A.D. 1400-1500.
THE JEWS IN PORTUGAL.
No mention has hitherto been made of the Jews dwelling in Portugal.
Little is said respecting them by historians; and the idea has in
consequence been entertained that they were few in number, and
had little influence in the affairs of the country. But that is a
mistake. They settled early in various parts of Portugal, and under
the rule of the first Portuguese kings bore an important part in its
concerns. In the reign of Sancho I., in 1190, a Jew, Don Solomon
Jachia, was made a field-marshal, and commanded the Portuguese army.
In 1248, Sancho II. appointed so many Jews to public offices that the
Pope of the day, Gregory IX., remonstrated with him on the subject,
and requested that Christians might be chosen for the various posts
of receivers and farmers of the revenue, which then were generally
occupied by Jews, to the oppression and injury of Christian men. We
are told that, in requital of the royal protection granted them, the
Jews furnished an anchor and a cable of sixty fathoms’ length to
every king’s vessel which left port.
The same favour was continued by subsequent monarchs. In 1289, the
clergy laid a complaint before Pope Nicolas IV. against King Dennis,
that he appointed Jews to the highest offices in the State; the
Chief Rabbi Judah being his High Treasurer and Minister of Finance.
The consequence was they stated, that he permitted his countrymen
to dispense with the payment of tithe due from them, and also to
lay aside their distinguishing badge. But the complaint seems to
have been without foundation. When, at Evora, in 1325 sumptuary laws
were enacted respecting dress, no exceptions were made in favour of
the Jews; and, unless a composition entered into with the Jews of
Braganza, accepting a fixed sum in lieu of the annual taxes, can be
regarded as such, no special favour was shown them.
Alphonso IV., in 1340, remitted the extraordinary impositions which,
from time to time, had been exacted of them, commuting them for a
sum which, though _per se_ large, was a great relief to them. His
successor, Ferdinand, in 1371 ordered that all the privileges which
had been granted by his predecessors to the Jews should be confirmed.
He had a Jew, Don Judah, for his treasurer. In 1389, John I., at
the suit of Moses, his physician, gave his sanction to the bull of
Clement VI., which had been confirmed by the newly elected Pope,
Boniface IX., granting the Jews licence to celebrate their feasts,
and practise the rites of their religion without interruption from
any. In short, up to the date of the accession of John II., in
1481, though laws were passed from time to time, imposing penalties
and restrictions on the Jews, which we in the present day should
consider harsh and unfair, there was nothing which amounted to
persecution.[160]
On the accession of John II., in 1481, he held a Cortes at Evora,
when great complaints were made of the luxury in which the Jews
indulged, and the display they made of their riches. They rode
splendidly caparisoned horses, wore silk doublets, carried
jewel-hilted swords, entered churches, where they made a mock of the
worship in progress; above all, refused to wear the badge by which
they were distinguished. Jewish artisans, too—cobblers, tinkers, and
the like—roamed about the country, making their way into houses,
while the men were engaged at work in the fields, and perverting the
women. The king replied to these various complaints, promising to
restrain the indulgence in splendid apparel, and to oblige the Jews
to wear their badge; but adding that, as regards other offences, if
it could be proved that they had committed them, the law would punish
them.
