is estimated that there are from fifteen to twenty thousand Jews in
the Metropolis, and about five or six thousand more stationed in the
great provincial and seaport towns. In London they have six Synagogues,
and in the country places there are at least twenty more. Most of the
lower classes of those distinguished by name of German or Dutch Jews,
live principally by their wits, and establish a system of mischievous
intercourse all over the country, the better to enable them to carry
on then-fraudulent designs in every way. The pliability of their
consciences is truly wonderful--

"For they never stick at trifles, if there's monies in the way."

Nay, I remember the time when they used to perambulate our streets
openly, professing to purchase base coin, by bawling--"Any bad shilling,
any bad shilling." The interference of the Police however has prevented
the calling, though perhaps it is impossible to prevent a continuance
of the practice any more than they can that of utterance. These men
hesitate not to purchase stolen property, or metals of various kinds, as
well as other articles pilfered from the Dock-yards, and stolen in
the provincial towns, which are brought to the Metropolis to elude
detection, and vice versa; in some cases there are contrivances that
the buyer and seller shall not even see each other, in order that no
advantage may be taken by giving information as to the parties." ~310~~
"Upon my life, the contrivances of London are almost incomprehensible,"
said Bob, "and might deter many from venturing into it; but this
surprises me beyond any thing."

"It is however too lamentably true," continued Tom; "for these people,
educated in idleness from the earliest infancy, acquire every debauched
and vicious principle which can fit them for the most complicated arts
of fraud and deception, to which they seldom fail to add the crime of
perjury, whenever it can be useful to shield themselves or their friends
from the punishment of the law. Totally without moral education, and
very seldom trained to any trade or occupation by which they can earn an
honest livelihood by manual labour--their youths excluded from becoming
apprentices, and their females from engaging themselves generally
as servants, on account of the superstitious adherence to the mere
ceremonial of their persuasion, as it respects meat not killed by
Jews--nothing can exceed their melancholy condition, both as it regards
themselves and society.