suspect of gross folly, and of whose abilities he is far from thinking meanly!
Should we ask Junius to reconcile these contradictions, and explain this nonsense, the answer is ready: "he cannot descend to an altercation in the newspapers." He feels no reluctance to attack the character of any man: the throne is not too high, nor the cottage too low: his mighty malice can grasp both extremes. He hints not his accusations as opinion, conjecture, or inference, but delivers them as positive assertions. Do the accused complain of injustice? He acknowledges they have some sort of right to an explanation; but if they ask for proofs and facts, he begs to be excused; and though he is no where else to be encountered—"he cannot descend to an altercation in the newspapers."
And this, perhaps, Junius may think "the liberal resentment of a gentleman;" this sculking assassination he may call courage. In all things, as in this, I hope we differ:
- I thought that fortitude had been a mean
- 'Twixt fear and rashness; not a lust obscene,
