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The Generous Slaves

of we are ferved right to ftrike us again, &c. you know,' child, when kings are difpofed to quarel, the matter of right ceafes, they attack any place indifcriminately that fuits their views. Junius

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jokes with you, my dear, and intrudes falfe conceptions upon his readers.

Mr. Editor, this was tea-table chat between my dear wife, and your's, R. FIGG.

The Generous Slaves, an Hiftorical Anecdote.

UR virtues as well as vices feem time he returned to the mountain, the

One rentuin as the want of edu- fame melancholy thoughts, oppreffed

cation even ferves fometimes to fhow in a ftronger light the greatness of foul; its noble qualities divefted of the foreign varnish of a:t, become the more ftriking, and affume that pathetic and energical character, which is weakened and disfigured by what is called, a knowledge of the world.

Two failors, named Roger and Anthony, the one an Englishman, the other a Spaniard, were fellow flaves at Algiers. It may be faid of friendship, that it is in fome measure the diftinct paffion and recompence of the wretched; it is not the property of happi. nefs to feel its tranfports, and enjoy its fweets with that vivacity and delicacy that are only known to the unhappy. Anthony and Roger foon gave themfelves up to the fweets of this fympa. thy, which the conformity of their fituation ftrengthened ftill more. They communicated to each other their troubles and their misfortunes; and converfed together of their refpective countries, their families, and the joy they hould feel if they could regain their liberty; they, in fhoit, wept on each other's bofom, and this fall allevia. tion enabled them to bear their chains more couragiously, and fupport the fatigues which they were doomed to fuffer.

They were both employed in the conftruction of a road that croffed a mountain which overlooked the fea. The Englishman looking wifhfully at the fea, fays to Anthony, with a deep figh, my friend, I am feparated from all that is dear to me, by this vaft extent of water! Oh that I could crofs it with thee! My wife, my children, my friends, are all prefent to my fight, either ftretching out their arms to me from thofe ditant fhores, or bewailing my untimely death. Every

him; his eyes were conftantly fixed on this immenfe space that separated him from his native country; he always formed the fame wishes.

One day he embraced his comrade with tranfport. I perceive a ship, my friend! Stay; look; don't you per ceive it as well as I. It will not make this land, all vessels avoid thefs barbarian fhores; but to-morrow, if you are willing, Anthony, all our fufferings fhall end; we will be free. Free! Yes, to-morrow, this fhip will pass by at about the distance of two leagues from land, and then we will throw ourselves into the fea from the top of thefe rocks, and will either gain the vefiel, or perish in the attempt. Is not death preferable to a cruel slavery? If you are able to escape yourself, anfwered Anthony, I fhall bear my cruel fate with the more refignation. You are not ignorant, my dear Roger, how dear you are to me; my friendship for you will continue to my latest breath. I requeft only one favour of you, my friend, vifit my father, if the lofs of me, and old age have not already fhortened his days; tell him---I vifit your father my dear Anthony? What do you mean? Do you think it poffible that I could be happy a fingle moment if you was left in flavery? But Roger, I can't fwim, you know it, and---Í know that I love you, replied the Englishman, fhedding tears, and clafping Anthony in his arms, my days are thine. We will both make our efcapes, come, friendship will lend me ftrength; you fhall lay hold of this girdle.---No, Roger, I can't think of it. I will not be the means of my friend's death; the very idea infpires me with horror, I should drag you to the bottom with me..--Well Anthony, we will die together. But why there

fears?

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fears? I have already told you, fri adfhip will fupport my courage and ftrength; I love you too well not to perform miracles, ceafe to combat my defign---I am refolved---I perceive the moniters, our guards, fpy us! Befides, fome of our fellow faves might be bafe enough to betray us. Adieu, I hear the bell ring that calls us from work. We must feparate. Adieu my dear Anthony till to-morrow.

