Francis Halma says, in the Account of Spinosa, which he published
in Dutch} that the Jews offered him a Pension a little while before
his Desertion, to engage him to remain amongst 'em, and to appear
now and then in their Synagogues. This Spinosa himself affirmed
several times to the Sieur Vander Spyck, his Landlord, and to some
other Persons ; adding, that the Pension, which the Rabbins design'd
to give him, amounted to looo Florins. But he protested at the same
time, that if they had offered him ten times as much, he wou'd not
have accepted of it, nor frequented their Assemblies out of such a
motive ; because he was not a Hypocrite, and minded nothing but
Truth. Monsieur Bayle tells us. That he happen'd one day to be
assaulted by a Jew, as he was coming out of the Playhouse, who
wounded him in the Face with a Knife, and that Spinosa knew that
the Jew design'd to kill him, tho his wound was not dangerous. But
Spinosa s Landlord and his Wife, who are still living, give me quite
another account of it. They had it from Spinosa himself, who did
often tell them, that one Evening as he was coming out of the Old
Portuguese Synagogue, he saw a Man by him with a Dagger in his
Hand ; whereupon standing upon his guard, and going backwards, he
avoided the blow, which reached no farther than his Cloaths. He
kept still the Coat that was run thro' with the Dagger, as a Memorial
of that event. Afterwards, not thinking himself to be safe at Ajnster-
dam, he resolved to retire somewhere else with the first opportunity.