In 1491, when the expulsion from Spain took place, large numbers of
the exiles found a refuge in Portugal. It was the most likely spot
for them to select. There was no long and perilous sea-voyage to
be encountered, and the similarity of language and customs of the
two countries made the change less harsh and painful. But though
John permitted the fugitives to find a shelter in his dominions, it
was only for a brief interval, and upon very stern conditions. He
required that all persons, excepting children at the breast, should
pay the sum of eight crusadoes (19_s._ 4_d._) each, in return for
which they received a certificate, entitling them to reside eight
months in the kingdom. At the expiration of that time, the king
engaged to provide vessels, on reasonable terms, to convey them to
any land they might select. Those who could not pay the crusadoes, or
lingered in Portugal after the prescribed time, were to become the
slaves of the king.[161] Upon these terms as many as 20,000 families,
amounting probably to more than 100,000 persons, crossed into
Portugal, with the intention probably of quitting its inhospitable
shores as speedily as possible. But the eight months passed, and
large numbers still lingered. Some were doubtless too poor to pay
for a passage, for which exorbitant prices were charged. The king
had, indeed, ordered that no more than a reasonable sum should be
asked, but his commands were slackly and carelessly carried out, and
complaint would have been worse than useless. Many were terrified by
the tales of barbarities practised on their countrymen by the savage
inhabitants of the African coast, and many had been enfeebled by the
pestilence which had broken out among them. No sooner had the eight
months expired than the penalty was enforced, and the whole of the
loiterers became the slaves of the king. Those who were young and
able-bodied were forcibly baptized, and then carried off to colonize
the island of St. Thomas, in the Gulf of Guinea, which had recently
become a Portuguese possession.
In 1495, John was succeeded by Emmanuel, known in history as ‘the
Fortunate.’ His succession appeared at first to promise the miserable
Jews some respite from their sufferings. He revoked the edict under
which such as had remained in the kingdom became slaves. He refused
a large sum of money which had been presented to him by some wealthy
Jews, and professed his determination of treating them with equity
and mercy.
Unhappily, the gleam of sunshine soon passed away, and was succeeded
by a fiercer tempest than any that had yet darkened their skies.
In an unhappy hour Emmanuel sued for the hand of the Infanta
Isabella, daughter of the Catholic sovereigns of Spain; and they
would not consent to the marriage, except on the condition that
their son-in-law should banish the Jews from Portugal, as they had
banished them from Spain. We may believe that there was a struggle
in his mind, for he was evidently inclined to be compassionate
towards the unfortunate race, which he had already befriended.
But what, after all, were a few thousands of wretched Jews, when
compared with the fulfilment of his hopes? Nay, he would win the
approval of his lady-love by doing even more than had been required
of him. He would win her favour at once, and that of Heaven also,
by his fulfilment of their wishes. He issued a proclamation from
Muja, ordering all the Jews still within his dominions to embrace
the Christian faith within the space of three months, or to depart
from Portugal. Three ports were at first named—Lisbon Oporto, and
Setubal—from any of which the Jews might embark; but subsequently
this order was revoked, and Lisbon was named as the only place of
embarkation. It is probable that Emmanuel expected, after the great
reluctance which the Jews had manifested, on a recent occasion, to
quit their present place of abode for unknown and unfriendly regions,
that the greater part, at all events, would choose baptism rather
than deportation. When he found that this was not the case, but that
great numbers were resolute to depart, and were making the needful
preparations for their voyage, he was greatly disconcerted. The glory
of making converts to the Church would be denied him, and he would
lose a vast number of wealthy and valuable subjects. He resolved not
to forego these advantages without at least making another effort to
secure them. He despatched a secret order that all children under
fourteen should be separated from their parents, and brought up in
the Christian faith. This was not to be carried into effect until
the day of embarkation came, so that there would be no time left for
disputing or evading the decrees. But the king’s intention was by
some error divulged; and, lest the Jews should contrive to defeat it,
it was put into immediate execution. Such scenes of horror ensued as
imagination cannot picture. It was the repetition, on a larger scale,
of the massacre at Bethlehem. Children were dragged forcibly from the
grasp of their parents; infants torn from their mothers’ breasts,
to undergo what they regarded as worse then death. Many, in the
distraction of their agony, flung their children into the wells and
rivers, or slew themselves with their own hands.[162] One miserable
mother threw herself at the feet of the king, as he was riding to
church—to _church_! Great God of Mercy, that men should dare to bring
such deeds into Thy very house, for Thine approval! She cried out
that six of her seven children had already been taken from her—would
he not spare her youngest to her? The courtiers mocked at her misery.
