The Sun.
London, England, 1842-11-09 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 9, 1842.

THE LATE MR. HONE.

•
William Hone was the second of two brothers,
both of whom were children of a religious and vir-
tuous father. His mind, from its earliest years, was
always devoted to literary pursuits, and the ac •
quisitions which he made in a class of reading, rather
out of the ordinary way, were extensive and erudite.
As it was related of Johnson by his pleasant bio-
grapher, that he said "he loved the old black-letter
books, because they were rich in matter, though their
style was inelegant," so Mr. Hone acknowledged
that it was this same order of reading which had been
especially dear to him from accidental acquaintance
with it in childhood; and it was with this that he con-
tinued to have stolen intimacies during thirty years
anterior to that portion of his career, which brought
it more particularly into action.
Mr. hone was born in 1780, and at the age of ten
years was placed in an attorney's office in the metro-
polis, and when very young imbibed many of the
principles disseminated by the London Corresponding
Society. His father becoming acquainted with this
circumstance removed him to the office of Mr. Jef-
feries, solicitor, at Chatham, in whose employ he re-
mained two years and a-half, when he returned to
London, and engaged himself as clerk to Mr. Eger-
ton, of Gray's Inn. He subsequently, however, from
some supposed distaste, quitted the law, and having in
July married, commenced business as a print and
bookseller, with a circulating library in Lambeth-
walk. He next removed to St. Martin's -churchyard,
near Charing-cross, where he had the misfortune to
have his house burned, and sustained a very con-
siderable loss. He next enrolled himself in the
Prince of 'Wales's volunteer corps, and suffered
various vicissitudes both in and out of business.

Mr. Hone made his first literary essay as a
satirist. Perhaps no composition of the same class
ever went through a greater number of editions than
his " Political House that Jack Built," and in illus-
trating which, the inimitable powers of Cruikshank
were first developed. Shortly after he edited the
pamphlet known as the " Spirit of Despotism," and
thereby resuscitated powerful pieces of writing, which
a few years before, had biassed in no ordinary man-
ner, the minds and principles of the public.
Mr. Hone subsequently became a bankrupt, but
again started in May's-buildings, St. Martin's-lane,
from whence he removed to High-street, Bloomsbury,
where, whilst Mrs. Hone attended to the shop, he
acted as assistant to Mr. Saunders, the book auc-
tioneer. In 1811 he commenced for himself, and
held his first trade sale as a book auctioneer, having a
counting-house in Ivy-lane. But here again the
strong desire he always manifested to rectify abuses
led him to investigate the complaints which had been
made respecting lunatic asylums, and for this purpose
he cordially co-operated with Mr. E. Wakefield and
James Bevan, of the Society of Friends—and one re-
sult among many was the release of an unfortunate
man of the name of Norris, who for nine years had
been chained to an upright iron bar in one of the
cells of Bethlem Hospital. Involved in embarrass-
ments, a second failure was the consequence—
his family having in the interval increased
to seven children, who were taken to a humble
lodging in the Old Bailey, where the father struggled
hard to maintain them by his contributions to the
Critical Review and the British Lady's Magazine.
He next occupied a small shop in Fleet-street, as a
bookseller, which on two different nights was plun-
dered of the most valuable works, many of which
had been borrowed for the purpose of displaying
stock. This greatly disheartened him, but about 1815
he became publisher of the Traveller newspaper, and
the case of Eliza Fenning coming under his notice,
he exerted his usual indefatigable zeal to rescue her
from death. In 1816 he commenced a weekly paper
called the Reformist's Register, in which he very ably
combated the doctrines promulgated by Mr. Owen.
In considering, however, the life of Mr. Hone, that
portion, which of course attaches the attention most,
is that which relates to the period when, on charges of
libel and blasphemy, he was summoned before the ju-
dicature of his country to answer the allegations
brought against him. To these we at once proceed.
The first trial of Mr. Hone came on before Mr.
Justice Abbot and a special jury on the 18th of De-
cember, 1817. The information filed against him was
for printing and publishing a seditious and profane
libel on those parts of the Church Service called the
Catechism, the Apostles' Creed, and the Lord's prayer,
to which the defendant pleaded " Not Guilty." Air.
Hone, acting as his own counsel, addressed himself to
the management of his own case. Though unprac-
tised in the art of speaking, the impression he made
was considerable. Touching upon his arrest, he com-
plained against Lord Ellenborough for excess of rigour.
The hasty manner of his apprehension by his
Lordship's order he strongly dilated on. Labouring
at the time under severe indisposition from a nervous
complaint, he was hurried from a spunging house to
Westminster-hall, to plead to informations of the na-
ture of which he was wholly ignorant. Placed on
the floor of the Court, hardly able to stand or see from
indisposition, he respectfully craved the indulgence of
the Lord Chief Justice to be allowed to sit whilst
three long informations were read. Never, said Hone,
should he forget the answer which the Noble Lord
gave to this application from a forlorn and oppressed
fellow-creature, literally sinking from pain and the
sufferings of humanity.. The venerable Judge, said
he, in relating this circumstance, with that com-
placency, mildness, and forbearance, which was so
peculiar to him, uttered the monosyllable "No !"
and that "No" was delivered with an emphasis which
might have been heard at the other end of Westmin-
ster-hall. This treatment, said Hone produced a
different effect upon him from that which his Lord-
ship calculated. It operated on him like a glass of
cold water thrown on the face of a fainting man. It
roused him to a sense of independence. He saw that
he was the victim of a grinding persecution, which,
though it had broken him down, had not yet crushed
him.
He had been called, said Mr. Hone, in continua-
tion of his defence, by some of the papers, a wretch
who had been dragged from obscurity and poverty by
the sale of blasphemous publications. He would not
call the authors by that appellation by which he had
been branded, but he challenged the whole world to
point out an instance in which he had been guilty of
a single act derogatory to a moral and honest man.
High authorities had raised an outcry against him—
a sort of war- whoop—for the purpose of dragging
him, a miserable and defencelesss man, through the
gauntlets of popular clamour, as an execrable enemy
to society. He scorned the ambition of becoming a
popular man, even if he had the ability to attain such
a distinction—but he did lay claim to the character
of an honest and independent man.
He then came to the charge of publishing parodies.
His defence was that there were two kinds of paro-
dies; one in which a man might convey ludicrous or
ridiculous ideas relative to some other subject; the
other where it was meant to ridicule the thing paro-
died. The latter, he asserted, was not the case in
that which he employed, and therefore he had not
brought religion into contempt. After these obser-
vations, he proceeded to show that the parody brought
in accusation against him was in itself innocent, and
void of wrong tendency. The Blackwood of the

