indeed attended with danger, and positive detriment to himself; but this is only another proof of that "high independent spirit, honestly attached to the principles of the constitution, and fearless in maintaining them," which is mentioned by the author of the Preliminary Essay, as one of the distinguishing attributes of JUNIUS. The last of the Letters of JUNIUS, dated January 19, 1773, is as follows.-- "I have seen the signals thrown out for your old friend and correspondent. Be assured that I have had good reason for not complying with them. In the present state of things, if I were to write again, I must be as silly as any of the horned cattle that run mad through the city, or as any of your wise aldermen. I meant the cause and the public. Both are given up. I feel for the honour of this country, when I see that there are not ten men in it, who will unite and stand together upon any one question. But it is all alike, vile and contemptible. "You have never flinched that I know of; and I shall always rejoice to hear of your prosperity. 66 If you have any thing to communicate (of moment to yourself) you may use the last address, and give a hint." To this the editor adds the following note. "This Letter was thus noticed in the answer to correspondents in the Public Advertiser, March 8, 1773. The letter from an old Friend and Correspondent, dated Jan. 19, came safe to hand, and his directions are strictly followed. Quod si quis existimat, &c." Many conjectures might be raised to explain why the Letter of the 19th of January was not acknowledged till the 7th of March-but it is a point too trivial to justify an extended discussion.-On January 19, Woodfall inserted the following notice, as a hint to his old Friend and Correspondent: "Iterumque, iterumque, monebo."--The same words had been employed on January 2, and prior to that, two other Latin phrases appear in the Public Advertiser, no doubt for a similar purpose. JUNIUS replied that he had seen the signals, and his Letter carries the date of the day on which the last of them occurs. It is possible, however, that Woodfall did not receive this letter till nearer the time of his reply. It may have been antedated purposely to answer these signals: and, accordingly, we cannot infer with certainty that JUNIUS was in London, or even in England, on the day when it was written. But though we cannot positively ascertain whether it was delivered to Woodfall agreeably to the date, we have still less reason to presume it was delayed, for, in Woodfall's answer, we discover one cause why the acknowledgment was not sooner made. His words are, "Sir, I have troubled you with the perusal of two letters, as that of the prior date accounts for the delay of not sending the books sooner; and this acquaints you that I did not get them out of the book-binder's hands till yesterday,*" &c.: Here we perceive, that if Woodfall had duly received the Letter, he could scarcely have returned an earlier notice, for he could make no more apologies for not sending the books; and, indeed, JUNIUS seems to have resigned all expectations of obtaining them; for he omits mentioning them in his Letter, and only says, "If you have any thing to communicate (of moment to YOURSELF) you may use the last address, and give a hint."---The three other signals which followed that of March 7, viz. March 20, Aut voluntate esse mutatâ ;---March 29, Aut debilitate virtute; and April 7, Dic quibus in terris, as they may possibly be intended only to catch the eye of JUNIUS, and remind him of the pacquet which was lying at the coffee-house, are deemed unfit to be taken as the basis of any other speculation. On the whole, we may consider it established, 1st, That the latest period to which JUNIUS carried on that regular correspondence with his printer, which marks his constant residence in town, was March 23, 1772. 2dly, That the time of its * JUNIUS, i. *256. positive renewal, and his consequent return, was January 1773. In the interval he wrote three public Letters, accompanied with private notes, dated the 3d, 4th, and 10th of May, 1772; from which nothing can be inferred, with certainty, as to his actual situation. To compare with the above dates we have the undoubted facts, 1st, That Sir PHILIP FRANCIS left the War-office on March 23, 1772, and went abroad before Midsummer. 2dly, That he returned to England at the beginning of 1773.---The exact accordance of the first date, renders the other almost equally conclusive. 59 CHAPTER V. ONE method of discovering the rank and station of JUNIUS, is to see with whose names he is most familiar. The common maxim, noscitur à sociis, is, perhaps, as true in this respect, as in morals. Men with whom we daily mix, or who are almost constantly before our eyes, are very soon examined too minutely to be much reverenced; familiar and jocose appellations begin to be applied to them; and we are insensible, though nothing is plainer to others, how naturally, whenever we mention such persons, we prove our acquaintance with them by taking these liberties. A difference, however, must be made between the liberties that are universally taken, and those particular instances which are necessary for our present purpose. It is the fate of all greatness to experience something of the former-- "Then shall our names, Familiar in their mouths as household words, Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester, Be in their flowing cups freshly remembered. But for our present object we want such examples. |