ram ber of New Christians" to flee • into Portugal, where many Jews resided, and wera treated with unusual justice. They had consequently become well educated, and filled, to some extent, the places of the expelled Moors as the authors, merchants, and physi cians of the land. From their academy in Lisbon went out skillful mathematicians. grammarians, poets, theologians, botanists, and geographers. By steadfastness and united action, combined with native talent, they acquired great influence through the kingdom. But their superiority aroused popular jealousy, which at length produced an edict for their expulsion from Portugal. Soon the storm burst severely on the New Christians. In 1506 the plague raged violently in Lisbon and was aggravated by famine.
During these combined calamities, while the people were offering up prayers for divine interposition, on Sunday, April 19, a brilliant light illuminated the figure of Christ. While ninny doubted the genuineness of the miracle one of the New Christians was bold enough to express publicly his unbelief. This arousing the populace, they seized the man and burned him at the stake. This one death was like a spark that kindles a conflagra tine. Within three days more than 2,000 persons were put to death; old men, women, and children were burned in the fire that raged in the public squares. The king was absent from Lisbon, but on hearing of the outrage, with righteous indignation, inflicted summary justice on the leaders of the massacre and on the magistrates who had failed to resist and stop it. Terrified by such calamities many both of the Jews and New Chris tians fled to Ilolland, where those of their nation enjoyed complete toleration. The king, anxious to keep all he could of such valuable citizens, commanded that children under the age of 14 should be retained and instructed in Christianity. lids was a cruel order, but it doubtless impelled many Jews to profess Christianity. The Jewish historians affirm that the exodus of their people was complete both from Portugal and Spain; but Jewish physi ognomy and family traditions alike prove that the movement was not universal. There certainly are Jews in Portugal, and Jewish blood flows in the veins of many nchle Roman Catholic families there. In modern times the descendants of New Christians have gradually lost all traces of their national faith. Family names alone point them out. But in remote provinces some traces of the ancient worship remain, especially in observing the great day of atonement. A few families abstain from eating bread during the passover, and many retain the sacred Jewish prayer.