June1762. Génerosity and gratitude exemplified. ing that he lived very little above the income of his fortune alone; and as to what trade called for, he imagined he knew that must be returned with intereft. It was no matter to him that no money came; neither did he know, indeed, except at the year's end, whether any came or not: he knew it was all one to him, whether he was paid to-day, or this day twelve-month; and was fully perfuaded of that too common and destructive error, that long credit gives a man reputation; and that a tradesman should never call in his money fo long as it is fafe, because it stops his cuftomers from buying. Johnson had, indeed, all the falfe notions of the generality of our young traders, but not one more; and indeed too many in this city are ruined daily by the fame, though they are ftill propagated among numbers as the fecrets of trading, and held for truth, as certain as the golpel. Johnfon's affairs now began to run dreadfully behind-hand, without his knowing it; but that which to others is a last relief when they find themselves juft gone, was now the scheme of our young gentleman-trader, without his knowing it A young lady, who accidentally came into his fhop, in the morning hours, one day while he was in it, took away both what he bought, and her tradefman's heart into the bargain. In fhort, Johnfon watched her home: he was prudent enough, however, before he made any farther ftep, to inform himfelf who he was; and found fhe was a perfon of a good family, and worth seven thousand pounds. Johnfon was a man of a polite and engaging behaviour: he foon found means of introducing himself into the family; and as he imagined himself more than an equal match for her, he made it his first step to fettle matters with her father. The old gentleman had no right liking to this fort of gentleman-trading that Johnfon carried on; but his private fortune made him unexceptionable in respect of money, and he foon convinced the old gentleman of the advantages of his way of carrying on business. He found lefs difficulty to get the lady's confent than her father's, and all was harmony and good underftanding between them: the lover gallanted his lady and all the family to all the public places of diverfion, and the eternal affability and good-humour about him, made the old people, in thort, as much in love with him almost as the lady, 297 Courtship is fure to be the ruin or the happy-fettling of every young trade finan who engages in it; if the choice be imprudent, it is ruin whether it fucceeds or not; and even where it is irreproachable, the time loft about it, and the neglect of business it occafions, are not easily made up to a young man. All points, however, were to well agreed about our af fair, that Johnfon found it no difficulty to get the day of marriage fixed; the bride made her preparations, and Johnfon's tailor had his orders not to fail. When things were in this state, the la dy's fortune was inquired into more in earnest on Johnfon's part, and his on her father's. No mistake appeared about hers; but, alas! the looking into his affairs on this occafion, was the first notice of the bridegroom's ruin. It is true, his books were full of long debts, and the current account of cash in trade was fomething confiderable; but his fortune was in a manner all drawn out of his banker's hand; and though he had much more owing to him than from him, yet his debts to his traders were not small. "It is eafy to imagine, the prudent father now refused his daughter. The diftrefs on her part, as well as Johnson's, was very fincere and affecting, that they muft part; while they did it with the fin cereft agonies on both fides: nor could the intreaty of the old people prevent the young lady from engaging herself, by the moft folemn vow, never to marry any other perfon. Johnfon now went to newmodel his affairs, to take his money and call in his debts; but, alas! his fervant went off in the night with his ready money, and his debtors were one half dead, and the other half in gaol or in Flanders. It was not fo, however, with his creditors: the breaking off of the match fet them upon inquiries, and the ill-natured world foon whispered the occafion. It is eafy to know what must be the event of this; all fell upon him at once, and his goods and perfon were feized upon. What now remained therefore for the unhappy Johnfon to do? He bethought himself of the friend he had been once generous to; he called in what was remaining of his fortune, fent for Smith, delivered all into his hands, and begged of him to endeavour to bring his creditors to fome compofition. The generous Smith engaged himself for the whole, took home his friend, called in his debts, paid the remainder out of his own fortune, and and told him, My dear Johnfon, there was a time when your generofity offered me a partnership in what I had no right to; my trade is now as good as yours was then; but there is this great difference, that though you owed nothing to me, I cannot but remember I owe every thing to you; and let my gratitude now offer what your generofity then did, a fhare of all you have enabled me to pro cure. It was not without much difficulty that the unhappy Johnfon accepted this offer: he now, however, faw through all his former folly, and became as diligent as his friend had been. The neighbourhood adored the generofity and gratitude of young Smith, and even his wife and father applauded it. Every thing had been fome time perfectly happy here; and Johnfon knew no misfortune but the lofs of his bride, whom