public interest was absorbed in the illness of the Prince Consort. Sir Moses' Diaries testify to the grief and anxiety with which he received the more and more gloomy reports of the progress of the fatal malady which were given to the world. On the day after the Prince's death he writes: "It was whispered that most unhappy intelligence had been received at Ramsgate regarding the Prince Consort, and I could not rest without going myself to Ramsgate. Alas, I found on my arrival the unhappy news but too true. We have lost a great and good Prince; our beloved and gracious Queen the best of husbands; her children the best of fathers. He was amiable, benevolent, and most liberal as regards religious freedom to all. We have lost a great friend. It is to England and to Englishmen a great and sudden calamity. May the Almighty, in His mercy, comfort and support our beloved Sovereign; grant her length of days, with peace, and guard her from all misfortunes.

December 17th.-Sir Moses had the satisfaction of being informed at the Foreign Office that a letter had been sent to the British Consul at Jerusalem ordering the withdrawal of the notices of the British Consul.

On the same occasion he was also informed that the prayer of the Jews in Moldavia had been considered by the British Government, and that Mr Green, the British Consul in Bucharest, would no doubt attend to Lord John Russell's instructions in their favour.

December 23rd. He and Lady Montefiore attended a special service at their Synagogue, the reading desk being covered with black cloth-" The only symbol of mourning," Sir Moses says, we ever had in our Synagogue."

"The loss of his late Royal Highness the Prince Consort," he continues, "is felt by every one as a great domestic loss. He was respected and beloved by all the nation, and all Her Majesty's subjects participate in her grief.

"I can never forget the courtesy evinced by the lamented Prince when I had the honour of being both at Osborne and Windsor."

December 31st.-Lady Montefiore had a most restless night, and her state of health appeared so unfavourable to Sir Moses that he could not make up his mind to leave her, though he felt a great desire to attend a meeting at the Alliance Marine, where

Memorial to late Prince Consort.

131

he had to propose to the shareholders some important measures for the benefit of the company.

Lady Montefiore, ever anxious to see him accomplish his intentions, advised him to go, and he, though with much pain and great hesitation, went to town. In the evening, in reply to a telegram he sent to Ramsgate, he had the happiness of being informed that Lady Montefiore was much better and more comfortable, and would be happy to see him on the morrow.

In token of gratitude to heaven for this good news, and the accomplishment of the object he had in view by attending the meetings, he terminated the civil year by making generous presents to several persons in need of help, and giving to one of them £500 to enable him to establish himself in business.

Lady Montefiore's great weakness continued to cause great anxiety at the beginning of 1862. Frequent consultations of her medical attendants often alarmed Sir Moses, and deep sorrow clouded his mind. Nevertheless, at her frequent and urgent requests, not to discontinue attending to his usual pursuits on her account, he went to town whenever he thought his presence there might help some good cause.

January 14th.-Sir Moses attended a large meeting in the Egyptian Hall at the Mansion House, to propose a Memorial to the late Prince Consort. Lord Stratford de Redcliffe was present. A committee was appointed to carry the proposal into effect. Sir Moses gave, in his and Lady Montefiore's name, £52, 10s. as a contribution towards the amount required. Subsequently he attended a meeting of the Board of Deputies, where Alderman Phillips presented a letter of apology from Messrs Chambers, the editors and publishers of "Chambers's Journal," for having published, on the 14th of September 1861, a tale entitled "The Mystery of Metz," calculated to leave on the mind of the reader a most erroneous impression regarding the religious ceremonials of the Jewish people, thus bringing an unpleasant matter to a happy conclusion.*

February 24th.-General Chesney and Sir John M'Neil called on him at the Alliance, and requested him to be the chairman of the proposed railway between Jaffa and Jerusalem, which he

* The Daily News, Thursday, 31st October 1861, published an interesting letter on the subject, addressed to the Editor by T. Theodores of Manchester.

declined. He consented, however, to his name being added to the scheme as a patron.

