Memoir of William Roscoe^ Esq. 197 



at once prove the poetic powers of the author (destined after- 

 wards to become the mother of an eminent poet), and shew her 

 discernment in detecting, in the unknown attorney's clerk, the 

 germ of future eminence : — 



" But cease, my Muse, unequal to the task, 

 Forbear the effort ! and to nobler hands 

 Resign tlie lyre ! Thee Uoscoe ! every Muse 

 Uncalled attends, and uninvoked inspires : 

 In blooming shades and amaranthine bowers 

 They weave the future garland for thy brow, 

 And wait to crown thee with immortal fame ; — 

 Thee Wisdom leads in all her lovely walks, 

 Thee Genius fires, and moral beauty charms ; 

 Be it thy task to touch the feeling heart, 

 Correct its passions, and exalt its aims ; 

 Teach pride to own, and owning to obey 

 Fair Virtue's dictates, and her sacred laws ; 

 To brighter worlds shew thou the glorious road, 

 And be thy life as moral as thy song.'* 



Congeniality of disposition and genius drew close the bands 

 of friendship between this lady and Mr Roscoe ; and it is worthy 

 of notice, that his first published production, the poem entitled 

 Mount Pleasant^ written at the age of nineteen, was originally 

 inscribed to her, although, when printed, the address was 

 omitted. 



This poem, which exhibits, with considerable power of versi- 

 fication, a warm poetical feeling of the beauties of nature, is 

 still more remarkable for the indignant apostrophe to Britons 

 on the slave-trade ; an expression of generous sympathy with 

 the suffering sons of Africa, which it required no inconsiderable 

 share of moral courage to promulgate at that period, and in the 

 chief seat of the odious traffic. 



" Shame to mankind ! But shame to Britons most. 

 Who all the sweets of Liberty can boast ; 

 Yet, deaf to ev'ry human claim, deny 

 That bliss to others which themselves enjoy : 

 Life's bitter draught with harsher bitter fill, 

 Blast ev'ry joy, and add to ev'ry ill ; 

 The trembling limbs with galling iron bind. 

 Nor loose the heavier bondage of the mind." 



These hnes are here chiefly quoted to shew how early Roscoe 

 denounced the traffic in human flesh ; and that the love of li- 

 l)crty which marked his whole life, was in him, not the crca- 



