he was receiving the felicitations of his friends at East Cliff Lodge.

Congratulatory addresses were showered upon the venerable baronet from all parts of England and the Continent. In the House of Commons the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Layard) gave an interesting account of the mission. "When it is recollected," said the honorable gentleman, "that there are 500,000 Jews in Morocco, some idea may be formed of the great service rendered by Sir Moses Montefiore; and having had the honor of acting with him on various occasions, I can bear testimony to the noble and generous spirit of humanity and philanthropy which actuates him, without reference to any sect or creed, which extends to the people of every nation who are suffering wrong and injustice." The Court of Common Council took the opportunity of publicly according him the thanks of the citizens of London. "for the signal services he had rendered by missions to various countries for the relief of persons oppressed for their religious convictions, and more especially by a journey to Morocco, undertaken to solicit the Emperor to relieve his Jewish and Christian subjects from all civil and religious disabilities." It may be mentioned here that at a later date the Fishmongers' Company offered him their freedom, and the Master, Mr. Venning, and other members of the Court, proceeded to East Cliff to invest him.

The mission to Morocco was a notable achievement; and although it did not altogether stop persecution, it must be ranked among the most remarkable of Sir Moses Montefiore's works. Whatever the local acts of oppression by irresponsible officials, the Edict obtained

by the venerable Hebrew remains a charter to which his co-religionists can always appeal; and when, one of these days, there may be more cohesion in the machinery of Moorish government, it will be a power in the land. But power or no power, law or dead-letter, the spirit which inspired its silver-haired author, under the weight of fourscore years, to undertake a long and perilous journey to obtain it, can never cease to do honor to his name.

CHAPTER XVI.

ANOTHER BUSY DECADE.

.Drought in the Holy Land.-A new Relief Fund.-The Sixth Journey to Palestine.-The Locust Pest in Palestine. Sir Moses Investigates the Condition of the Jerusalem Jewish Community. -Promotes Public Works in the Holy City.-Holds an Inquiry respecting a Charge brought against the Safed Jews by the Rev. Dr. Macleod.-Suggestions for the Application of the Balance of the Relief Fund.-Death of Dr. Hodgkin.-Persecution of Jews in Roumania.-Mission to Bucharest.-Interviews with Prince Charles.-The Prince's Assurances.-Home Labors.-A Second Journey to Russia.—Reception at St. Petersburg.—Audience with the Czar Alexander II.-Improved Condition of the Russian Jews.-Resignation of the Presidency of the Board of Deputies.-The Montefiore Testimonial Fund.

VERY few examples of activity in public affairs after the eighth decade are afforded in biographical literature. The spectacle of Lord Brougham at eighty-two heading a great social gathering like that which took place at Glasgow in September, 1860, or of Lord Lyndhurst at

eighty-eight pouring out the words of experience and sagacity in the House of Lords for four hours at a time, stands almost alone. These octogenarian feats have, however, been eclipsed by Sir Moses Montefiore. In the most characteristic business of his public careermissions to foreign countries in the interests of his brethren-his eighth and ninth decade have been the busiest of his life. If the reader will turn back the pages of this work he will find that while Sir Moses. undertook only one journey during his fifth decade, and two in his sixth and seventh respectively, he performed four in his eighth. During his ninth decade he also undertook four journeys-two to Jerusalem, one to Roumania, and one to Russia.

The year 1865 found the Holy Land again suffering from drought and disease. A pest of locusts covered the country, and in Jerusalem the cholera raged with such fierceness that within a short time fifteen per cent. of the population were cut off by it. The usual appeal was addressed to Sir Moses Montefiore, and he, in conjunction with the Board of Deputies, started another Holy Land Relief Fund. About £3000 were sent out to meet the necessities of the moment, and early in 1866, Sir Moses proceeded to the East with the object of personally applying the balance of the fund. He was accompanied by Dr. Hodgkin, his Quaker physician, Captain Henry Moore, brother of the British Consul at Jerusalem, his relatives, Mr. and Mrs. Sebag, and his old friend, Dr. Loewe.

Of this tour, as of the succeeding journey to Palestine, Sir Moses Montefiore has himself written an account. It is in the shape of a report to the Board of Deputies, but in style and matter it is far more interest

ing than official documents usually are. He tells us how on his arrival in Egypt he repaired to the Synagogue Kinees Elieyahoo, "which is built on the spot where it is said the celebrated Temple of Alexandria, or Onias, once stood." He graphically describes his landing at Jaffa, when he was ceremoniously received by the governor of the town, the judges, the commander of the troops, and the representatives of the various religious denominations. He relates how his friends immediately on his arrival gave him descriptions of the sufferings and loss of life occasioned by the recent calamities. "Very frequently," he adds, "these afflicting narratives were interrupted by the appearance upon our windows of the new and still green locusts, which we were informed were the much dreaded forerunners of another bad season. Many a morning before sunrise we heard the rattling of the drum to awaken the inhabitants of Jaffa to the fulfilment of their duty, each to collect a measure of locusts before daybreak, so that the threatening enemy might be destroyed. The appearance of these locusts is the more dreaded on account of the belief that it always brings in its train some epidemic disease, the woful consequence of which had so recently been experienced." On the road to Jerusalem he was hospitably entertained in the mountain home of the chief of Aboo-Goosh, "supposed to be the KiryatYearim of Scripture, where Abinadab dwelt, in whose house, on the top of the hill, the ark of the Lord had been placed when taken from the Philistines of BethShemesh."

At Jerusalem Sir Moses was, as usual, received with distinction, and during his stay the Governor stationed a guard of honor at his dwelling. He visited the vari

ous institutions of the city, and his own special foundations, and was pleased to find them well administered. During his stay he not only inquired minutely into the condition of the Jewish community, and distributed large sums among the poor, but he also promoted several works of importance to the general population. He concerted measures with the Governor to improve the water-supply of Jerusalem, and had the gratification of seeing water reflowing into the city from the pools of Solomon; he contributed to the building of a hospital for leprosy, and he erected an awning at the "Wailing Place," near the western wall of the Temple, in order to afford shelter to the pious persons visiting the sacred spot for meditation and prayer. An interesting incident of his stay in the Holy City was a quasijudicial inquiry he held respecting an accusation published by Good Words against the spiritual heads of the Safed congregation. The Rev. Dr. Macleod, who had visited Palestine in 1864, wrote to that journal charging the Safed Jews with having inflicted the punishment of death on a Spanish Jewess who had been convicted of adultery. Sir Moses sent to Safed for the Rabbis, the members of the Jewish Ecclesiastical Court, and a number of other persons capable of giving evidence in the case, and satisfied himself that there was no truth in the accusation.

The result of his inquiries as to the best means of expending the balance of the Relief Fund, he thus sets forth in his report:

"There now remains for me to present to you my humble opinion as to the most practicable remedies which can be applied for the mitigation of the evils under which our brethren in the Holy Land labor, and to state to