Junius.

namely , that of Sir P . Francis ; and that the verses were " handwritten " by his brother-in-law , Tilghman , but that they were composed b y him , as the evidence showed , and the " note " which went with them was distinctl y in Sir P . Francis ' s writing ! Such a statement , so unhesitating and so distinct , ought , apparentl y to settle the question . But yet it has not settled the questionand it has been

, felt that , though there is a great similarity of hand-writing , yet that it is not absolutely conclusive after all ; and many doubt whether Junius ' s own words will not still prove true , that his secret has perished with him , whoever he may have been .

There are , however , some points on which it would be well to fix our attention for a short time to-day , even if when singly they have each great force combined they certainly do give additional strength to the Franciscan theory . Mr . Taylor tells us , in his interesting work , " Junius Identified , " that a passage in a letter of Junius , signed " Veteran , " March 23 rd , 1772 , first suggested to his mind the reality of the claim of Francis : — " I desire you will inform the public that the worthy Lord Barrington , not contented with having driven Mr . D'Oyly out of the War Office , has at last contrived to expel Mr . Francis . "

Certainly , this is an odd paragraph " per se , " and may serve as the clue to the real author . We say may , for we do not ourselves feel sure that -it is not a morsel of coffee-house gossip thrown in to add virulence to the attack on Lord Barrington , whom " Junius " did " not love " . In his famous private letter to Woodfall , of November 10 th , 1771 , Junius says— " I must be more cautious than ever . I am sure I should not survive a three if did

a discovery clays , or , I , they would attaint me b y bell . Change to the Somerset Coffee House , and let no mortal know the alteration . I am persuaded you are too honest a man to contribute in any way to my destruction . Act honourably by me , and at a proper time you shall know me . " There is no doubt that Junius penned this letter in much anxiety , as the "interlineation" under the words "Somerset Coffee House" is very shaky indeed

, though that fact may not prove much either way . In a subsequent letter he tells us that the gentleman who does the " conveyancing business " was watched , ancl this statement has led to the theory of two persons beino- concerned in the letters , one as " writer , " the other as " porter . " There is , indeed a most curious passage in a letter from Til ghman to Francis , September 27 th 1773 , which to a great extent confirms Lord Campbell ' s statement that Junius was silenced by Lord North , and " would write no more , " which last statement is said to have been made by no less a person than King George the Third himself .

Tilghman says pointedly , "But how did you get this appointment ? It is miraculous to me that a man should resign his office in 1772 , and in ] 773 without any change of the Ministry , be advanced in so very extraordinary a manner . Your merit and abilities I was always ready to acknowledge , sir but I was never taught to think much of Lord North ' s virtue or discernment ! His treatment of you has in some measure reduced him in my opinion . " On the wholethe considerations

, arising from these points , when fully realized appear to strengthen—we do not say they are conclusive—Sir P . Francis ' s claim to be considered the author of Junius . The idea of Lord L yttleton being the writer of these letters had something "taking " in it when it first appeared in the " Quarterly , " from the fact of his mysterious life , and still more mysterious deathhis great partshis peculiar knowled of all the gossi of

, , ge p the clay , and his connection with the well-known Dr . Combe , the author of " Dr . Syntax , " etc . But there are difficulties connected with his travels in forei gn parts , in 1771 , which seem to be fatal to any such claim . Lord George Sackville ' s claim is not increased , despite his strange and somewhat mysterious interview with Lord Mansfield just before his death , by a careful consideration