preceding October had a parody on Ezekiel, just
of the character of his, but it was written by respect-
able men. Judge Abbot, in drawing up, stated his
conviction that the prisoner had irreligiously scanda-
lised and libelled the Church. The Jury withdrew,
but in a quarter of an hour returned, with a firm
voice, " Not Guilty." Loud acclamations instantly
filled the Court.

The second trial of Mr. Hone came on, upon the
19th of the same month, before Lord Ellenborough.
The scenes between his Lordship and the accused
were on this occasion most remarkable. Lord Ellen-
borough appeared sitting on thorns, and wound up to
one
portion
contended the
colloquy
that
the utmost pitch of irritation throughout the trial.
I
inwteasnti ."'onarmanadnate
violent.ndenu
lkillr.
Hone
were very different considerations. " I call upon
your Lordship to say," said he, " whether I can be
guilty of a libel, unless there is manifest • •
a intention
on my part to commit the offence charged by the
information?"
Lord Ellenborough—As you call upon me to give
my opinion, I say, if the publication has a tendency
to produce that effect on the minds of the persons
who read it, it is in law and in fact a libel. I should
not have interrupted you, but you called for my
direction.
Mr. Hone—That, Gentleman of the Jury, is his
Lordship's (!) opinion.
Lord Ellenborough—lt is not only my opinion,
but that of all ,lawyers and all Judges who ever sat
upon the Bench. Every man must be answerable for
the tendency of his acts. He cannot put his private
intention in opposition to his act, if it has a tendency
to inflame the public mind, and produce mischief.
There is no Judge and no lawyer who will controvert
this proposition.
Mr. Hone said that this was not his argument. The
Attorney-General had said that his Lordship would,
if he thought fit, give his opinion to the Jury. This
his Lordship was certainly empowered to do, under
Mr. Fox's Bill.
Lord Ellenborough—The Judge wanted no power
so to do, before Mr. Fox's Bill. It was his sworn
duty to do so before Mr. Fox's Bill, or even himself,
existed.
Mr. Hone submitted that Mr. Fox's Bill must be
considered as having passed unnecessarily, and was, in
fact, surplusage, although the wisdom of the Legis-
lature had thought it necessary to introduce an: ex-
press clause into the Bill empowering the Judge to
give his opinion. " But," said Mr. Hone, in a loud
and triumphant voice, " this is but his Lordship s
opinion."
This exclamation produced a shout of applause from
the auditory, who clapped their hands and huzzaed
repeatedly.
In an authoritative tone, Lord Ellenborough called
upon the Sheriffs to do their duty, and seize the per-
sons who had disturbed the Court.