On their return from work, according to cuftom they were confined in the bgnio, a kind of dungeon where the Chriftian flaves are usually crowded together like fo many dogs. Roger all night was full of his fcheme; he already in imagination, beheld himfelf at liberty, amidst the embraces of his wife, children, and friends. A very different picture prefented itfelf to the imagination of Anthony. His friend, the victim of his generofity, finking with him to the bottom of the fea, in fhort perithing, when perhaps, by having confulted his own prefervation only, he might have escaped, and have been restored to his family, which in all probability, lamented, and fuffered by his flavery. No, faid the unfortunate Spaniard to himfelf: I will not yield to the follicitations of Roger, I will not be the caufe of his death, in return for his generous friendship: he will be free, and this idea will affwage the burthen of my chains, my wretched father will learn, at leaft that I am till alive, and that he will ever be dear to me. Alas! I ought to be the prop of his old age, and comfort hin! I was useful to him; perhaps at this intant he is expiring with want, withing to behold and embrace his fon. How ever, if Roger is happy, I thall expire myfelf with lefs regret.

The keepers did not release the flaves from their confinement the next morning at the ufual hour. The Englishman burnt with impatience for the moment, and Anthony did not know whether to grieve at this difppointment or not, at laft they were fent to their labour. They could not speak to each other all day, their patron being himfel prefent. At length even ing arrived, and their patron retired. Let us feize this moment, cries the Englishman to his friend, come along,

No, my friend, never will I confent to expofe your life, adieu, adieu; Roger, I embrace you for the last time; fave yourself I conjure you, lofe no time, and be mindful of our tender friendfhip; I only request you to do me the fervice you promifed me, with regard to my father, he must be very aged, and want affiftance, go confort him, if he has need of any fuccour, my friend. At these words Anthony funk into the arms of Roger, and thed a torrent of tears. You weep, Anthony! but courage, not tears are wanting; refift no longer. If you delay a minute more we are loft; perhaps we shall never find another opportunity, either fuffer me to take you with me, or I will dafh my brains out against thefe rocks.

The Spaniard throws himfelf at his feet, and reprefents to him the certain danger he ran in attempting to favour his efcape. Roger looks at him tenderly, embraces him, catches him in his arms with a noble fury, gains with precipitation the fummit of a rock, and darts into the fea. They both inftantly funk to a vaft depth, but foon rife again; Roger fummed up his whole ftrength, and fwims with Anthony in his hand, who feems to refufe the afliftance of his friend, as fearful of dragging him to the bottom with him.

The hip's crew are amazed at the fight of fomething floating towards them, which they imagine to be a fea monfter; and just as the gunner is going to fire at this strange object, they perceive a boat pushing off from the thore, and purfue with the utmost precipitation, what they had mistook for a monstrous fih. The foldiers appointed to guard the flaves, had manned their boat, in hopes of retaking Roger and Anthony. Anthony perceives them coming, and by a fudden fpring gets loote from Roger, whofe ftrength was almoft exhaufted, and fays; we are purfued, fave yourself and let me perifh; I retard your flight. A fresh transport of friendship reanimates the Englishman; he fprings towards his friend, catches hold of him the moment he is finking, and both disappear together.

The boat now uncertain what courfe to take, ftopped its purfuit, mean while the fhip's boat is dispatched to discover

what

Humorous Defcription of the Men of War.

what the object really is; the waves foon begin to be agitated again, at length the crew difcern two men, one of whom holds the other faft, and endeavours to swim towards the barque; they exert their utmost ftrength, to fly to their affiftance. Roger almoft quite exhausted is ready to let Anthony fall, when he hears the boat's crew haul them. He makes a fresh effort, and at length gets hold of one fide of the boat; he can fcarely keep his hold; the crew however, hail them both into the boat. Roger by this time was entirely exhausted, had only trength enough left to utter; affift my friend; I am dying; and inftantly the horrors of death overfpread his countenance. Anthony who had fwooned away, foon opened his eyes, and be held his friend stretched lifelefs at his feet. He throws himself on the body, embraces it, bathes it with his tears, and exclaims: My friend, my benefactor! it is I who am thy affaffin! my dear Roger, you are incapable of hear ing me! is this thy recompence for faving my life. Ah! hafte to deprive me of my wretched existence, I can no longer fupport it; I have loft my friend.

