of of felony against them. We hear nothing of restitution.
The scholars might indeed hate the Jews whose interest on loans was
_limited_ by Bishop Grostete to twopence weekly in the pound--between
40 and 50 per cent. Probably the poor scholars' security was not
overgood. Later, the studies in the university are said to have been
interrupted, the scholars being unable to redeem their books pledged
to the Jews.

Twenty-four years after the outbreak of the scholars, years of
bitterness and spoliation and suffering, while the chancellor and the
whole body of the university were in solemn procession to the reliques
of St. Frideswide, they were horror-struck by beholding a Jew rush
forth, seize the cross which was borne before them, dash it to the
ground, and trample upon it with the most furious contempt. The
offender seems to have made his escape in the tumult, but his people
suffered for his crime. Prince Edward was then at Oxford; and, by the
royal decree, the Jews were imprisoned, and forced, notwithstanding
much artful delay on their part, to erect a beautiful cross of white
marble, with an image of the Virgin and Child, gilt all over, in the
area of Merton College, and to present to the proctors another cross
of silver to be borne at all future processions of the university. The
Jews endeavored to elude this penalty by making over their effects to
other persons. The King empowered the sheriff to levy the fine on all
their property.

The last solemn act of Henry of Winchester was a statute of great
importance. Complaints had arisen that the Jews, by purchase, or
probably foreclosure of mortgage, might become possessed of all the
rights of lords of manors, escheat wardships, even of presentation to
churches. They might hold entire baronies with all their
appurtenances. The whole was swept away by one remorseless clause. The
act disqualified the Jews altogether from holding lands or even
tenements, except the houses of which they were actually possessed,
particularly in the city of London, where they might only pull down
and rebuild on the old foundations. All lands or manors were actually
taken away; those which they held by mortgage were to be restored to
the Christian owners, without any interest on such bonds. Henry almost
died in the act of extortion; he had ordered the arrears of all
charges to be peremptorily paid, under pain of imprisonment. Such was
the distress caused by this inexorable mandate that even the r