That the evils of the Slave Trade should, like the evils incident to other departments of civil subordination, be humanely remedied as much as may be, every good man is convinced; and accordingly we find that great advances have been gradually made in that respect, as may be seen in various publications, particularly the evidence taken before the Privy-Council. It must be admitted, that in the course of the present imprudent and dangerous attempt to bring about a total abolition, one essential advantage has been obtained, namely, a better mode of carrying the slaves from Africa to the West-Indies; but surely this might have been had in a less violent manner. {6} Diogenes being discovered in the street in fond intercourse with one of those pretty misses whom Sir William Dolben dislikes, steadily said, "{Greek: Phyteno Andras}--I plant men." {7} Manchester Petition. {8} Some of the Scottish Presbyteries petitioned. {9} _Risum teneatis amici._ HORAT. {10} When I forget HIM, may GOD forget me! {11} _Mira cano, Sol occubuit, nox nulla sequuta._ See CAMDEN'S REMAINS. {12} The state of slavery is acknowledged both in the Old Testament and the New. {13} The great Dr. Bentley was Mr. Cumberland's grandfather. {14} Mr. Cumberland is a descendant of Bishop Cumberland, who wrote _De legibus Naturae_. {15} Messieurs Carpmeal, Macmanus, Jealous, and Townshend, gentlemen of the Publick Office, in Bow-Street. {16} Sir William Young has a series of pictures, in which the negroes in our plantations are justly and pleasingly exhibited in various scenes. {17} The Angola blacks are the most ferocious. The author does not boast, like Abyssinian _Yakoob_, "of no ungracious figure": nor does he, like another _beau garcon_, Mr. Gibbon, prefix his pleasing countenance to captivate the ladies. TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES: All original spellings and punctuation have been retained, except as noted. Title page: "By James Boswell, Esq." is handwritten below "P O E M." Erratum: the change of "mighty" to "magick" has been made. Line 9: "Thurlow" is handwritten above "T----". Line 12, footnote 2: "Sedet eternumqre sedebit" corrected to "Sedet eternumque sedebit". Line 27: There is no footnote marker in the original text for footnote 5. Line 35: "Brown" is handwritten above "B----". Line 100: The line numbering is inconsistent. Line 109: "magick" substituted for "mighty" as specified in the erratum notice. A press cutting from _The Athenaeum_ of 4th May 1896 was included with the original. It reads as follows: A POEM ON THE SLAVE TRADE BY JAMES BOSWELL