Among these Hebrews of Valencia, lived a very ancient Israelite--no
other than Isaac of York before mentioned, who came into Spain with
his daughter, soon after Ivanhoe's marriage, in the third volume of the
first part of this history. Isaac was respected by his people for
the money which he possessed, and his daughter for her admirable good
qualities, her beauty, her charities, and her remarkable medical skill.
The young Emir Aboo Abdallah was so struck by her charms, that though
she was considerably older than his Highness, he offered to marry her,
and install her as Number 1 of his wives; and Isaac of York would not
have objected to the union, (for such mixed marriages were not uncommon
between the Hebrews and Moors in those days,) but Rebecca firmly yet
respectfully declined the proposals of the prince, saying that it was
impossible she should unite herself with a man of a creed different to
her own.
Although Isaac was, probably, not over-well pleased at losing this
chance of being father-in-law to a royal highness, yet as he passed
among his people for a very strict character, and there were in his
family several rabbis of great reputation and severity of conduct, the
old gentleman was silenced by this objection of Rebecca's, and the young
lady herself applauded by her relatives for her resolute behavior.
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