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226 Some Account of Phillis, a learned Negro Girl.

fembly on this occation, ard the conduct of the joint Committee, in every
part of the funeral ceremony, reflect infinite honour on the whole commu-nity; and effedtually wipe off the af-perfion which ignorance or malevolence has frequently thrown on the colonies,particularly that of Jamaica, reprefent-ing them as a people impatient of fub-jestion, averfe to all government, and
amongit whom a mild a mild abd virtuous ad-miniftration always meets with dilap-pointment and difregard.

Mr. URBAN,
Propofals having jnft been publithed for printing by fubfcription, fome poems written by Phillis, a negro fervant of Mr. Wheatley, of Bofton, in New England, the following ac-count has been received from her mafter.

"Phillis was brought from Africa to America in the year 1761, between feven and eight years of age, without any affiftance from fchool education; and by only what the was taught in the family, the, in fixteen months time from her arrival, attained the Englif language, to which the was an utter franger before, to fuch a degree as to read any the moft difficult parts of the facred writings, to the great aftonifhment of all who heard her. "As to her writing, her own cu-riofity led her to it; and this the learned in fo fhort a time, that, in the year 1765, the wrote a letter to the Rev. Mr. Occom, the Indian miniter, while in England. "She has a great inclination to Jearn the Latin tongue, and has made fome progrels in it. This relation is given by her matter, who bought her, and with whom fhe now lives.
John Wheatley. 
Bofton, Now. 14, 1772.

As many perhaps will be ready to fulpect that thefe poems are not really the writings of Phillis, an atreftation has been procured from the governor, lieutenant governor, and feveral others of the moft refpectable perfons in Bofton, certifying, That "the poems there Specined were (as they verily believe) written by Phillis, a young negro girl, who was but a few years fince brought an uncultivated barba-rian from Africa, and has been, and now is, under the difadvantage of ferving as a flave in a family in Bolton;and that the has been examined by the beft judges, and is thought qualified to write them.

P. S. It is hoped (though it is not fo expreffed) that the profits of this
publication will, in the firft place, be applied towards purchafing the freedom of the author: and, if fo, it is notdoubted that every friend to the rights of humanity will liberally contribute to fuch an emancipation, both of mind
and body, from a condition always dreadful, but felt with double poig-nancy by genius and fenfibility.

To the TITHE-COMMITTEE at the Crown and Anchor in the Strand.

I Faction the adver uncommon fatif-faction the advertifement you have printed, together with the eloquent fpeech laid to be made by one of your members at your meeting on the 17th of March; and I greatly honour the noble pirit of freedom and patriotifi by which you feem to be actuated,Whstever hard things a few cynical men may fay of the prefent times, it is certain that none have been more pro-life in meetings, affociations, refolu-tions, and fubferiptions for the good of our dear country. That wife and virtu-ous body, the Supporters of the Bill of Rights, firft led the way, and were followed by the Confitational Club, by clubs of Journeymen Taglers, Journey-men Cabinet- makers, and Journeymen Barbers; who all met, and reflued, and fabferibed, for the redreis of grievances, and the fupport of their re-fpective rights and privileges. Projed, too, have farted up in qu'ck fucceition, one after another, to the immortal honour of their inventors, and the in- finite advantage of the kingdom in general. To Mr. Moore's ingenuity it is owing that our carringes are now drawn without horfes; to Mr. Blake we are obliged for the prefent reaiona-ble price of fihh; to the Affociation at the Chapter Coffee-houfe we are in-debted for the plenty and cheapners of all other provilions; and tothe illuftri-ous fociety of Chairmen and Hackney Coachmen, our thanks are due for the noble fand they made againft the ini-q itous and oppreflive delign of railing the price of porter. The livery and common council of London have alfo taken a large fare in tie fretwork of national reformation. have refolved, infruded, petitioned, and remonfrated, 'till they begin to think it neceffany to look about them, and

