176 66 66 AMBASSADOR OF PORTUGAL. צד man, the experienced Doctor Rabbi Jacob Mantin, at Venice, and he said unto the Jews "who were there, 'Now I will arise and go to 66 Rome, and pursue the man Solomon to injure him, until he return unto his manner*, or else "he shall be burned with fire.' And the Doctor "Jacob Mantin came to the city of Rome, and "went first unto the house of the ambassador of "Portugal, and said unto him, 'Why art thou not "zealous to honor the king, thy master; because "of that man who standeth in the court of the 66 pope, who was a scribe in the house of the king "as one of his servants, and now he is a Jew?" And "the ambassador answered him, That is not our 66 way, and thus shall not be done in our place†, to go about slandering, and to follow such as slander privily, and this was never my manner.' And he "went out from before his face with a burning "wrath§; and he went before the judges, the great "men of the city, who knew law and judgment, "with a voice the voice of Jacob, and the hands "the hands of Esau, &c., and with all the "forces of his strength. And the judges an"swered him, saying, We can We can do nothing "without witnesses: when it is in the power 6 Ps. ci. 5; Levit. xix. 16; Jer. vi. 28. § Exod. xi. 8. || Gen. xxvii. 22, i. e. like a wolf in sheep's clothing. Job. xxxvi. 19. "of thy hands to "all thy desires.' 177 bring witnesses, we will fulfil And he went out to and fro, to "seek witnesses of the men of Portugal, who were "then to be found in Rome, to inquire of them if 66 they knew me; and he sought diligently, and "found witnesses, and brought them into the "judgment-hall. And they wrote an accusation "to condemn me in judgment, and they called me "before them, to know of me, how and what the thing was, and upon what I claimed to be a Jew, "after having formerly belonged unto another people, and moreover, because I preach to many concerning the law; which thing ought not to be done. Then I shewed unto them the security of the pope, written and sealed, how he had given me 66 66 66 66 power and permission to do according to my de"sire; and no men should gainsay it in my hand. "And they took the security from my hand with "an overwhelming wrath, and went before the pope “with a great anger, and said unto him, 'Why "doth anything like this proceed from thee? And "if thou pervertest the judgment, why hast thou made us judges?' And he returned them this answer, I know it also; be silent, for I have a "secret with him; not that the right is so; but 66 66 the time requireth it so.' And when the man "saw that he could not prevail against me, he 178 SOLOMON CONDEMNED. צד "took with him the first vision, which I sent to "the Doctor Joseph Titsak*, the copy of the "whole matter, which was stolen, and he trans"lated it into the Nazarene language‡, and shewed "it to many cardinals that they might be ashamed, “and blush at that which the pope suffered against "their own law; until the end of the words was, "that because of their much enticing and urging, "the pope gave permission unto the nobles of the judgments, to do what the law requireth; and "unto me he said, Stay thou with me here, lest "the men who seek thy life should lay hold on "thee.' For being anxious about my honor, I have said, Seize him, and burn him, for there "is no deliverer.' And the most high God, for "the sake of his mercies and loving-kindness "which have not ceased, caused to meet them a 66 66 man in my form and in my likeness, clothed in garments like mine, and they took him sud denly, and hastened and burned him in fire. "And they came unto the house of the pope, saying, The man in whose honor thou de lightest is become a burning fire.' And I was hid in the most secret chambers. And when I "came before him, he was surprized at the sight "And he called the chief of the judges, and said, + Comp. Ecc. xii. 13. טיטסק Here spelled * The Italian. צד SOLOMON ON HORSEBACK. 179 "What deed hast thou done? Behold! there is "Rabbi Solomon with us, and thou hast burned "another in his stead; and now, hasten and "write in the judgment-place, that the man "who was burned, had reviled and blasphemed, "and cursed his king and his God, so that it may "not be known that he was burned instead of "Rabbi Solomon, lest the world go astray after "him.' And they hastened so to do. Then I said "unto the pope, Thou hast already seen the "stars with thine own eyes, according as I have told "thee from the beginning, and thou knowest what shall happen unto thee, according as these stars "shew, that weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning*; send me away, 66 I pray thee, for I have no permission to stay any longer here upon trial.' And he dismissed me “in peace, and I rode upon a swift horse in the night, and with me a goodly company, sent by "him. And all the things which I have related "unto you, ye will recognize, and know that 66 they are true, from the contents of the certificate "of the heads of the congregations of Rome and "the rabbanim, which I send unto you, and many "such and such thingst of the travail which hath "come upon me; I am weary of writing them, for +2 Sam. xii. 8. *Ps. xxxiii. 5. [Heb. 6.] 180 THE TWENTY-EIGHT TIMES OF CREATION. TY "no book can contain them. And also to spare "the shame of the children of our people, lest I "should uncover their shame and contempt, in all "the abominations which they have done unto me : peradventure ye shall hear part of them from "the mouth of wayfaring men. And now, behold, 66 66 66 I dwell here, and remain in this district to expect the hour and time of which the Lord hath "assured me to deal wonderfully with me accord 66 66 ing to his desire and pleasure; and he will be "with me, and keep me, according as he hath helped me until now, and from him will my help "come, to complete what is incumbent upon me "to do. For there is yet a vision for the appointed “time*, and a time for every purpose†, until the 66 Holy One, blessed be He, shall surely make "known unto his people the power of his works; "for surely, with power the works of the "Lord were made in twenty-eight times; viz. 66 833. (1.) "First: A time to be born:-When the Holy One (blessed be He!) had created heaven "and earth, the world conceived, and bare the first man, and the Lord blessed him, and left him in "the garden of Eden, to keep his commandments: * Hab. ii. 8. See Eccl. chap. 3, where the word times. power, might, contains the n = 8. Eccl. iii. 1. y occurs twenty-eight number 28. = 20, |