of this Magazine. ^^ 321 



tor of men of merit (p. 104.); of not acting in accordance 

 with his own recorded professions (p. 98.); of rendering his 

 professions of truth being his guide utterly worthless, by not 

 putting them in practice, (p. 105.) — A writer, Sir, I repeat, 

 advisedly and deliberately advances such charges as these ; 

 advisedly and deliberately repeats them ; and, forsooth, he 

 means no offence ! He speaks not of the individual, but of the 

 editor ; not of the gentleman, but of the author ; not of the 

 man of honour, but of the public agent of a public body 1 In 

 the circle of society in which Mr. Swainson appears to revolve, 

 such insinuations may perhaps be little regarded ; their shafts 

 may most probably fall blunted from the coarse and callous 

 feelings of the individuals of his caste : but among gentle- 

 men and men of honour the case is dilFerent. I am here, in 

 fact, left but one alternative. I will meet this asperser of my 

 honour upon his own grounds. Since he so pleases, I will 

 sink the individual, and let the public man alone be prominent. 

 And, in the language of honest indignation, the editor of the 

 journal which Mr. Swainson censures, — the author of the 

 papers which he misrepresents, — the secretary of the institu- 

 tion which he has dared to calumniate, — tells Mr. Swainson, 

 ■ — tells him before the world, and in the face of day, — tells 

 him, without evasion or reserve, — that his accusations are as 

 false as they are malignant. 



Let us descend from these generalities, and now examine in 

 detail the accusations of this writer. I will advert to them 

 nearly in the order in which they occur. 



1. I am accused of publishing controversial papers which 

 were not intended for the public eye ; in this manner giving 

 publicity to expressions of ridicule and contempt which my 

 correspondents have used in private communications, but 

 which their sense of what is due to the courtesies of life would 

 withhold from using in public, (p. 97.) A deep and serious 

 charge ; and one which, if substantiated, would stigmatise the 

 f' guilty person" for ever in the eyes of all honourable men ! 

 " There are " some papers of this description in the Zoological 

 Journal, asserts the accuser. I unhesitatingly answer, there 

 is not one. With the exception of some scientific extracts, 

 avowedly, and with the consent of the authors, taken from 

 private or demi-official letters, — not one of them being con- 

 troversial, — there is not a line printed in that journal, at 

 least since my connection with it, which was not composed, 

 written, and transmitted to the editor for express publication. 

 The want of truth in this accusation being established, there 

 is no need to refer to its malignity. 



2. I am accused of publishing other papers in the same 

 VoL.IV. — No. 20. Y 



