Page:Jewish Encyclopedia Volume 2.pdf/704

654 tion

changed but

little till

Chilperic (361-584),

whose

was

at Soissons, conceived the idea of forcing This his Jewish subjects to embrace Christianity. zeal of a prince, whom Gregory of Tours designated seat

as ''the

Nero of the Franks," met with

little

success.

The Jews,

despite these efforts, remained faithful to the religion of their fathers. Under the early Carlovingians the Jews likewise enjoyed tranquillity. They were treated with humanity, and the favor accorded them by Pepin (751-

Their 768) attracted a vast number to his dominions. power and influence increased still more during the reigns of Charlemagne (768-814) and Louis le DebonNor was their condition less prosnaire (814-840).

perous under Charles the Bald (843-877). Between them and the Christians an almost perfect equality

This period of wise toleration and protection ceased, however, with the rise of the feudal regime. On the dismemberment of the empire of the Pranks,

Belgium was partitioned duchies, and independent

separate counties, each of which a despotic sovereignty without regard into

cities, in

law or humanity prevailed. The Jews were handed over to the caprices of rulers who knew no other law but They were soon reduced to a detheir passions. Restrictions without number plorable condition. were placed upon them, and they were robbed, despoiled, and massacred on every occasion and opporThe chronicles of the times abound with tunity. to

Regime.

many

and cruel deeds. Melart, in how Ogier, count of Huy, on his return from the war waged by Otho the Great against Louis d'Outremer, found among his prisoners a rich Jew, upon whom he fastened an absurd charge of having secretly favored the invasion of the Normans. He was first tortured and then put to death, all his property being confiscated a measure which was immediately followed by the expulsion of all the Jews from Liege and its province. It was always the wealth of these unfortunates that constitales of arbitrary

his history of

issued at Louvain, FebruJewish usurers, a distinction is drawn in favor of those engaged in honest trades, who were permitted to remain. This just distincand more tion was not often made in those days than once the whole of a Jewish population was held responsible for the crime of an Prosperity individual. Under the shadow of this protection the Belgian Jews recovered Under Henry III. somewhat their former prosperity. Commerce again flourished among them and they engaged particularly in the study and practise of medicine. But the right to pursue and these avocations had to be dearly purchased often the fruits of their industry became the prey

In a decree of Henry

III.

ary, 1260, expelling the







of the exchequer.

After the death of Henry

reigned.

The Feudal

654

THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA

Belgium

Huy,

relates

—

tuted their sole crime. With singular naivete, Everard Kints (" Delices du Pays de Liege ") observes that the justice and piety of this prince rose superior on this occasion to his political interests, for, as he afterward discovered, the whole commerce of the country, which had formerly been carried on by the Jews, received its death-blow on their expulsion. The clergy, too, who looked upon them as deicides, threw the weight of their influence against them. In 1160 Gauthierde Castillon, provost of the chapter of Tournai, wrote a diatribe in three books against the Jews, which excited the populace by its calumnies and imputations. It must, however, be said that not all the Belgian clergy were animated by a similar spirit of intolerance. On the contrary, many prelates were favorably inclined to the Jews, among others Wazon, bishop of Liege, who treated them kindly, and was on terms of great friendship with the Jewish physician of Henry III.

The epoch commencing with

the thirteenth cen-

tury was more favorable to the Jews of Belgium. They were subjected to less harsh and arbitrary treatment, and in the laws affecting them a spirit of fair discrimination appears to have been adopted.

of Brabant (1261) the government devolved, finding herself in need of money, consulted the famous Dominican, Thomas Aquinas, on the question whether she could, without violation of conscience, draw upon her Jewish subjects for extra In taxation, and, if need be, confiscate their goods. itself this letter of the duchess is a proof that some sentiment of equity and humanity prevailed for the Jews of Brabant, and that they were under the shadow of some legal protection. The answer of Thomas Aquinas is a fine example of mingled casuistry and courtier- like subservience struggling against He argues that the better sentiment of religion. since much of the worldly possessions of the Jews represented the gains of usury, it would not be unlawful to deprive them of it but he pleads that they should not be entirely despoiled sufficient should be left to enable them to live. How the duchess acted in this matter is not known but the Jews continued to reside and traffic in Brabant during the At that long and glorious reign of her son, John I. time flourishing Jewish communities existed not only at Brussels, but at Mechlin, Antwerp, Bruges, Ghent, Binche, Peronne, Ath, Tournai, Mons, Liege, considerable accession to their numLouvain, etc. bers was made at the commencement of the fourteenth century, when Philippe le Bel expelled the Jews from France. William, count of Hainault, Vauthier of Enghien, and John II. of Brabant hospitably received them. The last-named prince accorded them special privileges and allowed them to establish banks for public credit. This charter was, however, revoked in 1307, Pope Clement V. absolving the prince from the oath which he took to grant this privilege in perpetuity. It is likely that the cancelation of the bank charter was due to a fresh influx of Jews in 1306, which must have disturbed the economic equilibrium, for the duke remained their stanch protector till his death. In 1321 the Jews were again expelled from France, and for a second time sought refuge within the borders of Belgium. The newcomers were his

widow, Alix, upon

III.

whom







A

Resettlement in

allowed to trict

settle in

was assigned

Mons, where a to

them

dis-

for resi-

dence. They were permitted the free exercise of their religion and the right to pursue their avocations. Moreover, William refused to countenance an effort that was made to

Belgium.

convert them.