1838.
BARTHOLOMEW FAIR--SIR MOSES EARNS THE THANKS OF THE CITY--PREPARATIONS
FOR A SECOND JOURNEY TO THE HOLY LAND--THE JOURNEY--ADVENTURES ON ROAD
AND RIVER IN FRANCE.
On Monday, September 3rd, Sir Moses went in full state to join his
colleague, and proceeded with him to the Mansion House. The Lord
Mayor, in his state coach, drawn by six horses, and preceded by a body
of police, went with the Sheriffs, and the City Marshal on horseback,
to Smithfield, and proclaimed "Bartholomew Fair." Sir Moses observes,
"There were not so many booths and shows as in former years, but all
were crowded to excess."
_Thursday, September 13th._--He attended the dedication of the new
Synagogue at Great St Helens. "It is," he says, "a most splendid
edifice, and does the greatest credit to all concerned in the
building. The music and psalms on the occasion were very similar to
those used at the dedication of my own Synagogue at Ramsgate."
The following day he and Lady Montefiore went to spend a couple of
days at Gunnersbury with their sister, Mrs N. M. de Rothschild. In the
entry he makes of the Sabbath, Sir Moses writes: "We all assembled in
the library, where Louise Rothschild read the Sabbath morning service
aloud exceedingly well. At three o'clock we lunched, and then walked
in the garden, after which we re-entered the house and recited the
afternoon prayers. About eight we were seated at dinner. There were
twenty-four at table, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge,
Prince George and the Princess Mary, two foreign princes with a lady,
and Col. Jones, who accompanied them. There were also present Sir C.
Bagot, Lord and Lady Cawdor, and Miss Wellesley, Baron Bulow,
Monsieur Didel, and Lady Maryborough. The entertainment, or rather the
Banquet, was magnificent, and the guests did not leave till after
eleven. Wester on the guitar, and Benedict on the piano, amused the
company at the conclusion of the dinner, and Louise sang one song
beautifully. We left about twelve and returned home."
_Tuesday, September 18th._--"My dear Judith," he writes, "with the
Baronesses Charlotte, Anselm, and Lionel de Rothschild, came to the
Session House at three o'clock, and sat on the bench till near five,
but no trial of interest took place. A few minutes later I joined the
dinner in the hall, as it was the last time I should have to visit the
Old Bailey in my capacity as Sheriff of London and Middlesex. There
were present: Alderman Lawson, in the chair; Common-Sergeant S.
Arabin, Ed. Blount, John Masterman, Henry Alexander, Matthias Attwood,
H. de Castro, G. H. Mine, Mr Maynard, Mr Wire, Sir George Carrol, and
two or three others. It was a most pleasant party; a kind of
leave-taking dinner, and the Sheriffs had the gratification of hearing
that their conduct during their year of office had given general
satisfaction. It was impossible to leave the room without a feeling of
regret at parting from very pleasant acquaintances whom we were so
little likely to see again. Very quickly has the year flown away, with
its pleasures and fatigues, leaving only the satisfaction of having
accomplished our arduous duties to the best of our abilities."
_Wednesday, September 19th._--He went early to the Old Bailey, and
breakfasted there, as he had generally done during the year when his
attendance was required. "These early repasts," he observes, "have
been, without exception, most comfortable; although they preceded long
days of confinement in a hot and close court, they have left pleasing
remembrances of the many marks of attention and kindness shown to me
by the city Judges who used to join these early meals." After this,
his last breakfast there, he accompanied Lady Carrol, her daughters,
and some other visitors round the prison and cells. He then left some
money for the prisoners, and conducted the Judges and a large party
into the dining-room, after which he bade adieu to the Old Bailey, "I
expect," he says, "for ever." He then returned home and prepared for
the Holy days which were to commence the same evening.
