Page:Poems of Emma Lazarus vol 2.djvu/156

138 the truth of which mdictment we have ahsolate knowledge. Therefore we admonish you to have the Jews killed in honor of God, so that Chris- tendom be not enfeebled by them. Whatever responsibility you incur, we will assume with our Lord the Emperor, and with all other lords. Know also that we send to you Henry Schnetzen, our Governor of Salza, who shall publicly accuse your Jews of the above-mentioned crime. There- fore we beseech you to help him to do justice upon them, and we will singularly reward your good wilL

Given at Eisenach, the Thursday after St. Walpurgis, under our secret seal. Fit silence welcomes this unheard-of wrong ! So ! Ye are men — free, upright, honest men. Not hired assassins ? I half doubted it. Seeing you lend these infamous words your ears. Consider, gentlemen of Nordhausen, Ere ye give heed to the rash partisan. Ye cross the Landgrave — well ? he crosses you. It may be I shall ride to Nordhausen, Not with a harmless script, but with a sword. And so denounce the town for perjured vow. What was the Strasburg citizens' reward