reason is the more strengthened when we see that not onely the Iewish Nation dwelling in Holland and Italy traficq with their owne stocke but also with the richesse of many others of their owne Nation friends kinds-men and acquaintance which not withstanding live in Spaine and send unto them their moneys and goods which they hold in their hands and content themselves with a very small portion of their estate to the end they may be secure and free from danger that might happen unto them in case they should fall under they yoke of the Inquisition whence not onely their goods but oftentimes also their lives are endangered IV. The love that men ordinarily beare to their owne Country and the desire they have to end their lives where they had their begining is the cause that most strangers having gotten richesse where they are in a forain land are commonly taken in a desire to returne to their natif soil and there peaceably to enjoy their estate so that as they were a help to the places where they lived and negotiated while they remained there so when they depart from thence they carry all away and spoile them of their wealth transporting all into their owne native Country But with the Jewes the case is farre different for where the Iewes are once kindly receaved they make a firm resolution never to depart from thence seeing they have no proper place of their owne and so they are alwayes with their goods in the Cities where they live a perpetuall benefit to all payments Which reasons do clearly proove that it being the property of Citizens in populous and rich countries to seeke their rest and ease with buying lands and faire póssession of which they live many of them hating commerce aspire to Titles and Dignities that of all strangers in whose hands ordinarily Trafique is found there are none so profitable and beneficiall to the place where they trade and live as is the Nation of the Iewes And seeing amongst the people of Europe the chiefest richesses they possesse come from Spaine those neighbour Nations where the Iewes shall finde liberty to live according to their owne Iudaïcall Lawes they shall most easily draw that benefit to themselves by meanes of the industry of our Nation and their mutuall correspondance From hence if it please your Highnes it results that the Jewish Nation though scattered through the whole World are not therefore a despisable people but as a Plant worthy to be planted in the whole world received into populous Cities who ought to plant them in those places which are most secure from danger being trees of most savory fruit and profit to be alwayes most favoured with Lawes and Priviledges or Prerogatives secured and defended by Armes An Exemple of this we have in our times His Majesty the Illustrious King of Danemarck invited them with speciall Priviledges into Geluckstadt the Duke of Savoy into Nisa of Provence and the Duke of Modina in Retio allowing them such conditions and benefices the like never were presented unto them by any other Prince as appeareth by the copy of those Priviledges which I have in my hands But supposing it would be a matter of too large extention if I should make a relation of all the places under whose Princes the Iewes live I will onely speaké briefly of the two Tribes Iudah and Benjamin These in India in Cochin have 4 Synagogues one part of these Iewes being there of a white colour and three of a tawny these being most favoured by the King In the yeare 1640. dyed Samuel Castoel Gouvernour of the City and Agent for the King and David Castoel his sonne succeeded in his place In Persia there is a great number of Iewes and they live indifferent freely there are also amongst them that are in favour and great respect by the King and who live there very bravely Some years past there was Elhazar Huza the Viceroy and now there is David Ian if yet he be living In the year 1636. the Saltan Amarat tooke in Bagdad and puting all to the sword he commanded that they should not touch the Iewes nor their houses and besides that he freed them from one half of the tribut they were wont to pay to the Persian But the chiefest place where the Iewes live is the Turkish Empire where some of them live in great estate even in the Court of the Grand Turke at Constantinople by reason there is no Viceroy or Gouvernour or Bassa which hath not a Iew to manage his affaires and to take care for his estate Hence it cometh that in short time they grow up to be Lords of great revenus and they most frequently bend the minds of Great-ones to most weighty affaires in gouvernment The greatest Viceroy of whole Europe is the Bassa of Egypt this Bassa always takes to him by ordre of the Kingdome a lew with the title of Zaraf-Bassa Thresurer viz. of all the Revenus of that gouvernment who receaves purses full of money seals them and then sends them to the King This man in a short time grows very rich for that by his hands as being next to the Bassa the 24 Gouvernments of that Empire are sould and given and all other bussinesses menaged At present he that possesseth this place is called Sr. Abraham Alhula The number of the Iews living in this Kingdome of the Great Turke is very great and amounts to many Millions In Constantinople alone there are 48 Synagogues and in Salaminque 36 and more then fourescore thousand soules in these two Cities alone The first King gave them great priviledges which they enjoy untill