he indeed doated on with an uncommon affection; and now, though he had no hope of gaining her, Fortune, as fuddenly as fhe had robbed him of her, restored her to him again; a relation of his dying at this time, left him a fortune twice as great as that he had at first. His love, his gratitude, and generofity now fhewed themfelves in the moft amiable colours: he married the lady, laid his whole fortune into wholefale trade, and took Smith in to be an equal fharer in the profits: and the neighbourhood now fee them the most flourishing traders in it, and a glorious example to every one about them. but the limbs did not mortify; it lived a few weeks. The mother, and the other five children, continued in violent pain a confiderable time. In about four, five, or fix days, the difeafed leg began to turn black gradually, appearing at first covered with blue fpots, as if it had been bruifed. The other leg of those who were affected at first only in one leg, about that time alfo began to be affected with the fame excruciating pain, and in a few days that leg alfo began to mortify.-The mortified parts feparated gradually from the found parts; and the furgeon had, in most of the cafes, no other trouble than to cut through the bone, which was black and almost dry. The state of their limbs at prefent is this. Mary, the mother, aged 40, has loft the right foot at the ancle; the left foot alfo is off, and the two bones of the leg remain, almost dry, with only fome little putrid flefh adhering in fome places-The flesh is found to about two inches below the knee.-The bones would have been fawn through at that place, if fhe would have confented to it. Mary, aged 15, both legs off below the knees. Elifabeth, aged 13, both legs off below the knees. Sarah, aged 10, one foot off at the ancle.-The other foot was affected, but not in fo great a degree, and is now found again. Robert, aged 8, both legs off below the knees. Edward, aged 4, both feet off. An infant, four months old, dead. The father was attacked about a fortnight after the reft of the family, and in An account published, the beginning of May had a wife, and fix children; the eldeft, a girl of fifteen years of age, the young eft about four months.-They were all at that time very healthy, and had not any of them been ill for fome time before.-On Sunday, Jan. 10. the eldest girl complained, in the morning, of a pain in her left leg, particularly in the calf of the leg. Towards evening the pain grew exceedingly violent.-The fame evening another girl complained of the fame violent pain in the fame leg.-On the Monday, the mother, and another child, and on Tuesday all the reft of the family, were affected in the fame manner, fome in one leg, fome in both legs. The little infant was taken from the mother's breast: it feemed to be in pain, June1762. Sermon of the Rabbin Akib. Sermon of the RABBIN AKIB. Pronounced at Smyrna, November 26. 1761. Tranflated from the Hebrew. The following is a faithful tranflation, published in the London Regifter for May, of a little French piece, lately fent from Paris, and certainly written by VOLTAIRE. The piece itself, indeed, bears the ftrongeft teflimony of its author. It is a moft juft and poignant fatire on a horrid cruelty, which difgraces the very name of religion. The fame freedom of fentiment and expreffion prevails in this, as in fome other of Voltaire's pieces: and yet, perhaps, the moft exceptionable paffages may be defended by the confideration of their being delivered in the character of a Jew, fhewing the injuftice of cruelly facrificing his brethren, and finely fatirizing the fhameful divifions among Chriftians, L. Chr.] My dear brethren! WE VÉ have just received the news of the facrifice of two and forty Human victims, which the favages of Lisbon public ly made in the month Etanim*, in the year 1691 fince the ruin of Jerufalem. Those favages call fuch executions Acts of faith. My brethren, they are not acts of charity. Let us lift up our hearts to the Eternal + ! There were burnt in this horrid cere mony three men, of those whom the Europeans call monks, and that we name kalenders, two Mufulmen, and thirty-fe ven of our condemned brethren. We have as yet no other authentic re lations than the Accordao dos inquifidores contra o Padre Gabriel Malagrida Jefuita. The reft is only made known to us by the lamentable letters of our brethren of Spain. Alas! obferve at first fight of this Accordao, to what a depravation Heaven has abandoned fo many people of Europe. Malagrida, the Jefuit, was accufed of being an accomplice in a plot to affaffinate the King of Portugal. The fupreme council of juftice, eftablished by the King, had declared this kalender attaint and convicted of having exhorted the affaffins, in the name of God, to take vengeance, by the murder of this prince, for an enterprise against their honour; of having encouraged the criminals by means of confeffion, according to the too common practice of one part of Europe; and of having told them in exprefs terms, that it was no fin, not even one of the venial ⚫ The month of August of the Hebrews. t An ejaculation commonly used in the fermons of the Rabbins. 299 fins, to take away the life of their fovereign. [xxiii. 