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Anthony attempts to ftab himfeif, but the bye-ftanders wreft the word from Lim that he had fnatched up. He tells with fighs, his unhappy ftory to the failors; and ever and anon throws himself on the body of Roger, and exclaims, Why am I hindered from making away with myfelf? Alas: I flatter myself, grief will render me the only fervice I require of mankind, and which my fellow creatures have the cruelty to refufe me. Yes, my friend, I will foon follow you, added he, covering the pale body all over with kifles and tears; I fhould commit the greateft of crimes if I prefumed to

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furvive you; take pity on me for God's fake, let me expire.

Heaven, which doubtlefs is affected with the tears of men, when they are fincere, feemed to afford a fignal mark of its goodnefs in favour of fo uncommon a friendship. Roger fetches a figh Anthony fets up a fhout of joy, and the failors lend him their affistance towards recovering the unfortunate Englishman. At lalt he opens his eye-lids, and his first looks are directed in fearch of his friend, whom he no fooner perceives, than he exclaims: I have faved my Anthony!

The boat returns to the fhip. The two men infpire the crew with a kind of respect, fuch power has virtue over all hearts. Every one difputes the pleasure of rendering them fervices; Roger, on his arrival in England haftens to his father, who at the fight of him was ready to expire through excels of joy; and was foon after appointed one of the king's watermen. The Spaniard, who had been offered an advantageous po for a person of his condition, chofe rather to return home to his wife and children. But abfence did not in the leat impair their friendship; they kept up a conftant literary correfpondence with each other; and thefe letters in which correctnels of ftile, and florid periods were not to he expected, are maker-pieces of fincerity. fimplicity, and fentiment. They may poffibly be published fome time or other for the honour of friendship, which in the prefent age, can furnish few fuch examples. Indeed too much pains cannot be taken to revive this noble paffion, which the abuse of society feems almoft to have extinguithed among us; but which among the antients, produced fo many illuftrious acts of benevolence and heroiim.

The Names of various Men of War, humouroufly miscalled by the hoeft Tars

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For the EDITOR of the OXFORD MAGAZINE:

SIR,

-ridentem dicere verum

HOR.

Quid vetat ?
To speak the Truth in Joke, why not?
'Tis much the better Way, I wot.

Though I by no means commend
or approve of perfonal reflections,
upon characters, where there is no
foundation for truth or justice; yet it is
certain, that we are much indebted to
the fatirifts of every age for itemming
that torrent of vice and wickedness
which had overwhelmed it, had it not
been for their juft and honeft indig-
nation. Hence, we fo juftly admire
them all, from Horace, Juvenal, Per-
fius, Martial, &c. down to Pope, Swift,
Arbuthnot, Garth, &c. But among
the many juft and fimart ftrokes of fatire
in thefe later ages of the world, which
we are fo apt to admire, I know nowe
that exceed one or two which I have
lately met with in the fmall courfe of
my reading in antiquity. The first
relates to Dioxippus the Athenian, who
was in high favour with Alexander
the Great, for his ftrength and dex-
terity at the athletic exercifes. He
was challenged one day by Horratas,

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a Macedonian, to fingle combat, in
which he was conqueror. As he en-
tered into Athens in the triumphal
manner of the Olympic conqueror, and
was gazed at by the people in vast
crowds, he happened to calt his eyes
upon a young lady of moft diftinguished
beauty, and falling fuddenly and vio-
lently in love, fixed them on her till
he had paffed by, and then turning
back his head, kept them ftill fixed
on her; which Diogenes, the Cynic
philofopher, obferving, cried out to the
Athenians, in a fneer, "And is this
your great champion? See how a young
girl has twifted his neck!" The other
beautiful troke of fatire, is that of
Demonax, a Greek philofopher; who,
when the Athenians were deliberating
whether they fhould have the Gladia-
torian fhows exhibited among them as
well as the Corinthian, advised them
not to vote for it, till they had pul-
led down the altar of mercy."
I am, Sir,

Your old Friend and Correspondent,
HISTORICUS.

