Page 95 - The Track Of The Jew Through The Ages - Alfred Rosenberg

Alfred Rosenberg

about the party commissioner and clarified to the king that there
could not be a friendship between Jews and Christians since the
former blasphemed the name of Christ, spoke ofthe Christians only
with contempt as Nazarenes, and that it was impossible with self-
respect to have relations with the enemies. He further informed the
king about attested cases of kidnapping and slave trade with foreign
lands. This letter made no impression at the court, whereupon
Agobert sent off a second of similar content, which, however, had
the same lack of success. Disgusted, he travelled himself to Paris,
but there it was very coldly indicated to him to return home.
But the affair was not ended thereby. For, when some slaves
belonging to foreign Jews reported after some time to the bishop in
order to be baptised, the latter, after all the bad experiences, did not
dare to do this straightaway. He offered to the Jews the canonically
determined ransom, but the latter laughed at him; he turned to
different prelates close to the court with the request for support;
without success. On the contrary, the Jews had exerted their influence
through the commissioner for Jewish affairs, who was there for
nothing else but to watch over the privileges of the untouchables,
and there appeared a new royal decree with the express prohibition
of the baptism of Jewish slaves without the permission of their
owners.
Agobert now turned to the court chaplain and requested
him to exert his influence to bring about a revocation of this decree
which expressed contempt for all church laws. He defended himself
from the reproach of drawing their slaves from the Jews and forcing
them to convert, but, he said, he had to demand that baptism should
not be easily thwarted by the Jews. Even this step was in vain and
the result was a refusal on the part of the government.
One can imagine in what mood the man was when he saw
all the attempts to preserve the rights of the local inhabitants and of
the national church from foreigners shattered lamentably and the
Jewish palace owners posturing ever more provocatively.
It is then no wonder if he pours out his heart in a letter to
the Archbishop ofNarbonne, narrates to him the court intrigues and
the unbearable conditions of his diocese produced by the Jewish

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