this day for besides the liberty they have every-where of trading with open shops of bearing any Office and possessing of any goods both mooveable and immooveable he yet graunted them power to judge all Civill causes according to their own Lawes amongst themselves Moreover they are exempted from going to Warres and that souldiers should be quartered in their houses and that Iustice should take no place upon the death of any one that left no heir to his Estate In all which they are preferred before the naturall Turkes themselves For which cause they pay in some Cities to the King three Patacons and in others two and a half by the pole In this estate some of the Iewes have growne to great fortunes as Joseph Nasino unto whom Amatus Lusitanus dedicated his fifth and sixth Centuriae was by Sultan Solime made Duke of Maccia Earle of Andro Seignor of Millo and the seaven Islands And Iacob Ben-Iaes by Sultan Amurat was made Gouvernour of the Tiberiades so likewise others were exalted to very great and eminent Dignities as was that Selomo Rofe that was sent for Ambassador at Venice where he confirmed the last Peace with Amurat. In Germany there lives also a great multitude of Iews especially at Prague Vienna and Franckfurt very much favoured by the most mild and most gracious Emperours but despised of the people
people shall be compleated in all places then shall all these things be compleated signifying therewith that before all be fulfilled the People of God must be first dispersed into all places Countreys of the World Now we know how our Nation at the present is spread all about and hath its seat and dwelling in the most flourishing parts of all the Kingdomes and Countreys of the Worlds as well in America as in the other three parts thereof except onely in this considerable and mighty Island And therefore this remains onely in my judgement before the MESSIA come and restore our Nation that first we must have our seat here likewise My thira Motive is grounded on the profit that I conceive this Common-wealth is to reap if it shall vouchsafe to receive us for thence I hope there will follow a great blessing from God upon them and a very abundant trading into and from all parts of the World not onely without prejudice to the English Nation but for their profit both in Importation and Exportation of goods Yet if any shall doubt hereof I trust their Charity towards the people of God will satisfie them especially when they shall read the ensuing Treatise The fourth Motive of my coming hither is my sincere affection to this Common-wealth by reason of so many Worthy Learned Pious men in this Nation whose loving kindnesse Piety I have experience of hoping to finde the like affection in all the People generally the more because I alwaies have both by writing and deeds professed much inclination to this Common-wealth and that I perswade my self they will be mindfull of that Command of the Lord our God who so highly recommends unto all men the love of strangers much more to those that professe their good affection to them For this I desire all may be confident of that I am not come to make any disturbance or to move any disputes about matters of Religion but onely to live with my Nation in the fear of the Lord under the shadow of your protection whiles we expect with you the hope of Israel to be revealed How Profitable The Nation of the Iewes are THree things if it please your Highnesse there are that make a strange Nation wel-beloved amongst the Natives of a land where they dwell and on the contrary three things that make them hatefull viz. Profit they may receive from them Fidelity they hold towards their Princes and the Noblenes and purety of their blood Now when I shall have made good that all these three things are found in the Iewish Nation I shall certainly persuade your Highnesse that with a favorable eye Monarchy being changed into a Republicq you shall be pleased to receive againe the Nation of the Iews who in time past lived in that Island but by I know not what false Informations were cruelly handled and banished Profit is a most powerfull motive and which all the World preferres before all other things and therefore wee shall handle that point first It is a thing confirmed that merchandicing is as it were the proper profession of the Nation of the Iews I attribute this in the first place to the particular Providence and mercy of God towards his people for having banished them from their own Countrey yet not from his Protection hee hath given them as it were a naturall instinct by which they might not onely gain what was necessary for their need but that they should also thrive in Riches and possessions whereby they should not onely become gracious to their Princes and Lords but that they should be invited by others to come and dwell in their Lands Moreover it cannot be denyed but that necessity stirres up a mans ability and industry and that it gives him great incitement by all meanes to trie the favour of Fortune Besides seeing it is no Wisedome for them to endeavour the gaining of Land and other immovable goods and so to imprison their possessions here where their persons are subject to so many casualities banishments and peregrinations they are forced to use marchandizing untill that time when they shall returne to their owne Country that then as God hath promised by de Prophet Zachary There shall be found no more