As bigotry, superstition, and misguided zeal, those dreadful sources of
violence, wasting, and destruction, which once too often actuated both my
tongue and pen, have now, through divine Grace, for several years, ceased
to form any trait in my deportment; you will, I trust, allow me the
humble claim, of having that erased from your pamphlet, which a better
use of my reason has so evidently erased from my conduct.
Rest assured, I most sincerely wish success to every laudable effort you
can exert to suppress vice, but particularly vices so extremity
disgraceful to human nature—but have the goodness, Sir, to understand
that I never, in my life, was what your pamphlet calls me, a friend or
acquaintance of the person you allude to, nor _never_ had any thing _to
do with him_, but what was _forced on me_ by _his own insinuations_,
which principally were carried on with some of my people in Lant-street
while I was out of town.
I also remark that I had no hand in getting him into Banbury; and can
only say, would to God that those things which drove him out had been
followed by sincere repentance, then I think I should have been one of
the first to have administered the consolation of the gospel; but as
things are, I shall leave the detection and suppression of vice in abler
hands than my own, with this prayer, that “That truly wretched man, may
yet be brought with sincere repentance to the feet of Jesus, obtain
mercy, and, under the influence and operation of the holy spirit, gain
the completest mastery over a nature so awfully depraved, and thus prove
that nothing is too hard for God.”
While I remain,
Your’s respectfully,
J. L. GARRETT.
Philosophical Museum,
Mile End, Aug. 28th, 1817.
P.S. Since I sent my note to the press, my friends have manifested some
objections to the gentleness of my remonstrances, under circumstances so
truly aggravating, as that of having my name at all mentioned in the
details of such a filthy concern; and as I have occasionally the
instruction of noblemen’s sons, of the first respectability, I must,
under every consideration, insist on its being immediately
withdrawn.—But, if humanity should dispose you to dispense with my name,
in this instance, without further trouble, it shall certainly be at your
service, whenever you feel disposed seriously to argue the possibility of
one bigot in a hundred being brought to the right use of his reason.
You will, I trust, excuse the shortness of this address, as my own
paralytic debility, accompanied with a death in my family, which has not
yet advanced to interment, forbids me to say more.
_To Mr. J. Fairburn_,
_Publisher_, _&c._