The Rothschilds E-Book

John Reeves

• Herausgeber: Jovian Press
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Seitenzahl: 399

Beschreibung

WHAT'S in a name? asks Shakespeare. The answer, when the name is such as Rothschild, is not difficult. There is a volume of meaning in its mere sound. It is a name which conjures up in the imagination visions of untold wealth and unrivalled power, which appear so startling and amazing as to be more appropriate to romance than real life. It has become a household word synonymous with unbounded riches, and is as familiar to the ears of the struggling artisan as to those of the banker or trader. No name has, indeed, been so prominently before the public during the last sixty years or more, as that of this great financial firm. Its origin was so shrouded in humble obscurity, and the rapidity with which it sprang forward to prosperity and fame was alike so extraordinary and so remarkable, that the public gaze has been kept by a species of fascination upon the movements of the well-known financiers. From one corner of the world to the other the success of the Rothschilds has been the subject of universal wonder and envy. When we recollect the poor beginnings of this eminent firm, and contrast them with the exalted position it now holds, there is good reason to be surprised. History does not record another instance of such unparalleled success, of such immense fortunes won in such a short time by sheer force of intellect rising superior to all adverse circumstances...

Leseprobe

THE ROTHSCHILDS

John Reeves

JOVIAN PRESS

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Copyright © 2017 by John Reeves

Published by Jovian Press

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ISBN: 9781537821801

TABLE OF CONTENTS

About The Jews

Mayer Amschel Rothschild — THE FRANKFORT FIRM

The Progress of the Firm

Anselm Mayer von Rothschild — THE FRANKFORT FIRM (continued)

Nathan Mayer Rothschild — THE LONDON FIRM

Baron Lionel de Rothschild — THE LONDON FIRM (continued)

Baron Carl von Rothschild — THE NAPLES FIRM

Baron Salomon von Rothschild — THE VIENNA FIRM

Baron James de Rothschild — THE PARIS FIRM

ROTHSCHILDIANA

ABOUT THE JEWS

~

THE VALUE OF A NAME — The phenomenal success of the Rothschilds and their poor beginnings — Their reputation for unstinted benevolence — Persecutions to which the Jews have been subjected — The hatred of them still rampant in some countries — The spirit of intolerance dying out in England — What the world owes the Jews — Universal pre-eminence accorded to the works of their great lawyers and prophets — Spinoza — Large number of Jews distinguished as musicians and composers, and likewise as dramatic and operatic artists — Eminence of the Jews as mathematicians and astronomers — The Jews in commerce and finance — The Jews as lawyers and as politicians — Charges brought against the Jews — Misleading impressions regarding them — Mayer Amschel Rothschild, “ the honest Jew” — Unimpeachable lives and characters of the Rothschilds and other prominent Jewish families — The secret of Jewish success — Sir Thomas Gresham — Queen Elizabeth — Jewish pride of race.

“WHAT’S in a name?” asks Shakespeare. The answer, when the name is such as Rothschild, is not difficult. There is a volume of meaning in its mere sound. It is a name which conjures up in the imagination visions of untold wealth and unrivalled power, which appear so startling and amazing as to be more appropriate to romance than real life. It has become a household word synonymous with unbounded riches, and is as familiar to the ears of the struggling artisan as to those of the banker or trader. No name has, indeed, been so prominently before the public during the last sixty years or more, as that of this great financial firm. Its origin was so shrouded in humble obscurity, and the rapidity with which it sprang forward to prosperity and fame was alike so extraordinary and so remarkable, that the public gaze has been kept by a species of fascination upon the movements of the well-known financiers. From one corner of the world to the other the success of the Rothschilds has been the subject of universal wonder and envy. When we recollect the poor beginnings of this eminent firm, and contrast them with the exalted position it now holds, there is good reason to be surprised. History does not record another instance of such unparalleled success, of such immense fortunes won in such a short time by sheer force of intellect rising superior to all adverse circumstances. The firm startled the world like the flash of a meteor, but the brilliance of its first successes was soon eclipsed by its subsequent achievements. The more one considers the marvellous manner in which it won its way to fame and fortune, and how it rose within the short space of ten or fifteen years from the filthy confines of the Judengasse to take its station at the foot of a royal throne, the more incredible the story seems. But facts are stubborn things. There is no denying the fact that at the beginning of this century the Rothschild family was unknown beyond the limits of Frankfort; neither can it be gainsaid that before Napoleon’s downfall the firm had rendered immense service both to the Emperor and to the Allied Princes by its advice and its financial aid. Ere a quarter of a century had elapsed the firm which had commenced business in an unpretending shop in the Judengasse was courted and favoured by all the reigning families of Europe. From being dealers in old coins, the founder of the family and his sons rose by their skill and financial abilities to be the trusted and valued friends of the governments of every European nation. And well indeed might they be trusted, seeing that, in more than one instance, their aid was indispensable to ward off impending bankruptcy and disaster. Great, however, as is their fame as skilful financiers, the Rothschilds enjoy a reputation for liberal and unstinted benevolence which does them far greater honour.

