Circumcision: Rome, 16 January 1645
John Evelyn
I went to the Ghetto where the Jewes dwell, as in a suburbs by themselves; being invited by a Jew of my acquaintance to see a Circumcision: here I passed by the Piazza Judea (where their Serraglio begins) for being environd with walls, they are lockâd up every night: in this place remaines yet part of a stately fabric; which my Jew told me had been a Palace of theirs, for the Ambassador of their Nation in former times, when their Country was Subject to the Romans. There was a large Inscription on it, that I could not stay to reade.
Being lead through the Synagogue into a privat house, I found a world of people in a Chamber: by and by came an old man who preparâd and layd in order divers Instruments brought by a little child of about 7 yeares old in a box. These the man layd in a silver bason: The knife was much like a short Razor to shut into the haft: Then they burnt some Insense in a Censor, which perfumâd the rome all the while the ceremony was doing: In the basin was also a little cap made of white paper like a Capuchins-hood, not bigger than my finger, also a paper of a red astringent powder, I suppose of bole: a small Instrument of Silver cleft in the midst, at one end to take up the prepuce withall, clowtes of fine linnen wrapâd up See: These all in order the Women from out of another Chamber brought the Infant swadlâd, and deliverâd it to the Rabbie, who caried, and presented it before an Altar or Cuppord dressâd up, on which lay the 5 bookes of Moses, and the Commandments a little unrowled: Before this with profound reverence, and mumbling a few Words he waved the Child to and froo a while; then he delivered it to another Rabbie, who sate all this time upon a Table, he taking it in his hands put it betweene his thighs, whilest the other Jew unbound the blankets that were about it to come at the flesh: at this action all the company fell a singing of an hebrew hymn, and in as barbarous a tone, waving themselves to and fro, a ceremony they observe in all their devotions: The Infant now stripâd from the belly downewards, the Jew tooke the yard of the child and Chafâd it within his fingers till it became a little stiff, then with the silver Instrument before describâd (which was held to him in the basin) he tooke up as much of the Praeputium as he could possibly gather, and so with the Razor, did rather Saw, than cutt it off; at which the miserable babe cryâd extreamely, whiles the rest continuâd their odd tone, rather like howling than singing: then the Rabby lifting the belly of the child to his face, and taking the yard all blody into his mouth he suckâd it a pretty while, having before taken a little Vinegar, all which together with the blood he spit out into a glasse of red wine of the Colour of french wine: This don he strippâd downe the remainder of the fore-skin as farr and neere to the belly as he could, so as it appeared to be all raw, then he strewâd the read powder on it to stanch the bleeding and coverd it with the paperhood, and upon all a Clowte, and so swathâd up the Child as before: All this while they continue their Psalme: Then two of the Women, and two men, viz., he who held the Child, and the Rabbin who Circumcisâd it (the rest I suppose were the Witnesses) dranke some of the Wine minglâd with the Vinegar, blood and spittle: so ended the slovenly ceremony, and the Rabbin cryes out to me in the Italian tongue perceiving me to be a stranger: âEcco Signior mio, Un Miracolo di dioâ; because the child had immediately left crying: The Jewes do all in Rome weare yellow hatts, and live onely upon brokage and Usury, very poore and despicable beyond what they are in other territories of Princes where they are permitted . . .