Graduallythegalleriesbecamefilledwithknightsandnobles,intheirrobesofpeace,whoselongandrich-tintedmantleswerecontrastedwiththegayerandmoresplendidhabitsoftheladies,who,inagreaterproportionthaneventhementhemselves,throngedtowitnessasport,whichonewouldhavethoughttoobloodyanddangeroustoaffordtheirsexmuchpleasure。Thelowerandinteriorspacewassoonfilledbysubstantialyeomenandburghers,andsuchofthelessergentry,as,frommodesty,poverty,ordubioustitle,durstnotassumeanyhigherplace。Itwasofcourseamongstthesethatthemostfrequentdisputesforprecedenceoccurred。
``Dogofanunbeliever,’’saidanoldman,whosethreadbaretunicborewitnesstohispoverty,ashissword,anddagger,andgoldenchainintimatedhispretensionstorank,——``whelpofashe-wolf!
darestthoupressuponaChristian,andaNormangentlemanofthebloodofMontdidier?’’
ThisroughexpostulationwasaddressedtonootherthanouracquaintanceIsaac,who,richlyandevenmagnificentlydressedinagaberdineornamentedwithlaceandlinedwithfur,wasendeavouringtomakeplaceintheforemostrowbeneaththegalleryforhisdaughter,thebeautifulRebecca,whohadjoinedhimatAshby,andwhowasnowhangingonherfather’sarm,notalittleterrifiedbythepopulardispleasurewhichseemedgenerallyexcitedbyherparent’spresumption。ButIsaac,thoughwehaveseenhimsufficientlytimidonotheroccasions,knewwellthatatpresenthehadnothingtofear。Itwasnotinplacesofgeneralresort,orwheretheirequalswereassembled,thatanyavariciousormalevolentnobledurstofferhiminjury。
AtsuchmeetingstheJewswereundertheprotectionofthegenerallaw;andifthatprovedaweakassurance,itusuallyhappenedthattherewereamongthepersonsassembledsomebarons,who,fortheirowninterestedmotives,werereadytoactastheirprotectors。Onthepresentoccasion,Isaacfeltmorethanusuallyconfident,beingawarethatPrinceJohnwaseventhenintheveryactofnegotiatingalargeloanfromtheJewsofYork,tobesecureduponcertainjewelsandlands。Isaac’sownshareinthistransactionwasconsiderable,andhewellknewthatthePrince’seagerdesiretobringittoaconclusionwouldensurehimhisprotectioninthedilemmainwhichhestood。
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