APPENDIX. 15 



from our interview, but that of Mr. Young deeming it expe- 

 dient to send me copies of the correspondence which had 

 passed between himself and Mr. Hawkins. From the letters 

 of the latter I shall furnish a brief extract or two. The first 

 bears date Dec. 29, 1839, and is written at Sharpham Park, 

 near Glastonbury, Mr. Hawkins's place of residence. 



No. 6. , 



" You must be aware, Sir, that a criminal action would cost him, [the 

 Editor of the Mag. Nat. Hist.] at least £500, for I should follow the ex- 

 ample of the Duke of Cumberland, and subpoena every witness that ever 

 had anything to do with my transactions with the British Museum ; and 

 also your son's dinner. I should degrade myself by an indulgence of any 

 thing like revenge, but it is no less my dutj^ to crush for ever a lie, which 

 seems to have been carefully organized and' perpetrated whenever an op- 

 portunity could be found. This is the only object I have — to crush this 

 lie for ever — it can be effected only by a public retraction, that is all I de- 

 mand, and that I will, so help me God, obtain. You appeal to my lenity, 

 I honour your feelings, and will defer instructions to my solicitor seven 

 days from your receipt of this. If, within that time, this person writes an 



ample apology to , containing a no less ample disavowal 



of every offensive word he uttered against myself, and if I receive the said 

 apology within the said time, there is an end of the matter. I need not 

 add that until one week I shall neither say nor write one word on the sub- 

 ject. I also need not add that you are at liberty to communicate the en- 

 tire contents of this letter to any one. I reiterate to any one. 



And remain, &c. &c. 



T. HAWKINS. 



Robert Young, Esq. 



In a subsequent epistle dated Jany. 4, 1839, Mr. Hawkins 

 proceeds to enlighten Mr. Young in the following strain. — 



No. 7. 



<'♦•*! liave therefore to repeat — and I do it with regret, in that 

 I am not able to concede anything you ask of me — that I insist on a 

 full, ample, and most satisfactory apology to , and as full a re- 

 traction of anything against myself. Nothing one iota short of this shall 

 prevent my bringing a criminal action, if I live, and there be one lawyer 

 in England that will undertake it. 



" Considering that you will not receive this until Monday next, I shall 

 concede this person the further grace of three days, that is to say till Thurs- 

 day next. On the next Friday, if I do not meantime receive all I demand 

 the case will be no longer in my hands, but those of my attorney. 



" In the case of a criminal action I should subpoena and put upon oath 

 every person at the dinner. They may be ready or unwilling witnesses, 

 but it matters not. * * * I feel that I have conceded to your feelings 

 and importunity too much, but I will abide by my word and wait till next 

 Thursday's post, for that self-damning confession which I will move hea- 

 ven and earth to have, if it be not spontaneously made. 



T. HAWKINS. 



Robert Young, Esq. 



