“And what else should be the lot of thy accursed race?” answered the Prior; “for what saith holy writ, verbum Domini projecerunt, et sapientia est nulla in eis ⁠—they have cast forth the word of the Lord, and there is no wisdom in them; propterea dabo mulieres eorum exteris ⁠—I will give their women to strangers, that is to the Templar, as in the present matter; et thesauros eorum haeredibus alienis , and their treasures to others⁠—as in the present case to these honest gentlemen.”

Isaac groaned deeply, and began to wring his hands, and to relapse into his state of desolation and despair. But the leader of the yeomen led him aside.

“Advise thee well, Isaac,” said Locksley, “what thou wilt do in this matter; my counsel to thee is to make a friend of this churchman. He is vain, Isaac, and he is covetous; at least he needs money to supply his profusion. Thou canst easily gratify his greed; for think not that I am blinded by thy pretexts of poverty. I am intimately acquainted, Isaac, with the very iron chest in which thou dost keep thy moneybags⁠—What! know I not the great stone beneath the apple-tree, that leads into the vaulted chamber under thy garden at York ?” The Jew grew as pale as death⁠—“But fear nothing from me,” continued the yeoman, “for we are of old acquainted. Dost thou not remember the sick yeoman whom thy fair daughter Rebecca redeemed from the gyves at York , and kept him in thy house till his health was restored, when thou didst dismiss him recovered, and with a piece of money?⁠—Usurer as thou art, thou didst never place coin at better interest than that poor silver mark, for it has this day saved thee five hundred crowns.”