In the early period of the Middle Ages there was a King of Spain, Pedro
by name. He was a wise and tolerant ruler. In his kingdom Christians,
Jews and Mohammedans were to be found. It was a time when brotherly
love was to be discovered in the Holy Scriptures only.
King Pedro was one day about to set out at the head of his army to
attack his enemies in a neighbouring land. Nicholas of Valencia, one of
the royal counsellors, came to Pedro and exclaimed,—
“O most gracious sire! May I ask your Majesty a question?”
“Ask, good friend Nicholas,” said the King.
“What need is there for your Majesty to leave your kingdom to fight
your enemies beyond the border, when you have so many dangerous enemies
within your kingdom?”
“To whom do you refer?” cried the King.
“I refer to all disbelievers in Spain, the heretics, the Jews and the
followers of Mahommet—people who deny the divinity of our Lord, our
Saviour, and His Holy Mother. Do we not, as good Christians, hate the
Jews and Moslems and do they not hate us? Does not your Majesty know
that the Jews are commanded in their holy Bible to abstain from
greeting the Christians?”
“How can that be true,” said the wise King, “since the Hebrew Bible was
written at a time when there were no Christians?”
“Nevertheless,” continued Nicholas, “I have heard it said, that even
though a Jew would greet a Christian saying to him, ‘Peace be unto
you,’ he immediately adds under his breath, ‘but may the Devil take
you.’”
“How do you know this?” exclaimed the King in astonishment.
“I was told this,” replied Nicholas, “by a most saintly man, one
Geronimo, a converted Jew.”
“No, no,” interrupted Pedro, “I would not believe such a man. Any one
who changes his religion will not scruple to change his word, twisting
the truth into falsehood. Do you not also realize that the testimony of
such a convert is probably unreliable, because he is now anxious to
show how intensely he loves his new faith, and this he does best by
hating the religion which he has abandoned?”
“Your Majesty may be right,” said Nicholas, “but,” he added, “there is
nothing which vexes my soul so much as the unbounded impudence of the
Jews, who would not hesitate to tell your Majesty that their Religion
is better than our Holy Faith.”
“Do not let this vex you, good Nicholas,” said Pedro; “prove your
statement by bringing a Jew before me and let me hear from his own lips
this glorification of his religion, and then I will tell you whether I
feel vexed or not.”
Nicholas left the King in order to fetch a Jew as commanded by his
royal master. After a few minutes had elapsed, he returned, bringing
with him a venerable man with a long beard, white as the driven snow.
“Welcome!” exclaimed King Pedro; “be seated, noble Jew, and answer me
without fear or favour any questions I may put to you.”
“May it please your Majesty,” said the Jew, who had risen from his seat
when about to speak, “life is dear to me and mine, but truth and honour
are dearer still. For nearly ninety years have I remained steadfast to
the faith of my fathers. I most humbly beg your Majesty to suffer me
and my people to continue to be loyal not only to God, our Heavenly
King, but also to your Majesty.”
“Have no fear, good Jew, but now tell me your name,” says King Pedro.
“I am called,” he replies, “Ephraim, the son of Sancho.”
“Now will you tell me,” asks the King, “which religion, Judaism or
Christianity, is more true and real?”