N° 39.

About Nov. 5, 1771.

YOUR reasons are very just about printing the Preface, &c. It is your own affair. Do what ever you think proper. I am convinced that the book will sell, and I suppose will make two volumes,―the type might be one size larger than Wheble's. But of all this you are the best judge. I think you should give money to the waiters at that place to make them more attentive'. The notes should be in smaller type.

Pray find out, if you can, upon what day the late Duke of Bedford was flogged on the course at Litchfield by Mr. Heston Homphrey *.

N° 40.

Friday, Nov. 8, 1771.

THE above to that Scotchman should be printed conspicuously to-morrow 3. At last I have concluded my great work, and I assure you with no small labour. I would have you

1

A coffee-house at which letters, &c. were left for JUNIUS. 2 See JUNIUS, Letter xx111.

3 See Letters of JUNIUS, NO. LXVI.

I

begin to advertise immediately, and publish before the meeting of parliament; let all my papers in defence of JUNIUS be inserted'. shall now supply you very fast with copy and notes. The paper and type should at least be as good as Wheble's. You must correct the press yourself, but I should be glad to see corrected proofs of the two first sheets. Shew the Dedication and Preface to Mr. Wilkes, and if he has any material objection, let me know. I say material because of the difficulty of getting your

letter.

(Secret.)

C.

Beware of David Garrick 3, he was sent to pump you, and went directly to Richmond to

'The Letters signed Philo-Junius: those numbered LXIII. and LXIV. and the extracts from the letters to the Supporters of the Bill of Rights.

2 The present respectable proprietor and publisher of the County Chronicle.

3 Garrick had received a letter from Woodfall just before the above note of JUNIUS was sent to the Printer, in which Garrick was told, in confidence, that there were some doubts whether JUNIUS would continue to write much longer. Garrick flew with the intelligence to Mr. Ramus, one of the pages to the King, who immediately conveyed it to his Majesty, at that time residing at Richmond, and from the peculiar sources of information that were open to this extraordinary writer, JUNIUS was apprized of the whole transaction on the ensuing morning, and wrote the above postscript, and the letter that follows it, in consequence.

tell the King I should write no more.

dication must stand first.

The De

N41.

TO MR. DAVID GARRICK.

Nov. 10, 1771.

I AM very exactly informed of your impertinent inquiries, and of the information you so busily sent to Richmond, and with what triumph and exultation it was received. I knew every particular of it the next day.-Now mark me, vagabond.-Keep to your pantomimes, or be assured you shall hear of it. Meddle no more, thou busy informer!-It is in my power to make you curse the hour in which fere with

you

dared to inter

JUNIUS'.

'Mr. Garrick had, before this period, been threatened for his supposed political bias to the Court, as will appear from a charge which Mr. Horne brought forward against Mr. Wilkes, during the personal altercation which took place between them in the months of May and June preceding the date of this letter, and which is more particularly noticed in the note to JUNIUS, Letter No. LII. Mr. Horne's accusation is as follows:

"Whilst Mr. Wilkes was in the King's Bench, he sent a threatening message to Mr. Garrick to forbid his playing the part of Hastings in the tragedy of Jane Shore; on account of some lines in that play which Mr. Wilkes thought applicable to his own situation. Mr. Garrick complained exceedingly

of

I would send the above to Garrick directly, but that I would avoid having this hand too commonly seen. Oblige me, then, so much as to have it copied in any hand, and sent by the penny post, that is if you dislike sending it in your own writing.-I must be more cautious than ever. I am sure I should not survive a

of the cruelty of such an interdict, and wished to be permitted to proceed in his endeavours to please the public in the common course of his profession. The patriot was inexorable; and Mr. Garrick has not appeared in that character since. The Lord Chamberlain's control by Act of Parliament over the pleasures of the public is exercised only over new plays."

To this charge Mr. Wilkes replied as follows, offering several justly merited compliments to the hitherto unrivalled genius of Mr. Garrick.

"SIR,

"TO THE REV. MR. HORNE.

Prince's Court, Thursday, June 6, 1771.

"Your ninth Letter has relieved me not a little by taking me to the theatre, and recalling to my delighted remembrance the amazing powers both of nature and art in the most wonderful genius that ever trod the English, or perhaps any stage, for his rival, Roscius, had a great defect, erat perversissimis oculis. You say whilst Mr. Wilkes was in the King's Bench,' &c. The whole of this pompous tale is, that some warm friends of Mr. Wilkes imagined that Mr. Garrick acted the part of Hastings at that time in a manner very different from what he had usually done, and marked too strongly some particular passages, unfavourable to the generous principles, and to the friends, of freedom. They talked of expressing their disapprobation in the theatre, at the next representation of Jane Shore, and likewise in the public prints. Mr. Wilkes

discovery three days; or, if I did, they would attaint me by bill. Change to the Somerset Coffeehouse, and let no mortal know the alteration. I am persuaded you are too honest a man to

Mr. Wilkes therefore thought it prudent to state the case by two or three gentlemen to Mr. Garrick himself, and said, he feared the part of Hastings might bring on many disagreeable consequences to the great actor himself as well as to Mr. Wilkes and his connections, if continued in the manner then stated. Mr. Garrick received the friendly admonition in the most friendly way, but declared that the gentlemen, who had given Mr. Wilkes the account of his acting Hastings, had greatly mistaken, that he had not made the least alteration in the usual manner of acting that part on account of the political disputes of the times, but been solely guided by his own feelings that he always had acted that part, and always should play it in the same manner, not however slavishly copying himself, but with all the variety which from time to time his genius might dictate, preserving still the cast and spirit of the original character. Nothing more passed on this subject between Mr. Garrick and me, nor has that gentleman ever expressed the slightest displeasure against Mr. Wilkes, or his friends; so far has he been from complaining exceedingly of the cruelty of an interdict, which never existed.

"Did it escape your memory, Sir, that one of the objections made at that time by my friends, was the peculiar emphasis Mr. Garrick was said to give to the following lines of Hastings, which some thought applicable to your situation:Ill befall

Such meddling Priests, who kindle up confusion,
And vex the quiet world with their vain scruples;
By heaven 'tis done in perfect spight to peace.

"You say, 'I think with half his (Mr. Garrick's) merit I

should