Proceedings were stopped for some minutes,' when
the Sheriffs' officers were asked if they had secured
the offenders. One answered that they could not see '
any of the persons who had disturbed the Court.
Lord Ellenborough rose—Open your eyes—stretch
forth your arm, and seize the offenders. I see a great
many persons before me, but I cannot distinguish the
offenders.
The trial proceeded. Mr. Hone, in his defence,
adduced a greater crowd of authorities who were
stated by him to have parodied sacred subjects in the
same manner as himself.
The Jury, it is well known, brought in their una-
nimous verdict of " Not Guilty," and the sensation
produced by the effect of this partial trial cannot
be described. To enter into review of the third trial
of Mr. Hone for the publication of the " Sinecurists'
Creed, which was alleged to be a parody on on the
Creed of Saint Athanasius, would, perhaps, be te-
dious, as the tenor of his defence, and the result in his
acquittal, were the same as in the two foregoing trials.
Perhaps the most cruel casualty that befel Mr.
Hone was the disrepute and subsequent voluntary
banishment from this country of his brolher, occa-
sioned by his authorship of the publications for which
he was tried. Mr. Hone, the brother, was a barrister
of ten years' standing, who pursued his profession at
first on the Midland Circuit, and more lately in the
Court of Chancery. For several years he obtained by
this means such an income as was sufficient for the
support of his family in comfort and independence.
As soon, however, as the relation between him and
the subject of this memoir was known, an unjust pre-
judice was transferred to the innocent brother of the
publisher : it was taken for granted that the two held
the same religious and political opinions, till Mr.
Hone was gradually deserted by his clients, and found
himself deprived of his whole professional income.
In the hope of diverting this prejudice against his
character, he applied to the Lord Chancellor, the
Master of the Rolls, the Vice-Chancellor, and
the twelve Judges, to subscribe to a book on
Conveyancing, which they did, obtaining also similar
permission from the gentlemen within the bar in the
Court of Chancery, and the leaders of his own Cir-
cuit. Distress and poverty, however, prevented the
completion of this design. His wife and children
were frequently without the necessaries of life, and
finally a number of gentlemen at the bar subscribed
together to enable Mr. Hone to emigrate to one of the
colonies.
Mr. Hone's publication of " The Apocryphal New
Testament," from which the ecclesiastical followers of
former times drew most largely for their sacred inter-
ludes and plays, was made by him, as a matter of
mere curiosity, for the information of curious and in-
quisitive dispositions. By part of the Press, however,
it was construed into a cause of attack, and the fierce-
ness of the Quarterly Review in this respect, in Octo-
ber, 1821, roused him to answer the assailant, in
which he resented the flagitious frauds of the Reve-
rend Reviewer.
In 1823, Mr. Hone published his description of the
" Ancient Mysteries," such as chiefly found in the old
English Miracle Plays, and printed at his own house,
45, Ludgate-hill.
In 1830, Mr. Hone produced his " Annals of the
Revolutions in France," which was compiled chiefly
from the journals and part correspondence, and pos-
sesses some interesting documents.
Among other literary works by Mr. Hone, was the
" Spirit of Despotism," dedicated to Lord Castlereagh,
edited by Mr. Hone, and republished in 1821. His
" Slap at Slop (Dr. Stoddart) and the Bridge-street
Gang," was published in the same year. In 1824 lie
responded to the Quarterly Review, in a pamphlet en-
titled ." Aspersions answered," which was followed
by " Another Article for the Quarterly," written in
the same year. The excellent and entertaining work
entitled " The Every-day Book, or Calendar of Popu.
lar Amusements," appeared in 1826-7, and attracted
greatly by its excellent manner. The " Table-book,"
a similar work, was also produced in 1827, in two
volumes ; these he finished while under arrest for debt
c
in the King's Bench, with his family of ten children
L,
r "Hon's
Poor Humphrey." a
dependent on him. His " Year-book of Daily Recrea-
tions and Informatisomna"llapaplmeaaoreado inof
al8“ cu
3p20. li
appeared in 1829. The last, however, was a mere
catchpenny of the hour.
The difficulties under which Mr. Hone laboured
once more aroused the energies of his friends, and by
their aid he was enabled to take the Grasshopper
coffee-house, in Gracechurch-street, but after a few
years this speculation also failed. At the starting of
the Penny Magazine, he wrote the first article, and
he likewise edited " Strutt's Sports,'' &c.
Mr. Hone, towards the close of his life, became
one of the editors of the Patriot newspaper, and con-
tinued in the situation till increasing infirmity caused
him to retire altogether from active life.
He has left, out of a family of twelve children,
nine still living, several of whom, with their widowed
mother, are almost wholly unprovided for.

