"Where am I to find a place for baiting at, in my way up to that
planet?" she inquired of the Doctor.
"Madam," replied he, "of all the people in the world, I never expected
that question from you, who have built so many castles in the air, that
you may lie every night at one of your own."
As he conducted his nephew to the door, he turned back to look on Robin:
"You have not teased the poor Jew, I hope?" he said to the page.
"No; but he has worried us, uncle; you know not what a wit-snapper it
is."
"Indeed! art thou a Solomon, friend?"
"An' please ye, sir, the wisdom, as well as the glory, has departed from
our people," said Robin.
"I care little for the glory," observed the Doctor, who was Warden of
Wadham College; "I care very little for any earthly glory: but canst
tell me where the wisdom is gone--the wisdom, Jew, the wisdom! Where is
that to be found?"
"Usually at the College of Wadham," replied the crafty Robin, bowing
respectfully, "though sometimes it wanders abroad to enlighten England."
"Go to; you are a most cunning Isaac," said Doctor Wilkins, laughing;
and at the same time throwing Robin a piece of silver, which he caught,
with much dexterity, ere it touched the ground.
"This is the only unwise thing your worship ever did," continued Robin,
depositing the silver safely in his leathern purse.
"How so, most cunning Jew?"
"Bestowing money--when there can be no interest thereupon."
"You have never heard, I fear," said Doctor Wilkins, who, with true
Christian spirit, was ever ready to speak a word in season--"you have
never heard of laying up treasures in a place where neither moth nor
rust can corrupt, and where thieves cannot break through and steal?"
"I have heard some Christians speak of such a place," replied Robin,
"though I did not think they believed in its existence."
"Why so?"
"Because they seemed so little inclined to trust their property in that
same storehouse."
"You say but too truly; yet it is written 'that charity covereth a
multitude of sins.'"
"Then that is reason why so many sins are roaming abroad 'naked but not
ashamed.' Ah, sir! it is a marvellously scarce commodity that same
charity; when Christians spit upon and rail at the poor Jew, they lack
charity; when they taunt me with my deformity, they lack charity; when
they destroy the web of the spider, that toileth for its bread, and
useth what the God of Moses gave it to catch food, they lack charity.
Sir, I have walked by the way-side, and I have seen a man tread into the
smallest atoms the hill of the industrious ant, and say, it stole the
peasant's corn; and yet I have known that same man make long prayers and
devour widows' houses. I have watched the small singing-bird, trolling
its sweet song on the bough of some wild cherry-tree, and a man, whose
hair was combed over his brow, whose step was slow, whose eyes appeared
to seek commune with Heaven, killed that bird, and then devoured all the
cherries. A little of that red fruit would have served the singing-bird
for the length of a long summer's day, and it could have sung to its
mate till, when the night came, they sheltered in each other's bosom;
yet he, the man with the smooth hair and the holy eye, killed the small
bird; but mark ye, sir, he ate the cherries, all, every one. Though I am
as one lacking sense, and only a serving Jew, I trow he lacked charity!"