Jenks's Portland Gazette

SATIRE ON PREJUDICE.

When Dr. John Thomas (who died Bishop of Salisbury, in 1766.) was Chaplain to the British factory at Hamburg, a gentleman of the factory being ill, was ordered into the country for the benefit of the air. Accordingly he went to a village at about ten miles distance, but after some time died there. Upon this, application was made to the Parson of the Parish, for leave to bury him in the Church-yard. The Parson enquired what his religion was, and told he was a Calvinist.---"No." says he, "here are none but Lutherans in my Church-yard, and there shall be no other."

"This," said Doctor Thomas, "was told me, and I wondered that a man of any learning or understanding should have such ideas. I resolved to go and argue the matter with him, but found him inflexible. At length I told him, he made me think of a circumstance, which once happened to myself, when I was Curate of a Church in Thames street. I was burying a corpse, and a woman came and pulled me by the sleeve in the midst of the service: 'Sir, Sir, I want to speak to you.' 'Prithee wait, woman, till I have done--' 'No, Sir, I must speak to you immediately.' 'Well then, what is the matter?' 'Why, Sir, you are going to bury a man, who died of the small pox, near my poor husband, who never had it.' "This story," continued he, "had the desired effect: and the Parson permitted the bones of the poor Calvinist to be laid in his Church-yard."