The king bade his attendants remove her from his path—‘the poor
bitch,’ as he expressed it, ‘robbed of her whelps!’—whether with her
petition granted or not, we are not told. But the people were not
so deaf to the common instincts of humanity as their monarch. They
assisted the Jews to conceal their children, and the inhuman command
was only partially carried out. Nevertheless, this last deadly blow
had gone further to break the hearts of the Jews than all their
previous sufferings. On condition of receiving back their children,
and that the Inquisition should not be introduced into Portugal for
twenty years to come,[163] many of those who had hitherto resisted
all attempts to proselytize them consented to receive baptism. The
more steadfast spirits, whom no amount of suffering could subdue,
were either shipped off to foreign lands or remained behind after the
appointed day, and became the slaves of Emmanuel.
It must not be supposed that these acts of bigotry and pitiless
cruelty were done with the universal consent of the Portuguese
people. The rabble, indeed, in every land can at all times be stirred
up to hunt down and oppress those who differ from themselves on
almost any subject, without reflection and without remorse; yet, even
among them, as we have seen, the natural feelings of compassion could
not be wholly stifled. But among the more educated and thoughtful
classes there were many who not only disapproved the act of their
sovereign, but openly expressed their dissatisfaction. Bishop Osorio
has plainly recorded the view which he and others took of it. ‘Some
of the king’s counsellors,’ he says, ‘were of opinion that the Jews
ought not to be driven away, since it was notorious that the Pope
himself permitted them to reside in his dominions. Other Christian
princes in Italy, following his example—as well as some in Germany,
Hungary, and other European States,—granted them the same liberty,
and allowed them to practise various trades and professions. As for
converting them to the Church, banishment would be less likely than
any other step to bring that about. The Jews would carry with them
their perverse dispositions. _Cœlum non animum mutant qui trans mare
currunt_—a change of residence would have no effect in producing a
change of conviction. Nay, to send them over to Africa would be to
destroy what hope at present existed of their conversion. Living
among Christians, they might be influenced by the Christian example
set them [alas! what kind of Christian example _had_ been set them?]
and adopt the true faith. But, mingling with blind and superstitious
Mahometans, how could they learn any good? Again, to put the matter
on wholly different grounds, it would be most injurious to the State
to send out of the land a people possessed of abundant wealth, which
would then enrich their enemies.’ But the words of Divine and human
wisdom alike failed to produce any effect on the infatuated king and
his advisers, and the fatal policy was persisted in.
During this century many learned and able writers belonging to the
Hebrew race have transmitted their names to posterity. Mention
has been made in the previous chapter of Isaac Abarbanel, divine,
philosopher, and historian, the most celebrated Jew of his age.
Contemporary with him were Isaac Aboab, author of commentaries,
essays, and sermons; David ben Solomon Jachia, grammarian, poet, and
Talmudist; Judah, Joseph, and Samuel Abarbanel, sons of the renowned
Isaac, the first-named also an author of repute; Solomon ben Virga,
the historian; David ben Joseph Jachia, philosopher, grammarian, and
poet; and many others.
During this century printing-presses were introduced into Portugal by
two Jews, Eliezer and Izarba, by whom some beautiful editions of the
Pentateuch and the Targum of Onkelos were produced. Hebrew presses
were also set up about the same time in many of the great Italian
cities.
FOOTNOTES:
[160] Thus, the Jews were compelled to live in their Jewry; they
could not have Christian servants; they were prohibited from entering
the houses of Christians, unless they were accompanied by two
Christians; they were not allowed to wear silk dresses; they were
not allowed to collect the revenue of the Church. But no one could
do them wrong without their obtaining redress; there was no hint of
confiscating their wealth; and they were free to practise any trade
or profession.
[161] Except smiths and armourers, who were permitted to remain in
the country if they chose.
[162] The corpses of these were publicly burnt, as a token of the
anger of Heaven against _their_ wickedness!
[163] The converts also stipulated that, when the Inquisition was set
up, its judicial proceedings should be so far modified that accused
persons should be confronted with the witnesses against them; and, in
case of condemnation, their entire property should not be taken from
their families.