of displaying his intimacy with the Marquis of Granby to take up his pen in that nobleman's defence. Junius's obligation to his officious friendship was indelible; for however admirably written may be his letter of the 21st of January 1769,' which opened the series of those celebrated compositions, it was Draper's answer, with his signature annexed to it, that drew all eyes towards the two literary combatants. Sir William was so injudicious as to renew the correspondence six months after its first termination. But he derived no advantage from it. Junius treated him as the Marchioness de Chaves' secretary treated Gil Blas disarmed and dismissed him. Yet Draper's letters, if they could be considered separately from those of his antagonist, are classical and elegant productions. When perused, as Sir William's must ever be, in conjunction with the answers made by Junius, they shrink into comparative inferiority."

Such is the judgment of an intelligent contemporary on this famous controversy; and perhaps it would be difficult to select from any of Junius's writings more favourable specimens of his style than the letters he wrote on this occasion. They display, in an eminent degree, all the acuteness and tact for which their author was so celebrated, and contain passages of the most refined and polished irony, with less of that savage and ferocious sarcasm in which he afterwards indulged, when the voice of an admiring nation had awarded him the palm due to the first political writer of his age. In this contest the towering Junius was only trying his pinions -pluming his wings for loftier flights. The result having given him implicit confidence in his own powers, he soon began to treat with vindictive and rancorous

vituperation the most exalted characters in the nation. But even at the commencement of his career, such was the atrocity of his insinuations against the character and honour of Sir William Draper, that the latter, writhing in agony under the inflictions of his invisible tormentor, was compelled to exclaim-"If I must perish, Junius, let me perish in the face of day;-be for once a generous and open enemy. I allow that gothic appeals to cold iron are no better proofs of a man's honesty and veracity than hot iron and burning ploughshares are of female chastity; but a soldier's honour is as delicate as a woman's-it must not be suspected. You have dared to throw more than a suspicion upon mine: you cannot but know the consequences, which even the meekness of Christianity would pardon me for, after the injury you have done me."

Junius declined Sir William's polite invitation, for the following, among other reasons: "As to me, it is by no means necessary that I should be exposed to the resentment of the worst and the most powerful men in this country, though I may be indifferent about yours. Though you would fight, there are others who would assassinate." And concludes thus: "I believe, Sir, you will never know me. A considerable time must certainly elapse before we are personally acquainted. You need not, however, regret the delay, or suffer an apprehension that any length of time can restore you to the Christian meekness of your temper, and disappoint your present indignation. If I understand your character, there is in your own breast a repository, in which your resentments may be safely laid up for future occasions, and preserved without the hazard of diminution. The odia in longum

jaciens, quæ reconderet, auctaque promeret, I thought, had only belonged to the worst character of antiquity. The text is in Tacitus;-you know best where to look for the commentary." (25th September 1769).

We think it impossible for any person to peruse attentively this controversy without being convinced, that the profound and accurate knowledge displayed by Junius of military affairs could only have been possessed by an old and experienced soldier; that it was by no means of such a superficial and amateur character as might have been gleaned by a clerk in the War Office; but bears indubitable marks of being the result of that knowledge which is only to be acquired in the tented field, and amidst the actual turmoil and din of war. Indeed, it is obvious, that martial subjects are those, on which Junius chiefly delighted to expatiate: and, as evidence of the fact, the reader is referred to the series of letters addressed to Lord Harborough, in vindication of the character of Sir Jeffery Amherst; and the numerous letters to Lord Barrington, the Secretary at War, principally respecting the dismission of Mr. D'Oyley and Mr. Francis, two of his clerks; likewise to the importance attached by Junius to the paltry affair of General Gansel, about effecting his escape from a sheriff's officer; and several other military subjects of minor importance, which are discussed by Junius with equal warmth and accuracy. In a note to a letter of the 22d August 1770, he says:-"This infamous transaction ought to be explained to the public. Colonel Gisborne was quarter-master-general in Ireland. Lord Townshend persuades him to resign to a Scotch officer, one Fraser, and gives him the government of Kinsale. Colonel Cunningham was adjutant-general in Ireland.

Lord Townshend offers him a pension, to induce him to resign to Luttrell. Cunningham treats the offer with contempt. What's to be done? Poor Gisborne must move once more. He accepts a pension of 500l. a-year, until a government of greater value shall become vacant. Colonel Cunningham is made Governor of Kinsale; and Luttrell, at last, for whom the whole machinery is put in motion, becomes adjutant-general, and in effect takes the command of the army in Ireland." Now it may be asked, who, except a military man, would take any interest in this complicated minor military transaction; or of what importance was it to the public which of the colonels, Gisborne, Cunningham, or Luttrell, became adjutantgeneral?

It may be further remarked, that on whatever subject Junius is writing, he displays a mind saturated with military ideas, and an imagination teeming with martial imagery. His allusions to the circumstances and pomp of war are incessant, and almost innumerable. We select the following passages from his letters, of various dates, out of many other instances that might be given:

September 19, 1769. His palace is besieged; the lines of circumvallation are drawn round him.

February 14, 1770. Neither the abject submission of deserting his post in the hour of danger, nor even the sacred shield of cowardice, should protect him.

February 6, 1771. Not daring to attack the main body of Junius's last letter, he triumphs in having, as he thinks, surprised an outpost, and cut off a detached argument—a mere straggling proposition; but even in this petty warfare he shall find himself defeated.

August 15, 1771. Thanks are undoubtedly due to every man

who does his duty in the engagement; but it is the wounded soldier who deserves the reward.

September 28, 1771. Corruption glitters in the van, collects and maintains a standing army of mercenaries, and at the same moment impoverishes and enslaves the country.

October 5, 1771. The favour of his country constitutes the shield which defends him against a thousand daggers. Desertion would disarm him.

October 12, 1767. This is a kind of combat usually fought on, and indeed the only one adapted to the field of a public paper. Again:-Thus circumstanced, I will not take either part, but offer myself as a friend to both, to measure the ground, give the word, and carry off the body of whichever falls in the field of honour.

March 4, 1768. It remained like an old piece of cannon I have heard of somewhere, of an enormous size, which stood upon a ruinous bastion, and which was seldom or never fired, for fear of bringing down the fortification for whose defence it was intended.

October 19, 1768. His Grace had honourably flesht his maiden sword in the field of opposition, and had gone through all the discipline of the minority with credit.

ary

March 10, 1772. Was he winged like a messenger, or stationlike a centinel?

"From the minute military observations introduced in the controversy with Sir William Draper," observes Mr. Taylor; "from the narrative of General Gansel's rescue in sight of the Horse Guards; from the notice of Colonel Burgoyne's appointment to the government of Fort St. George immediately after it took place; and from the premature announcement of that of Colonel Luttrell to be adjutant-general in Ireland,—it has been long suspected that Junius was in some degree connected with the Horse Guards. But the Private and Miscellaneous Letters lately published place it beyond a doubt. The War Office is the scene of several dramatic representations; and there