, they proceeded to Hereson the
next evening at nine o'clock, accompanied by Mrs Justina Cohen, her
daughter Lucy, and Mr Benjamin Gomperz. On the ground they were met by
Cresford the builder, with his nephew, also Grundy with his son, and
Craven his partner. Everything having been properly prepared, Mr
Montefiore covered the part on which the wall near the Holy Ark for
the reception of the sacred scrolls of the Pentateuch was to be built,
with _Terra Santa_, which they had brought with them from Jerusalem.
Upon this Mr Montefiore, having spread some mortar, fixed four bricks.
Mrs Montefiore, Mrs Cohen, Miss Lucy Cohen, and Mr Gomperz each spread
some _Terra Santa_, and fixed two bricks, praying the Almighty to
prosper the undertaking and bless them.

The following is the account given by Mr Montefiore of the ceremony of
laying the foundation stone.

"_Tuesday, 9th August._--New moon of Tamooz. After reading my prayers
and reciting the Psalms cxiii. and cxviii., I called at seven A.M. on
David Mocatta, the architect, and informed him that we should lay the
first stone at eight o'clock. We walked to Hereson, and with the
blessing of the Almighty, we laid the first stone of a Holy Synagogue,
assisted by our dear and honoured mother, by Abby Gompertz, her
daughter Juliana, Solomon and Sarah Sebag, Rebecca Salomons, Justina
Cohen, and her daughter Lucy, Louis Cohen, Floretta, his wife, and
their son Henry, Nathaniel Lindo, David Mocatta, my dear Judith, and
myself. The builders were also present. After the stone was placed, we
deposited in a hole, made in it for that purpose, a glass bottle
containing the inscription, signed by myself and my dear Judith; a
large stone was then placed above it, they were then firmly riveted
together with iron bolts and boiling lead. Louis Cohen, Solomon Sebag,
Rebecca, and I went afterwards into the cottage, and read the Psalms
known by the Hebrew name of Hallel (special praise). They all
breakfasted with us at the Albion Hotel, where we were joined by
Adelaide Israel, whose delicate state of health would not permit her
to witness the ceremony."

Mr Montefiore gives the following: "This day, 20th August, five and
twenty years ago, in 1806, J. E. D. robbed me of all I possessed in
the world, and left me deeply in debt; but it pleased the Almighty in
His great mercy to enable me in the course of a few years to pay
everyone who had been a sufferer through me to the full extent of
their loss