may appear, this was not the case with the Spanish Jews.
Although the many years of prosperity which they had enjoyed in Spain
had terminated in persecutions, almost unparalleled in history;
although thousands of them perished under the terrible reign of the
Inquisition, in the awful tortures of the "Auto da fe," and the rest
were finally banished in the year 1492, yet, as their continued use of
the Spanish language seems to prove, they only remembered their days
of happiness in that land. Even those who settled in Turkey, Morocco,
Algiers, Egypt, Palestine, Austria, or Holland, still used the Spanish
language in their prayer-books, Bibles, and codes of communal laws.
Such was also the case with the Jews who settled in England. Though
they had all gladly adopted the language of the land which they had
made their home under the sway of a just and enlightened monarch, they
still clung to the Spanish tongue as that of their fatherland, and
were loth to banish its use entirely. But in all the schools and
colleges in England so much time was in those days devoted to the
various branches of English study, that little was left for the
acquirement of what was now to them a foreign language. The rising
Jewish generation was, therefore, not well acquainted with the
language into which the prayers had been translated, and hence the
desire of several members of the community to replace it by the
English tongue.

The struggle between the two parties--those advanced in years, who
naturally wished to adhere to the old ways, and the young and
energetic members, who desired to adopt the innovation--proved long
and hard. Finally, a resolution was carried by eighteen votes to
eleven, "To have all religious discourses delivered in the synagogues
in English, and also henceforth to have all proclamations made in the
same tongue."

The meeting, which opened its deliberations at 11 A.M., did not
adjourn until half-past four.

On Tuesday, April 28th, Mr Montefiore called at the Lord Chamberlain's
office and left his card, on which he had written, "To be presented by
the Duke of Norfolk." After communicating with Mr N. M. Rothschild, he
went, accompanied by Messrs I. L. Goldsmid and Moses Mocatta, to Mr
Pearce to consider some points in connection with the petition, and
subsequently resolved to consult Lord Brougham and Dr Lushington on
the matter. Later in the day he went with Mr N. M. Rothschild and I.
L. Goldsmid to see the Lord Chancell