The rise of the Rothschilds is the more remarkable seeing that they belong to an outcast and down-trodden race. No other race has experienced such persecution, nor passed through such trials as have the Jews. From time immemorial they have been loaded with scorn and contumely, they have been harassed and fettered by tyrannical laws and barbarous edicts, but they have always passed through their tribulations patiently and triumphantly. Their very name has been a term of reproach to them, and they have been the common butt for the sneers and ridicule of their Christian neighbours. It would be difficult to describe in a few words the intense hatred which the mere word: “ Jew,” roused in the breasts of Christians, but ample proofs of the bitter animosity between the believers in the old and the believers in the new dispensation are to be found in the writings of our poets and historians. “Thou dog of a Jew” was a term eloquent with savage hatred and unmeasured contempt. These feelings were formerly far more rampant than they are now, but even in these much vaunted days of liberalism and progress there is a very general inclination to cast the words of Shylock in the face of anyone who by his features or manners excites the slightest suspicion of a Jewish origin:

“You call me misbeliever, cut-throat, dog,

And spit upon my Jewish gabardine.”

That the long-standing hatred of the Christian for the Jews is not extinguished, has been proved only too clearly of recent years. In Russia, Turkey, Poland, Hungary, and elsewhere, the Jews are still, in the eyes of the populace, an accursed race, to be despoiled and persecuted without mercy. Those who cannot compete with them in industry, thrifty habits, or intelligence, show a painful and deplorable eagerness to lend themselves to a propaganda of extermination started often by scheming tricksters, with the result that many innocent lives are sacrificed to the fury and ignorant passions of brutal mobs. Especially is it to be regretted that such lawless proceedings receive a powerful support in some countries from Court chaplains and others, who profess — but whose professions are belied by their deeds — to act up to a creed in which “ charity that thinketh no evil” holds a distinguished place. Nothing surely can be more detrimental to true religion than the sanction given by men of education and influence to the perpetration of such barbarities. These continual outbreaks are a forcible proof that even in these enlightened days the spirit of persecution is but poorly concealed, and that a spark may at any moment set it ablaze, when the law would be powerless to control or restrain the excited passions of the multitude.

In England the spirit of intolerance is, we are thankful to say, fast dying out. It is our just pride and boast that our island is the land of liberty, the refuge to which the persecuted of other lands flock. No doubt there still is among Englishmen a prejudice against the Jews, but bitterness in the feeling is now less marked than pity. We no longer regard the language or nationality of those who live in our midst; it is the mental qualities and abilities that awaken our regard and esteem. Here in England we welcome men of every nation, whether Jew or Gentile; here all can and do live in friendly rivalry without any animosity being excited. The thrifty and industrious habits of the Jews, combined with their great intelligence, have long been recognized and acknowledged here in England, and any attempt to start a crusade against those who trusting to our generosity and good nature have settled in our midst, would at once meet with general and well-merited disapproval. In no other country do the Jews enjoy such liberty and privileges as in England. Abroad they live apart, despised and shunned by their so-called Christian neighbours, and harassed in their business and private life by restrictions and edicts originating in the envy inspired by their success. Here they live peacefully and quietly, enjoying the same privileges and opportunities as the rest of the community; no hindrances bar their way to attaining the highest civil or military honours in the land; they are looked upon as a worthy and estimable part of the nation. But whilst on the one hand they are rapidly abandoning their peculiar habits, and are assimilating themselves to our own mode of living, they still fondly cling to their ancient religious ceremonials and doctrines, and assert their claim to a history that dates back to the genesis of our race and reproduces the symbolism of their desert wanderings. Their ceremonies and memories flourish under the protection which is accorded to them in the same measure as to all the other numerous sects and communities that exist in our great metropolis. No less honour or respect is accorded to the Jewish creed than to any other; they are all on an equal footing, and have to trust to their own efforts for support. While in religious matters we practically ignore the existence of the Jews, it cannot be denied that we, in common with all civilization, owe them a debt which we are very prone to forget, for it is certainly to them that we owe the very bases of our faith, and, were it not for the books of Moses, Christianity would lose one of its main supports, and much of its power.

