I have received your esteemed favour of the 13th ultimo, whereby it
appeareth, that you have perused those same Letters, the which were
delivered unto you by my friend, the reverend Mr Hugo Behn; and I am
pleased to find you think they may be printed with a good prospect of
success; in as much as the objections you mention, I humbly conceive,
are such as may be redargued, if not entirely removed--And, first, in
the first place, as touching what prosecutions may arise from printing
the private correspondence of persons still living, give me leave, with
all due submission, to observe, that the Letters in question were not
written and sent under the seal of secrecy; that they have no tendency
to the mala fama, or prejudice of any person whatsoever; but rather to
the information and edification of mankind: so that it becometh a sort
of duty to promulgate them in usum publicum. Besides, I have consulted
Mr Davy Higgins, an eminent attorney of this place, who, after due
inspection and consideration, declareth, That he doth not think the said
Letters contain any matter which will be held actionable in the eye of
the law. Finally, if you and I should come to a right understanding, I
do declare in verbo sacerdotis, that, in case of any such prosecution,
I will take the whole upon my own shoulders, even quoad fine and
imprisonment, though, I must confess, I should not care to undergo
flagellation: Tam ad turpitudinem, quam ad amaritudinem poenoe
spectans--Secondly, concerning the personal resentment of Mr Justice
Lismahago, I may say, non flocci facio--I would not willingly vilipend
any Christian, if, peradventure, he deserveth that epithet: albeit, I
am much surprised that more care is not taken to exclude from the
commission all such vagrant foreigners as may be justly suspected of
disaffection to our happy constitution, in church and state--God forbid
that I should be so uncharitable, as to affirm, positively, that the
said Lismahago is no better than a Jesuit in disguise; but this I will
assert and maintain, totis viribus, that, from the day he qualified, he
has never been once seen intra templi parietes, that is to say, within
the parish church.
Thirdly, with respect to what passed at Mr Kendal’s table, when the said
Lismahago was so brutal in his reprehensions, I must inform you, my good
Sir, that I was obliged to retire, not by fear arising from his minatory
reproaches, which, as I said above, I value not of a rush; but from the
sudden effect produced, by a barbel’s row, which I had eaten at
dinner, not knowing, that the said row is at certain seasons violently
cathartic, as Galen observeth in his chapter Peri ichtos.
Fourthly, and lastly, with reference to the manner in which I got
possession of these Letters, it is a circumstance that concerns my own
conscience only; sufficeth it to say, I have fully satisfied the parties
in whose custody they were; and, by this time, I hope I have also
satisfied you in such ways, that the last hand may be put to our
agreement, and the work proceed with all convenient expedition; in which
I hope I rest,
Respected Sir, Your very humble servant,