The land laws made them so poor that they had to sell themselves to fill their bellies.

What help was there for us in the good will of such wretched slaves?
For a cask of vodka you could buy up a whole village of them.
They trembled before the meanest townsman, and at a sign from a long-haired priest they would sharpen their axes against us.
The Gentiles had their excuse for their malice.

They said our merchants and money-lenders preyed upon them, and our shopkeepers gave false measure.

People who want to defend the Jews ought never to deny this.

Yes, I say, we cheated the Gentiles whenever we dared, because it was the only thing to do.