26 volence of their inftitution, is, probably, that which chiefly attaches him to it. Were there even no other testimony in favour of Free Mafonry, the public would not be easily perfuaded to look upon that to be big with fecret mischief, which is openly espoused by Earl Moira. The book against it, which was produced by a certain Scotch Profeffor, himself an apoftate Free Mason, muft, to all perfons of cool fagacity, have carried its refutation in its own bofom. In the addrefs to his Majefty from the Grand Lodge, there was made, in the name of all the Mafons in England, a decifive and unequivocal declaration of those principles of loyalty and attachment to focial order, which, as it should seem, enter deeply into the spirit of Free Masonry; but which, the abhorrence of the fraternity from all pragmatical intermeddling in politics, muft hinder them from officially proclaiming, unlefs upon an occafion that is fingularly extraordinary. On the whole, we cannot but think, that it will be eminently advantageous for our country, if the great qualities of Earl Moira fhall be, at any future time, called out into leading employment, in either its civil or its military fervice. The late Earl of Huntingdon used to say, that Lord Moira was cal culated by nature rather to deferve than to attain high and refponfible fituations: And we contemplate, with peculiar pleasure, a character whichbears, fo remarkably, the impreffion of genuine indefeasible nobility, at a time when the duties required of our nobles are so arduous. S. S. MR. ROSCOE. THE hiftory of the Author of the Life of Lorenzo de Medicis, evinces the wonderful effects which refult from affiduous industry, fuperadded to the rapidity. of genius. Favoured by no advantages of education, foftered by no patronage, raised by the native energies of his mind alone, Mr. Roscoe has reached a pitch of literary eminence, which is rarely attained even by thofe who have made the best use of the privileges of academic inftruction. His parents moved in the humbler fphere of life; they were, of courfe, precluded by their circumftances from giving their fon a very extenfive education; and, with a strange perverfenefs of temper, he himself obftinately refufed to attend at the dayfchool where his father wifhed him to be taught writing and arithmetic. In confequence of this untoward event, he did not enjoy even the common opportunities of acquiring knowledge, ufually pos feffed by thofe of the fame ftation in life as himself. He was thus fated to be the architect of his own fame. But though he threw off the trammels of the school, he was not idle:-he read much, and thought more. At an early age he was articled as clerk in the office of Mr. Eyes, an attorney, in Liverpool. Soon after this period he was ftimulated to undertake the ftudy of the Latin language, by one of his companions boasting that he had read Cicero de Amicitia, and fpeaking in high terms of the elegance of the flyle and fentiments of that celebrated compofition. Mr. R. immediately procured the treatise in question; and fmoothing his difficulties by perpetual reference to his grammar, as well as to his dictionary, he drudged through the task, which emulation had incited him to undertake. The fuccefs experienced in his firft effort prompted him to proceed; and he did not stop in his career till he had read the most diftinguished of the Roman claffics. In this purfuit he was encouraged by the friendly intercourse of Mr. Francis Holden, an eccentric but excellent scholar. Having made confiderable progrefs in the Latin: language, Mr. R. ftill without the affiftance of a master, proceeded to the ftudy of French and Italian. The beft authors in each of thefe languages foon became familiar to him; and it is fuppofed, that few natives of the country, poffefs fo general and recondite a knowledge of Italian literature, as the fubject of the prefent memoir. During the whole of this period, Mr. R. regularly attended at the office: his feafons of ftudy were the interval of business. His attachment to the mufe was of a very early date. While yet a boy he read with avidity the works of the best English poets. Of their beauties he had an exquifite fenfe; and it may easily be imagined that the firft of his compofitions were of the poetical clafs. "Mount Pleasant," a descriptive poem, which he wrote in his fixteenth year, is a record not only of the the fertility of his genius, but of the correctness of his taste. Soon after the expiration of his clerkship, Mr. R. was taken into partnership by Mr. Aspinwall, a very refpectable attorney of the town of Liverpool; and the entire management of an office, extenfive in practice, and high in reputation, devolved upon him alone. In this fituation he conducted himself in fuch a manner as to gain univerfal refpect: for, notwithstanding his various purfuits, he had paid ftrict attention to his profeffion, and had acquired an extenfive and minute knowledge of the law. In fhort, in clearness of comprehenfion, and rapidity of execution, he had few equals. About this time he commenced an acquaintance with the late Dr. Enfield*, and the prefent Dr. Aikin, both of whom were then refidents at Warrington, the former being tutor in the belles lettres in the academy there, and the latter established as a furgeon in that town. These gentlemen were early fenfible of his furprifing talents, and they contracted a friendship with him, which being built on the folid bafis of mutual efteem, was as permanent as it was honourable. Mr. R. feems to have been early gifted with a correct taste in the arts of painting and ftatuary. On the 17th of December, 1773, he recited before the fociety formed in Liverpool, for the encouragement of defigning, drawing, painting, &c. an ode, which was When Dr. E. published the fecond volume of the Speaker, Mr. R. furnished him with an Elegy to Pity, and an Ode to Education. afterwards afterwards published, together with his poem entitled Mount Pleasant. Of this fociety he was a very active member, and occafionally gave public lectures on fubjects appropriate to the object of the inftitution. When the voice of humanity was raised against the flave-trade, Mr. R. fearless of the inconvenience to which the circumftances of his local fituation might expose him, flood forth a zealous and enlightened advocate for the abolition of that inhuman traffic. In his boyith days, indeed, he had expreffed his feelings on this fubject, in the following charming lines, which are extracted from the poem already alluded to: There Afric's fwarthy fons their toils repeat, From morn to eve, by rigorous hands oppreft, Calls the free spirit to the realms of reft. Shame to mankind! but shame to Britons moft, That blifs to others which themselves enjoy : Thus, |