Tovey says that the Rabbi Netto, "the governor of the synagogue"
in his time, had searched the Jewish registers at his request, and had
found that, so late as 1663, there were but twelve Jews in England. It
seems that while these negotiations were in hand, all sorts of absurd and
idle rumours were afloat. Among these I incline to reckon the alleged
proposal to purchase St. Paul's for a synagogue. It seems to be
sufficiently refuted by the intrinsic absurdity of the thing. But beyond
this we have the express denial, made on the spot and at the time, by Rabbi
Manasseh ben Israel himself. On turning to his _Vindiciae Judaeorum_,
written in this country, I find that after recapitulating various calumnies
on his people--such as their sacrificing Christian children, etc.--he thus
goes on:--
"'Love and hatred,' says Plutarch, 'corrupt the truth of every
thing;' as experience sufficiently declares it, when we see that
which comes to pass, that one and the same thing, in one and the
same city, at one and the same time, is related in different
manners. I myself, in my own negociation here, have found it so.
For it hath been rumoured abroad, that our nation had purchased
St. Paul's church, for to make it their synagogue,
notwithstanding it was a temple formerly consecrated to Diana.
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