any merchant amongst them in the House of the Lord. From that very thing we have said there riseth an infallible Profit commodity and gain to all those Princes in whose Lands they dwell above all other strange Nations whatsoever as experience by divers Reasons doth confirme I. The Iewes having no oportunity to live in their own Country to till the Lands or other like employments give themselves wholy unto merchandizing and for contriving new Inventions no Nation almost going beyond them And so 't is observed that wheresoever they go to dwell there presently the Traficq begins to florish Which may be seen in divers places especially in Ligorne which having been but a very ignoble and inconsiderable City is at this time by the great concourse of people one of the most famous places of Trafique of whole Italy Furthermore the Inventor of the famous Scala de Spalatro the most firme and solid Traficq of Venice was a Iew who by this his Invention transported the Negotiation from a great part of the Levant into that Citie Even that very same is seene likewise at this day in Nizza and in other infinite places more both in Europe and Asia II. The Nation of the Iews is dispersed throughout the whole world it being a chastisement that God hath layd upon them for their Idolatries Deut. 28.69 Ezech. 20.23 Nehem. 1.8 Psal 107.27 as likewayes by contrary fortunes their families suffer the same ship wrack Now in this dispersion our Fore-fathers flying from the Spanish Inquisition some of them came in Holland others got into Italy and others betooke themselves in Asia and so easely they credit one another and by that meanes they draw the Negotiation where-ever they are wherewith all of them marchandising and having perfect knowledge of all the kinds of Moneys Diamants Cochinil Indigo Wines oyle and other Commodities that serve from place to place especially holding correspondence with their friends and kinds-folke whose language they understand they do abundantly enrich the Lands and Countries of strangers where they live not onely with what is requisite and necessary for the life of man but also what may serve for ornament to his civill condition Of which Traficq there ariseth ordinarily Five important benefits 1. The augmentation of the Publiq Tolls and Gabels at their coming in and going out of the place 2. The transporting and bringing in of marchandises from remote Countries 3. The affording of Materials in great plenty for all Mechaniqs as Wooll Leather and Hides and such like Marchandize 4. The venting and exportation of so many kinds of Manifactures 5. The Commerce and reciprocall Negotiation at Sea which is the ground of Peace between neighbour Nations and of great profit to their own fellow-citizens III. This
being a Nation not very finely garnished by reason of their vile cloathing yet notwithstanding there is not wanting amongst them persons of great quality The Emperour Matthias made Noble both Mardochai Mairel and Ferdinando Jacob Bar Seba. But yet a greater number of Iews are found in the Kingdome of Poland Prussia and Lethuania under which Monarchy they have the Iurisdiction to judge amongst themselves all causes both Criminal and Civil and also great and famous Academies of their owne The chief Cities where the Nation liveth are Lublin and Cracow where there is a Iew called Isaac Iecells who built a Synagogue which stood him in one hundred thousand Francs and is worth many tons of gold There is in this place such infinite number of Iewes that although the Cosaques in the late warres have killed of them above one hundred and fourescore thousand yet it is sustained that they are yet at this day as innumerable as those were that came out of Egypt In that Kingdome the whole Negotiation is in the hand of the Iews the rest of the Christians are either all Noble-men or Rustiques and kept as slaves In Italy they are generally protected by all the Princes their principall residence is in the most famous Citie of Venice so that in that same City alone they possesse about 1400 Houses and are used there with much courtoisy and clemency Many also live in Padoa and Verona others in Mantua and also many in Rome it self Finally they are scattered here and there in the chief places of Italy and do live there with many speciall priviledges In the Gouvernment of the great Duke of Tuscany they are by that Prince most graciously and bountifully dealt with having power from him graunted to have their Iudicatory by themselves and to judge in all matters both Civill and Criminall besides many other Priviledges whereof I my self have the Copies in hand The rich and illustrious families that flourished in these Countries are many viz. The Thoraces who being three Brethren shared betwixt them above 700 thousand Crownes In Ferrara were the Viles whose stock was above 200 thousand Crownes The Lord Ioseph de Fano Marquis de Villependi was a man much respected of all the Princes in Italy and was called by them The Peace-maker and appeaser of all troubles because he by his auctority and entremise was used to appease all troubles and strife rising amongst them Don Daniel Rodrigues because of his prudency and other good qualities was sent in the year 1589 from the most Excellent Senat of Venice into Dalmatia to appease those tumults and scandals given by the Usquoquibs in Clissa which he most manly effected and caused all the women and children that