amours, as I will love
thee. I am a Templar. Behold the cross of my holy Order.«
    »Darest thou appeal to it,« said Rebecca, »on an occasion like the present?«
    »And if I do so,« said the Templar, »it concerns not thee, who art no
believer in the blessed sign of our salvation.«
    »I believe as my fathers taught,« said Rebecca, »and may God forgive my
belief if erroneous! But you, Sir Knight, what is yours, when you appeal without
scruple to that which you deem most holy, even while you are about to transgress
the most solemn of your vows as a knight, and as a man of religion?«
    »It is gravely and well preached, O daughter of Sirach!« answered the
Templar; »but, gentle Ecclesiastica, thy narrow Jewish prejudices make thee
blind to our high privilege. Marriage were an enduring crime on the part of a
Templar; but what lesser folly I may practise, I shall speedily be absolved from
at the next Preceptory of our Order. Not the wisest of monarchs, not his father,
whose examples you must needs allow are weighty, claimed wider privileges than
we poor soldiers of the Temple of Zion have won by our zeal in its defence. The
protectors of Solomon's Temple may claim license by the example of Solomon.«
    »If thou readest the Scripture,« said the Jewess, »and the lives of the
saints, only to justify thine own license and profligacy, thy crime is like that
of him who extracts poison from the most healthful and necessary herbs.«
    The eyes of the Templar flashed fire at this reproof - »Hearken,« he said,
»Rebecca; I have hitherto spoken mildly to thee, but now my language shall be
that of a conqueror. Thou art the captive of my bow and spear - subject to my
will by the laws of all nations; nor will I abate an inch of my right, or
abstain from taking by violence what thou refusest to entreaty or necessity.«
    »Stand back,« said Rebecca - »stand back, and hear me ere thou offerest to
commit a sin so deadly! My strength thou mayst indeed overpower, for God made
women weak, and trusted their defence to man's generosity. But I will proclaim
thy villany, Templar, from one end of Europe to the other. - I will owe to the
superstition of thy brethren what their compassion might refuse me. Each
Preceptory - each Chapter of thy Order shall learn, that,