sentiments do honour to human nature. Too many, enjoying the fulness of the good things of life, do not suffer their feelings to extend to the miseries of those around them. Mr. Pitt need not traverse your county to see the abject state of poverty: it abounds in the metropolis. With a packet I shall enclose a pamphlet, entitled "Of the Improvement of Medicine," in which I have given some account of the Poor of London. It never was in my power to grow rich. With an income of many thousands a year by my profession, I cannot save money. To the Giver of all our blessings we are answerable; and when I think of that interesting query, "How much owest thou unto thy Lord?" I reflect how indispensible is our duty to pay what we owe; but how can we pay it otherwise than by dispensing what we enjoy among those who lack? In this point of view, the rich man should be the most humble, because he is the greater debtor, and ultimately has the most to answer for. The moment I came of age, I found my chief property was in slaves, and without considering of future support, I gave them freedom, and began the world without fortune, without a friend, without person, and without address; and to this day I rejoice at an act which I pretend to no merit in; for I could not help it. The moment I returned to the West Indies, and saw my slaves, my heart melted, and I could not for my life make them labour by compulsion. To this day they send me presents and congratu

lations, which are dearer to me than words can express; and yet, Sir Mordaunt, the Poor in England are harder worked, and, in many respects, more to be pitied. I believe our feelings are very similar, and were either of us in the station of Premier, we should study more to alleviate the burthens of the people, than to bring every thing into the vortex of government. I do not know how it has happened, that Lansdown (Shelburne) has lost his popularity; but he was a minister that would have done much, had he continued Premier: he often chalked out to me his plans; and there was a capaciousness and urbanity that could not but be admired. He honoured me lately with a visit at Grove Hill, accompanied by his amiable son, Lord Wickham. J. C. L.

LETTER LXXXIII.

Sir M. MARTIN, Bart. to Dr. Lettsom.

Feb. 10, 1791.

I enclose you the account Captain Nelson* sent me, which I will thank you to return at your leisure, with your comments upon it. When I

* Afterwards the renowned Lord Nelson. ED.

read him that part of your last letter which mentions your having so nobly liberated your slaves, he asked me what part of the West Indies they were in, as in the islands, nobody can make a slave free without giving security to allow him a certain yearly stipend. M. M.

Dear Sir,

LETTER LXXXIV.

From the same.

March 18, 1791.

I cannot help fearing that I have lost ground in your good opinion, by having incurred the appearance of an advocate for slavery, in stating to you some of the difficulties I think appear likely to attend its abolition by compulsion. Should I ever be convinced that it is possible to be effected without creating more misery than it would prevent, no man would wish more fervently than myself for the accomplishment of so desirable an end. I cannot help sending you the following quotation from my newspaper: "National Assembly. Mr. Dillon moved, that the Deputies of Negroes and Mulattoes in the West Indies should not be permitted to appear at the Bar. He added, that if such a permission should be granted them,

he trembled while he informed the Assembly, that the Colonies would be lost for ever. He was interrupted by several Members on the left side; but he persisted in affirming, that such a conduct in the Legislature, at a time when the Colonies are in a state of rebellion, would add fuel to the flames. He declaimed most vehemently against that mistaken and fatal philanthropy, which is less calculated to benefit the human species, than to overthrow Empires and Governments. He therefore moved, that the complaints of the Colonial States be referred to the proper Committee. The whole Assembly unanimously assented to his Motion, M. Pethion alone excepted." This tends to confirm the apprehensions I have imbibed from my friend Captain Nelson.

How could my friend, Sir Mordaunt Martin, admit the suggestion, in his last letter, of having forfeited my good opinion? He once talked of a glass window that admitted a peep into the heart. I fancied I had pried into his, and found there

honour, generosity, candour, and frankness; but he has not opened the casement of mine, or he would not have imagined that I could have taken any offence from difference of speculative opinions on slavery. His friend's letter I twice perused, but no other person saw a line of it.

But to return to the slave trade in giving my slaves their freedom I acted from an impulse I could not overcome. Those negroes constituted a decent patrimony; I was injured by my executor: so that when I revisited my native Island, I found myself some hundreds in debt; nevertheless, I emancipated my slaves, and left myself pennyless. I had youth and health, and I never feared the world, whilst I remained without a female to suffer with me. In six months my profession brought me about two thousand pounds, and placed me again above want. But I would not recommend my example to general imitation: it would neither serve the master, nor mend the slave. A relation of mine was anxious to follow my example, but my authority alone prevented him. As he desired me to shew his letters to some individuals, if I can find one or two of them I will send them for thy perusal, to be returned

to me.

So far as I have seen of the treatment of negroes, it is best explained by the treatment of horses some masters treat these animals better than they would their wives; others ride them, and flog them, and spur them unmercifully, for