Certain Israelite money-lenders, who hated
him because he would not wink at their sweating and extortions, saw in
this an opportunity to overthrow him; so they reported to some leading
Jews in England that he had tortured the boys, whom he had not, in point
of fact, punished in any way beyond reproving them. The rich Jews at
home, therefore, were anxious to procure our recall, and spread it
about that we were influenced by hatred of the Jews. One of them had
even the unfairness to write to the Foreign Office as follows:
"I hear that the lady to whom Captain Burton is married is believed to
be a bigoted Roman Catholic, and to be likely to influence him against
the Jews."
In spite of woman's rights I was not allowed to answer him publicly.
When I heard of it, I could not forbear sending a true statement of
the facts of the case to Lord Granville, together with the following
letter:
"H. B. M. CONSULATE, DAMASCUS,
"November 29, 1870.
"MY LORD,
"I have always understood that it is a rule amongst gentlemen never to
drag a lady's name into public affairs, but I accept with pleasure the
compliment which Sir ---- ---- pays me in treating me like a man, and the
more so as it enables me to assume the privilege of writing to you an
official letter, a copy of which perhaps you will cause to be transmitted
to him.
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