An Addrels to the Tithe Committee in the Strand 227

and to confult their learned Recorder whether they fhould venture any farther. Having therefore pufhed the civil go-vernment as far as they well can with fafety, to their own perfons, they now leave it to you, gentlemen, to try your hands at the church; which has been fo clofe a confederate with government, and fo determined an enemy to all modern patriotilm, that it well de-ferves to be treated with a proper de-gree of feverity; and will, I doubt not, by your means, be reduced as low as the prefent wicked adminiftration has been by your worthy fellow-labour-ers at the London Tavern. With in-finite pleafure I obferve the very fouls of thofe gentlemen (who are now, alas! no more) as it were, transfufed into your fociety. The fame equity, fair-nefs, decency, modefty, and regardto truth, which fo eminently dif-tinguilhed thofe your illuttrious pre-deceffors, are already plainly difcerna-ble in your refolutions and proceed-ings.

Nothing can be more juft than the opinion of your meeting, that the Tithe-laws are productive of many and great inconveniences. But I hope,gen-tlemen, you do not confider this opinion as peculiar to yourfelves ; the Quakers are all of the very fame opinion to a man: and there are few farmers in the kingdom, I believe, who would not be glad to be excufed from paying any tithes at all, if the legillature would be fo kind as to releafe them from that burthen. But, unfortunate-ly, the laws are in this infance ex-tremely tubborn and obftinate; and the land of this country is boin (as Mr. Burke expreffed it) with tithe about its neck. Many laudable efforts have been made (efpecially in the courfe of the laft fellion) to thake off this galling yoke, but hitherto in vain. Your attempt will, I truft, be crowned with better fucces. The Quakers took a wrong method, They en- deavoured to deceive the Houfe of Commons by a bill with a falfe title and preamble; but you, with a noble difdain of fuch mean artifices, go a more effectual way to work: you tbreaten the members of parliament  with your difpleafure at the next ge-neral election, if they do not comply, and invite all the counties of Englandto foliow your example. This is in the true fpirit of modern Petitioners; and thele prudent and well-timed menaces will, I am perfuaded, producethe moft falutary effects.

There is fomething, even at frft fight, fo extremely reafonable and benevo.lent in your propofal, that I Mould think neither the clergy themfelves, nor the lay. impropriators, can have the leaft objection to it, efpecially as you affure them, that it will be no lefs beneficial to them than to you. How kind and difinterefted is it in you to take fo much pains, and put yourfelves to fo much expence, for the good of others! and how exceedingly are the clergy obliged to you for endeavouring to cafe them of all thofe difficulties and law-faits in which the recovery oftheir tithes frequently involves them; for when they have no tithes at all, it is evident they can have no farther trousble about them. But, in order to com- plete the kindnefs, you ought methinks to go on a little farther, and to relieve the clergy at once of all their cares, by taking from them every kind of legal maintenance: for as religion is cont-feffertly a voluntary thing, all contri-butions towards the fupport of it,
ought to be voluntary too; and no man fhould be compelled by law either to believe, or to pay for believing, any thing contrary to his inclinations. This doatrine I do not defpairof feeing inculcated at fome future meting at the Crown and Anchor. In the mean while, let me earneftly recommend to your moft ferious confideration, two other grievances which cry alond for redrefs; I mean the odious and op-preflive taxes impofed upon us by government, and the odious and enor-mous rents exacted of us by our land-lords. The very fame reafons which you urge for the abolition of tithes, apply with equal force to the abolition of rents and taxes. They are both of them (as you fay of tithes) opprefive and arbitrary impofitions on the poor farmer; they difcourage agriculiure; they enhance the price of provifions; they render theexaciors of them odious; and, if fufered to encreafe as tbey bave done of late gears, muf produce a permanent fear-city througbout the kingdom: whereas, if they were abolithed, the farmer would be eafed, the landlord and the excifeman would have no trouble, manufactures would flourif, corn would be cheap, , and we fhould be therichelt and happieft people in the world. Let me then entreat you, gentlemen, not to fop till you have eated us of all our grievances and burthens both ec- clefiaftical and eivil: A great Patriot lately fet you a noble example, in re-