is honour amongst thieves, but this is certainly not the case with
the Jews of Lisbon, for they are so greedy and avaricious, that
they are constantly quarrelling about their ill-gotten gain, the
result being that they frequently ruin each other. Their mutual
jealousy is truly extraordinary. If one, by cheating and roguery,
gains a cruzado in the presence of another, the latter instantly
says I cry halves, and if the first refuse he is instantly
threatened with an information. The manner in which they cheat
each other has, with all its infamy, occasionally something
extremely droll and ludicrous. I was one day in the shop of a
Swiri, or Jew of Mogadore, when a Jew from Gibraltar entered, with
a Portuguese female, who held in her hand a mantle, richly
embroidered with gold.

Gibraltar Jew (speaking in broken Arabic).--Good-day, O Swiri; God
has favoured me this day; here is a bargain by which we shall both
gain. I have bought this mantle of the woman almost for nothing,
for it is stolen; but I am poor, as you know, I have not a cruzado;
pay her therefore the price, that we may then forthwith sell the
mantle and divide the gain.

Swiri.--Willingly, brother of Gibraltar; I will pay the woman for
the mantle; it does not appear a bad one.

Thereupon he flung two cruzados to the woman, who forthwith left
the shop.

Gibraltar Jew.--Thanks, brother Swirl, this is very kind of you;
now let us go and sell the mantle, the gold alone is well worth a
moidore; but I am poor and have nothing to eat, give me, therefore,