COURT CIRCULAR.
WINDSOR TUEsDAT.—The Queen and Prince Albert
walked for some time this forenoon in the Home
Park, and again in the afternoon took similarexercise.
The Earl of Dunmore and Major-General Sir
Henry Wheatley left this morning.
Lady Portman has arrived to succeed the Countess
of Dunmore as the Lady in Waiting on the Queen ;
Viscount Sydney to succeed Viscount Hawarden as
the Lord in Waiting; and Sir Frederick Stovin to
succeed Admiral Sir Robert Otway as the Groom in
Waiting on her Majesty.
Mr. J. Lucas had the honour of submitting to the
Queen and Prince Albert the portraits which he has
just finished painting, by command of her Majesty,
of the reigning Duke of Saxe Cobourg and Gotha,
and his Serene highness Prince Ernest, of which her
Majesty and his Royal Highness were pleased to ex-
press their approbation.
Dr. Hodgson, Provost of Eton, and Lieut.-Colonel
Wood, will have the honour this evening of joining
the Royal dinner circle.
Covers are laid for fifteen. The Royal party will
also include the Earl and Countess Bruce, Lady Port-
man, Lady Caroline Cocks, Hon. Miss Devereux,
Viscount Sydney, Hon. C. A. Murray, Sir F. Stovin,
Lord C. Wellesley, Colonel Wylde, and Dr. Prcetorius*

A Cabinet Council was held at three o'clock yes-
terday afternoon, at the Foreign-office. It was at-
tended by Sir Robert Peel, the Duke of Wellington,
the Lord Chancellor, Lord Wharncliffe, the Duke of
Buccleuch, Earl of Aberdeen, Lord Stanley, Sir
James Graham, the Chancellor of the Exchequer,
Earl of Haddington, Earl of Ripon, Sir H. Hardinge,
and Sir Edward Knatchbull.
The Council broke up at half-past five o'clock.
A deputation of West India merchants, including
the Agent for Jamaica, Mr. Colvile, Mr. George
Hibbert, Mr. C. Marryatt, Sir J. R. Reid, Mr.
Holmes, Mr. Beckford, Mr. Davidson, Mr. M'Chleary,
Mr. Barkly, and Mr. Colquhoun, had an interview
with Lord Stanley yesterday, at the Colonial-office.
Lord Fitzgerald and Vesci arrived in town yester-
day from a visit to her Majesty at 'Windsor Castle.
Count de St. Aulaire, the French Ambassador, had
an interview with the Earl of Aberdeen yesterday at
the Foreign-office.
Mr. J. 11. Plunkett, Attorney-General of New
South Wales, and Mr. J. E. Bichens, Colonial Secre-
tary, had interviews with Lord Stanley and Sir James
Graham at the Colonial-office yesterday.
The Earl of Aberdeen gave a Cabinet dinner to his
colleagues last evening at his residence in Argyll-street.

AT I

THE BIG AND LITTLE R
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SlR—Conning over the columns of your evening
edition of Friday, .I saw an account of a scientific
meeting in France, at which was communicated the
sea! only
extraordinary and highly interesting fact in natural
history,--that a rat had been found near the top of
one of the Alps ! many thousands of feet above the
on an think, a rat on a high mountain ! Was it
exploratory journey, such as some men of science
have immortalised themselves by? " Whence came
this little ambitious animal ?" I exclaimed. Surely it must
be some learned rat from our own island, that, tired of
political strife, determined, like nobler beings, to go
on its travels ; and, no doubt, managed, unperceived,
to secrete itself in the recesses of the steamer's hold,
taking the
route of France, where it would meet with
many kindred rats. But what an ambitious imitator
l,?r)
!Hake
the great rat that was sometime since found on
that mountain, the Treasury bench, and whose daring
in placing himself there, has been a theme of admira-
tion ever since. Well ! some good lesson may gene-
raVVt"l ' so, leaving your readers to the best of the
be drawn from the smallest trifles one meets
little ambitious-ratiand of the great one too, though,
I fear they may find ." bad is the best" of such a
tribe,--I remain, respectfully
Nov. 5, 1842. N'O R4TCATCHER.

houses at Dantzie,
..........--r-----
The
corn trade has never been in such a plight as
it is now; the best and oldest firms have stopped;
been broken up; and the home farmer, instead of
procuring from 645. to .565. for his wheat, has to
enter into a competition with the assignees of the
Marseilles, and elsewhere, have
purchasers of foreign wheat, and has to contend in the
market against foreign wheat sold at 485., a less price
than it would have cost if it had not paid 6d. duty.
Much of this wheat is still unsold, and the
agricul-
turists, who were taught to expect a higher prot,!3c-
tion than the Bs. fixed duty. are actually in the same
situation now as they would have been if there had
been a free trade in corn, for they have to compete
with foreign corn to be sold without reserve, to meet
engagements, at as small a price as it would have sold
with open ports.—Glasgow Argus.
The Earl of Mulgrave and the Earl of Caledon
have been on an excursion to the country of the Red
Indians, near Hudson's Bay, where the Noble Lords
had abundant sport in buffalo shooting, and thence
they returned to head-quarters at Montreal, whence
Lord Caledon was to embark for England.

_
*l4;l' '