From the Jews we have that short pithy code of morals embodied in the Ten Commandments, which are placed in the most prominent parts of our churches. The Jews have contributed to the ranks of poets, historians, philosophers, and musical composers a long succession of names that are the admiration of the whole world. In every department of science, art, or philosophy, we have representatives of the Jewish nation, who have by their labours and researches left an indelible impress upon the pages of history and helped to enlighten and ennoble the human race. It is from the Bible that many of our poets and writers have derived their greatest inspiration; the Bible is a storehouse full of the most noble, the grandest ideas, inspiring our writers to their greatest and most successful efforts. The Psalms of David, the Book of Job, and the teachings of Isaiah have never been surpassed, and still retain their sway over the hearts of millions. No higher homage to the intelligence and lofty genius of the Jewish writers could be paid than the universal pre-eminence accorded to the works of their great law-givers and prophets. The moral law of Moses is virtually unaltered; the principles are still as sound and true as when first propounded, and it is only in the details by which their execution is effected that any change has been made. In the more ordinary and prosaic spheres of thought the superior intelligence of the Jews has been equally conspicuous. The doctrines of Spinoza lie at the root of the whole of that metaphysical philosophy which has had an immense influence upon the opinions and modes of thought of the whole civilized world, for he may undoubtedly be regarded as the founder of modern Rationalism. In music and the acted-drama the children of Israel are far ahead of all their rivals. The number of Jews who have distinguished themselves in these two branches of art is surprisingly large, and includes such famous masters as Meyerbeer, Mendelssohn, Rubinstein, Ernst, Moscheles, Benedict, whilst on the stage are to be found such brilliant performers as Grisi, Rachel, and Sarah Bernhardt. It would be altogether superfluous to specify those Jews who have distinguished themselves in literature, science, or philosophy; their name is legion. One thing is certain and unquestionable: to the Jews we owe our knowledge of the sciences of mathematics and astronomy. During the Middle Ages, in spite of the risk they ran and the suspicion they were likely to incur of being astrologers and necromancers, they were the only students of mathematics and astronomy, the mysteries of which they patiently and unceasingly laboured to solve. In these two branches they have from the most ancient times been pre-eminent for their surpassing knowledge, as these two subjects have always had a great attraction for minds in which the powers and habits of calculation are innate and conspicuous. The earliest professors of mathematics in our universities were Jews, and in Germany, notwithstanding the ill-feeling that exists between the Christian and Jewish communities, the bulk of the mathematical professors belong to the Jewish faith. In commerce and finance the reputation of the Jews for success and ability is remarkable and world-wide, whilst in politics we have but to mention such distinguished names as Gambetta and others, to prove that in whatever path the Jews enter their talents and indefatigable energy will invariably enable them to place themselves in the foremost rank. If any further proofs of the great intellectual powers of the Jews are required they will be found in the leaders of the legal profession. Few will be prepared to question the learning and acumen of such eminent lawyers and advocates as Lord Herschell, Sir George Jessel, Mr. Benjamin, and Mr. Cohen. Among the well-known politicians with a promising career opening out before them we must not overlook such men as Mr. Mocatta, Baron de Worms, and others.

