II. It is uncertain at what period the Jews first settled in England. From the preface to Leland's Collections, it appears that Mr. Richard Waller believed them to have settled here during the government of the Romans. This opinion was founded on the circumstance of a Roman brick having been found at London, having on one side a bas-re lief representing Sampson driving the foxes into a field of corn. From the elegance of the sculpture, and other cir cumstances, it was inferred that this brick could not be the work of later ages ; and if Roman, of Roman Jews, from the subject. However this may be, it is certain that the Jews were numerous in England so early as the year 740, since the 24th paragraph of the Canonical Excerptions, published by Egbright, Archbishop of York, in that year, forbids any Christians to be present at the Jewish feasts. In a charter of \Vitglaff, King of Mercia, made to the monks of Croyland, there are confirmed to them not only such lands as had been given to the monastery by the kings of Mercia, but all their possessions whatever, whether they were originally bestowed on them by Christians or Jews. During the feudal ages, the Jews, from their aversion to war, and their love of gain, seem to have been the most opulent, as well as the most polished and enlightened por tion of the laity. They were the only bankers of the period. They conducted foreign trade, and in the course of it often visited the countries of southern Europe. Most of the gold and silver ornaments for altars were ‘171 ought by them. William Rufus encouraged them to enter into solemn con tests with his bishops concerning the true faith ; swearing, by the faith of St. Luke, his favourite oath, that, if the Jews were victorious in the dispute, he would turn Jew himself. Accordingly during his reign there was a public meeting for this disputation, at which the Jews opposed the Chris tians with so much vigour, promptitude, and acuteness, that the clergy felt considerable anxiety respecting the issue.
Henry II. in the 24th rear of his reign, granted a burial place to the Jews on the outside of every city where they dwelt. At this period, one Joshua:, a Jew, furnished the rebels in Ireland with great sums of money ; and another Jew of Bury St. Edmunds took in pledge certain vessels appropriated to the service of the altar. Such was the confidence they felt either in their numbers or their wealth, that at this time they underrated the highest dignitaries of the church. In the year 1188, the parliament of Northamp ton proposed to assess the Jews at 60,0001., and the Chris tians at 70,000/. towards carrying on a projected war. In the reign of Richard I. the prejudices of the people of Eng land seem to have been for the first time generally and strongly excited against them. A crusade had been re solved on ; the populace, roused by the declamations of the clergy, easily turned their zeal against the Jews. In Lon don their houses were broken open and plundered. On this occasion, three persons only were punished, who through mistake had damaged the houses al Christians. In the space of six months, the persecution of the Jews became general throughout the kingdom. The rrost dread ful outrage against them was committed at Sta iford fair. Here were collected an immense number of the populace, who were preparing to go with the king to the Holy Land.
As for this enterprise they had already expended the little property they possessed, they resolved to force the Jews also to contrihute their share. With this intention, they attacked them when assembled in great numbers at this fair, and quickly made themselves masters both of their persons and fortunes ; the former of which they treated with all kinds of barbarity. A few of them were so for tunate as to obtain shelter in the castle. The king did not endeavour to prevent this outrage, nor did he punish it. At this period, it is supposed by some writers that they invent ed bills of exchange, since mention seems to be made of them by the name of Starra, (from the Hebrew Shetar,) in certain Latin documents of this era. By an edict of Richard I. for registering their property, it appears that they were still permitted to exercise the liberal professions ; this edict ordering that their contracts should be made in the pre sence of two assigned lawyers who were Jews, two who were Christians, and two public notaries. This king also appointed Justicers of the Jews, whose business it was to collect and pay into the exchequer the taxes assessed upon them. The Jews found their situation under Richard so intolerable, that nearly all the wealthier of them emigrated, and there was a consequent defalcation of the revenue. This was so considerable in the reign of John, that that monarch, in the year 1199, used his utmost endeavours to tempt them back to England ; not only confirming their ancient privileges, but granting them new ones, particu larly that of appointing a high-priest. Upon this, many of them returned ; but they were more cruelly plundered than ever. It has been remarked, that Magna Charta sanctions an injustice to this ill-used race, by enacting, that " if any persons have borrowed money of the Jews, more or less, and die before they have paid the debt, the debt shall not increase while the heir is under age ;" but, in our opinion, this clause had no reference to the Jews as Jews, but merely as money-lenders, and as they were the only money-lenders of that period, they alone are mentioned.
As long as the rage for crusading lasted, the Jews were liable to great indignities and oppression, particularly from those who had performed a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Against these, Henry III. ordered them to be protected ; he also liberated such as were in prison. In order to dis tinguish them, lie directed them to wear upon the fore part of their upper garment two broad stripes of white linen or parchment. It was in this reign that the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Bishops of Lincoln and Norwich, pub lished injunctions throughout their respective dioceses, that no Christian should presume to have any communication with the Jews, or sell them any provisions, under pain of excommunication. The king, however, interfered in their behalf; and thus rescued them from starving. The prior of Dunstable was more liberal than his superiors; for, about this time, he granted to several Jews liberty to re side on his land, and to enjoy all the privileges which his other vassals enjoyed, in consideration of the annual pay ment of two silver spoons.