St. Paul's Church-yard, Feb. 1.

To the EDITOR of the OXFORD MAGAZINE, (With a Copper-Plate of the Button-Makers adjusting their Differences.)

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Reflections on the Inconveniences occafioned by the enormous Size of London.

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T will, without doubt, appear great to be laid within three miles of London,

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greatest part of the nations of the world, but truth is not lefs fo, for having few followers, and error no ways better for having millions on her fide. I am in fearch of the truth, and if I miftake my way in the purfuit of her, fomebody, I hope, will put me right. The error I mean to confider is, that of mankind living together in great cities, and the legislature, in which they have arofe, to permit them.

Venice and Genoa are greatly on a decline; Milan almoft depopulated; Cologne, the greatest city of the empire, is the most forlorn I have ever feen; Antwerp, which but two hundred years ago was the moft mercantile city of any in Europe, is now in a manner forfaken, and grafs grows in her streets, and on her exchange not a human creature to be feen; the city of Ghent is near half turned to vineyards and gardens; in Leyden, the fecond city in Holland, I have been affured, that every fifth perfon is fupported by the charity of the other four, and they by no means affluent; in North Holland are feven cities; in Horn and Enckhuyfen I have been offered very handfome houses only for paying the taxes; and if you defire to have any inft nces of the like nature in your country, please to take a view of the prefent declining ftate of Canterbury, Colchester, and Winchester. This brief account of many of the cities, both ancient and modern, will, I think, confirm you in the truth of my affertion, that mankind have ever been wrong in building of cities, fome of which have been deftroyed at the request of a prostitute, others by fire, more by war, and still more by time; thus the labour of thofe that have been employed in building them has been fruitlefs and in vain. Is it not then aftonishing, that the government of this kingdom does not, by law, reftrain the farther building and enlarging of London? This was done in the falutary reign of queen Elizabeth, when, by an act of parliament, another new foundation was not VOL. VI.

its prefent enormous fize: Amfterdam is under fuch reftraint; and round Paris are obelisks with infcriptions, fetting forth, that not a new house is to be built beyond those.

Certainly it cannot be good policy to fuffer the eighth part of the whole nation to live crowded in one town: My reafons for thinking fo are, that where fo many hundred thoufands of people live on about feven miles of ground which produce nothing, they are under a neceffity of living by their wits; that is, by fharping and overreaching each other, and inventing idle and vicious amusements.

So many people getting together in one town they create vice, and they can practise it with more fecrely than in the country, where every man's actions are better known, aud therefore they are reftrained from immorality; and that London is much too large appears clearly, for whilt they are building at one end, the other is falling down; I mean Whitechapel, Shoreditch, Hockley in the Hole, and Broad St. Giles's: Nor is there in any part of the kingdom fuch ragged and miferable beggars to be found as here, and how numerous they are every houfekeeper can best tell who feels the burden of fupporting them. Do not the thousands confined in workhouses, hoipitals, and prifons, convince every man that London is over-built, and thereby draws too many people to it?

But it must be acknowledged that the city is better governed than the liberty of Westminster; yet there are the purlieus of Ludgate-hill, and that nurtery of tharpers at Jonathan's, who would not fcruple to cheat their fathers, who are buying and felling the nation every day, Bulls and Bears who often trade for millions of moonshine, and who do not add one farthing to the national stock in all their lives, but out-witting one, oppreffing another, ruining a third, is their fole profeffion.

It is generally faid that the ftrength of a nation confifts in the number of its H

people;

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