near the town. The mother had strictly for bidden her son to go near this lake; but his love for swimming was so strong, that he on several occasions transgressed his mother's injunctions. He says, with reference to these circumstances, "Five several times I was so near drowning that in a very few minutes I must have perished, if there had not been some one at hand, who rescued me from the impending danger at the critical moment. One day, as I had been carried away by the force of the stream which flowed through the lake, and had been borne along to a considerable distance, a young man jumped suddenly into the water, seeing that there was some one struggling under it, and became my deliverer. How great was my surprise, when I discovered who the person was, to whom I owed my life. It was a young man who had long been watching for an opportunity to inflict upon me a severe castigation. His parents had often blamed him, because he did not behave so devoutly as I did at public service, and this led him to form a plan for giving me a sound beating, for being, as he supposed, a hypocrite. It was this young man who was to be my deliverer from a great peril."

Mr. B. mentions other occasions on which he was also delivered in an extraordinary manner from threatening danger. Thus, in the year 1812, when his strength was so completely exhausted by an attack of fever, that all around expected that he would soon breathe his last, his mother was so overcome by her feelings that she suddenly left him, ran to the synagogue, and, in violation of all law and order, opened the sacred ark in which the rolls of the law are laid up, and

putting her head into the ark, exclaimed with a loud voice," O God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, thou hast given me a son who is to exalt thy name and praise thy glory, and wilst thou now take him from me. Why dost thou do this? Take me rather in his stead, and grant him life. Do this for the sake of the merit of our fathers."

The servant of the synagogue hurried towards her, and endeavoured to compel her by force to leave the spot; but he could not prevail, her love for her son made her stronger than the man, it was stronger than death.

When the prayers were finished she hastened to return home, and found that her son had revived. She thought this sudden change in the disease to be an answer to her prayer, and it made a deep impression on her. Her son soon recovered his health, but she became dangerously ill, and expected to die. It pleased God, however, to spare her life.

So great was her affection for her son, that there was some ground for the remark which one of her friends sometimes made to her, "Thy son is thy god." She was, however, chiefly concerned for his spiritual welfare, and used every endeavour, according to the measure of light which she possessed, to bring him up in the fear of God, and did not fail to use strict discipline whenever this was necessary. When she punished her son, she used to say, "The punishment which I inflict causes me more pain than it does you, but I must punish in good earnest, as it is the command of God that parents should chastize their children on earth, that they may be pious and good, and escape the punishment of hell."

Under the tender care of his affectionate mother, and watched over by his earnest-minded father, Jacob made rapid advances in rabbinical learning. The Talmud was the chief object of his attention, this being esteemed as of more importance, and more holy, than the Sacred Scriptures themselves.

His mother constantly exhorted him to be diligent in pursuing studies so acceptable to God. She often said to him, "Strive, my dear Jacob, to become a good and pious Jew. Remember that you cannot live in this world for ever. You must soon appear before that Judge who tries the heart and the reins. Woe to me, if I should leave behind me a wicked son; I could have no rest in my grave. The dream which I had before your birth shows that you are to be a rabbi, and to teach the law to our people, the beloved people, the people of the Holy One. Blessed be his name. Attend to this. Walk before God as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph did; as Moses and Aaron, and all our wise men of blessed memory.

Blessed with these advantages, at length Jacob attained his thirteenth year, when, according to the custom of the rabbinical Jews, he was called upon to read a section of the law in the synagogue, and after holding a discourse on a passage in the Talmud, was declared a member of the synagogue. From that time forward he was held to be responsible for his own deeds, whereas, according to the doctrine of the rabbies, before the thirteenth year, the parents have to give account to God for the sins of their children.

His mother rejoiced greatly on finding that her son afterwards joined the sect of the Chasidim,

as that sect is distinguished for extraordinary zeal in devotional exercises. God had, however, better things in reserve for him, as Jacob was brought, when about twenty years of age, through the divine blessing on the labours of some pious missionaries, to know that truth which he was afterwards permitted to teach to others during the period of his exemplary labours, both as a Christian missionary himself, and also as the faithful pastor of a Christian congregation.

THE JEWS IN PORTUGAL.*

THE Jews in Portugal enjoyed extensive privileges as a completely separate portion of the community, yet on nearly an equal footing with the Christians. The Chief Rabbi was no where so highly considered, or his position more carefully determined by the legislature. King John Ï. gave his sanction, at the request of Micer Moses, his chief physician, to a bull of Clement VI., confirmed by Boniface IX., in 1389, granting to the Jews free permission to celebrate their feasts, practise their ceremonies, and continue the full exercise of their religious worship, notwithstanding the violence and opposition of hot-headed fanatics.

Until the reigns of John II., and Don Manuel, we scarcely find any attempt to persecute the Jews recorded. From time to time the clergy and representatives of the people demanded an enforcement of the ancient edicts, requiring the Jews and Moors to wear a distinctive mark on their clothes. To Alphonso V. complaints were

*From Da Costa's "Israel and the Gentiles."

made of the magnificence of their style of living, and the luxury they displayed in silken garments, fine horses, and splendid arms.

During the period of tranquillity which the Jews of Portugal enjoyed before the end of the fifteenth century, they applied themselves diligently, not only to theology and Hebrew literature, but also to the study and investigation of science. A learned Portuguese, speaking of his own country in particular, says that the inhabitants of that part of the Peninsula were indebted to the Jews for their earliest instruction in philosophy, medicine, botany, astronomy, and cosmography. Alphonso V., of Portugal, in the fourteenth century (1325-1357,) trod in the steps of his maternal grandfather, Alphonso X., of Castile, and engaged with zeal in the study of astronomy, in which he was also assisted by learned Jews and Arabs.

It was more especially in the reign of Don Duarte, that the science of navigation made rapid advances during the repeated voyages of the illustrious seaman, Prince Henry. The King himself took great interest in all studies connected with these voyages of discovery. He entertained at court the Hebrew astronomer, Abraham Guedetha, as cosmographer to the King, who combined with a knowledge of astronomy, not only its usual accompaniment, astrology, but also an extensive acquaintance with geography.

The principal counsellors of John II., when undertaking the expeditions that led to the discovery of a new way to India, round the Cape of Good Hope, were the two Bishops of Visen and Ceuta, and three Jewish physicians, José, Rodrigo, and Moses. Four of these learned men

were