696.] In what country of the earth would man accused of fuch a crime, not have been folemnly tried according to the ordinary courte of juftice, confronted with his accomplices, and delivered over to execution according to the laws? Who would believe it, my brethren? the King of Portugal has not the right to condemn by his judges a kalender accufed of regicide! He is obliged to demand permiflion of a Latin Rabbin eftablifhed in the city of Rome: and this Latin Rabbin would not grant it him! This King was conftrained to deliver over the accufed to fome Portuguese kalenders, who take cognisance, fay they, of no crimes but thofe against God; as if God had given them a fovereign knowledge by patent, of fuch things as offend him; and as if there were a greater crime a gainft the majesty of God, than the assas fination of a king, whom we are taught to regard as his image. Know, my brethren, that the kalenders did not fo much as interrogate Malagrida concerning the treafon: That, fay they, is a little wordly fault, which is abforbed in the immenfity of the crimes against the Divine Majefty. Malagrida then has been convicted of having faid, "That a woman, named Annah, had been formerly fanctified in the womb of her mother; that her daugh ter fpoke to her before the came into the world; that Mary received feveral vifions from the Angel Gabriel; that there fhould be three antichrifts, the last of whom fhould be born at Milan, of a kalender and kalendrefs; and that for his own part Malagrida is a John B—‡”. Such is the reason why this poor Jefuit, at five and fixty years of age, has been publicly burnt at Lisbon. Let us lift up our hearts to the Eternal! But if Malagrida the Jefuit alone had been condemned to the flames, no mention fhould have been made of it in this holy fynagogue. Little does it concern us that the kalenders have burnt a Jefuit kalender. We know well enough that thefe Terapentes of Europe have often deferved this punishment; it is one of the evils attached to the fect of these barbarians: their hiftories are full of the crimes of their dervifes; and we know Malagrida called himself John the Baptift, as many enthufiafts at Paris, and prophets at London, have called themselves Elias. how how often their fanatical difputes have laid thrones in blood. In every instance, when princes have been affaffinated in Europe, the fuperftition of these people has always whetted the poniard. The learned chaplain of the French conful at Smyrna reckons fourscore and fourteen kings, or emperors, or princes, put to death by the disputes of those wretches, either by the hands of the faquirs them felves, or by thole of their penitents. As to the number of nobles and citizens maffacred through these fuperftitions, it is immense; and of fo many horrible affaffinations, not one but has been contrived, encouraged, and fanctified in the facrament which they call CONFESSION. Ye know, my brethren, that the primitive Chriftians imitated at firft our Jaudable custom of accufing ourselves of our faults before God, and of confeffing ourfelves finners in our temple. Six centuries after the destruction of that holy temple, the high priests of Europe obliged their faquirs to confefs fecretly to them twice in the year. Some ages after, they obliged the laity to do the fame. Figure to yourselves what a dangerous authority this cuftom gave to fuch as were difpofed to abuse it. The fecrets of families were in their hands; wives were releafed from the power of their husbands, and children drawn from their duty to their parents; the fire of difcord was lighted up in civil wars by the confeffors of one par ty, who refufed that which they call abfolution, to thofe of the other. In fine, they pursuaded their penitents, that God commanded them to go and kill the princes who had displeased their high priefts. But yesterday, my brethren, the conful's chaplain thewed us, in the hiftory of the little nation of the Francs, who live in a corner of the world towards the end of the West, and who are not without merit: he fhewed us, I say, a faquir, named Clement, who received from his priest, named Bourgouin, an exprefs order in confeflion, to go and affaffinate his lawful king, who was called, I think, Henry. Indeed, indeed, in the little that I have read myself of the hiftory of the neighbour nations, I fancied myself reading that of the Anthropophagi, or Men-eaters Let us lift up our hearts to the Eternal! My brethren, befides the monk Malagrida, whom the favages have burnt, there were alfo two other monks burnt, of whom I know neither the names nor the crimes, Heaven receive their fouls! And then they have burnt two Muful men. Charity commands us to fhrug ou fhoulders, to be feized with horror, and to pray for them. Ye know, that when the Musulmen had conquered all Spain by the fcimitar, they molested no body, con ftrained no períons to change their religion, and treated the vanquished with humanity, as well as us Ifraelites. Your which the Turks now treat the Greek eyes are witnefies of the kindness with Chriftians, the Neftorian Christians, the Papift Chriftians, the difciples of John, the ancient Parfes, worshippers of fire, and us humble fervants of Mofes. This example of humanity could not soften the hearts of the favages who inhabit the little fnip of land called Portugal.. Two Mufulmen have been delivered over to the most cruel torments, because their fathers and their grandfathers had a little lefs of the foreskin than the Portuguefe; because they washed themselves three times a-day, while the Portuguese wash themselves but once a-week; because they name that eternal being ALLAH, whom the Portuguese call Dios; and because they put their thumbs up to their ears when they fay their prayers. Ah! my dear brethren, what a reason for burning of men! The conful's chaplain has fhewed me a panchart of a great Rabbin of the country of the Francs, whofe