fpeak the truth, muft confefs that their best friend in life is a Jew: But of these things I fcorn to boaft; however, Sir, I must own it gave me fome pain the other night to find myself very roughly handled by a feafaring fellow, whom I remembered well enough in a most piteous condition at Algiers, where I had the good will to relieve him and fet him at liberty with my own money I hope he did not recollect me; I fay I

:

hope not for the honour of human nature, but I am much afraid he did: This I am fure would be called ingratitude even in a Heathen.

I observe with much concern that your great writers of plays take delight in hanging us out to public ridicule and contempt on all occafions: If ever they are in search of a rogue, an ufurer or a buffoon, they are fure to make a Jew serve the turn: I verily believe the odious character of Shylock has brought little lefs perfecution upon us poor fcattered fons of Abraham, than the Inquifition itself. As I am interested to know if this blood-thirsty villain really existed in nature, and have no means to fatisfy my curiofity but your favour, I take the liberty humbly to request that you will tell me how the cafe truly ftands, and whether we must of neceffity own this Shylock; also I should be glad to know of which tribe this fellow was, for if fuch a monster

monster did exist, I have strong fufpicion he will turn out a Samaritan. As I cannot doubt but a gentleman of your great learning knows all these things correctly, I fhall wait your answer with the most anxious impatience; and pray be particular as to the tribe of Judah, for if nothing lefs than half my fortune could ouft him there, I would pay it down to be rid of fuch a rafcal.

Your compliance with the above will be the greatest obligation you can confer upon, Sir, Your moft devoted

humble fervant,

ABRAHAM ABRAHAMS.

P. S. I hope I fhall not give offence by adding a poftfcript, to fay, that if you could perfuade one of the gentlemen or ladies, who write plays (with all of whom I conclude you have great intereft) to give us poor Jews a kind lift in a new comedy, I am bold to promise we fhould not prove ungrateful on a third night.

A. A.

If I had really that intereft with my Ingenious contemporaries, which Mr. Abrahams gives me credit for, I would not hesitate to exert it in his fervice; but as I am afraid this is not the cafe,

I have taken the only method in my power of being useful to him, and have published his letter.

As for Shylock, who is fo obnoxious to my 'correfpondent, I wish I could prove him the fon of a Samaritan as clearly as Simon Magus; but I flatter myself the next best thing for his purpofe is to prove him the son of a poet, and that I will endeavour to do in my very next paper, with this further fatisfaction to Mr. Abrahams, that I do not despair of taking him down a step in his pedigree, which for a poetical one is, as it now stands, of the very first family in the kingdom.

As for the vulgar fun of smoaking a Jew, which so prevails amongst us, I am persuaded that my countrymen are much too generous and good-natured to sport with the feelings of a fellow-creature, if they were once fairly convinced that a Jew is their fellow-creature, and really has fellow-feelings with their own: Satisfy them in this point, and their humanity will do the reft: I will therefore hope that nothing more is wanting in behalf of my correfpondent, (who seems a very worthy man) than to put the folfowing fhort questions to his perfecutors-Hath not a few eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimenfions, fenfes, affections, paffions? Fed with

VOL. III.

D

the

the fame food, hurt with the fame weapons, fubject to the fame difeafes, healed by the fame means, warmed and cooled by the fame fummer and winter, as a Christian is? If you prick them, do they not bleed? If you tickle them, do they not laugh? If you poifon them, do they not die?—The man, who can give a serious answer to these questions, and yet perfift in perfecuting an unoffending being, because he is a Jew, whatever country he may claim, or whatever religion he may profess, has the foul of an inquifitor, and is fit for nothing else but to feed the fires of an Auto da Fe.

When I turn my thoughts to the past and prefent fituation of this peculiar people, I do not fee how any Christian nation according to the fpirit of their religion can refuse admiffion to the Jews, who, in completion of those very prophecies, on which Christianity rests, are to be fcattered and diffeminated amongst all people and nations over the face of the earth. It seems therefore a thing as inconfiftent with the fpirit of those prophecies for any one nation to attempt to expel them, as it would be to incorporate them.

The fin and obduracy of their forefathers are amongst the undoubted records of our gospel, but I doubt if this can be a fufficient reason,

why

why we should hold them in such general odium through so many ages, feeing how naturally the fon follows the faith of the father, and how much too general a thing it is amongst mankind to profess any particular form of religion, that devolves upon them by inheritance, rather than by free election and conviction of reafon founded upon examination.

Let me put the case of a man born a Jew and settled in a kingdom, where the Inquifition is in force; can he reconcile his natural feelings to à converfion in favour of that church, which denounces everlasting damnation against him, if he does not betray the fecrets of his parents, and impeach them to the Inquifition for the concealed religion, which he knows they prac tife, though they do not profess.

If we as Chriftians owe some respect to the Jews as the people chofen by God to be the keepers of those prophetic records, which announce the coming of the Meffias, we owe it also to the truth of history to confess, that the hope indulged by them that his coming would bring temporal as well as spiritual falvation, was general to all the nation. Their antient fages had united the military with the prophetic character; fome had headed their armies; all had gone forth with them, and even their women