were kept cloose prisonners to be set at liberty brought also to an happy issue many other things of great moment for which he was sent Alphonso II. the Duke of Ferrara sent also for his Ambassador to the Imperiall Majesty one Abraham de Bondi to pay and discharge Investiture of the States of Modena and Reggio The Prince of Sasol and the Marquis of Scandia likewise had to their Factors men of our Nation In the King dome of Barbary there lives also a great number of Iewes who-ever cruelly and basely used by that Barbarous Nation except at Marrocco the Court and Kings house where they have their Naguid or Prince that gouverns them and is their Iudge and is called at this day Seignor Moseh Palache and before him was in the same Court that Noble family Ruthes that had power and Iurisdiction of all kinde of punishment onely life and death excepted In the Low-Countries also the Iewes are received with great Charity and Benevolency and especially in this most renowned City of Amsterdam where there are no lesse then 400 Families and how great a trading and Negotiation they draw to that City experience doth sufficiently witnesse They have there no lesse then three hundred houses of their own enjoy a good part of the West and East-Indian Compagnies and besides have yet to set forth their Traficq such a stock that for setting a side onely one duit of every pound flamish for all kind of commodities that enter and again as much for all what goes out of this towne and what besides we pay yearly of the rents we get from the East-Indian Compagnie to the reliefe and sustenance of the poore of our Synagogue that very money amounts ordinarily every year unto the summe very neare of 12000 Franks whereby you may easely conceive what a mighty stock it is they trade with and what a profit they needs must bring into this City In Hambourg likewise a most famous City of Holsace in Germany there lives also a hundred families protected by the Magistrat though molested by the people There resides Sr. Duarck Mines d'Acosta Resident for his Majesty the King of Portugal Gabriel Gomes Agent for his Majesty the King of Danemarck David de Lima a Ieweller for the same his Majesty and Emanuël Boccaro Rosales created by the Emperour a Noble-man and a Count Palatin In all these places the Iewes live in a manner all of them Merchants and that without any prejudice at all to the Natives For the Natives and those especially that are most rich they build themselves houses and Palaces buy Lands and firme goods aime at Titles and Dignities and so seeke their rest and contentement that way But as for the Iewes they aspire at nothing but to preferre themselves in their way of marchandize and so employing their Capitals they send forth the benefit of their labour amongst many and sundry of the Natives which they by the traficq of their Negotiation do enrich From whence it 's easy to judge of the profit that Princes and Common-wealths do reap by giving liberty of Religion to the Iewes and gathering them by some speciall priviledges into their Countries as Trees that bring forth such excellent fruits So that if one Prince ill advised driveth them out of his Land yet another invites them to his and shews them favour Wherein we may see the prophety of Iacob fulfilled in the letter The staffe to support him shall not depart from Iacob untill Messias shall come And this shall suffice concerning the Profit of the Iewish Nation How Faithfull The Nation of the Iewes are THe Fidelity of Vassals and Subjects is a thing that Princes much most esteem off for there-on both in Peace and Warre depends the preservation of their estates And as for this point in my opinion they owe much to the Nation of the Iewes by reason of the faithfulnesse and loyalty they show to all Potentates that receive and protect them in their Countries For setting aside the Histories of the Ptolomies Kings of Egypt who did not trust the Guard of their persons nor the keeping of their Forts nor the most important affaires of their Kingdom to any other Nation with greater satisfaction then to the Iewes the Wounds of Antipater shewed to Julius Caesar
in token of his loyalty and the brasen Tables of our Ancestours amongst the Romans are evident witnesses enough of their fidelity shewed unto them In Spaine the Iewes of Burgos as the Cronicles do declare most generously shewed the very same fidelity in the times of Don Henrique who having killed his Brother the King Don Pedro de Cruël made himself Lord of all his Kingdoms and brought under his obedience all the Grandos and people of Spaine Onely the Iewes of Burgos denyed to obey him and fortified themselves within the City saying That God would never have it that they should deny obedience to their Naturall Lord Don Pedro or to his rightfull successours A constancy that the prudent King Don Henriques very much esteemed of saying that such Vassals as those were by Kings and great men worthy of much account seeing they held greater respect to the fidelity they ought to their King although conquered and dead than to the present fortune of the Conquerour And a while after receiving very honourable conditions they gave themselves over In Spaine also as you may see in Mariana many Iewes for the same fidelity were appointed Gouvernours of the Kingdome and Tutors of Noble-mens children jointly to others of the Nobility upon the death of their Parents The Chronicles