Spanish Jesuit of the name of Harris, who it seems is connected with the slave-merchants of Liverpool, by whose means he hopes to obtain preferment in the church of England, to which he is willing to conform: his pamphlet is dedicated to the Mayor, Aldermen, &c. of Liverpool. The slave-dealers exult in this champion, and say that his work is unanswerable; but the Bishop of London says it is mere Jesuitical sophistry. From what I have seen of it, I should think it an easy matter to answer it; but whether I shall be able to do this, I know not. My health is a great hindrance to all my projects.

"The other pamphlet which the Bishop sent me, is a Pastoral Letter to the English Clergy in the West Indies,' who are all, it seems, subject to his ecclesiastical jurisdiction. It is short, but very elegant, and very like himself and his station. It relates chiefly to two things, the conversion and education of the negroes, which he earnestly and powerfully recommends; and the qualifications which he insists on finding in all those West Indians who may apply to him for holy orders. My little book of Evidences,' is one of those which his Lordship is pleased to recommend to their attention."

LETTER CCIII.

DR BEATTIE TO MRS MONTAGU.

Peterhead, 28th June, 1788.

My papers on the slave-trade would now appear too late. The legislature seems to have engaged in an investigation of that business with a generous alacrity, which does them infinite honour, and will undoubtedly bring on such regulations, as would make my zeal and my arguments both unnecessary and unseasonable. In fact, several of those abuses, which I had attacked with most severity, are already in part redressed, or in a fair way of being so; particularly the horrid cruelties perpetrated upon the poor negroes in their passage across the Atlantic, and the cruel laws to which they are subjected in some of the West Indian islands, particularly Barbadoes and Jamaica. If one may believe the newspapers, considerable reformations have already taken place in both those islands, as well as in North America. As to the final abolition of the traffic, I pray for it as earnestly as any bo

dy; but I do not think it can be accomplished soon, though in a few years it may, and I trust it will. Much good might be done in the meantime, if planters could be prevailed on to repose less confidence in overseers; to give liberty and wages to their most deserving slaves; to give Christian education to them all, with rest on Sunday; to teach them to be rational, by treating them as rational beings; and to mitigate the cruelty of punishment, and the severity of labour. I am truly sorry to hear of Mr Wilberforce's indisposition. It is very good in Mr and Mrs Montagu to interest themselves so much in his behalf: I hope their kind assiduities will be successful.

1

"I hope my venerable friend, Mrs Delany, is alive and well. I am extremely anxious to hear of her; having seen the other day in a newspaper, the words, "the late Mrs Delany;" which I would fain believe to be a newspaper blunder, as I have never heard of her death, or even that she was ill. I saw her frequently at Windsor last year, and was happy to observe no symptoms of decline. A very great person was pleased to joke with her on my account. "Where have

66

you been these two days, Mrs D.?" said he,

"but I can guess; I warrant have had morė

you

"than one assignation with Dr B. since he has Indeed, Sir," replied she,

"been at Windsor."

"Y. M. is right; Dr B. has been with me several " times."

LETTER CCIV.

DR BEATTIE TO DR PORTEUS, BISHOP OF LONDON.

Peterhead, 3d July, 1788.

"As soon as it is in my power I shall give the Rev. Mr Harris* a fair hearing, and let your Lordship know my opinion. I have seen a little of him, and think him a tolerable sophister. His arguments might pass, for argument's sake, in a school-disputation upon a thesis; but can have no influence upon a candid and rational mind, except perhaps to provoke indignation: for the matter is too solemn for laughter. He pretends to piety, reverence of the Scripture, and zeal for the rights of humanity; and all the while he is

* Who wrote a book to prove the slave-trade agreeable to reason and Scripture. See Letter CCII. to Sir William Forbes, p. 41.

labouring to pervert Scripture, in order to vindicate one of the most impious and inhuman practices that ever disgraced the sublunary creation. He, good man! would not for the world offer an apology for any injustice, oppression, or cruelty, that may have been practised by dealers in slaves; he would only justify what he calls "the Afri

can slave-trade in the abstract." I know not whether I understand this. But, if he will remove all oppression, cruelty, and injustice, from that trade, I promise him I shall not object to his abstract notions: the trade will then be a mere idea; as harmless as those now are, to which we give the names of ostracism, crusade, &c.; and will no more make negroes miserable, and slave-mongers cruel, than the second book of the 'Eneid' will burn their towns. The misfortune is, that from this vile traffic, oppression, injustice, and cruelty, are inseparable. These crimes have, from the beginning of it, formed its basis, and without them it can no more subsist, than a house without a foundation. If you have any music "that makes no noise," says a clown in Shakespeare to a company of fiddlers, "pray let us "have it; but we cannot endure any other." So say I to Mr Harris. If you can give us an Afri