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Zhc <3betto unber papal IRule. The Jews of Rome, narrowly restricted as they were by a severe and despotic form of government, were at no time plunged so deeply in misery, nor per secuted with such unrelenting cruelty as their breth ren in other lands; massacres and expulsion on a large scale never fell to the lot of Jews in the Papal territory; it was more from ajsullen and tyrannical legislation that they suffered than from direct perse cution. Ever since the day of Pompey, Jews have lived in Rome. They resided, from choice only, in a quarter of their own. and were not restricted to in habit the Ghetto until the reign of Paul IV. The Jews in Rome were simply tolerated ; first, because occasionally money could be extracted from them, and secondly, so that the Christians should see that the fate of unbelievers even in this world was full of torment. During the Middle Ages, however, they had, on the whole, far less to suffer than in later times. As an instance, the Je.vs in Anagni, a town in the papal territory, for more than a century en joyed all civil and political rights equally with Catho lics. It was the Reformation that roused the latent spirit of persecution at the Vatican. Pius V. re-in stltuted the inquisition and expelled the Jews from all the towns in the Papal state excepting Rome and Ancona. For more than two centuries the condi tion of the Jews was one of misery. In 1814 fol lowed the reaction after the short period of liberty under the regime of Napoleon. The Jews were once more driven to the Ghetto, and placed under the juris diction of the Cardinal Vicar, whose authority ex tended to "fews, clericals, nuns and loose women." The Popes who showed themselves more tolerant to the Jews were Gregory IX., Nicolas 111., Martin V., Benedict XIV., Clement XIX., and Sextus V. The latter Pontiff, being desirous of developing the silk industry, granted permission to the Jews to de vote themselves specially thereto, on the condition, however, that one-half of the net profits be given to his sister. The only Pope who always acted in a tolerant spirit towards the Jews was Pius IX. It was under his reign, in 1847, that the walls surrounding the Ghetto were first demolished, and it was by his ex press command that the humiliating homage which the Jews had hitherto been compelled to pay annual ly to the civil authorities and to the Pontiff was abolished. At one time they were compelled to send delegates attired in grotescpie costumes, specially ordered, to the Senetor and Conservators of Rome, and humbly beg their protection. One of the con servators then assured them that the Jews might depend upon continued protection on the condition tint they always promptly paid the 'Jew Tax" and obeyed the commands of our authorities. The dele gates were then ordered to "march," which com mand was accompanied by a kick. The procession of the Jewish deputation through the streets leading to the capital, dressed as they were in the most re diculous costumes, naturally gave rise to all kinds of practical jokes on the part of the populace, and it was not until the year 1827 that the Jews at their urgent request, were permitted to appear before the authorities in their ordinary attire. Among other humiliating exhibitions to which the Roman Jews were subjected were the foot races during the Carni val. With bare breast and legs eight Jews had to run in file a distance of one kilometre, being often forced to partake of a heavy meal just before the race, so that the running would the more exhaust them. If one of them attempted to evade the pun ishment, he was driven back into file at the point of the lance. Ultimately the Jews, by the annual pay ment of 1130 florins, were released from this cruel sport. That the Papal government did its best to convert the Jews need hardly be said. At first they were invited to attend religious discussions with the Catholic clergy, but as the latter were sometimes up set in their arguments by the Jewish rabbis, or felt themselves hurt in their religious convictions, it was found more advisable to let the Christians have all the argument, whilst the Jews were to remain silent listeners. Hence originated the Sermons which, in accordance with a bull issued by Gregory XIII., the Jews were compelled to attend. Every Saturday all Jews above the age of twelve were driven into a cer tain church to listen to a sermon which was full of ridicule of themselves and their religion. Sextus IV. reduced these sermons to three annually. Under the French regime they were abolished altogether, to be again re introduced under Leo XII. When attend ing these sermons, however, many of the Jews were in the habit of stopping up their ears with cotton wool, which the Popes permitted them to do on pay ment of a fine of IV 3 Hres (a large sum in the six teenth century) per head, which all of them could not afford. The moneys derived from these fines were appropriated toward the support of the "House of Neophytes,'! a college for Jewish converts. Prose lytism was practiced in Rome to such an extent that it caused the direst sorrow and bereavement in many a Jewish family, destroying the dearest ties of rela tionship. A few words hastily uttered by a Jew, even the mere remark, on the part of a Catholic, that some Jewish acquaintance was a suitable subject tor baptism, sufficed for the particular person to be seiz ed and imprisoned in the "House of Neophytes." There, for forty days, he received " instruction," and if at the end of that time he "he still persisted in the Jewish errors," he was set at liberty on paying 30 bajocchi per diem for every day he had stayed there, and, if he was a poor man, the Jewish community was compelled to pay the sum in his name. Subscribers spending the summer out of the city can have their papers forwarded to their changed address without extra charge by giving us notice.