The King of Schnorrers
I. Zangwill

The King of Schnorrers

GROTESQUES AND FANTASIES

BY

I. ZANGWILL

Author of "Children of the Ghetto," "The Old Maids' Club,""Merely Mary Ann," etc.

New York
THE MACMILLAN COMPANY
LONDON: MACMILLAN & CO., Ltd.
1909

All rights reserved

Copyright, 1893,
By MACMILLAN AND CO.

Set up and electrotyped January, 1894. Reprinted April,1894; September, 1895; January, 1897; October, 1898; August,1899; June, 1909.

Norwood Press
J. S. Cushing & Co.—Berwick & Smith
Norwood Mass. U.S.A.

[v]

Foreword to "The King of Schnorrers."

These episodes make no claim to veracity, while the personages arenot even sun-myths. I have merely amused myself and attempted to amuseidlers by incarnating the floating tradition of the Jewish Schnorrer,who is as unique among beggars as Israel among nations. The close ofthe eighteenth century was chosen for a background, because, while themost picturesque period of Anglo-Jewish history, it has never beforebeen exploited in fiction, whether by novelists or historians. To myfriend, Mr. Asher I. Myers, I am indebted for access to his uniquecollection of Jewish prints and caricatures of the period, and I havenot been backward in schnorrinG suggestions from him and otherprivate humourists. My indebtedness to my artists is more obvious,from my old friend George Hutchinson to my newer friend Phil May, whohas been good enough to allow me to reproduce from his[vi] Annuals thebrilliant sketches illustrating two of the shorter stories. Of theseshorter stories it only remains to be said there are both tragic andcomic, and I will not usurp the critic's prerogative by determiningwhich is which.

I. Z.

[ix]

Contents.

PAGE

The King of Schnorrers    1
Illustrated by George Hutchinson.

The Semi-Sentimental Dragon157
Illustrated by Phil May.

...