The History of a Lie Part 2

????????? ????????, ?.-??????????, 17-?? ??? 1872 ????.

[Transliteration: PREDISLOVIE.

Opisanie evrejskago kladbishha v Prage i legendarnyj razskaz o sobranii predstavitelej dvenadcati izrail'skih kolen zaimstvovany iz istoriko-politicheskago romana Sera Dzhona Redkliffa Do Sedana, pomeshhennago v zhurnale, izdavaemom Nikolaem Stepanovichem L'vovym.

Soderzhanie legendy ne est' vymysel odnogo Redkliffa; skoree Redkliff, s svojstvennym emu fantasticheskim voobrazheniem, sobral chasti v odno celoe i okrasil vse poeticheskimi kraskami, porazhajushhimi, mozhet byt', chrezmernoju jarkostiju, no tem ne menee predstavljajushhimi interes.

Dozvoleno cenzuroju, S.-Peterburg, 17-go maja 1872 G.o.da.

_(Translation)_

FOREWORD

"The description of the Jewish cemetery in Prague and the legendary story of the meeting of the representatives of the twelve tribes of Israel are borrowed from the historico-political novel by Sir John Radcliff, 'To Sedan,' published in the magazine edited by Nicholas Stepanovitch Lvoff.

"The contents of the legend are not the invention of Radcliff himself; rather Radcliff, with his characteristic fantastic imagination, collected various parts into one whole and painted all with poetic colors, which strike one perhaps by their excessive gaudiness, but which are nevertheless interesting."

Pa.s.sed by the Censor, St. Petersburg, May 17, 1872

This product of "Radcliff's fantastic imagination," the work of one experienced in the perpetration of forgeries, will now be permitted to tell its own story. It requires no commentary. It clearly foreshadows the protocols, with all its accompaniment of melodrama, not even omitting the Devil, himself.

THE JEWISH CEMETERY IN PRAGUE

and

The Council of Representatives of the Twelve Tribes of Israel

"The Jewish quarter of Prague represents a remarkable labyrinth of crooked and narrow streets; it is situated in the outskirts of Prague which witnessed numerous b.l.o.o.d.y episodes of Bohemian and German history. The dwellers of the dirty and dilapidated houses of this quarter are engaged in petty trading and profiteering in their own as well as in other parts of the city. Prague is the only city in Germany where the Jews live entirely isolated from the nation whose name they have taken in order to avail themselves of the privileges of the city population and to exploit it for their own purposes. The Jewish quarter in Prague is the same as the rag-fair in Vienna and the Temple in Paris. In these places deals amounting to thousands are transacted daily.

"If you take a few steps along this dirty, foul market-place, you will suddenly come upon an old, high, decayed wall which surrounds a s.p.a.ce of from two to three acres. Elder-trees and other wild shrubbery wind around this wall. Old Jewish houses are crowded all along near this wall, threatened with destruction at any moment.

The strange circle formed by this wall has an unwelcome, puzzling appearance.

"This is the city of the dead-the renowned Prague cemetery.

"In this abode of rest may be seen the spirit of the nation, whose bones found shelter here after long wandering,-here is stamped all its history, full of sufferings, struggles and resistance.

"It seems as though at any moment these tombs, overgrown with shrubbery, are ready to open, these stones growing for thousands of years are ready to raise themselves, and to let out into the world the restless wanderer with a pack upon his shoulder, with a staff in his hand, in order to go again to strange peoples,-to cheat and combat them and to seek a new Canaan-his dominion! The Jewish cemetery in Prague is the very oldest cemetery known. It was closed by order of the government a hundred years ago. For foreigners it is a historical landmark; for the Jews it is a sacred place. The impression of this deserted spot is intensified by its surroundings. Amidst the closely crowded tombs and monuments, overgrown with moss, only a narrow pa.s.sage remains which is almost entirely covered with shrubbery of thorn-bushes and mat-weed.

