Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 49.djvu/229

 number of the ‘Gentleman's Magazine’ for 1806. It was written for the special delectation of Roscoe's youngest son, Robert, but it attracted the attention of the king and queen, and was at their request set to music by Sir George Smart for the young princesses, Elizabeth, Augusta, and Mary. Early in January 1807 it was published by John Harris, successor to [q. v.], as the first of his very popular series of children's books (see edition of 1883, with introduction by Mr. Charles Welsh).

Roscoe married in 1781, and about this time began to form a collection of rare books and prints. In 1784 he was a promoter and vice-president of a new society for promoting painting and design, which held exhibitions in Liverpool, and in 1785 delivered several lectures on the history of art. In 1787 he published ‘The Wrongs of Africa’ (a poem), and in 1788 a pamphlet entitled ‘A General View of the African Slave Traffic,’ denouncing the evil, though in temperate language. He saluted the French Revolution with odes and songs, and in 1796 published ‘Strictures on Mr. Burke's Two Letters (on the Regicide Peace).’ His song ‘O'er the vine-cover'd hills and gay regions of France’ became popular.

The idea of writing the life of Lorenzo de' Medici, his principal work, had occurred to Roscoe at an early age, and in 1790 his friend William Clarke consulted on his behalf many manuscripts and books in the libraries of Florence. In 1793 he began to print the ‘Lorenzo’ at his own expense, at the press of [q. v.], the Liverpool printer, and the first edition (remarkable for its typographical excellence) was published in February 1796 (dated ‘1795’). Lord Orford (H. Walpole) wrote enthusiastically to Roscoe, praising the ‘Grecian simplicity’ of the style of his ‘delightful book’ (, Letters, ix. 453). The work, which soon became known in London, was commended by Mathias, and was noticed by Fuseli (who knew Roscoe intimately) in the ‘Analytical Review.’ It attracted attention in Italy, and Professor K. Sprengel of Halle published (1797) a German translation of it. Roscoe sold the copyright of the first edition for 1,200l. to Cadell and Davies, who brought out a second edition in 1796, and a third in 1799; there are many later editions.

In 1796 Roscoe retired from his profession, and in 1799 purchased Allerton Hall, a house about six miles from Liverpool, with pleasant gardens and woods; he rebuilt (1812) the older portion, and added a library (see view in ‘The History of Liverpool,’ 1810, last plate). He now resumed the study of Greek, which he had taken up only in middle life, and worked upon his biography of Leo X, begun about 1798. For this work Lord Holland and others procured him material from Rome and Florence.

The ‘Life of Leo X’ appeared in 1805. The first impression (one thousand copies) was soon disposed of, and Roscoe sold one half of the copyright to Cadell and Davies for 2,000l. A second edition was published in 1806, and the work was translated into German and French. In 1816–17 Count Bossi issued an Italian translation with much additional matter; this was placed on the ‘Index Expurgatorius,’ but 2,800 copies were sold in Italy. The ‘Leo’ was severely criticised in the ‘Edinburgh Review’ (vii. 336 f.) for its affectation of profound philosophy and sentiment, and the author was accused of prejudice against Luther. The style of this work and of the ‘Lorenzo’ is at any rate open to the charge of diffusiveness and of a certain pomposity visible also in Roscoe's private correspondence.

At the end of 1799, finding the Liverpool bank of Messrs. J. & W. Clarke in difficulties, he undertook, out of friendship, to arrange their affairs, and was induced to enter the bank as a partner and manager. He was thus again involved in business, but found time for the study of botany. He became intimate with Sir James Edward Smith, the botanist; opened (in 1802) the Botanic Garden at Liverpool, and contributed to the ‘Transactions’ of the Linnean Society, of which he was elected a fellow in 1805. At a later period (1824) he proposed a new arrangement of the plants of the monandrian class, usually called Scitamineæ. The order ‘Roscoea’ was named after him by Sir J. E. Smith. Roscoe was also interested in agriculture, and was one of those who helped to reclaim Chat Moss, near Manchester.

In October 1806 Roscoe was elected M.P. for Liverpool in the whig interest. He spoke in Parliament in favour of the bill to abolish the slave trade, and contributed to found the African Institution. Parliament was dissolved in the spring of 1807, and in May Roscoe made a sort of public entry into Liverpool attended by his friends, mounted and on foot. The line he had taken on the slave question and his support of the catholic claims had made him many enemies there, and parties of seamen armed with bludgeons obstructed the procession, and in a scene of great tumult a magistrate was