Read Ebook: Diaries of Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore Volume 1 (of 2) Comprising Their Life and Work as Recorded in Their Diaries from 1812 to 1883 by Montefiore Judith Cohen Lady Montefiore Moses Sir Loewe Louis Editor

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Ebook has 1397 lines and 160636 words, and 28 pages

Birth of Sir Moses Montefiore at Leghorn--His Family--Early Years 1

Early Education--Becomes a Stockbroker--His Marriage 12

Extracts from the Diaries--Financial Transactions--Public Events before and after Waterloo--Elected President of the Spanish and Portuguese Hebrew Community 19

Daily Life--Death of his Brother Abraham--An early Panama Canal Project 25

First Journey to Jerusalem 36

Mr and Mrs Montefiore leave Alexandria--A Sea Voyage Sixty Years ago 47

Arrival in England--Illness of Mr Montefiore--The Struggle for Jewish Emancipation 55

Lady Hester Stanhope--Her Eccentricities--Parliament and the Jews 63

Mr Montefiore presented to the King--Spanish and Portuguese Jews in London in 1829 69

Interview with the Duke of Wellington in furtherance of the Jewish--Cause--The Duke's Dilatory Tactics--Laying the Foundation-stone of the Synagogue at Hereson 78

Lord Brougham and the Jews--The Jewish Poor in London--Mr Montefiore hands his Broker's Medal to his Brother--Dedication of the Synagogue at Hereson--The Lords reject the Jewish Disabilities Bill 86

The Jews' Marriage Bill--Mr Montefiore at the Queen's Drawing-Room--His Inauguration as Sheriff 111

Death of Mr Montefiore's Uncle--Mr Montefiore rides in the Lord Mayor's Procession--Is Knighted--His Speech at the Lord Mayor's Banquet--Presents Petition on behalf of the Jews to Parliament 119

Destruction of the Royal Exchange--City Traditions--"Jews' Walk"--Sir Moses dines at Lambeth Palace 130

Another Petition to Parliament--Sir Moses intercedes successfully for the Life of a Convict--Death of Lady Montefiore's Brother 137

Bartholomew Fair--Sir Moses earns the Thanks of the City--Preparations for a Second Journey to the Holy Land--The Journey--Adventures on Road and River in France 145

Genoa, Carrara, Leghorn, and Rome--Disquieting Rumours--Quarantine Precautions--Arrival at Alexandria--Travel in the Holy Land 153

Reception at Safed--Sad Condition of the People--Sir Moses' Project for the Cultivation of the Land in Palestine by the Jews--Death of the Chief Rabbi of the German Congregation in Jerusalem--Tiberias 162

Invitation from the Portuguese Congregation at Jerusalem--Sanitary Measures in the Holy City--The Wives of the Governor of Tiberias visit Lady Montefiore--A Pleasant Journey--Arrival at Jerusalem 171

The Tomb of David--Spread of the Plague--Mussulman Fanaticism--Suspicious Conduct of the Governor of Jerusalem--Nayani, Beth Dagon, Jaffa, Emkhalet, and Tantura 180

Encampment near Mount Carmel--State of the Country--Child Marriages in the Portuguese Community at Haifa--Arrival in Beyrout 188

Arrival at Malta--Home again--Boghoz Bey returns no Answer--Touching Appeal from the Persecuted Jews of Damascus and Rhodes--Revival of the old Calumny about killing Christians to put their Blood in Passover Cakes 204

Indignation Meetings in London--M. Cr?mieux--Lord Palmerston's Action--Sir Moses starts on a Mission to the East--Origin of the Passover Cake Superstition 213

Arrival at Leghorn--Alexandria--Sir Moses' Address to the Pasha--Action of the Grand Vizir 222

Authentic Accounts of the Circumstances attending the Accusations against the Jews--Terrible Sufferings of the Accused--Evidence of their Innocence--Witnesses in their favour Bastinadoed to Death 229

Affairs in the East--Ultimatum from the Powers--Gloomy Prospects of the Mission--Negotiations with the Pasha--Excitement in Alexandria--Illness of Lady Montefiore 240

The English Government and the Pasha--Mohhammad Ali and the Slaves--The Pasha promises to release the Damascus Prisoners--He grants them an "Honourable Liberation" 248

Interview with the Pasha--Liberation of the Jews of Damascus--Public Rejoicings and Thanksgiving--Departure of Sir Moses for Constantinople 256

