*Mr. Arnall, author of this ingenious tract, and of the Animadverfions on a certain Prelate's Remarks, &c. inferted in the 3d vol. of this work, was a man fo fingular and extraordinary that a fhort account of him will be acceptable to the reader."

He was clerk to an attorney, when being recommended to Sir Robert Walpole as a man of moft ready wit and invention in writing, he took him into his fervice, and employed him for a course of years in -writing the Free Briton, and other papers in defence of his adminiftration, for which he affigned him a thousand pounds yearly out of the treasury and befides thofe public papers, he wrote feveral occafional tracts in defence of his Patron, who laid the treafury open to his demands. But when Sir Robert refigned, all his fupplies being stopped, and having spent his money as faft as he received it, and being in debt a thousand pounds, he died of a broken heart in the 26th year of his age.

His invention was fo quick, that Sir Robert used to fay, no man in England could write a pamphlet in fo little time as Arnall. His expences were boundlefs, having at one time ready furnished lodgings in three different parts of the city, and keeping a coach and

fix.

He was author of the Letter to Dr. Codex on his modeft inftruction to the crown, in the cafe of Dr. Rundle, appointed bishop of Londonderry: he alfo wrote Oppofition no proof of Pa'riotifm, Clodius and -Cicero, and many other political tracts, all very ingenious and plaufible apologies for the adminiftration of that time. It is faid, that he affected to be a gentleman, but behaved in all companies as an atteney's clerk.

THE

COMPLAINT

OF THE

CHILDREN of ISRAEL,

&c. *

Reverend SIR,

A

LTHOUGH I am a JEW, a circumcifed Jew, it will be allowed me to addrefs myfelf to a chriftian high priest; nor will the rabbins of our religion condemn me for this application, fince I come to you in behalf of a numerous innocent people, groaning under oppreffion, obliged to contribute to every public charge, yet excluded from every public employment; and this, on no other account than that of religion, though you know, and, I doubt not, are ready to avow, that the CHRISTIAN religion was never intended, nor ought, to lave

+ Dr. Gibson, bishop of London.

the RIGHTS OF MANKIND in a worfe condition than it found them.

The truth is, that we, the Jews of this kingdom, who have always been peaceable wellmeaning men, fubmitted with patience to this hardship, because we never yet faw our chriftian countrymen agreed in opinion, whether chrif tians in general are qualified by christianity itself for public employments; and we were led to believe, that if the faith of Chrift admitted of so much diftinction, if christians might be separated from chriftians, and only those of a favourite complexion entitled to offices, the Jews in this cafe could not hope for much indulgence from a people who have fa little for one another.

But fince this fumbling block of offence is likely to be taken away, fince it is proposed that no man's RELIGIOUS OPINIONS shall be any longer his civil qualification or disqualification, we hope, that proteflant dissenters will not be the only men received within this righteous comprehenfion, but that you, Sir, whose equity we reverence, though we differ from your faith, ·will be our patron on the principle of universal charity; that as the great apostle of your reve lation gloried to be stiled the apofile of the Gentiles, you will think it no difhonour to be the BISHOP OF THE JEWS, and that as your Sa

viour himself faid of one in his times, we may fay of you with equal truth, Behold an Ifraelite in whom there is no guile. For,

We have an unquestionable right to your protection, if you are unquestionable in your fincerity; (as who dare even fufpect it ?) we are told by fome chriftians who fometimes attend at church, that in your pulpit where you never deceive, and in your prayers where you never diffemble, you befeech God for Jews, Turks, and Infidels, giving us the preference of those who believe the Arabian prophet, as you prefer Mahometans before those who believe none at all. Now, it would be unreasonable to throw us wholly on the care of heaven, without fhewing fome regard to us on your own part: It would be impofing a burthen on the providence of God, and expecting him to work miracles, whilft you neglect the natural means of doing us good. If therefore you refuse our reasonable requests, and favour us with unprofitable prayers, you act the part of courtiers, who profefs a world of refpect for their friends, whilft they avoid every opportunity of ferving them, and get rid of them at last by recommending them to princes or great perfons, who have either no leifure to mind them, or no obligation to prefer them.

We hope for greater candour from you, Sir, and are therefore thus free to trouble you with H 5

Our

our most reasonable apprehenfion, that thought from the rigid inftitutions of our religion we *every one of us muft fuffer certain mutilations" of the flesh, yet we ought not from any confideration, either human or divine, to fuffer fuch a civil circumcifion as to be cut out of all employments, even în our native country, under a government whofe authority we have obeyed, and whofe eftablishment we have fupported with fuch irreproachable fidelity, and fuch difinterefted zeal, that divers uncircumcised patriots (not forgetting his Honour in particular) who on certain occafions have been favoured with the trufts and loaded with the bounties of this royal family, would be flattered beyond what their modefty can bear, were it faid in the t praife, that they have not behaved to the govern ment WORSE THAN VERY JEWS.

"

In fact, our present ufage is more grievous than what we endured, even in the land of Egypt. We were fo far from being under incapacities there, that JOSEPH,a circumcifed Jew, was king Pharaoh's PRIME MINISTER, under whofe gentle adminiftration we flourished exceedingly; which is more than we have fince done by the favour of minifters, though many have been in former times, who wanted only cir cumcifion to make them PERFECT JEWS.

* Mr. Pultny、