harm, but aim at your welfare, and that of the nation whom you govern. May Heaven preserve you from vanity, and its consequent fatal effects! May you feel the sublime pleasure, the supreme delight, of ruling only to make other men happy! Often shall I ask, Has unexpected prosperity made any change in the temper and conduct of the First Consul of France? Does he continue to be a friend to the liberties, and a promoter of the happiness of the people? Does he love virtue, and shew himself grateful to his great benefactor on high? An affirmative answer to these interesting questions will, on your own account, always afford me the truest pleasure. Usefully may you live; happily may you die! May happiness await you in the world to come! I must now, my sir, bid you a final farewell; and last admonition is, that you never employ your executive power, but to fulfil the dictates of your conscience, and the duties of your station. I have the honour to be, with all due respect, sir, Your most obedient, Humble servant, THE AUTHOR. FINIS. For publishing by subscription, NEW WORK, ENTITLED, AVENIA; OR, A Tragical Poem on the Slavery and Commerce of the HUMAN SPECIES, PARTICULARLY THE AFRICAN; In six books, with explanatory notes on each book. THIS Poem will consist of about 350 octavo pages, printed on fine wove paper, and a good type, with seven appropriate engravings, &c. The author informs the reader, that, as he intends to subjoin, to this poem, the letters of recommendation which he brought from Antigua, he judges it unnecessary to publish them here. If any person, or persons, labour under doubts concerning their authenticity, or the validity of his assertions in this preliminary performance, he is ready at all times to produce those original documents, properly attested, with cheerfulness, to their indiscriminate inspection. He alludes particularly to a letter from the Hon. Thomas Norbury Kirby, principal secretary of state; and one from the Rev. John Baxter, minister of the gospel; as also a certificate with the signature of the Hon. Edward Byam, governor of Antigua. The author thinks it requisite to introduce those attestations, not merely to corroborate his work in favour of the unhappy slaves, whose situation he ever must commisserate; but, in order to shield himself from the illiberal attacks and malevolent animadversions of the friends of despotism and slavery. What has happened to others may, perhaps, happen to him. When the advocates of slavery have found themselves unable to repel the arguments of writers against it, they have attacked, with peculiar virulence, their private character. The friends of liberty and humanity, who wish to facilitate and encourage the publication of the said poem, etc. are respectively informed, that subscription papers shall be deposited at the following places, to wit: Mr. Jacob Knows, No. 26, Market-street. The Rev. Absalom Jones, South Third-street. |