Historic%20Yorkshire

34
JEWISH MASSACRE AT YORK.
the like office for each other, till remained of the party
who had bound themselves by the compact but Jocenus
and the Rabbi. The latter consummated the horrible
butchery by cutting the throat of Jocenus as they both
stoodsurrounded by the bleedingbodiesof their ill-starred
brethren; he then killed himself. The few who had held
alooffrom theself-massacrenowattemptedto excite some
littlecompassionin the breasts of the besiegersbyrelating
from the wall the dire occurrences which had just taken
place,and sought to removetheir incredulity by throwing
over some of the corpses. But there were those among
the leaders of the attacking party, those whose interests
hardened their hearts and dulled their ears against any
appealfor mercy. The fortress was on the point of being
entered, when the Hebrews threw open the gate and
themselves on the mercy of the mob,whichwas such that
in an instant every survivorwas killedin spite of agonised
calls for baptism,on nearlyall other occasionsthe alternative
of death. The Jews of York being thus rootedout,
their enemies and,it may be presumed, creditors, made
haste to the Minster, where the Jewish records and deeds
had been deposited,and heapingthem on the floor of the
holypile itself, burnedall the documents which relatedto
the advanceof money. Such was the slownessofinternal
communication in this country at the time this awful
tragedy tookplace that it was several months before the
details were known by the authorities. Richard,whohad
since taken his departure for the HolyLand, was exceedingly
indignant with the citizens of York for their
behaviour, and ordered the Bishop of Ely to use every
effort to find and bring to justice the perpetrators of the
crime. The result was exceedingly small. The Bishop
marched upon York at the head of a small army, but
found on reachingthe city thatthe leadersof the persecution
had fled to Scotland, and the inhabitants denied all
participation in the deeds of violence. The High Sheriff
and Governor were, indeed, removed from their offices,
but with this and the levying ofa fine to repairthe Castle,