Of the many charges brought against the Jews, rapacity was by far the most frequent. It was a charge that could be brought forward with very little support, any evidence in refutation of it being sure to find but scant credit in the minds of Christian judges imbued with the strong prejudice everywhere prevalent against the Jews. It was the universal belief that the Jew would always exact his pound of flesh from the poor victim in his clutches. No abatement or reduction was ever to be expected from the relentless, merciless Shylock. Doubtless there was some reason for these accusations, but it will be somewhat of a surprise to our readers to learn that it was to the possession of qualities considered unusual and unlooked-for in a Jew, honesty and integrity, that the founder of the Rothschild family owed his success. From our infancy we have been taught to regard Jews as above all things sordid, mean, and selfish, ever grasping and coveting the goods of others. No impression could be more misleading or mistaken. The wish was father to the thought, and ignorant and intolerant Christians seized upon usury as a weapon with which they could wreak their vengeance upon inoffensive Jews. Whether these charges of rapacity brought against the Jews were often unfounded, or whether the first Rothschild was a marvellous exception to the rest of his co-religionists, we will not argue; it is sufficient for us to know that Mayer Amschel Rothschild was well known in Frankfort for his justice and fairness, and that even his Christian neighbours agreed in calling him “ the honest Jew.” Why honesty should be so generally regarded as an exceptional trait in a Jew’s character, we cannot say, but that such is the general opinion few will dare to deny. When we remember the frugal, abstemious habits of the Jews, and the careful economy by which they are distinguished, it should surely not appear surprising or incompatible if they were found to be not altogether wanting in honesty and love of fair dealing. The narrow prejudice that formerly existed against the Jews on the score of their grasping avarice is not so pronounced now, but still it cannot be said to have altogether ceased to exist. That public opinion should have become so much more lenient and favourable to the Jews is no doubt greatly owing to the respect and esteem that cannot be denied even by Christian rivals to the unimpeachable lives and characters of the Rothschilds, the Montefiores, and other prominent families. The history of such well-known firms has done much to remove the ill-feeling formerly so rife, and has gone far to prove that Jews when placed on an equal footing with their Christian fellow-citizens can and do trade with a fairness and justice not a whit inferior to those of their business rivals. But, while this prejudice is nearly extinct in England, it still burns with undiminished fury on the Continent. Even when its fury is apparently exhausted and smouldering away, Court chaplains and others, as already stated, abuse their position and fan its dying embers once more to a flame. There is no just cause for this violent outcry; it arises more from envy and jealousy than from any reasonable and well-founded grievance. In Germany of late years there has been a violent agitation or crusade against the Jews, in which all the charges formerly brought against them, such as that of sacrificing Christian children, have been revived, and have found belief among the ignorant classes. The only objection for which there is the least show of reason, is that the Jews everywhere supplant the Christians, and secure all the best and most lucrative appointments, whether in commerce or in the learned professions. But that the Jews do this is surely we think a great and convincing proof of their superior talents and abilities, for they would never receive such honour, in the face of the general ill-will, were it not for their surpassing and undeniable abilities. In making this the basis of an unwarrantable agitation to secure the expulsion of the Jews, the greatest want of reason and justice is displayed. The success of the agitation is rendered impossible by such conduct, which deprives the movement of the support of all thinking men, who cannot fail to see that jealousy and envy are the real causes which excite the animosity of their Christian neighbours in the nineteenth century. Their bitterest opponent never thinks of accusing the Jews of gaining their successes by foul or unfair means. The secret of their invariable success in life is that they not only have an innate and remarkable aptitude for business, but that they at the same time excel their Christian rivals in frugality and economy. The saying that “A penny saved is a penny gained” recommends itself strongly to their minds, and they fully appreciate the wisdom of Fielding’s remark, that “ Men do not become rich by what they get, but by what they keep.” Now thrift is a quality which we have always heard described in terms of praise and approbation, so that to persecute the Jews simply because they are industrious and thrifty is certainly a novel, but hardly a commendable doctrine. Jealousy is however proverbially blind, and will seize on any pretext, however weak, as an excuse for its mad and unjustifiable proceedings. The Jews are thrifty, the Christians luxurious; consequently success must always rest more with the former than with the latter. The great cry now against the Jews is not so much that they are rapacious, as that they undersell or do business cheaper than others, and thus gradually get the bulk of whatever business there is into their hands. But in these days of free trade, when competition is the soul of business, it would strike most persons on considering the matter that the greatest gainers must be the public at large. Christians are always at liberty to do business on the same terms as their Hebrew rivals, but they find themselves unable to maintain the struggle, for their luxurious habits are against them, and they see themselves practically handicapped out of the contest. The remedy however is in their own hands; let them adopt the thrifty, economical habits of their rivals, and they will soon cease to have any grievances on the score of underselling. Jews, we do not deny, like to make the best bargains they can, and are apt to be ‘cute and sharp in their dealings, but in this they are by no means singular. Their Christian competitors, if we mistake not, are not so disinterested in their dealings as to be ready and willing to abandon a large profit for a smaller one. Sharp practices are common to both parties. The great Sir Thomas Gresham in many of his business transactions displayed great financial skill and a careful solicitude to secure an ample return for the accommodation he was pleased to place at the disposal of his clients. Had he been a Jew the large percentage of profits he made on many of his transactions would have called forth severe denunciation and many hard words. Our gracious lady, Queen Elizabeth, a perfect mistress of the art of diplomacy, but above all things a woman of the world, proved herself remarkably sharp in her money matters. She forced the loyal City companies to advance her large sums, and, finding she had more money than she required, very graciously returned the surplus, — but with the condition that she was to be paid interest on the amount so restored to its owners. Taken as a body, the Jews will be found as honest and open in their dealings as others, and in any case it is a matter of history that the Rothschild family is largely indebted for its present unexampled prosperity to the honesty of its founder. It cannot, however, be denied that his successors, in their anxiety to augment the fortune bequeathed them, did not hesitate to employ those expedients in common use on the Stock Exchange, which are not free from objection, but which they in common with other speculators were at perfect liberty to adopt. Playing their cards with greater skill than their opponents, the Rothschilds were invariably successful in their speculations, and it was only after their defeat that the losers began to doubt and question the morality of their rivals’ maneuvers. Those who engage in such contests should count the risks beforehand, and should remember that the laugh is with him that wins.

We have now said enough to prove what great intellectual gifts the Jews as a race possess, and how well qualified they are to become successful in whatever walk of life they may enter. There is, however, one question which cannot fail to suggest itself: — How is it that with their acknowledged abilities, with their remarkable industry and thrift leading them to the acquisition of splendid fortunes and fame in their careers; — how is it that the Jews still remain an outcast and an alien race amongst the civilized nations of the earth? The answer is short and simple, being contained in the few words — pride of race. Amidst all the sufferings and trials through which they have passed, despite the universal contumely and disdain heaped upon them, careless of and undismayed by the jeers and derision hurled at them, the Jews have clung steadfastly to the belief and conviction that they are the chosen people, that in the distant future their promised supremacy will be achieved and recognized.

