DE JUDAISMO, STATUTUM. The name of a statute passed in the reign of Edward I., which enacted severe and absurd penalties against the Jews. Barrington, Stat. 197.
The Jews were exceedingly oppressed during the middle ages throughout Christendom, and aro so still in some countries. In France, a Jew was a serf, and his person and goods belonged to the baron on whoee demesnes he lived. He could not change his domicil without permission of the baron, who could pursue him as a fugitive even on the domains of the king. Like an article of com merce, he might be lent or hired for a time, or mort gaged. If he became is Christian, his conversion was considered a larceny of the lord, and his pro perty and goods were confiscated. They were allowed to utter their prayers only in a low voice and without chanting. They were not allowed to appear in public without some badge or mark of distioctiou. Christians were forbidden to employ Jews of either sex as domestics, physicians, or sur geons. Admission to the bar was forbidden to Jews. They were obliged to appear in court in person when they demanded justice for a wrong done them ; and it was deemed disgraceful to an ad vocate to undertake the cause of a Jew. If a Jew appeared in court against a Christian, he was obliged to swear by the ten names of God and invoke a thousand imprecations against himself if he spoke not the truth. Sexual intercourse between
a Christian man and a Jewess was deemed a crime against nature, and was punishable with death by burning. Quit eat rem hobot e cum cane, rent habere a Chriatiano cone Judsea pose CANIS reputatur : sic eamburi debet. 1 Fournel, Hist. des Avocata, 10$, 110. See Merlin, Repert. Juifa.
In the fifth book of the Decretala it is provided that if a Jew have a servant that desireth to be a Christian, the Jew shall be compelled to sell him to a Christian for twelve-pence ; that it shall not be lawful for them to take any Christian to he their servant; that they may repair their old syna gogues, but not build new ; that it shall not be lawful for them to open their doors or windows on Goad Friday ; that their wives shall neither have Christian nurses, nor themselves be nurses to Chris. tian women ; that they wear different apparel from the Christians, whereby they may he known, etc. Sco Ridley's View of the Civ. and Eccl. Law, part 1, chap. 5, sect. 7, and Madox, Hist. of Exch., as to their condition in England.