obeifance; Euphorion ftretched forth his hand, he feized it between his, and reverently pressed it to his lips. Their meeting was not interrupted by a word, and the filence was only broken by my lord, who told Gemellus in a low voice, that his father had confented to his request, and. he had no longer caufe to apprehend a feparation from his friend: The honeft lawyer now could no longer repress his ecstacy, but running to Gemellus, who met his embrace with open arms, fhowered a flood of tears upon his neck, and received the tribute of gratitude and affec tion in return upon his own.

When their spirits were a little composed, Gemellus requested to see his brother; a summens was accordingly iffued, and Geminus made his entrance, The contrast which this meeting exhibited, spoke in ftronger terms than language can fupply the decided preference of a public and liberal system of education, to the narrow maxims of private and domestic tuition. On Gemellus's part all was candour, openness and cordiality; he hoped all childish differences were forgiven; for his fhare, if he called them to remembrance, it was only to regret, that he had been fo long feparated from a brother, who was naturally fo dear to him; for the remainder of their lives he perfuaded himfelf they should be

twins in affection, as well as in birth. On the fide of Geminus there was fome acting, and fome nature; but both were fpecimens of the worst fort; hypocrify played his part but awkwardly, and naturé gave a forry sample of her performances.

A few words will fuffice to wind up their hiftories, so far at least as they need be explained: Euphorion died foon after, this interview; Geminus inherited his fortune, and upon his very first coming to London was cajoled into a difgraceful marriage with a caft-off miftrefs, whom he became acquainted with; duped by a profligate and plundered by fharpers, he made a miferable waste both of money and reputation, and in the event became a penfioner of his brother. Gemellus with great natural talents, improved by education and experience, with an excellent nature and a laudable ambition, feconded by a very powerful connection, foon rose to a distinguished fituation in the state, where he yet continues to act a confpicuous part, to the honour of his country, and with no lefs reputation to himself.

N. LXIV.

I

N° LXIV.

Tantum religio potuit fuadere malorum.

(LUCRETIUS.)

Such cruelties religion could perfuade.

(CREECH.)

REMEMBER to have read an account

in a foreign Gazette of a dreadful fire, which broke out fo fuddenly in a house, where a great many people were affembled, that five hundred perfons perifhed miferably in the flames: The compiler of this account fubjoins at the foot of the above melancholy article, that it is with fatisfaction he can affure his readers, all the above perfons were fews.

Thefe poor people seem the butt, at which all fects and perfuafions level their contempt: They are fojourners and aliens in every kingdom on carth, and yet few have the hospitality to give them a welcome. I do not know any good reafon why these unhappy wanderers are so treated, for they do not intrude upon the labourer or manufacturer; they do not burthen the state with their poor, and here at least they neither till the earth, nor work at any craft, but content them

felves in general to hawk about a few refufe manufactures, and buy up a few caft-off clothes, which no man methinks would envy them the monopoly of.

It is to the honour of our nation, that we tolerate them in the exercise of their religion, for which the Inquifition, would tie them to a ftake and commit them to the flames. In fome parts of the world the burning of a few makes a feftival for all good Chriftians; it brings rain and plenty in seasons of drought and famine; it makes atonement for the fins of the people, and mitigates the wrath of an avenging Providence. Wherever they are obliged to conceal their religion, they generally overact their hypocrify, and crowd their houses with faints and virgins, whilft crucifixes, charms and relicks are hung in numbers round their necks. The fon of Jewish parents is brought up in the most rigid exercises of mortification and penance, and when the destined moment is in near approach, when the parent must impart the dreadful fecret of his faith, every contrivance is put in practice to difguft and weary him with the laborious functions of their oftenfible religion: When this preparatory rigour is perceived to take effect, and the age of the fon is ripe for the occafion, the father takes him into the inmost chamber of

his

his houfe, faftens all the doors, furveys every avenue with the most mysterious attention, and drawing his fword with great folemnity, throws himfelf on his knees at his feet, and laying open his breaft, invites him to thrust the point to his heart-For know, my fon, he cries, I am a Jew, as all my fathers were: Kill me therefore on the Spot, or conform to the religion of your ancestors, for you are damned as a Catholic, if, knowing what you know, you neglect to betray me! This, as I have reafon to believe, is no feigned anecdote, but a true account of thofe fecret meafures, which many Jewish families to this hour purfue for continuing the practice of their religion and fecuring themselves from discovery, where the confequences would be fo fatal,

Having thus, by way of prelude, briefly informed my readers what thefe miferable people are fuffering in fome countries, where they are fecretly fettled, I fhall now proceed to lay before them a letter, which I have lately received from one of that perfuafion, complaining of certain indignities and vexations from the humours of our common people, which, although they are but trifles compared to what I have been defcribing, are nevertheless unbecoming the character of so illuminated and benevolent a nation as we have the honour to belong to.