“A people still, whose common ties are gone,

Who, mix’d with every race, are lost in none;

A part there are, whom, doubtless, man might trust,

Worthy as wealthy, pure, religious, just;

They who with patience, yet with rapture, look

On the strong promise of the Sacred Book.”

This faith has made them hold themselves apart; they have neither adopted the religious teachings, yielded to the national spirit, nor mingled their lives with those among whom they live. They have no foothold in the countries in which they have settled, but are indeed strangers in the land. To be let alone and allowed to pursue the even tenor of their way is all they desire, but even this is a concession not readily granted them in many countries. Though for centuries they have had to endure the opprobrium and hatred of those in power, they have never tried to resent their wrongs, but have borne them with patient and silent resignation. An outcast race, they still maintain their proud reserve, and never solicit aid from any but co-religionists, which is certainly more than can be said of the Christian community whose benevolent institutions receive handsome and liberal support from Jewish philanthropists. The isolation in which they live not unnaturally gave rise to feelings of suspicion and distrust, which were intensified by the envy inspired by their enormous wealth and extraordinary success. The rough intellect that found itself unable to cope with the subtle Hebrew mind lent a ready belief to every wild rumour of sorcery and supernatural agency. The results have been seen in Poland, Hungary and elsewhere, where raids on Jewish households have been frequent, ending in many cases in cruelty, spoliation, and bloodshed. In England a better feeling prevails; the barriers that separate the Jews from their neighbours are rapidly falling away, and the Jews are steadily amalgamating with their fellow citizens, as is proved by the ever increasing number of mixed marriages that are made. Besides this there is a feeling among Jews that England is their home, that here their nature and qualities are best appreciated, as it was here that they received the full benefits of citizenship.

MAYER AMSCHEL ROTHSCHILD — THE FRANKFORT FIRM

~

MAYER AMSCHEL ROTHSCHILD — THE city of Frankfort — The Judengasse — Condition of the Jews in Frankfort during the early part of the Middle Ages — First massacre of the Jews in 1241 — Galling restrictions imposed on them — The Judengasse burnt down in 1711; rebuilt and widened in 1717 — The House of the Red Shield — Amschel Moses Bauer — Birth of Mayer Amschel Rothschild in 1743 — He is at first intended for a rabbi — Abandons his theological studies and enters the service of a banking firm in Hanover — Returns to Frankfort, where he settles permanently — Marries Gudula Schnappe — Is known as “ the honest Jew” — Is appointed Court Banker to the Landgrave of Hesse — The Landgrave’s whole fortune entrusted to his keeping — Fanciful stories connected with this circumstance; the true account — Mayer Amschel Rothschild conveys specie to the Duke of Wellington in Spain — His death in 1812 — Heine’s reminiscence of Gudula Rothschild.

IT was in the Jewish quarter of Frankfort that the founder of the great financial firm first saw the light. Goethe, who also owned Frankfort as his birthplace, has left us a graphic description of the imperial city, which he states was composed of “town within town, fortress within fortress.” Not the least interesting portion of his description is that of the Jewish quarter, enclosed within the ramparts, but yet shut off from the rest of the city by heavy gates and high walls. It was a quarter frequented by few Christians. The houses, huddled close together, were packed from floor to roof with human beings living in a state of squalor and dirt baffling description, while the air was polluted with smells so vile and strong as to drive back all but those whose olfactory nerves had become deadened by long residence or familiarity with the noisome atmosphere. Goethe narrates how he would sometimes peep through the heavy gates and steal a glance at the strange scenes passing in that narrow lane, and goes on to describe what a shudder the sight caused him when he remembered the tales then current of the horrible cruelty and treachery of the Jews. At that time there was a general belief that human sacrifices were offered in the synagogues. Charges were often laid against the Jews of having kidnapped Christian children, who were never seen alive again. Through the midst of this home of the world’s outcasts ran the Judengasse, a narrow, dirty lane, lined with dilapidated houses, crowded with dusky, repulsive looking Jews, who would wrangle, argue, and bargain with each other in tones so harsh and discordant that a stranger might well hesitate to venture among them. When, at last, Goethe did pass through the gates, and came into contact with them, their servile cunning, obsequious entreaties, and the filthy state of their persons, combined with the pestilential smells everywhere prevalent, so filled him with disgust that he determined never to visit them again. Years later he was led to considerably modify his opinion regarding these descendants of Israel, and he frankly acknowledged that on closer intimacy he found among them many men of quick intelligence and honourable principles, ready at all times to give him a hearty welcome. “Everywhere I went I was well received, pleasantly entertained, and invited to come again.” He witnessed many of their ceremonies, visited their schools, and confessed to having been very fond of walking with the dark-eyed, merry-tongued Jewesses to the Fischerfelder on Sundays.

