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THE RISE OF tHE ROtHScHILDS 21<br />
could possibly be more disastrous for our family, for our continued well-being,<br />
for our good name and for our honour than such a decision, God forbid. I hardly<br />
even dare mention it. To renounce our religion, <strong>the</strong> religion <strong>of</strong> our [fa<strong>the</strong>r] Rabbi<br />
Mayer [Amschel] Rothschild <strong>of</strong> blessed memory, <strong>the</strong> religion which, thank God,<br />
made us so great. 75<br />
By converting, James felt Hannah Mayer had ‘robbed our whole family <strong>of</strong> its pride<br />
and caused us such harm that it can unfortunately not be redressed any more’:<br />
I believe that [religion] means everything. Our good fortune and our blessings<br />
depend upon it. We shall <strong>the</strong>refore wipe her from our memory and never again<br />
during my lifetime will I, or any o<strong>the</strong>r member <strong>of</strong> our family, see or receive her<br />
. . . as if she had never existed. 76<br />
Even her own mo<strong>the</strong>r echoed <strong>the</strong>se sentiments. 77 Only her bro<strong>the</strong>r Nat supported<br />
her decision.<br />
On closer inspection, James’s response had more to do with <strong>the</strong> structure <strong>of</strong><br />
authority within <strong>the</strong> family, and <strong>the</strong> obedience <strong>the</strong> younger generation owed to<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir elders, than with religion per se:<br />
I and <strong>the</strong> rest <strong>of</strong> our family have not only always had <strong>the</strong> wish, but indeed have<br />
always brought our children up from <strong>the</strong>ir early childhood with <strong>the</strong> sense that<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir love is to be confined to members <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> family, that <strong>the</strong>ir attachment for<br />
one ano<strong>the</strong>r would prevent <strong>the</strong>m from getting any ideas <strong>of</strong> marrying anyone<br />
o<strong>the</strong>r than one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> family so that <strong>the</strong> fortune would stay inside <strong>the</strong> family.<br />
Who will give me any assurance that my own children will do what I tell <strong>the</strong>m<br />
if <strong>the</strong>y see that <strong>the</strong>re is no punishment forthcoming? Should my own daughter,<br />
after she has married, say, ‘I am miserable because I didn’t marry a Duke<br />
although I had enough money to do so, and I see that, despite <strong>the</strong> fact that this<br />
woman renounced her religion, and despite <strong>the</strong> fact that [she] married against<br />
<strong>the</strong> wishes <strong>of</strong> her family, she is never<strong>the</strong>less accepted [by <strong>the</strong> family]. It would<br />
have been <strong>the</strong> same with me.’ Do you really think that all <strong>the</strong> nicely conceived<br />
projects [will come to fruition] – i.e., that Mayer will marry Anselm’s daughter,<br />
that Lionel’s daughter will marry <strong>the</strong> child <strong>of</strong> ano<strong>the</strong>r member <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> family so<br />
that <strong>the</strong> great fortune and <strong>the</strong> Rothschild name will continue to be honoured and<br />
transmitted [to future generations] – if one doesn’t put a stop to this? 78<br />
75<br />
RAL, X1/109J/J/38, James, Paris, to Lionel and Nat, London, 11 Nov. 1838.<br />
76<br />
RAL, X1/109J/J/39, James, Heinrichsbad, to Nat, Paris, 29 June 1839.<br />
77<br />
RAL, RFamC/1/83, Hannah to Nat, 19 May 1839.<br />
78<br />
RAL, X1/109J/J/39, James, Heinrichsbad, to Nat, Paris, 16 July 1839. See also<br />
Davis, English Rothschilds, p. 60.