Dr. Dibdin, in his _Reminiscences_, relates:--“Sir John Stoddart married
the sister of Lord Moncrieff, by whom he has a goodly race of
representatives; but, before his marriage, _he was the man who wrote up
the Times newspaper_ to its admitted pitch of distinction and
superiority over every other contemporary journal. Mark, gentle reader,
I speak of the _Times_ newspaper during the eventful and appalling
crisis of Bonaparte’s invasion of Spain and destruction of Moscow. My
friend fought with his _pen_ as Wellington fought with his _sword_: but
nothing like a tithe of the remuneration which was justly meted out to
the hero of Waterloo befel the editor of the _Times_. Of course, I speak
of remuneration in degree, and not in kind. The peace followed. Public
curiosity lulled, and all great and stirring events having subsided, it
was thought that a writer of less commanding talent, (certainly not the
_present Editor_,) and therefore procurable at a less premium, would
answer the current purposes of the day; and the retirement of Dr.
Stoddart, (for he was at this time a civilian, and particularly noticed
and patronised by Lord Stowell,) from the old _Times_, and his
establishment of the _New Times_ newspaper, followed in consequence. But
the latter, from various causes, had only a short-lived existence. Sir
John Stoddart had been his Majesty’s advocate, or Attorney-General, at
Malta, before he retired thither a _second_ time, to assume the office
of Judge.”