MR. "PUBLIC INSTRUCTOR" ROEBUCK. 473 



Having thus shown the public-instructing pamphleteer to be a person 

 utterly disqualified for his task as well from the want of that sine qua 

 non, public principle, as from his lamentable deficit in the matter of 

 common education we owe our readers an apology for occupying these 

 pages with a subject so extremely unworthy. But it is possible for the 

 most ignorant, the most illiterate even for Mr. Roebuck to cause much 

 evil, both political and moral ; particularly amongst his own class that 

 of uneducated persons. To avert, in some degree, such evil, by exposing 

 the presumption, folly, and emptiness, of those who would engender it, 

 has been our aim an object we will ever deem paramount. 



In conclusion, we ought to observe, that many papers published in 

 " Mr. Roebuck's Pamphlets," are written by other members of the 

 " Society." The best general notice we can give them is, that they are 

 grammatically expressed. The paper signed " FRANCIS PLACE," and 

 headed " HAND-LOOM WEAVERS," is, however, marked by sound sense, 

 and is likely to do good to the persons addressed.* 



m. 



SONNET. 



METHOUGHT I saw a vision from the dead 



Come cloth'd in beauty, as I slumbering lay ; 



She had no terrors, but a smile did play 

 Gently upon her face ; and round her head 

 A circling halo its meek lustre shed : 



A cloud transparent seem'd her white array, 



Lovely as one that, on a summer day, 

 O'er the blue heavens is delicately spread. 

 And she did bend her beaming eyes on me, 



And in kind voice, with tenderness replete, 

 Chaunted a wild and plaintive melody, 



A song of death : to die how passing sweet ! 

 A lulling opiate for the weary breast, 



Bringing smooth slumbers and untroubled rest. * * * 



* We will take leave to remark in this place, and by way of " addenda," that r 

 m common with our contemporaries, we do not entertain a sentiment of respect 

 for the public character whose conspicuous demerits have called forth this paper- 

 We desire, however, to extend our good-nature, rather than our political good-will,, 

 towards this degraded pamphlet-monger this mere abortion of common sense 

 which we have taste enough to disapprove, as disgracing the " sacred cause" ifc 

 aims to abet. It is pretended, too, that this infatuated person supplies the- 

 place, in the present age, of the illustrious Junius save the mark ! We shall ever 

 be grateful to the memory of Junius, for having, as it were, breathed into our 

 mind for having inspired our heart for having imbued our soul, with the 

 unpretending spirit of liberty, which, of all moral sentiments, we firmly believe- 

 tends most to swell the bosom with a sort of superhuman apprehension of our own 

 dignity. Is it not that very "dignity" which creates within us moral heroism ; 

 and mediately conduces to our proud enjoyment of all that to British manhood 

 were desirable self-esteem self- venerat ion ? Answer who may, such is our 

 bias, ED. 



