Saturday, 27 October 2012

The Jews of the Hague, 1737



There are a great Number of Jews at the Hague, who make a fine Figure, especially the Portuguese Jews. These Gentlemen have the Equipages of Ambassadors, with magnificent Houses and Gardens; and they often make Treats with the utmost Delicacy and Splendor. They are admitted to all Companies, and only differ from the Christians of this Country by being possess’d of much more Wealth, and living at a far greater Expence. I knew one of ‘em whose Name was Duliz (de Lis?), that was very much esteem’d: He was good-natur’d, generous, extremely charitable, and reliev’d all indifferently that were Objects of Compassion, without giving himself the Trouble of enquiring whether the Sharers of his Bounty were Jews of Christians: And to my own knowledge he contributed as freely for the Maintenance of the Church, as if it had been his own Synagogue.

Karl Ludwig Pöllnitz. The memoirs of Charles-Lewis, baron de Pollnitz. 1737. Page 127-128

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