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النشر الإلكتروني

SIR,

I AM a man, who stick close to my busi→ nefs, and am married to a fober induftrious woman, whom I fhould be glad now and then to treat with a play, which is the only public amusement she has ever expreffed a wifh to be indulged in; but I am really under fuch diff culties, that I dare not carry her thither, and at the fame time do not like to discover my reafons for it, as I fhould be forry to give her a dislike to the country fhe is in.

You must know, Sir, I am a Jew, and pro bably have that national caft of countenance, which a people fo feparate and unmixt may well be fuppofed to have: The confequence of this is, that I no fooner enter a playhouse, than I find all eyes turned upon me; if this were the worst, I would ftrive to put as good a face upon it as I could; but this is fure to be followed up! with a thousand fcurrilities, which I fhould blufh to repeat, and which I cannot think of subjecting my wife to hear.

As I fhould really take great pleasure in a good play, if I might be permitted to fit it out in peace, I have tried every part of the house, but the front boxes, where I obferve fuch a line of bullies in the back, that even if I were a Chriftian

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Christian I would not venture amongst them; but I no fooner put my head into an obfcure corner of the gallery, than fome fellow or other roars out to his comrades-Smoke the Jew!— Smoke the cunning little Ifaac !-Throw him over, fays another, hand over the fmoutch -Out with Shylock, cries a third, out with the pound of man's fefb! - Buckles and buttons! Spectacles ! bawls out a fourth-and fo on through the whole gallery, till I am forced to retire out of the theatre, amongst hootings and hiffings, with a shower of rotten apples and chewed oranges vollied at my head, when all the offence I have given is an humble offer to be a peaceable spectator, jointly with them, of the fame common amusement.

I hope I fhall not incur your displeasure if I venture to say this is not very manly treatment in a great and generous people, which I always took the English to be; I have lodged my property, which is not inconsiderable, in this country, and having no abiding-place on this earth, which I could call my own, I have made England my choice, thinking it the safest asylum that a wanderer and an alien could fly to; I hope I have not been mistaken in my opinion of it: It has frequently fallen in my way to fhew fome kindnesses to your countrymen in foreign parts, and fome are yet living, who, if they would

speak

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fpeak the truth, muft confefs that their best friend in life is a Jew: But of thefe things I fcorn to boast; 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 con-> dition 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 say Is hope not for the honour of human nature, but F am much afraid he did: This I am fure would be called ingratitude even in a Heathen.

I obferve 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 fearch of a rogue, an ufurer or a buffoon, they are fure to make a Jew serve the turn: I verily believe the odious cha racter of Shylock has brought little less perfecttion upon us poor fcattered fons of Abraham, 1 than the Inquifition itself. As I am interefted to know if this blood-thirsty villain really exifted 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 stands, and whether we must of neceffity own this Shylock; alfo I fhould be glad to know of which tribe this fellow was, for if fuch a monfter

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monfter did exift, I have ftrong fufpicion he will turn out a Samaritan. As I cannot doubt but a gentleman of your great learning knows all thefe 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 raf

cal.

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

humble fervant,

ABRAHAM ABRAHAMS.

P. S. I hope I fhall not give offence by adding a poftfcript, to say, 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 ufeful 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 ftands, of the very firft family in the kingdom.

As for the vulgar fun of fmoaking a Jew, which fo prevails amongst us, I am perfuaded that my countrymen are much too generous and good-natured to fport 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 feems a very worthy man) than to put the folfowing short questions to his perfecutors-Hath not a few eyes? Hath not a few hands, organs, dimenfions, fenfes, affections, paffions? Fed with

VOL. III.

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