New-York tribune., 1894-04-29
THE REAL JUNICS.
A STUDY BY SIR PHILIP FRANCIS'S
GRANDSON
JCNIUS REVEALED. BY His Surviving Grandson.
II. II. Francis. PIP. viii. 81. Longmans. Green
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JUNIUS REVEALED. BY His Surviving Grandson.
H. r.. Francis. PIP. vni S2 Longmans Green
Co.
This little book should take all the mystery
| out Of the authorship Of the Junius letters Not
| but that the controversy may still go with
new theory from one OF those minds that pre-
fer the search for truth TO truth itself But. af-
| ter all. Mr. Francis has to do as others have
| done who meddled with the case. He argues
from facts within his knowledge to the foregone
conclusion that Sir Philip Francis was Junius:
| but he has no revelation to make no family
secret to disclose. He says that his father al
ways expected to be intrusted with the story Of
Junus. mainly on the strength Of a sudden cx-
ciamation Of Sir Philip Never mind. Philip,
| I'll see you before | die" But distance OF
| time and place" remarks Mr.. Francis forbade
the final Interview with his only son. on which
| he had reckoned for the formal transmission o.
| MS secret For this the son was apparently
not sorry. lie enjoyed society and was success
| ful in it, and. while he could not have refused
his fathers dying confidence. he could hardly be
expected to put himself in the way OF an awk-
ward secret. which was after ALL only secret
by common consent When he waited on the
Regent. afterward George ", to give up the
| insignia Of the Grand Cross OF the Bath that
had been conferred his father he found him
in his last hours. As soon as he was alone
with Francis the Prince exclaimed well
Philip. how about Junlus?" Mr. Francis adds
that his father I'm telling the story showed that
'he felt IT rather relief to have nothing new
to disclose" The lack OF this final conf1rnatorv
evidence did not change the Prince Regents
opinion. Nor does Mr.. Francis think that this
opinion was due to published essays on the sub
)ect-for example. to Taylor's "Junius Identified"
Probably he had taken the fact for granted
from the hrst moment that conjecture among
politicians was directed toward Sir Philip But
he had very good reasons for keeping silence
on the subject. and so had others In respect
10 Junius' as long as Sir Philip Francis lived
the public was divided into two casses-those
who were curious about the authorship merely
as literary question: and others who perceived
clearly the reasons why the last thin veil must
not be raised from a face the features Of which
were already familiar enough TO those to whom
the knowledge was Of practical use The I'M
spoken knowledge kept Sir Philip out Of Office
throughout the greater part OF his life but II
also gave him a distinctive position as an ad-
wiser Of his party. In a less ceremonious age
like the present for example the very changes
to which such productions the letters of
Junius contributed might be supposed to heal
the wounds first made. But resentment was
not so willingly given up three generations ago
1t was good form to show it. even though the
animus no longer existed.
There was also a marked popularity In the
treatment OF the matter by the family Of Sir
Philip Francis. including himself Willingly ac-
ceptng the unspoken belief Of the world they
nevertheless shrank from any formal concession
to that belief As long as people merely pointed
Sir Philip out as Junus. he could indulge a pride
natural TO one who had scored in youth won
derful literary success. but when the evidence
in the case was collected and published he gave
up his club to avoid the controversy that was
certain TO be thrust upon him. Literary in
vestigators took the matter out OF the hands Of
those with whom Sir Philip had n tacit agree
ment or silence. He had gained. says his grand
son. the respect. and In many cases the friend
ship, OF persons to whom his recognition as
Junius would have proved n check II not an abb
solute barrier 10 pleasant intimacy" He ig-
nored the suspicion amounting to certainty
which he knew existed in the minds OF Others. |
while they In their turn ignored the accessible !
evidence to an inconvenient fact. not merely on |
political but on social grounds" His son |
naturally dreaded the disnterment OF buried |
grudges." But plainly both father and grand |
father felt secretly the same pride in the letters