A writer in a recent number of the “Journal des Debats,” gave the following interesting particulars respecting the Judengasse and its inmates: —

“No trace,” said he, “will shortly be left of the houses in which Borne, the German writer, and Mayer Amschel Rothschild, the founder of his family’s fortunes, first saw the light. Since 1872, only a single row of houses has been left, as one side of the street has been pulled down after the fall of two houses, when thirty-one persons were buried in the ruins. Looking at the Judengasse in its present aspect one is struck by the narrowness of the houses. They have three storeys facing the street, and the whole of the facade is studded with small windows. The gables are pointed, and access is gained to the houses by three or four steps. The doors open into a dark passage, at the other end of which is a worm-eaten wooden staircase, the boards of which bend as one puts one’s foot upon them. The rooms are small and low-pitched. They are inhabited by a few of the poorest and most squalid families, Jew and Christian alike. The room upon the ground floor is used as a shop by dealers in old clothes, shoemakers and tinkers. Several of the wealthiest merchants in Germany at the present time may regard these hovels as the home of their ancestors, who are now replaced by the poor wretches just mentioned. There is little that is picturesque about the Judengasse, and those who have had their curiosity whetted by the descriptions in ‘Baedeker/ will see nothing comparable to what one comes across in Italian ghettos. More curious than the Judengasse is a tavern hard by, where the Jewish beggars meet at nightfall. This tavern, kept by a man named Levy, consists of one long room, the walls of which are painted yellow. Little drink is consumed in this room, but the customers take their meals there and play cards. Round a circular table a cosmopolitan company, consisting of Jews from Poland, where the caftan and the long curls are still worn, as well as from Paris and Berlin, may be seen conversing in low tones, and, upon the evening when the writer paid a visit to the place in the company of a detective, several women were there knitting, one of them being one of the handsomest persons he had ever seen, with magnificent eyes, a white skin, and jet black hair encircled by a kerchief of red wool.

“But, though the Judengasse is not picturesque, its disappearance removes a most interesting historical monument. These decrepit houses revive recollections of another age. The land on which they are built, with the exception of the site owned by the Rothschilds, and on which their house stands, belongs to the town of Frankfort. The Jews confined within their ghetto were not the owners of the soil, being merely tenants at the good will of the Council of the Free City. The Judengasse does not indeed date from earlier than the middle of the fifteenth century, and the walls of the quarter were destroyed by Kleber’s army in 1796. During the first part of the Middle Ages the condition of the Jews was comparatively easy. They were the serfs of the Imperial Chamber, and the Emperor, in return for a fixed tribute, accorded them his protection, and was all the more interested in guarding them from ill-usage as he was anxious to preserve for himself the privilege of taxing them. There is no precise evidence as to when the Israelites came to settle in Frankfort, their presence being officially referred to for the first time in 1240. The first massacre of the Jews took place in 1241, when 180 of them perished. A hundred years of comparative peace ensued, though their relations with the Christians gradually became more strained, their wealth and their mode of life and religion inflaming the superstition, the fanaticism, and the cupidity of the lower orders.

