catchpenny-title, about a dozen pages at the end are given to the author's interview with a dying stranger, who confessed himself to be Suett the comedian, and the author of Junius.
Temple, Richard, Earl. b. 1711, d. 1779
The third volume of the "Grenville Papers," edited by William J. Smith (L 1832), contains a discussion on the authenticity of the Junius Letters, with specimens of the handwriting of Richard Grenville, Lord Temple, et al, assuming the latter to be Junius, and his wife the amanuensis.
Mr. Wade very justly observes that "Earl Temple was not reputed by a discerning judge to be a writer of competent power to wing the shafts of Junius . . Temple was an active politician, a Peer of Parliament, and brother-in-law of Lord Chatham, and had no need of the 'Public Advertiser' to circulate his opinions." See No lxix.
Tooke, John Horne. b. 1736; d. 1812.
In the "Memoirs of John Horne Tooke," ii. 358, I find it stated that he always appeared much perturbed when the subject of Junius was introduced. He was once asked if he knew the author, and crossing his knife and fork on his plate and assuming a stern look, he answered, "I do." "After this," says Mr. Stephen, "his manner, tone, and attitude were all too formidable to admit of any further interogatories" See Nos. vii., xxviii., xliii., xliv., lxv., lxvii.
Walpole, Horatio, Earl of Orford. b. 1717; d. 1797.
Coventry has thoroughly exploded any claims which this personage may have been invested with. See Wilke's "Papers of a Critic," ii. 158.
Wedderburn, Alexander. Lord Loughborough. b. 1733; d. 1805.
Lord Holland, in his "Memoirs of the Whig Party," remarks that George III. always regarded Lord Loughborough as Junius. I believe that Lord Holland adds that King William IV. was his informant.
Lord Campbell repudiates the notion of Wedderburn being Junius. Sir Nathaniel Wraxall, in his "Memoirs of his own Time" (ii 97), states that "during many years of my life, notwithstanding the severity with which Wedderburn is treated by 'Junius,' I nourished a strong belief, approaching to conviction, that the late Earl of Rosslyn, then Mr. Wedderburn, was himself the author of these Letters, and that persons of credit had recognized the handwriting to be that of Mrs. Wedderburn, his first wife,"
Wilkes, John. b. 1727; d. 1797.
It is said that a wag first propagated the report that Wilkes was Junius, in the columns of the "Gazetteer." He asserted that, while going over St. George's Fields, he picked up a piece of blotted MS., containing a portion of the last Junius Letter, which had been thrown out with the sweepings from King's Bench prison, where Wilkes was then a prisoner. A correspondent of the "Gent. Mag." (lix. 786) renewed the statement, but nothing in support of the hypothesis has been produced.
John Mason Good, in his preliminary essay, remarks, "that Wilkes is not the author must be clear to every one who will merely give a glance at either the public or the private letters. Wilkes could not have abused himself in the manner he is occasionally abused in the former; nor would he have said in the latter (since there was no necessity for his so saying), 'I have been out of town for three weeks,' at a time when he was closely confined in the King's Bench."
See Nos. viii., xi.
Wilmot, James, D.D b. 1726; d. 1807.
Wm. Beckford, the author of "Vathek," is said in a conversation in the "New Monthly Magazine," to have expressed his opinion that Wilmot was Junius, but he adduced no facts to prove his statement.
Probably the only other personage who believed in the claims of Wilmot was his niece, the celebrated Olivia Wilmot Serres, ci-devant Princess of Cumberland, and she was an impostor herself. See Nos. xxxix, l., the "Gent. Mag." for 1813 and 1814, and "Notes and Queries," 4th Ser., li. 113
Wray, Daniel, b 1701; d. 1783.
Wray was Deputy Teller of the Exchequer by favor of the Hardwicke family. See Nichols' "Illustrations of Literary History"; "Notes and Queries," 2d Ser., ii. 164; and No. lxviii.
III. The Bibliography of Junius.
When a title is preceded by an asterisk (*), it is to indicate that the work in question has been personally examined by me. Subsequent editions of the same work are omitted.
i. *Fearne, Charles.—An Impartial answer to the Doctrine delivered in a Letter which appeared in the Public Advertiser under the signature of "Junius." L 1700 8vo.
ii. *The Political Contest, containing a Series of Letters between Junius and Sir Will Draper also the whole of Junius's Letters to his Grace the D*** of G****** [i.e., the Duke of Grafton], brought into one point of view. L., Newbery, s. a. but Aug. 1769. 8vo.
See also "Notes and Queries," 1st Ser., vi. 224, 239, 261, 285, 383.
iii. The Political Contest, Part II.; being a Continuation of Junius' Letters from the 6th of July to the present Time. L., Newbery, s. a. but Sept. 1769. 8vo.
iv. The Political Contest, containing all the Letters between Junius and Sir William Draper. Also the whole of Junius's Letters to the D*k*s of G*****n and B*****d [i.e. Bedford]. And his last Letter on the Rescue of a General Officer, Dublin, 1769. 8vo,
Lowndes states that this is called the third edition, and that it is probably a reprint of the second London edition.
v. *A Collection of the Letters of Atticus, Lucius, Junius, and others. With observations and notes. L., Almon, 1769. 8vo.
vi. [Same title.] New Edition, continued to the end of October, 1769, L., Almon, 1769. 8vo.