On Monday, October 1st, the following official notice appeared:--
"Cowen, Mayor.--In a meeting or assembly of the Mayor,
Aldermen, and Liverymen of the several Companies of the
city of London, in Common Council assembled, at the
Guildhall of the said city, on Saturday, the 29th day of
September 1838. Resolved unanimously, that the thanks of
this Common Hall are eminently due, and are hereby
given, to Sir George Carrol and Sir Moses Montefiore,
Knights, Sheriffs of this City, and Sheriffs of the
County of Middlesex, for the past year, for the
splendour with which they have maintained the dignity of
that high office; for their hospitality; for the
punctuality, zeal, and judgment with which they have
executed their various official duties; for their
munificent and constant support of the charities which
adorn the metropolis; for their humanity to the
prisoners entrusted to their care; for their various
efforts to preserve, unimpaired, the privileges of this
city; and for their universal courtesy to all their
fellow-citizens.
"Woodthorpe."
The particulars of that meeting are thus given:--"Mr Timothy Curtis,
the Governor of the Bank of England, came forward to move a vote of
thanks to the late Sheriffs, Sir George Carrol and Sir Moses
Montefiore, for the dignity, splendour, humanity, and hospitality with
which they had distinguished themselves in the high situation to which
they had been chosen by the unanimous voice of their fellow-citizens.
Mr Gurney, in seconding the motion of thanks, said he rejoiced that
the day had arrived when the citizens could be served by any one,
whatever his religious opinions might be."
Mr T. Curtis then read the following letter--a letter of thanks to the
Livery--from Sir Moses Montefiore, in the course of which he said:--
"I need not tell you that many of the duties of office myself and
colleague have just passed through are of a painful nature. We have
often been called upon to witness scenes of agony occasioned by want
and crime. Some of this distress, however painful, we could not
alleviate; but we have endeavoured to mitigate the sufferings of the
prisoners, and to open to them better and happier courses of life, as
far as public justice and the necessarily strict rules of a prison
would permit.
"If, on the one hand, there have been scenes of distress to witness,
on the other I have found many sources of unmingled gratification. I
have had opportunities of forming friendships with the members of the
Corporation, and of cementing a friendship of long standing with my
excellent colleague--friendships which I am sure, as regards my own
wishes, will still remain, and cause me to look back on the past year
as one of the happiest of my life."
Whilst these proceedings took place at the Guildhall, Sir Moses was
fasting and reciting prayers with his community in the ancient and
venerable Synagogue called "The Gate of Heaven," as the day on which
the meeting took place happened to be the Day of Atonement, appointed
in the Bible as a day of repentance and prayer for the forgiveness of
sins. The fast does not seem to have affected Sir Moses' health or
spirits in the least, as we find him attending service again in the
House of Prayer at twenty minutes before seven the next morning. His
devotions concluded, he takes an early opportunity of visiting his
friends and enquiring how they have passed the previous day. The same
evening he dined with his mother, who, he writes, "was, thanks to
Heaven, pretty well after her fast."
_Monday, October 1st._--He called on Mr Curtis, the Governor of the
Bank of England, to thank him for proposing the vote of thanks to the
Sheriffs; also on Mr Gurney, who seconded the vote. Later in the day
he accompanied Sir George Carrol to Westminster, and at three o'clock
the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, the Recorder, and Sheriffs elect came there
to receive Her Majesty's approval of the newly elected Sheriffs. The
Recorder in his address to the Bench again highly complimented Sir
George and Sir Moses on the efficient manner in which they discharged
their duties. Sir Moses then returned in great haste to the city,
having summoned a meeting at the Alliance Office at four, for the
election of a solicitor to the Board of Deputies. At five o'clock he
had to attend the new Sheriffs' inauguration dinner at the London
Tavern. "There were 150 persons present," he says, "the Lord Mayor in
the chair. We had the foremost places, next to the new Sheriffs, and
our health was drunk in a most complimentary manner."
_Wednesday, October 3rd._--Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore went to
Ramsgate, where they spent the Tabernacle holidays very happily,
surrounded by relatives and friends whom they had invited for the
occasion.