Constantinople--Condition of the Jewish Residents--Interview with Rechid Pasha--Audience with the Sultan--He grants a Firman 266

Distress among the Jews at Salonica--Oppressive Laws with regard to them--Text of the Firman--Its Promulgation 275

Departure from Malta--Naples--Rome--A Shameful Inscription--Prejudices against the Jews at the Vatican 282

Monsignor Bruti and his Hints--Cardinal Riverola--Ineffectual Attempts to Interview the Pope--Returning Homewards--Alarming Accident--The Governor of Genoa--Interview with King Louis Philippe 289

Home again--Sir Moses presents a Facsimile of the Firman to the Queen--Her Majesty's Special Mark of Favour--Reform Movement among the London Jews--Appeal for English Protection from the Jews in the East 298

Presentation from Hamburg--Sir Moses meets the King of Prussia--Address to Prince Albert--Attempt on the Queen's Life--Petitions to Sir Moses from Russia 305

Address and Testimonial from the Jews--Sir Moses' Speech in reply--Death of the Duke of Sussex--The Deportation Ukase in Russia--Opening of the New Royal Exchange--Sir Moses made Sheriff of Kent 313

Affairs in Morocco--Letter to the Emperor--His Reply--Deputation to Sir Robert Peel--Death of Lady Montefiore's Brother Isaac--Sir Moses sets out for Russia 320

Perils of Russian Travelling in Winter--Arrival at St Petersburg--Interviews with Count Nesselrode and the Czar--Count Kisseleff's Prejudices 328

Count Kisseleff is more Conciliatory--Sir Moses sets out for Wilna--Arrival at Wilna--The Jews' Answers to the Charges of Russian Officials 339

The Jewish Schools at Wilna--Wilcomir--Deplorable Condition of the Hebrew Community in that Town--Kowno--Warsaw 344

Deputation from Krakau--The Polish Jews and their Garb--Sir Moses leaves Warsaw--Posen, Berlin, and Frankfort--Home 351

Sir Moses receives the Congratulations of his English Co-religionists--His Exhaustive Report to Count Kisseleff--Examination of the Charges against the Jews--Their Alleged Disinclination to engage in Agriculture 359

Report to Count Ouvaroff on the State of Education among the Jews in Russia and Poland--Vindication of the Loyalty of the Jews 374

Report to Count Kisseleff on the State of the Jews in Poland--Protest against the Restrictions to which they were subjected 381

The Czar's Reply to Sir Moses' Representations--Count Ouvaroff's Views--Sir Moses again writes to Count Kisseleff--Sir Moses is created a Baronet 385

DIARIES OF Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore

BIRTH OF SIR MOSES MONTEFIORE AT LEGHORN--HIS FAMILY--EARLY YEARS.

The neighbourhood of the Tower of London was, a hundred years ago, the centre of attraction for thousands of persons engaged in financial pursuits, not so much on account of the protection which the presence of the garrison might afford in case of tumult, as of the convenience offered by the locality from its vicinity to the wharves, the Custom House, the Mint, the Bank, the Royal Exchange, and many important counting-houses and places of business. For those who took an interest in Hebrew Communal Institutions, it possessed the additional advantage of being within ten minutes or a quarter of an hour's walk of the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue and the Great German Synagogue, together with their Colleges and Schools, and several minor places of worship.

Tower Hill, the Minories, and the four streets enclosing the Tenter Ground were then favourite places of residence for the merchant; and in one of these, Great Prescott Street, lived Levi Barent Cohen, the father of Judith, afterwards Lady Montefiore.

He was a wealthy merchant from Amsterdam, who settled in England, where fortune favoured his commercial undertakings.

In his own country his name is to this day held in great respect. He not only during his lifetime kept up a cordial correspondence with his friends and relatives--who were indebted to him for many acts of kindness--but, wishing to have his name commemorated in the House of Prayer by some act of charity, he bequeathed a certain sum of money to be given annually to the poor, in consideration of which, he desired to have some of the Daily Prayers offered up from the very place which he used to occupy in the Synagogue of his native city.

He was a man, upright in all his transactions, and a strict adherent to the tenets of his religion. He was of a very kind and sociable disposition, which prompted him to keep open house for his friends and visitors, whom he always received with the most generous hospitality. He was first married to Fanny, a daughter of Joseph Diamantschleifer of Amsterdam, by whom he had three children: two sons, Solomon and Joseph, and one daughter, Fanny.

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