of the Xarifes dedicated to King Philip the second King of Spaine alleagues for an exemple of great fidelity and vertue how the rising of the Xarifes against the Morines their killing and spoyling them of the Kingdome was such a great grief unto Samuel Alvalensi one of those banished out of Spaine and much favoured by the king of Fez descended from the house of the Morines that joyning himself with other Magistrats and subjects of the Morines arming some ships and going himself Captain over all he came suddenly with 400 men and fell by night upon the Army of the Xarifes that were more then 3000 men besieging Copta and without losing one man killed of them above 500 and caused them to raise the siege Many the like Exemples may be brought of times past but for our present and moderne times there is no Exemple so evident as in the besieging of Mantua for the Emperour in the year 1630 where the Iewes fought most valiantly and rescued it from the Natives As likewise in the Seignory of Brasil where the same thing was done for one of the same Nation a Dutchman having delivered the Cape unto the Portugals there was found in our Nation there not onely loyalty but also such discretion that had they taken their advise the busines had not so proceeded This may be seen more clearly yet in their being banished out of Castilla in the dayes of Ferdinand and Isabella Their number at that time was supposed to have bene half a million of men amongst whom were many of great valour and courage as Don Isaac Abarbanel a Counsellor of State doth relate and yet amongst so great a number there was not found any one man that undertooke to raise a party to free themselves from that most miserable banishment An evident signe of the proper and naturall resolution of this Nation and of their constant obedience to their Princes The same affection is confirmed by the inviolable custome of all the Iewes wheresoever they live for on every Sabbath or festivall Day they everywhere are used to pray for the safety of all Kings Princes and Common-wealths under whose jurisdiction they live of what profession-soever unto which duety they are bound by the Prophets and the Talmudists from the Law as by Ieremy chap. 29. vers 7. Seek the peace of the Citie unto which I have made you to wander and pray for her unto the Lord for in her Peace you shall enjoy peace He speaks of Babylon where the Jewes at that time were captives From the Talmud ord 4. tract 4. Abodazara pereq 1. Pray for the peace of the Kingdome for unles there were feare of the Kingdome men would swallow one the other alive c. From the continuall and never broken Custome of the Iewes wheresoever they are on the Sabbath-Day or other solemne Feasts at which time all the Iewes from all places come together to the Synagogue after the benediction of the Holy Law before the Minister of the Synagogue blesseth the people of the Iewes with a loud voice he blesseth the Prince of the Country under whom they live that all the Iewes may heare it and say Amen The words he useth are these as in the printed booke of the Iewes may be seen He that giveth salvation unto Kings and dominion unto Lords he that delivered his servant David from the sword of the Enemy he that made a way in the Sea and a path in the strang waters blesse and keep preserve and rescue exalt and magnify and lift up higher and higher our Lord. And then he names the Pope the Emperour King Duke or any other Prince under whom the Iewes live and add's The King of kings defend him in his mercy making him joyfull and free him from all dangers and distresse The King of kings for his goodnesse sake raise up and exalt his planetary starre and multiply his dayes over his Kingdom The King of kings for his mercies sake put into his heart and into the heart of his Counsellers and those that attend and administer to him that he may show mercy unto us and unto all the people of Israël In his dayes and in our dayes let Iudah be safe and Iraë dwell securely and let the Redeemer come to Iraë and so may it please God Amen These are the very formalities set downe word for word which the Iewes by the command of God received from the Talmud do use in their prayers for Princes under whose gouvernment they reside And therefore wise Princes are wont to banish from their Courts false rapports And most wise R. Simon Ben-Iochai in his excellent book called Zoar in Sarasa Pecudi relates that it is a Tradition receaved from Heaven that the Kings of the Nations of the world Princes Gouvernours that protect the Iewes in this world or do them any good that the same shall enjoy certain degrees of glory or eternall reward as on the other side they that do to the Nation of the Iewes any harme that they shall be punished with some particular eternall punishment As appeareth also out of Esa the last chapter Thus you see the Fidelity of the Iewes towards their Gouvernours clearly prooved Now that no man may thinke that their banishment out of Spaigne and Portugal proceeded from any suspition or faults of theirs I shall clearly rehearse the reason of so sudden a determination and what the thoughts of many Christian Princes have bene there-upon The busines was thus Ferdinand and Isabella Gouvernours of Castile having gained the Kingdome of Granada of which they tooke possession on the 5 of Ianuary they resolved to thrust out all the Iewes that lived in their Kingdomes and so on the