Historic%20Yorkshire

JEWISH MASSACRE AT YORK.
pawn their property as security for the money advanced
by the Hebrews, who were then the richest persons in
the country. In additionto the pecuniaryobligations of
the Christians inclining them to dislike the Jews, the
superstition of the time credited the mysterious people
with possessing a supernatural power over Christians, an
influence supposed to be resident in the glances of the
Hebrew eye, so we see that Richard, ostensibly for this
reason, wouldpermit no Jew to be present at his coronation
under penaltyofdeath, and,in general, treated them
with such contempt that we cannot but consider him as
indirectly responsible for the popular fury against them.
In spite, however, of the royal injunction for the nonadmittance
of Jews at the coronation, several from York
presented themselves at Westminster Hall, laden with
valuable gifts for the King, thinking, no doubt, by this
means to propitiate him, and so render the state of
constant dread, in which the Jews throughout the country
lived, more tolerable. But instead of this, on being
detected,they were treated with extreme cruelty,beingso
severely beaten that several were killed; one was forcibly
baptised, and they were robbed of their rich gifts and
expelled. The examplewas followed wherever the Jews
resided; robbery, ill-usage,and murder was their portion
on every side.
We now arrive at the outbreakof the massacre. It was
on a bleak March night that certainparts of York were
discovered to be in flames, and it was at once conjectured
that the fire was intentionalin its origin,and intended as
a cloak for some ulterior design. Such, indeed, proved
to be the case, for upon the same night the house of a
Jew, named Benedict (one of those who escaped from
London alive, but had subsequently died from the
injuries received at the hands of the truly Christian
coronation mob),was entered,and his widowand children
ruthlessly murdered, the house sacked, and then burned.
The consternation spread amongst the resident Jews of
the city by this barbarous act was such as no description
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