"During the inspection, the watchman will tell the visitor the history of the death of Rabbi Ben Mana.s.seh, the great conqueror of death, and Rabbi Loewe, the most learned Rabbi of the 17th century; he will speak of Simon the Just and of the Polish princess Anna Shmiless. He will then lead the visitor to the monument of Anna Kohn on which can be read the mysterious figure 606, which shows that the Jews, more than twelve hundred years ago, had buried their dead here, in the legendary times of Lyubush and her daughters.

"If we are not to believe this figure, we must nevertheless agree with the opinion of the Jews that this is the oldest settlement and the first Jewish community in Europe.

"Silently the Jewish guide and the curious foreigner go by one place where under an old lilac bush a heap of stone stands out, and when the foreigner asks, 'What is this?' the guide gives an evasive answer--

"'Beth Chaim-the house of life.' Thus is the cemetery called. Yes, indeed, this place of rest is a house of life, for from here is given the mysterious impulse which makes the exiles masters of the earth and tyrants of nations,-the impulse which directs the golden calf to the chosen tribe.

"The Jewish town has a.s.sumed a holiday aspect. The stands of the petty retailers have disappeared; Jewish boys and girls were strolling about in their holiday attire. The houses and windows were adorned with green branches. On the old benches sat men, talking seriously; in the alleys youths were chatting. From time to time men and women in their best Sabbath clothes were going to the synagogue, carrying prayer books in their hands; while poor Christian women whom need had forced to work in this quarter were running with keys and dishes in order to prepare for the feast.

"It was the last day of the Feast of Booths, the day of a.s.sembly, and dusk was gathering over the narrow streets, while the Christian part of the city was still brightly illumined by the last rays of the setting sun. Two men (the older wore a black silk mantle, with long earlocks, which showed that he was a Polish Jew; the other was middle aged, in modern clothes, with diamond studs in his s.h.i.+rt and a heavy golden chain on his vest) walked along the narrow streets, without paying any attention to the crowd.

"The younger seemed to be the guide. Having come with his companion to the little house where the watchman of the cemetery lived, he knocked at the closed door, through a crevice of which the bright light of wax candles was seen, showing the watchman's holiday mood.

It was a good summer-a large number of foreigners had visited the cemetery and were generous in their gifts.

"In the doorway appeared the thin face of the watchman, whose short-sighted eyes began to look fixedly into the darkness.

"'Come out into the street, Joel, somebody wants to talk to you!'

"'O, G.o.d of Justice,' said the watchman with amazement, as he came out of the door,-'One of the trustees! What is your pleasure to command me?'

"'This Rabbi desires to make a brief prayer in the cemetery; he is leaving to-morrow morning by train.'

"'In the cemetery? This evening? But you know yourself, Mr. Banker, that I am forbidden to open the gates after sunset, and to-night is also the holy Sabbath.'

"'First of all, there is no need for you to shout here about my calling,' replied the banker, displeased. 'Every Jewish rag-picker will know that banker Rosenberg was here to see you. As for the permit to open the gates, I myself, as a trustee, authorize you to do it. I will wait here until he has completed his prayer. The company in your house must not know what we are doing here. Arrange it so that the curious crowd will not rush in there.'

"The watchman disappeared in the house, but soon returned with a bunch of keys and opened the gates of the cemetery. He took a lantern along and was about to light it.

"'Don't!' said the Rabbi in a low voice. 'I don't need any light.

Lock the gates from the inside!'

"'But, Mr. von Rosenberg--'

"'Lock it, I say!'

"The watchman obeyed.

"'Now lead me to the grave of the holy Rabbi Simeon-ben-Yehudah!'

"'Hold on to my coat, esteemed sir,' said the watchman. 'It is dark and you may stumble over the old graves.'

"'I can see better at night than in the daytime, my son!' answered the learned Polish Jew.

"'Here is the grave!'