[figure description] Page 178.[end figure description]

I have thus given &longs;ome &longs;uccinct
notices of the hi&longs;tory, government, religion,
habits, and manners of this ferocious
race. I have inter&longs;per&longs;ed reflections,
which, I hope, will be received by the
learned with candour; and &longs;hall now resume
the thread of my more appropriate
narrative.

By unremitted attention to the duties
of my office, and &longs;ome fortunate
operations in &longs;urgery, I had now &longs;o far
ingratiated my&longs;elf with the director and
phy&longs;icians of the infirmary, that I was allowed
to be ab&longs;ent any hours of the day,
when my bu&longs;ine&longs;s in the ho&longs;pital permitted,
without rendering any e&longs;pecial rea&longs;on

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for my ab&longs;ence. I wandered into all
parts of the city, where &longs;trangers were
permitted to walk, in&longs;pected every object
I could, without giving umbrage. I sometimes
&longs;trayed into that quarter of the city,
principally inhabited by Jews. This cunning
race, &longs;ince their di&longs;per&longs;ion by Vespasian
and Titus, have contrived to
compen&longs;ate them&longs;elves for the lo&longs;s of Palestine,
“by engro&longs;&longs;ing the wealth, and
often the luxuries of every other land;
and, wearied with the expectation of that
heavenly king,” who &longs;hall repo&longs;&longs;e&longs;s them
of the holy city, and put their enemies beneath
their feet, now &longs;olace them&longs;elves
with a Me&longs;&longs;iah, who&longs;e glory is en&longs;hrined
in their coffers. Rigidly attached to
their own cu&longs;toms, intermarrying among
them&longs;elves, content to be apparently
wretched and de&longs;pi&longs;ed, that they may wallow
in &longs;ecret wealth; and &longs;ecluded, in
mo&longs;t countries, from holding landed property,
and in almo&longs;t all from filling

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offices of power and profit, they are generally
received as meet in&longs;truments to do
the mean drudgery of de&longs;potic courts.
The wealth, which would render a subject
too powerful, the de&longs;pot can tru&longs;t
with an unambitious Jew; and confide
&longs;ecrets, which involve his own &longs;afety to a
mi&longs;erable I&longs;raelite, whom he can annihilate
with a nod. The Jews tran&longs;act almost
all the Dey's private bu&longs;ine&longs;s, besides
that of the negotiations of merchants.
Nay, if an envoy from a foreign power
comes to treat with the Dey, he may have
the parade of a public audience; but,
if he wi&longs;hes to accompli&longs;h his emba&longs;&longs;y,
he mu&longs;t employ a Jew: and, it is &longs;aid,
the Dey him&longs;elf &longs;hares with the Jew the
very &longs;ums paid him for his influence with
this politic de&longs;pot. The Jews are al&longs;o the
&longs;pies of the Dey, upon his &longs;ubjects at
home, and the channels of intelligence
from foreign powers. They are therefore
allowed to a&longs;&longs;emble in their

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synagogues; and have frequently an influence
at the court of the Dey, with his great
officers, and even before the civil judge,
not to be accounted for from the morality
of their conduct. Popular prejudice is
generally again&longs;t them; and the Dey often
avails him&longs;elf of it by heavy amercements
for his protection. In the year
one thou&longs;and &longs;ix hundred and ninety,
he threatened to extirpate the whole
race in his dominions, and was finally
appea&longs;ed by a large contribution
they rai&longs;ed and offered as an expiation
of a &longs;uppo&longs;ed offence. It was commonly
reported, that the Jews in Algiers, at that
time, had procured a chri&longs;tian child,
which they privately purified with much
ceremony, fattened and prepared for a sacrifice,
at their fea&longs;t of the pa&longs;&longs;over, as a
&longs;ub&longs;titute for the pa&longs;chal lamb. This
horrid tale, which &longs;hould have been despised
for its ab&longs;urdity and inhumanity,
the Dey affected to credit. He

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appointed &longs;everal Mahometan prie&longs;ts to
&longs;earch the habitations of the Jews, immediately
before the fea&longs;t of the pa&longs;&longs;over,
who, di&longs;covering &longs;ome bitter herbs and
other cu&longs;tomary preparations for the festival,
affected to have found &longs;ufficient
evidence again&longs;t them; and the mob of
Algiers, mad with rage and perhaps inflamed
by the u&longs;urious exactions of particular
Jews, ru&longs;hed on furiou&longs;ly to pillage
and de&longs;troy the wretched de&longs;cendants of
Jacob. Two hou&longs;es were demoli&longs;hed, and
&longs;everal Jews a&longs;&longs;a&longs;&longs;inated before the arrival
of the Dey's guards, who quickly di&longs;per&longs;ed
this outrageous rabble. The Dey, who
de&longs;ired nothing le&longs;s than the de&longs;truction
of &longs;o u&longs;eful a people, was &longs;oon appea&longs;ed
by a large pre&longs;ent, and declared them
innocent: and, &longs;uch is the power of
de&longs;potic governments, that the Jews
were &longs;oon received into general favour;
and the very men, who, the day

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before, proceeded to de&longs;troy the whole
race, now &longs;aw, with tame inaction, several
of their fellows executed for the attempt.

p407-407

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