Memoir of William Roscoe, Esq, 215 



known in Liverpool by the extraordinary number of languages 

 which he can read, no less than by the filth of his person. The 

 profits of this publication Mr Roscoe humanely dedicated to the 

 use of this singular person ; whose intellect, defective in every 

 thing but language, renders him as helpless as a child ; and Ro- 

 berts may now be seen in whole clothes, with his portable li- 

 brary stuffed, as in former times, between his shirt and his skin ; 

 for he disdains a fixed abode. 



An application having been made to Mr Roscoe to become the 

 editor of a new edition of Pope's works, and to furnish a fresh 

 life of the author, Mr Roscoe engaged in it with all the ardour of 

 a poet, having ever been a warm admirer of Pope's genius. 

 This was no trifling task — for he added notes on the poems with 

 much care; and in the life, which forms the first volume of that 

 edition, defended the talents and character of Pope from 

 sundry imputations cast on him by Mr Bowles and others. 

 The date of publication was 1824. 



About the same time, he superintended a new edition of the 

 Lives of Lorenzo and Leo, to the latter of which he added 

 many new notes. 



In 1824, Mr Roscoe was elected a " Royal Associate" of 

 the Royal Society of Literature, founded by his late Majesty 

 George IV. A pension of L. 100 a^year was awarded to each 

 of ten associates, which Mr Roscoe enjoyed for three or four 

 years ; but which, from the neglect of providing a permanent 

 fund for the purpose, would have ceased about the time of his 

 decease. The great gold medal of the Society, value 50 guineas, 

 was also awarded to him as an historian, two years before he 

 died ; and it remains with his family. 



It would be unjust to omit, that the misfortunes of our dis- 

 tinguished fellow-citizen, called forth the warm sympathy of 

 his numerous friends, and prompted them to take steps for secu- 

 ring him against their immediate consequences. It is more neces- 

 sary to state this, because many unjust imputations have been 

 vented against the inhabitants of Liverpool, on account of their 

 supposed neglect of Mr Roscoe in his adversity. There was consi- 

 derable delicacy necessary in the steps which were taken to testify 

 their esteem and attachment. Mr Roscoe had a noble and inde- 



