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I am I, that I should be taught a high matter "over which there is a watcher*; if it was not by

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thy good and great hand, to shew the good unto "criminals which thou hast shewn me this day, "not according to the work of mine hand, but according to thy righteousness, O living God, that I "have seen what I have seen, and my soul is pre"served; blessed be the Lord who sheweth goodness unto debtors!'

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831. "And it came to pass, in the morning, "when the dawn arose, that I went unto the "house of the commander of the camp, and "took the clothes which I had left there. And as "mine hands were weak, and my body was sorely

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fatigued, I besought the Lord in my heart, that "I might recognise a Jew man of the children of "Israel among the Gentiles; and I placed myself "at the parting of the way where much people

pass by, and the Lord gave me according as it "was in my heart; and I called unto one of "those that passed, and separated him from the

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rest of the people, and I asked him, 'What is

thy name?' And he said, Menachem.' And I

said, Are there rabbanim among you?' And "he said, "There are.' And because he answered

*Namely, to guard its mystery.

Gen. xix, 15. Joshua vi. 15.

Gen. xxxii. 30.

172

JUDAH, SON OF R. SHABTHI.

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"me with a feeble voice, I knew that they were • Let me

"not upright; and I said unto him, "know their names, that I may know the good.' "And they were expressed by name from his

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mouth; and I considered them, and behold,

among the number of their names, was a man, "whose name was Judah, the son of the Rabbi "Shabthi* (may his remembrance be for a bless"ing!) in whom I recognized that there was an"cestorial piety for his salvation, and I said, “ ́ Call him unto me;' and he called him, and he And I said unto him, I am the servant

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came.

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" of Solomon, who remaineth in the city of Pesaro "with the duke of that city, and he sent me about "his affairs. And behold, I am much fatigued "from the way; therefore, bring me, I pray thee, "into the house of one of the children of Israel, "that he may give me bread and relish† to eat, "to relieve my soult.' And he led me into the synagogue, and commanded one of his ac

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quaintance to honor me with all his power. "And the slanderers knew my dwelling-place, "and they slandered me unto judgment, and "set watchmen at the gates of the city to lay "hold on me. But because the pope was not in "the country, I leaped over the wall of the city

.שבתי *

+ i. e. obsonium, saporetto. See the Zemach David, of David de Pomis. Also the Kehilath Jahacob of Moreira, p. 63. Lam. i. 11. 16.

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" and went to meet him, and the horse was left in "the city; and after I had secured myself, I "went into the synagogue on the Sabbath-day, " and waited until the time when the book of the "law was brought out, for they were not aware of my return; and I went up into the pulpit, and I

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began to preach on the verse, "man that trusteth in the Lord.'

Blessed is the

And so I did

"from Sabbath to Sabbath, from day to day↑. "And this was my manner until I removed thence, "for fear of the waters of the flood, according as it had been commanded me. And in those

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days I heard them say that the prince David

was come into Italy, and also upon him passed "the cup of slandering from the wicked sons of our people. And I purposed, that when I should see "his face he should teach me knowledge; but it "was the reverse of this, for he inquired of me.

Yet I do not believe but that he is a very wise "man; and when he saith, that he does not know "the law and wisdom, it is only to steal the mind. "of the people, and also to see how I would behave "towards him. And this being my intention, I

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was constantly with him, like the servant before "his master. And when I was at Venice, whither "I went to speak unto the printer, to print for me "wonderful and deep things from the mysteries of "our holy law, to encourage every one that studies

* Jer. xvii. 7.

i. e. Many succeeding Sabbaths.

174 JACOB MANTIN AND ELIAS CHALPHON.

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"therein; there was there a physician, and he

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appeared in my sight as a man of faith, and his name was Doctor Rabbi Jacob Mantin*, and he "had strife with another physician, the son of an Ephrathite, and his name was Doctor Elias Chalphont; and I would make peace between them, but he would not. And he was minded "to go to Rome, but I would not let him; when "I told him, that the day of their destruction by "the waters of the flood was night, he went to "another city, saying, That he would not stay "in a country with his enemies.' And when he

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saw that I had friendship with the physician "aforesaid, he turned out an enemy toward me. And during these events, the flood was upon the land of Rome. And they said unto him, 'Why doest thou recompense evil for good?' He answered, that this knowledge was like the 'knowledge of sorcerers; and he spake of me a

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great many things before the government, to "fulfil the saying of our rabbies of blessed me mory, ‘The mustard burns the man who wrought "the spoon§.' For had not the Lord been my +, a changer of money.

מאנטין *

The famous inundation mentioned by Benvenuto Cellini in his Life, cap. xi., and by other cotemporary writers.

-Cochlear quod sculp,כפא דחט נגרא בגוויה נשרף לחרדלא 8

sit artifex eo urit sinapi, scil. os artificis. Berach. fol. 28. 1. Sic opus noxium redit in caput artificis. Buxtorf, Lex. Talmud.

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help, they had almost done me wrong. And by the hand of Jews, they gave me deadly

poison; but from that also the Lord delivered me. "And after I was healed, I went to Rome, to observe the stars and their appearance; and before

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they came, I told it all unto the pope, and to some "of the cardinals belonging to the great of the court, "written in a letter. And I also wrote unto the

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king of Portugal by the hand of his ambassador, "for I spake to him in his chamber*. And when the "earthquake came, they marvelled much. And "the ambassador said unto me, 'If the king had "known before thou removedst from Portugal, that "thou art so very wise, he had given thee permis"sion to act by every law thou wouldst.' And

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daily he and his servants honored me much at “his house, and before the pope. And the cardinals "held meetings upon meetings, and assemblies upon "assemblies. When they beheld the honor be"stowed upon me by the pope, some said, 'He "should be killed, because he has despised the "waters of baptism which passed over him in Portugal;' and some said, ' He should not be killed,

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"for he is a very wise [y] man, and he told us things to come;' and they honored me before the "multitude of the people with their words and "their deeds.

832. "And the report was heard by the wise * i. e. A private audience.

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