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• ARE there, the muse can scarce believe the tale; [170]
• Are there, who lost to every feeling sense,
• To reason, interest lost; their slaves desert,
• And manumit¹ them, generous boon! to starve
• Maim’d by imprudence, or the hand of Heaven?
• The good man feeds his blind, his aged steed, [175]
• That in his service spent his vigorous prime:
• And dares a mortal to his fellow man,
• (For spite of vanity, thy slaves are men)

• Deny protection? Muse suppress the tale.

• YE! who in bundles bind the lopt-off Canes; [180]
• But chiefly ye! who feed the tight-brac’d mill;

Pere Labat says, he was informed the English were wont, as a punishment, thus to grind their negroes to death. But one may venture to affirm this punishment never had the sanction of law; and if any Englishman ever did grind his negroes to death, I will take upon me to aver, he was universally detested by his countrymen.

Indeed the bare suspicion of such a piece of barbarity leaves a stain: and therefore authors cannot be too cautious of admitting into their writings, any insinuation that bears hard on the humanity of a people.

Daily observation affords but too many proofs, where domestic slavery does not obtain, of the fatal consequences of indulged passion and revenge; but where one man is the absolute property of another, those passions may perhaps receive additional activity: planters, therefore, cannot be too much on their guard against the first sallies of passion; as by indulgence, passion, like a favourite, will at last grow independently powerful.

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