Historic%20Yorkshire

Chapter V,
THE JEWISH MASSACRE AT YORK.
ROMINENT among the many important
events which have rendered the ancient
Roman metropolis of York famous in the
historic annals of our country, is the terrible
incident known as the Jewish Massacre.
The time was the reign of Richard of the Lion
iP Heart; the scene was York Castle, whoseimposing
structure will be familiarto any who have visited that
city; and part of which (Clifford's Tower) boasts of
erectionby William the Conqueor.
At the time of which wewrite, namely,the early part
of Richard I.'s reign, the records of almost every
European nation were stained with accounts of the
inhuman usage of the Jews, and a dark page of our own
history is found when weinquireintothe treatmentof that
unhappy peoplein England at this period. The student
of history will remember that a predominatinginfluence
was exercisedon the peopleof that epochby the institution
of Crusades, and the development of chivalry,to which,
indeed, all other progress had to give way. Crusading
expeditions could not be organisedwithout incurring very
considerable expense, and hence we find that in England
an immense number of estates had to be mortgaged to
obtain the funds necessary for these warlikepilgrimages.
Hence the Jews held the Crusaders, to acertain extent,in
their power,for the warriors were compelled to place in