which was granted to the exiles to dispose of their property became, in reality, a mere mockery, for in the great need of the moment, and the short space of time allowed, to use the words of a cotemporary," a house was sold for an ass, and a vineyard for a piece of linen." Amidst all this iniquity and ill treatment, the unhappy exiles, with their wives and children, were transported by ships to the coast of Africa. To many of them the distress was so insupportable that their longtried constancy gave way, and they returned to Spain to demand baptism, and expose themselves as New Christians to the severities of the Inquisition. Hence arises, in part at least, the different computations that have been made of their numbers, which some have stated as amounting to 800,000, others to 300,000, while a Spanish statistic of the population numbers the exiled Jews at 27,000. In this latter computation we most not reckon those who returned to Spain, or any of those who subsequently quitted the country by degrees, according as the fury of the Inquisition was more or less on the alert against the Conversos. In after-times during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, many found a secure and peaceful asylum in the Protestant Netherlands. A Jewish author of Amsterdam thus speaks of these refugees:-"Many of the canons, inquisitors, and bishops in Spain are of Jewish descent; some are still Jews at heart, though for the sake of temporal advantages, they feign themselves to be Christians; some of these at times repent and leave the country as best they can. In this city of Amsterdam, and in other countries, there are Augustins, Franciscans, Dominicans, and Jesuits, who have cast off idolatry.

In Spain there are a great many distinguished bishops and monks, whose parents, brothers and sisters, live in this town and elsewhere, where they can profess Judaism.”

Among the thousands and ten thousands of Jews who quitted Spain in consequence of the decree of Ferdinand and Isabella, the most highly gifted in rank and fortune first sought refuge in Portugal. John II., who was at that time King, afforded them an immediate asylum and fair privileges, on the payment of a tolerably high capitation tax.

Multitudes of these fugitives established themselves in the frontier cities of Braganza, Alandisa, Elvas, and others. At Oporto, the spacious street of San Miguel was given to thirty Jewish families, as a place of residence. Immanuel

Aboab, author of the " Nomology," remembered having seen, in his childhood, the synagogues which belonged to the Jewish exiles from Spain in that city.

LEILA ADA.

(Continued from page 164.)

THE night on which Leila's letter was given to her Father, was spent by her in earnest prayer. Of it, she remarks: "I experienced much of the Divine presence and support. I felt a calm assurance that my Saviour would work for me; and that whatever happened to me, all would be for good.”

Daylight came and she arose with a body made feverish with watching, and spirits absorbed and depressed by deep anxiety. Eight

o'clock, the time of meeting her father in the breakfast-room, arrived; her spirits sunk to the helplessness of infancy, in prospect of the dreaded interview. Her father would, perhaps-nay, almost certainly-speak unkindly it was more than she could bear. Eight o'clock passed-she was kneeling, with uplifted hands and streaming eyes, beseeching divine aid to meet the event: it was given, and she arose strengthened.

Entering the room, she found her father already waiting. Directly she went up to him, and throwing her arms upon his neck, was about to claim her usual kiss

"Leila!" said her father, solemnly, at the same moment turning his head from her.

"O, my dear, dear Papa," said Leila, weeping, "do not refuse to kiss me; do give me my kiss, and then I will try to bear all you have to say. But, indeed, I cannot stay if you will refuse me this. I cannot endure so severe a mark of your displeasure."

"What have you done, Leila? How can you expect me to kiss you? Can you imagine the night I have spent? Is it for this I have had my daughter instructed in the law of the God of Israel, that she should mock at it, and cast it behind her back? Is it for this I withheld no means of knowledge from her, that her learning should become a snare to her? O, my daughter, perhaps my heart has been too much bound up in you. Now I am scourged; those hopes which I had, that you would soothe my declining years, are blighted. But come, kiss me," he continued, holding out his hand to Leila, who stood petrified with anguish. Now, my choicest treasure, tell me who is it that poisoned you; let me know

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who it was made you a proselyte from the faith of your father Abraham. To think that one of

my kindred should have become an apostate—a Christian-and that one, too, my own child. But come, my dear, speak to me; tell me how your unsuspecting and innocent heart has been misled. The arms of our religion are as wide open to you as ever, if you will return now; and I need not tell you that I shall love you better than before."

"O, my dear father," faltered Leila, “ no one has abused my judgment: indeed, it is God who has, of His mercy, opened my eyes."

"God open your eyes to believe in Jesus of Nazareth? It is not possible. Do you not know that God has specially chosen our nation as the depositary and conservator of the only true religion? You are flying from God, my dear child. God chose Israel, and made it the sanctuary of the true faith. The nations were sunk in error and idolatry; and in many cases their idolatrous rites and sacrifices were perpetrated under the holy name of religion. But, in order to accomplish His designs of mercy, in the establishment of truth and righteousness upon the earth, He raised up Israel, and declared Himself unto them as His chosen and peculiar people, calling Himself by name, JEHOVAH-THE ONE -I AM. He became our Lawgiver and our King. Read the charge of Moses to the Israelites, given as he was about to die: 'Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lord my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither you go to possess it. Keep, therefore, and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the

nations which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding nation. For what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day! Take heed to yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which he made with you for the Lord thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.' Ó, beware of what you are doing! I tremble, my child, for you; I cannot express my agony for you. Although in the many ages which have passed since the giving of the law, the traditions of men may have become mixed with it, yet this will not affect the faithful soul; our religion is still pure and holy, and still of God; man cannot change or deteriorate it."

"But, my dear father, God has entered into a new and better covenant with his people, and Christ Jesus is the Mediator of that covenant. His is the blood of sprinkling, which speaketh better things than that of Abel. The law, as given through Moses, was typical, and it was imperfect; and, therefore, it continually reminded the Jews of their need of a perfect and full atonement, which should sanctify and purge their conscience from dead works, to serve the living God. And this new covenant has abolished all the ceremonies of the old covenant; for these were only imposed as a figure until its fulfilment and perfection in the Lord Jesus Christ. These stood in outward ordinances, but the new covenant in Christ Jesus, has opened to us a new and more excellent way: This shall be the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord, I will put