“The worst phase of persecution commenced in 1349, the year of the Black Plague. The country round Frankfort was scoured by bands of Flagellants, who went about declaring that the Jews ought to be put to death for having poisoned the wells. When the inhabitants seemed deaf to their appeals, the Flagellants set several houses on fire, and then spread through the streets exclaiming, ‘The Jews are burning your houses!’ The stratagem succeeded, and there was a general massacre. In the same year the Emperor, Charles IV., had mortgaged his Jews to the town of Frankfort for a sum of about £80,000. This sum was never repaid, and the Jews came under the immediate jurisdiction of the Council. This rendered their position much worse, for the Emperor had allowed them to manage affairs much in their own way, and to choose their own judges. They preserved, nevertheless, a certain degree of autonomy, and for some time the only thing which distinguished them from the ordinary citizen was that they had no political rights. Their existence was, however, precarious, and their fortunes often threatened. Thus in 1389 the Emperor Wenzel suppressed by one stroke of the pen the obligation to pay what was due to them, and now and again during a riot numbers of the account books in which they inscribed the sums owing to them were burnt-There was about this time a Jews’ street at Frankfort, but it was not inhabited exclusively by Jews, for many of the best Christian families lived in it. Thus the Burgomaster resided there from 1364 to 1375. Still as their synagogue, their baths, and their assembly room for dancing were in this street, most of the Jews lived near it. But, as it was close to the cathedral, their enemies declared that their cries and blasphemies disturbed the Catholic worshippers. Public feeling became more and more hostile to them, and in 1425 they were prohibited, under a heavy penalty, from taking the name of burgher. The most cruel blow, however, was yet to come. Frederick III., in compliance with the prayer of the clergy, ordered the Jews to remove from the neighbourhood of the cathedral, and, though they offered to wall up the gate of the street leading to that edifice, their offer was refused. The Council selected a site outside the ancient walls of the town, and had houses built at the expense of the Jews. It is thus that the Council owns the ground on which the Judengasse stands. The gates of the ghetto, which were very strong and lined with iron, were kept closed every Sunday and saint’s day, as also upon the days when the Emperor entered the city. The Jews were enjoined not to show themselves in public, nor to pass by any church. If business brought them to the Town Hall, they were not allowed to enter by the main door but by a small door from behind. The men were compelled to wear a yellow patch about the size of a crown piece upon their garments, and the women blue stripes to their veils. They were also enjoined to make room for other citizens on the pavement, and not to touch any of the articles in the market. They were not allowed to buy fish before a certain hour of the day, nor to hire Christians as servants. The Council consented to dispense with their wearing the distinguishing cap on payment of a fine of 250 florins, but they were compelled to have either a black or a grey hat. They were forbidden to lend money to minors or to women, to sell new clothes, or to lend upon clothes which were wet or stained with blood. “ These minute regulations, together with many more of a similar nature, were read out every year in the synagogue. The Jews, in short, must have paid very dearly for the privilege of living in Frankfort; the number of marriages between them was even limited, for there could be only a fixed number of houses, the different couples having to wait their turn. Strange Jews were not allowed in Frankfort, and yet that city must have offered them comparative security, for the Jewish community of Nuremberg sought refuge there in 1498. Protected by their walls, the Jews of Frankfort escaped pillage during the revolt of 1525, but the democratic revolution of 1614 drove them out of the city, and they did not return for two years. When order, however, was restored they came back, and, so as to make it quite clear that they were under the protection of the Empire, the Imperial coat of arms was displayed above the gate of their street. In 1711 the whole street was burnt down, but the Jews were so afraid of pillage that they would not open their doors, and many perished. The Judengasse was rebuilt in 1717 and made rather wider. While the work of reconstruction was progressing the Jews were allowed to lodge in the town, the poorest being accommodated in an empty hospital. There were two other fires in the Judengasse during the eighteenth century, and the shells from Kleber’s guns in 1796 set fire to 150 houses. The wealthiest of the Israelites availed themselves of this opportunity to settle in the town, and they were not again molested. The gates were demolished in 1808, and many restrictions were removed. The Prince Primate granted the Jews, in 1811, equal civil and political rights with those enjoyed by the other inhabitants, but they lost these again in 1815, and did not recover them until 1853 and 1864. In 1811 there were 159 houses, inhabited by 2,214 persons, in the Judengasse, while at the present time the Jews number 14,000, or eleven per cent, of the whole population.”

Here, then, in the Judengasse, in the house numbered 152, but better known as the House of the Red Shield (Rothschild) — afterwards adopted as a surname, — lived Amschel Moses Rothschild, earning a livelihood as a dealer in curiosities and old coins. In the course of his business he was in the habit of travelling about the country, hawking his wares and keeping his eyes open in search of curiosities, and an anecdote is related of him tending to show on what a thread the destiny of the family at one time hung. In reproducing this anecdote, we wish it to be understood that we do not attach any value to it ourselves, our object only being to make the narrative as complete as possible. Many of the stories related of the Rothschilds are pure myths, for lively imaginations have placed a halo of romance about their history, as about that of every other person of notoriety, so that implicit credit cannot always be attached to the anecdotes told of the different members of the firm. The story in question is to the effect that Rothschild was one day walking along a country road, when he was overtaken by a brother peddler in more flourishing circumstances than he himself, seeing that he had an ass to carry his wares. In the course of conversation, Rothschild was invited to relieve himself of his load by placing it on the ass’s back: an offer he was glad to accept. On coming to a narrow ravine where the bridge across was formed by a single plank, Rothschild prudently removed his sack from the ass’s back to his own shoulders, remarking as he did so: — “Accidents sometimes happen at places like this, and, as this sack contains all my fortune, it is well to be on the safe side.” His comrade laughed at his fears, but Rothschild’s prudence was fully justified by events, for no sooner had the ass, followed by his master, reached the middle of the bridge than the plank gave way, and both were precipitated down the chasm. Thus by a miracle Rothschild saved both his life and his money.

