The "Rebecca" of Ivanhoe

Sir Walter Scott's model for this character was a young lady, Rebecca Gratz by name, of an honorable Jewish family of Philadelphia.

She was born on the 4th of March, 1781, and in her younger days, and even beyond middle life, possessed singular beauty. She was noted for her benevolent and charitable life, and for her devotion to the Jewish faith.

One of the most intimate friends of her family was Washington Irving; and it is through him that her goodness, and steadfast devotion to the religion of her forefathers, have been handed down to us in the heroine of Scott's beautiful novel.

It was in the fall of 1817 that Scott and Irving met for the first time. With a letter of introduction from the poet Campbell, who was aware of Scott's high estimate of Irving's genius, the latter visited Abbotsford, and there spent several of the most delightful days of his life.

During one of their many conversations, Irving spoke of his friend Rebecca Gratz of Philadelphia, described her wonderful beauty, and related the story of her firm adherence to her religious faith.

Scott was deeply interested and impressed, and conceived the plan of embodying a character like hers in one of his novels. Shortly after this he wrote "Ivanhoe," and named his heroine "Rebecca." When the book was published, in December, 1819, he immediately sent the first copy to Irving; and in the letter accompanying it he asked, "How do you like your Rebecca? Does the Rebecca I have pictured compare well with the pattern given?"

After living a noble life, Miss Gratz died on the twenty-seventh day of August, 1869, at the age of eighty-eight.