February 25th.-Attended a meeting of the Syrian Improvement Committee, Lord Clanricarde, Sir Culling Eardly, Mr Freeland, and several other members being present. They agreed to give £300 towards the building of an hospital at Beyrout, by the order of St John, under the Prussian Government, and £50 for the translation into Arabic of some useful instructions, to be inserted in the newspaper published at Beyrout. Lord Clanricarde and Mr Freeland were to inquire into the practicability of making an artesian well at Jerusalem. The fund still left that day at the disposal of the Committee was about £2700.

CHAPTER XVI.

1862.

THE JAFFA AND JERUSALEM RAILWAY-LORD DUFFERINSIR MOSES AND LADY MONTEFIORE'S GOLDEN WEDDINGDEATH OF LADY MONTEFIORE.

`WENTY-FOUR years having now passed since Sir Moses

made the entry in his diary on the desirability of having a railway between Jaffa and Jerusalem, without his having witnessed any further attempt to accomplish so important an undertaking, the reader will find it interesting to learn his suggestions.

March 10th.-Sir John M'Neil and General Chesnev came to him at the Alliance. He expressed his feelings regarding the prospectus, in which his name had been printed as a director. They said it was a mistake. In the end he promised to meet them at the Athenæum on the morrow. Lord Dufferin would be there, and Sir Moses promised he would endeavour to find some city man as a director. He immediately wrote to some of his friends on the subject, but did not succeed in persuading them to become directors of the proposed railway.

In the course of the afternoon Sir Moses went to the Athenæum, where he met Sir John M'Neil, General Chesney, and General Sabine. They were soon joined by Lord Dufferin. Sir Moses says: "I held that the concession for the Jafta railway should be obtained with a guarantee of five or six per cent. on the outlay; that two or three influential persons should be selected as directors, and that the Turkish Ambassador should be an ex-officio director, as his presence at the board would sanction the contracts, and thereby secure, without dispute, the guarantee return on the outlay. I mentioned several persons it would be desirable to get as directors. Lord Dufferin told the gentlemen present that he wished to speak with Sir Moses alone, and they then took their leave. His

Lordship said that he was happy to have the opportunity of seeing him, and that at Damascus he had heard how much he had done for the people there. He said the outbreak was very near reaching the Jewish quarter. He had received great attention from the Jews, and had dined with some of them. He expressed his satisfaction at the course Sir Moses had recommended, but said he could not act without the addition of some wealthy city people.

"His Lordship," Sir Moses observes, "is a most elegant and agreeable young man."

“Lord Dufferin," he adds, in a postscript, “said to me he had asked Lord John Russell to be a patron, but he would not consent. Lord Dufferin spoke of Lord Stratford de Redcliffe and Lord Clarendon; but I said I thought it would be quite unnecessary to have any patrons, if his Lordship was the chairman of the company."

After leaving the Athenæum, Sir Moses called on Sir Culling Eardly and told him that he had been with Lord Dufferin, and had great hopes that the scheme would be carried out. Early in May he sent a letter to the representatives of his ancient congregation, resigning his office as one of their Deputies, an honour which he had enjoyed for thirty-seven years. He was urgently requested to withdraw his resignation, but would not do so, as he felt it out of his power to fulfil the duties to his own satisfaction.

During the same month he received a letter from the Viceroy of Egypt, who was then staying at the Palace of the Tuileries at Paris as the guest of the Emperor. His Highness thanked Sir Moses, who had offered him his house in Park Lane, and regretted that it reached him too late, as he had already engaged a house at Richmond. He added, however, that he was none the less grateful for Sir Moses' ofter.

June 28th was the fiftieth anniversary of the wedding of Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore. Relatives, friends, and many representatives of congregations hastened to offer them their felicitations, and letters and addresses from all parts of the world. To mark the solemnity of the day, Sir Moses attended a special service in his own Synagogue, and on his return wrote the last verse in a Hebrew scroll of the Pentateuch, which he presented to a congregation in need of one for their Synagogue, and too