On the 19th they returned again to London. Here they had the
satisfaction of finding letters of introduction from Lord Palmerston
to Her Majesty's Ambassadors and Consuls in Paris, Florence, Rome,
Naples, Malta, Alexandria, and Constantinople, as also to the Admiral
on the Mediterranean Station, which Sir Moses had asked for through Mr
Spring-Rice.
_Monday, October 22nd._--At a meeting of the Deputies of the British
Jews, Sir Moses resigned the Presidency on account of his going
abroad. The next day he called at the Foreign Office to thank Lord
Palmerston for the letters of introduction he had so kindly sent; he
also called on Mr Spring-Rice, who was very friendly, and promised him
a letter to the Governor of Malta, at the same time requesting Sir
Moses to write to him from the East. A few days later he received
several letters from Baron Lionel de Rothschild, which Baron Anthony,
at the request of Baron Anselm de Rothschild, had procured for him
from the French Ministry, to the French Admiral on the Mediterranean
Station, and to their Ministers and Consuls.
Before leaving England Sir Moses sent for his solicitor to read over
the will he had prepared, and which he signed in his presence, and in
the presence of another gentleman whom he had brought as witness.
I notice this item in the entries of his diary to show the
completeness of all his arrangements.
There is a book entitled "Notes from a Private Journal of a Visit to
Egypt and Palestine by way of Italy and the Mediterranean," written by
Lady Montefiore, and printed in the year 1844: a second edition was
printed shortly before the death of Sir Moses. Both, having only been
intended for private circulation among friends, are unpublished. The
account of the journey which I give here is taken partly from Sir
Moses' and Lady Montefiore's diaries, and partly from my own, which I
kept when travelling with them, with a view of supplying the reader
with information on subjects which they have omitted to write down.
_Thursday, November 1st._--"We have finished," Sir Moses writes, "all
the preparations for our journey, and have taken leave of all our dear
relatives. I have left to Benjamin Cohen the key of a box in which
there are 1300 Portuguese Bonds which I have destined for the poor of
the Holy Land; if necessary he is to sell them for me. After that we
set out from Park Lane in our travelling carriage with four post
horses, attended by our servants. May the blessing of the Almighty
accompany us. We stopped a short time at Kennington for the blessing
of our dear mother, whom I pray God to protect, that we may have the
happiness to find her in health on our return, and then proceeded as
far as Sittingbourne, where we remained overnight."
Travelling _via_ Strasburg and Avignon they reached Lyons, where they
rested for Sabbath. Thus far their way had been through the most
lovely scenery, but their enjoyment was marred by the inclemency of
the weather, and the difficulty of the roads, which lay for the most
part at the sides or on the top of high steep mountains, close to
immense precipices or rushing rivers, which were swollen by the
torrents of water streaming down the sides of the mountains from the
melting snow. "My dear Judith," says Sir Moses, "was often so
frightened that she persisted in getting out of the carriage, although
the snow was deep on the ground. Our courier and the postillions had
to walk a great part of the way, and to lead the horses, as the ice
had made the roads so slippery. I certainly would not recommend this
season for travelling."
From Lyons they took the steamboat to Avignon, thinking this mode of
travelling would be an improvement on the roads, but they were
mistaken. The boat was to start at six o'clock in the morning. The
moon still shone brightly, but the gale was so strong that for some
time the captain was doubtful whether he should start. After much
consideration he decided to venture. The boat went at a good speed
until they came to the first bridge, where it was found that the river
was so swollen that it did not seem possible to pass under. The vessel
was moored to the bank by the side of the bridge, and the captain
proceeded in a small boat to measure the height of the arch. It was
pronounced to be just sufficient; the funnel was lowered nearly flat.