We have already mentioned that the number of Jews allowed to marry was limited, but Rothschild having gained permission availed himself of his privilege and took unto himself a wife, who, in 1743, gave birth to a son whom they named Mayer Amschel. When the boy grew up and his parents had to decide as to his future in life, they resolved to have him educated with a view to his becoming a rabbi, or teacher in the synagogue. This resolution was not unnatural, seeing that several of the family had been or were then celebrated for their knowledge of the Talmud and the doctrines of the Jewish faith. Dr Lewysohn states that in the Jewish cemetery at Worms is buried Rabbi Menachem Mendel Rothschild, who had been the chief rabbi to the congregation there. Isaac Rothschild was warden of the Frankfort synagogue, Solomon Rothschild was chief rabbi of Wurzburg and Friedburg, and Boaz Rothschild was the author of a Hebrew work published at Furth in 1766. Mayer Amschel, in 1755, lost his parents and was sent by his relatives to Furth to complete his studies. Theology was, however, not to his taste. He had been born and bred in the midst of a community whose whole thought centred upon getting and accumulating money. He had early learnt to see in wealth the only true standard by which one could judge his fellow, and he not unnaturally shared the ambition that fired his comrades to acquire riches and a consequent name among his co-religionists. His instinct for business was too powerful to resist. Even while at college he had become well-known as a collector and dealer in old coins on a small scale, and in this way had made the acquaintance of several numismatists in the neighbourhood. This is surprising when we remember that he could not have been much more than twelve years old at the time, but with Jews the talent for business is innate, and their natural shrewdness and skill in making bargains more than compensate them for their youth and inexperience. Notwithstanding the limited resources at his disposal, Mayer Amschel seems to have pursued his youthful speculations with considerable energy and — profit.

At length, rightly judging that he was better fitted for commercial than theological pursuits, he abandoned his studies altogether and returned to the Judengasse, where his abilities and shrewdness soon became known among his co-religionists. His reputation reaching the ears of some of the large firms, several offers of employment were made him, and not being one of “ those who are content to spend their lives trotting on a cabbage leaf” as the proverb says, when a wider field of enterprise was thrown open to him, he accepted the offer of a banking firm named Oppenheim in Hanover. In their service he remained several years, gaining and maintaining a high character for steadiness and reliability, while his energy and abilities were recognized by his gradual promotion to the responsible post of co-manager. Frugal and economical in his habits, he was able to save a considerable portion of his salary, until he thought he possessed sufficient capital to make a start on his own account. He therefore left Oppenheim’s service and set up in business for himself, dealing in old coins, bullion, and anything by which he thought he could make a profit. For some time it was a hard, uphill fight, and more than once the budding firm was in danger of collapse, but the untiring energy and honesty of its founder, triumphing over all difficulties, placed it on a sound basis and secured its future safety. Some years later he determined to transfer his business to his birthplace, where he settled for good, as in 1770 he married Gudula Schnappe, and lived in his father’s house in the Judengasse. His business was at the outset of a very mixed description, ranging from coins and curiosities, to bullion, bills of exchange, &c., but as his speculations, distinguished by cautious boldness, were almost invariably successful, he was soon in a position to abandon the business of a dealer in works of art for that of a banker and financier. One of his earliest investments was to purchase the freehold of the house in the Judengasse, which has given birth to one of the greatest financial houses in the world. In all his business transactions he displayed remarkable honesty and integrity; so widely did he become known as the “ honest Jew “ that his reputation spread through the surrounding provinces, and was largely the means of securing him fresh business. A man of his character has never lacked friends, and Mayer Amschel found many persons ready and anxious to recommend him and gain him new clients. Oppenheim, his old employer, was especially zealous in promoting the success of his former employee, and never allowed an opportunity to slip of saying a word in his favour.

During his apprenticeship at Oppenheim’s Mayer Amschel had more than once come into contact with Lieutenant-General Baron von Estorff, an intimate friend of William IX., Landgrave of Hesse, and had won his good opinion and esteem. When years later Baron Estorff, who, from his own knowledge and Oppenheim’s accounts, was able to form an estimate of Rothschild’s worth, had an opportunity of advancing his fortunes, he did not hesitate to recommend him to the Landgrave as a person well qualified to act as his financial agent. Seeing that the Landgrave had a private fortune of thirty-six million thalers, it was indeed a most lucrative post to obtain. Rothschild received a summons to wait upon the Landgrave. When he was ushered into the room, he discovered his Highness deep in a game of chess with Baron Estorff, who seemed to be getting the best of the struggle. Not caring to disturb the Landgrave’s calculations, which absorbed his attention so entirely that he had not noticed his visitor’s entrance, Rothschild stood by, a silent spectator of the game. At last the Landgrave, in his perplexity and despair, threw himself back in his chair, and in so doing caught sight of the banker. He at once inquired of his visitor: —

“Do you know anything of chess?”

Rothschild’s answer was to point to a particular piece, saying —

“Would your Highness move this piece to that square?”