New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-08

IN order "a preserye the secret Of his former cor
respondent?
So far this article has been written not as an at
tempt to prove that Francis was the author of the
"Junius" letters but that Mr.. Rae's attempt 10
prove that he could not have been their author Is
a failure end | will now submit the reasons which
have induced to believe, as / do. that he not
only could have been but actually was. their writer
Every thorough and careful person who in recent
years has sought for himself answer to the
question "Who was the writer Of Junius'?' must.
II he had the opportunity have examined the vol
ume published in London by Murray. In 1871 en-
titled THE Handwriting Of Junius Professionally
Investigated by Mr.. Charles Chabot, Expert. with
Preface and Collateral Evidence by the Hon. Ed
ward Twisleton," and ] confident that every
impartial and competent examiner OF that volume
has been convinced Of the correctness Of the con-
clusion arrived at by Mr.. Chabot that Francis was
the writer OF the sixty-three private letters OF
"Junius' TO Woodfa. Of which fac-simes photo
graphed from the originals with two exceptions)
are given to the work, together with over forty
written by Francis and taken from his own letter.
book. Such an examination has at least convinced
me Of the identity Of Francis with "Junius." but
do not expect any who has not made similar
examination TO accept my opinion as conclusive. and
l shall not undertake TO reproduce here even one
of the very numerous and constantly recurring
smilarites pointed out and illustrated by Mr. Chabot.
Nor do / ask that any one should accept conclusions
based on smilarities in handwriting alone. even
though those simiarities be. as / think they are
in this case. striking and so numerous as not to
require the skill and experience Of an expert for
their detection. ! therefore only ask attention to
tho principal point made by Mr.. Twsleton In the
collateral Evidence" and submit this not. Of
course as a discovery OF my own or as novelty
for II is familiar 10 all students OF the question
since 1S'lbut the number Of those students Is com
paratively small, and doubt II 1t has even been
heard OF by than small fraction OF the read
ers OF Mr.. RAGS article. In which no reference Is
VERSES BY SIR PHILIP.
At Christmas time. no. Francis (then thirty years
old was at Bath. which place he was In the habit
OF visiting. With him Richard Tilghman, his
cousin and intimate friend-so intimate that they
formed a sort Of mutual admiration society Dim
ited) as is shown by the terms in which they refer
TO each other In their letters to third parties and
this intimacy continued up TO Tighman's death. In
1856 During this visit Francis danced on more
than evening at the Assembly Rooms with a
Miss Giles and II then the custom at balls for
q lady to retain the same partner during the whole
OF the evening so that the fact OF Miss Giles hav-
Ing thus danced with Mr.. Francis would imply
more Of acquaintance than would necessarily be
involved in a young lady's dancing with gentle
man at the present day. Subsequently she received
an anonymous note. inclosing anonymous compli-
nen,ary stanzas. both OF which she believed 10
have been sent TO her by him. These stanzas have
no great poetcal merit. and are written In the
rather stilted style OF Society verses OF that day
II II not necessary TO give them here entire but
only the first two lines OF the second stanza:
In the school of tn. Gr.c... by Venus attended.
Belinda improves ev'ry Hour
The anonymous note which accompanied the
stanzas was follows:
The cncIossd paper of Verses was found this
morning by Accident. The person who found them.
not knowing to wnom they belong. Is Obliged 70
trust to his own judgment ard takes for granted
that they could only be meant for Miss Giles
The lady married . MI King In January. I772