Storia do Mogor 24.2

24.2

They tell here a story which merits to be recorded at this place by reason of the wit and ingenuity which it displays. At Aleppo, a town of Arabia, dwelt a merchant, a Hebrew by race, the richest of all those in the town. The Bassa (pasha) or governor wanted to despoil this Hebrew, and sought an opportunity of so doing without injuring his own reputation. He thought the best, the most refined, and the fairest way would be to send for him to his palace, and in the course of conversation point out to him that there were three different religions — one taught by Moses and accepted by the Jews, one taught by the Messiah and observed by the Christians, and the last promulgated by Mahomed and followed by the Turks. He would then ask the Jew which of the three was the true religion. Because, should the Hebrew reply that the religion of Moses or of Christ was the true one, he thereby decided at the same time, by implication, that the religion of Mahomed was false. If the Jew replied ' Yes, that is so,' then the governor would have him seized, and confiscate all his goods. On the other hand, if the Hebrew, out of respect or through fear, answered that Mahomed's religion was the true one, he would force him either to adopt Mahomedanism or lose his life. In that last case he would become master of all his goods.