HOLY-CROSS DAY. ON WHICH THE JEWS WERE FORCED TO ATTEND AN ANNUAL CHRISTIAN SERMON IN ROME. ["Now was come about Holy-Cross Day, and now must my lord preach his first sermon to the Jews: as it was of old cared for in the merciful bowels of the Church, that, so to speak, a crumb at least from her conspicuous table here in Rome, should be, though but once yearly, cast to the famishing dogs, under-trampled and bespitten-upon beneath the feet of the guests. And a moving sight in truth, this, of so many of the besotted, blind, restive, and ready-to-perish Hebrews! now paternally brought — nay, (for He saith, Compel them to come in,') haled, as it were, by the head and hair, and against their obstinate hearts, to partake of the heavenly grace. What awakening, what striving with tears, what working of a yeasty conscience! Nor was my lord wanting to himself on so apt an occasion; witness the abundance of conversions which did incontinently reward him: though not to my lord be altogether the glory.” — Diary by the Bishop's Secretary, 1600.] Though what the Jews really said, on thus being driven to church, was rather to this effect: 1. FEE, faw, fum! bubble and squeak! Blessedest Thursday 's the fat of the week. Rumble and tumble, sleek and rough, Stinking and savoury, smug and gruff, Take the church-road, for the bell's due chime 2. Boh, here's Barnabas! Job, that 's you? 3. Higgledy piggledy, packed we lie, Hist! square shoulders, settle your thumbs 4. Bow, wow, wow a bone for the dog! I liken his Grace to an acorned hog. What, a boy at his side, with the bloom of a lass, To help and handle my lord's hour-glass! Didst ever behold so lithe a chine? His check hath laps like a fresh-singed swine. Aaron's asleep 5. shove hip to haunch, Or somebody deal him a dig in the paunch! Now you 've his curtsey and what comes next? See to our converts No stealing away 6. you doomed black dozen nor og nor cozen! You five that were thieves, deserve it fairly; You seven that were beggars, will live less sparely. You took your turn and dipped in the hat, Got fortune and fortune gets you; mind that! 7. Give your first groan compunction 's at work; He was four times already converted in ! Here's a knife, clip quick - it's a sign of graceOr he ruins us all with his hanging-face. 8. Whom now is the bishop a-leering at? I'll tell him to-morrow, a word just now I meddle no more with the worst of trades 9. Groan all together now, whee hee — hee! It began, when a herd of us, picked and placed, 10. It grew, when the hangman entered our bounds, Which gutted my purse, would throttle my creed. Men I helped to their sins, help me to their God. 11. But now, while the scapegoats leave our flock, 12. For Rabbi Ben Ezra, the night he died, Called sons and sons' sons to his side, And spoke, "This world has been harsh and strange, Something is wrong, there needeth a change. But what, or where? at the last, or first? In one point only we sinned, at worst. 13. “The Lord will have mercy on Jacob yet, The stranger-seed shall be joined to them: 66 14. Ay, the children of the chosen race Shall carry and bring them to their place : In the land of the Lord shall lead the same, 15. "God spoke, and gave us the word to keep : Bade never fold the hands nor sleep 'Mid a faithless world, at watch and ward, |