lso to Northampton. The King--Prince Edward was now at war with the
barons, who had the King in their power--revoked the grant of the Jews
to his son; with that the grant to the Caorsini, which had not
expired, was cancelled. The justiciaries appointed by the Prince to
levy the tallage upon them were declared to have lost their authority;
the Jews passed back to the property of the King. The King showed his
power by annulling many debts and the interest due upon them to some
of his faithful followers, avowedly in order to secure their
attachment.

It was now clearly for the King's interest that such profitable
subjects should find, we may not say justice, but something like
restitution, which might enable them again to become profitable. The
King in the parliament, which commenced its sittings immediately after
the battle of Lewes, and continued till after the battle of Evesham,
August 4, 1265, restored the Jews to the same state in which they were
before the battle of Lewes. As to the Jews in London, the constable of
the Tower was to see not only that those who had taken refuge in the
Tower, but those who had fled to other places, were to return to their
houses, which were to be restored, except such as had been granted
away by the King; and even all their property which could be recovered
from the King's enemies. Excepting that some of the barons' troops,
flying from the battle of Evesham, under the younger Simon de
Montfort, broke open and plundered the synagogue at Lincoln, where
they found much wealth, and some excesses committed at Cambridge, the
Jews had time to breathe. The King, enriched by the forfeited estates
of the barons, spared the Jews. We only find a tallage of one thousand
pounds, with promise of exemption for three years, unless the King or
his son should undertake a crusade.

Their wrongs had, no doubt, sunk deep into the hearts of the Jews. It
has been observed that oppression, which drives even wise men mad, may
instigate fanatics to the wildest acts of frenzy; an incident at
Oxford will illustrate this. Throughout these times the Jews still
flourished, if they may be said to have flourished, at Oxford. In 1244
certain clerks of the university broke into the houses of the Jews and
carried away enormous wealth. The magistrates seized and imprisoned
some of the offenders. Grostete, as bishop of the diocese--Oxford was
then in the diocese of Lincoln--commanded their release, because there
was no pro