name ends in ick, and who lives in a town or city called Soifons. This good Rabbin fays in his panchart, under the title Commandment, that all men, fhould regard each other as brothers, and that a Chriftian ought to love a Turk. Bless the good Rabbin! May all the children of Adam, white, red, black, grey, tawny, bearded or beardless, tefticulated or untesticulated, think for ever like him! and may the fanatics, the fuperftitious, and the persecutors, become men! Let us lift our hearts to the Eternal! My brethren, it is now time to fhed tears over whom they have burnt in this Act of our thirty-feven Ifraelites, Faith. I do not fay that they were all actually committed to the flames; for we are told that there were three of them whipped to death, and two remanded back to prifon. Peace be with the thirtytwo confumed by fire in this facrifice made by the favages! What was their crime? No other than that Jane1762. Sermon of the Rabbin Akib. that of being born. Their fathers begot them in the religion which their forefathers had profefled for thefe 5000 years. They were born Ifraelites; they celebrated their new moons in their cellars; and that is the reason why the Portuguese have burnt them. We do not learn that all our brethren were eaten after having been thus reafted on a pile of faggots; but we may prefume as much of two lads of fourteen, who were very fat, and of a girl of twelve, who was a plump morfel, and extremely tempting. Would you believe, that while the flames were devouring these innocent victims, the inquifitors and the rest of the favages chanted our own prayers? The Grand Inquifitor himself thundered out the Makib of our good King David, which begins with thefe words, "Have pity on me, O my God, according to thy great mercy! It is thus that these merciless monsters invoke the God of mercy and of goodness, the God of pardon, in committing a crime the most atrocious and most barbarous; in exercising a cruelty which the devils in their rage would not exercife on their fellow-devils. It is thus that, by a contraEdiction as abfurd as their fury is abominable, they offer to God our Makibs (or Pfalms); they borrow our very religion itself in the act of punifhing us for being brought up in our religion. Let us lift up our hearts to the Eternal! [The above may be confidered as the firft point of the fermen pronounced by the Rabbin Akib. All that follows is the fecond.] O ye tigers in devotion! panthers of fanaticifm! who have fo contemptible an opinion of your fect, that you think it impoffible to fupport it but by butchers and executions, if ye were capable of reafon I would question you.-I would afk you, why ye facrifice us,—us, who are the fathers of your fathers? What could ye answer, if I fhould fay to you, Your God was of our religion? He was born a Jew; he was circumcifed as all other Jews; he received, by your own confeffion, baptifm from John a Jew; which baptifin was an ancient Jewifh ceremony, a customary ablution, a ceremony to which we fubject our neophytes: he fulfilled all the duties of our old law; he lived a Jew, died a Jew, and ye burn us because we are Jews. I appeal to your own books. Has Jefus faid in one fingle paffage, that the law of Mofes was bad or falfe? Has he ab. VOL. XXIV. 301 rogated it? Were not his first difciples circumcifed? Did not Peter abstain from the meats forbidden by our law, when he ate with the Ifraelites? Did not Paul himself, when an apoftle, circumcife fome of his difciples? Did not the fame Paul go and facrifice in our temple, according to your own fcriptures? What else were ye in the beginning but a part of us, which has been separated by time? Unnatural children, we are your fa thers, we are the fathers of Mufulmen. A refpectable and unhappy mother has had two daughters, and these two daughters have driven her from her house; and can ye reproach us for not inhabiting the houfe that yourfelves have laid in ruins? Ye make our misfortunes our crime, ye punifh us for them. But the Parfes, the Magi, more ancient than we, thofe primitive Perfians who were formerly our con. querors and our masters, and who taught us to read and to write, are not they difperfed, like us, over the earth? The Banians, more ancient than the Parfes, are not they scattered over the frontiers of the Indies, of Perfia, of Tartary, without ever mixing with any nation, without ever intermarrying with women of another perfuafion? Nay more, do your own Chriftians, a people living peaceably under the yoke of the Grand Padifchah*, do they, I fay, ever marry Mahometan women, or thofe of the Latin church? What advantage then can ye pretend to draw from our living among nations without incorporating ourselves with them? Your phrenzy goes fo far as to fay, that we are a difperfed people merely because our fathers condemned to mortal punishment him that ye adore. Fools that ye are! cannot ye fee that he was cond. ned by none but the Romans? We had not, at that time, the right of the fword: we were then governed by Quirinus, by Varus, by Pilatus; for, thank Heaven, we have almost always been flaves. The punishment of the cross was not used among us. Ye will not find in our histories one example of a man crucified, nor the leaft trace of fuch a punishment. Ceafe then to perfecute a whole people on account of an event for which they cannot be refponfible. I afk but your own books to confound you. Ye confefs that Jefus publicly called our Pharifees and Priests, a generation of vipers, whited fepulchres. If any among Padifchah in the Turkish language fignifies you |