Sir Moses says he was certain there was not six inches between the top
of the funnel and the bridge; the smallest wave might have dashed
their boat against it, and they might have been drowned. Twice more
they had to undergo this anxiety; all the passengers were panic
stricken. "I must confess," says Sir Moses, "I would rather be in the
open sea in a hurricane." The second day's journey was not so bad, as
during the night the river had fallen a foot, and they reached Avignon
in safety. "But I am mortified," he writes, "to find that, though
there are many Jews in this place, there is no Synagogue. No meat,
prepared according to Jewish law, can be procured. We could manage
with fish and vegetables, but I exceedingly regret not being able to
join public worship on Sabbath. Tomorrow will be the first time we
have omitted so doing since we left London, and shall be happy if it
is the last."
Leaving Avignon, they proceeded, _via_ Marseilles, Toulon, and Cannes,
to Nice. Writing from here, Sir Moses says: "We find the climate here
very different to that of England, the sun even now, at the end of
December, being almost too powerful to be pleasant. Notwithstanding
all the advantages Nice may afford, nothing would induce me to live
here. I was shocked and grieved to hear that our brethren are treated
in the most intolerant manner, not being allowed even to educate their
children for any profession. I was told that when the King and Queen
of Sardinia visited Nice in 1826, all classes of the inhabitants, Jews
among the number, tried to show their loyalty, by sending deputations
to present addresses, but the King refused to receive the deputation
from the Jews. They then addressed him through the Minister of State,
and solicited permission to erect an obelisk in commemoration of the
Royal visit, and the joy they felt, in common with their
fellow-subjects, at seeing their King and Queen. After some time this
humble petition was granted, and the column stands now in the city,
bearing a Hebrew and Italian inscription."
Amongst the many friends and acquaintances they had met at this place,
there was one of some historical importance, Isaak Samuel Avigdor,
who, on account of his knowledge of the French and Italian languages,
acted as one of the secretaries to the French Synhedrion under
Napoleon I., in the year 1806. At the last session of that assembly he
had moved a resolution to the effect that "the Jews in France,
Germany, and Italy do now forget all the misfortunes (_i.e._,
persecution) which befell them, and only engrave in their hearts the
kind acts which have been done towards them, and that they acknowledge
with deep gratitude the kind reception which the Popes and other
representatives of the Catholic Church had given them at a time when
barbarity, prejudice, and ignorance had persecuted and expelled them
from society." The resolution was unanimously adopted, and entered in
the minutes of the proceedings.
Unfortunately, Pius VII., the Pope who declared that he represented
Aaron, the Prophet of God, cannot be numbered among those who
protected the Jews. Immediately after the restoration of the Bourbons,
in the year 1814, as soon as he was able to resume the government of
the Papal States, he re-established the Inquisition.
Monsieur Avigdor had the mortification of witnessing the distressing
consequences of the Pope's new edicts. The Jews in Rome were obliged
to quit the houses which, under the French Government, they had been
permitted to own in all parts of the city, and return to the Ghetto.
They had to give up counting-houses and other places of business which
they had in the Corso. In vain did they offer large sums of money to
induce the Minister of State to withdraw his order. The applications
made by numerous deputations from Jewish communitiesin various towns
likewise proved fruitless. They were even forced to attend sermons
preached in the churches for the purpose of their conversion, heavy
fines being imposed upon all those who absented themselves; and those
who were detected either asleep, or not paying sufficient attention to
the sermon, were unceremoniously aroused by one of the priests.
I noticed during my stay in Rome a Hebrew inscription over the
entrance of one of these churches (Chiesa della divina pieta), which
runs as follows: "I have spread out my hands all the day unto a
rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after
their own thoughts, a people that provoketh me to anger continually to
my face." (Isaiah lxv., 3 and 4)
Mr Avigdor often spoke on the above subject to Sir Moses and Lady
Montefiore. He related some interesting incidents in connection with
the Synhedrion, how the members were put to much inconvenience on the
first day of the opening of their Sessions, the day fixed by the
Emperor being their Sabbath.
Mr Avigdor pressed Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore to prolong their stay
in Nice, but they were anxious to proceed, without unnecessary delay,
on their projected pilgrimage, and they left on the 31st of December.