| Citation |
PC.772.003
6-13 Jan 1772:2011 (261)
London, Sept. 17. A correspondent says, it is no secret that
Junius is the Duke of R---.
Junius, says a correspondent, has more than once pleaded
the danger of his being assassinated as a reason for keeping
himself concealed. Assassination, however, for the honour
of England, is a species of revenge very seldom resorted to
in this country. Mr. Wilkes, surely, is as obnoxious at St.
James's as Junius can possibly be, and yet he quietly walks
though the least frequented streets of Westminster, after
sunset, without dreading or feeling the stab of any
ministerial murderer. This calls to our recollection an
anecdote of Dennis, the famous critic, who was patronized by
the Duke of Marlborough. Dennis has written a play called
Liberty Asserted, in which he endeavoured to be uncommonly
severe on the French nation. When the treaty of peace was
therefore talked of between Queen Anne's ministers, and the
Court of Versailles, the poet flew in the utmost trepidation
to the Duke of Marlborough, and begged that his grace would
employ all the interest he had to prevent the author of
Liberty Asserted from being given up, as he was sure that
Tragedy had done the enemy too much injury not to be
productive of a personal stipulation with respect to the
writer. The Duke of Marlborough smiled at the apprehensions
of poor Dennis, but told him he was then without power to
serve him; "nay, indeed (added his Grace) I am without power
to serve myself, for I fancy I have done the French almost
as much injury as you have, my dear Mr. Dennis, and yet I am
not able to make my own safety an article of the present
negotiation." Though we intend no parallel either between
Junius and Dennis, or between Mr. Wilkes and the Duke of
Marlborough, still we fancy Mr. Wilkes has done the ministry
as much injury as Junius; and therefore if any stiletto
business was to be apprehended, that gentleman would be
equally open to the dangers of assassination.
|