AGAINST MR. ROUS AND MR. GOWER. 



217 



"My Lords and Gentlemen^ 



" I earnestly beg your attendance at the meeting on the 

 16th. You will then have an opportunity of hearing from that 

 energetic and excellent gentleman^ Mr. Warnes, who has spared 

 neither time, nor labour, nor money, in making himself master 

 of the subject, a full account of the mode of growing flax in 

 Ireland, a clear exposition of our own prospects, if we adopt 

 its culture, and much other interesting information on the 

 subject. 



" I have the honour to be, &c., 



W. R. Rous. 



" JVorstead House, December 16^/i.'' 



The question may be asked, what has Mr. Warnes done to 

 forfeit the esteem of his once ardent supporter? I answer, no- 

 thing, but adhere to an uncompromising determination to carry 

 out the original designs of the Norfolk Flax Society. Finding 

 it impossible to do this in conjunction with the Committee of 

 Management, I withdrew, and continued to act independently, 

 under a conviction of my Providential call to the work. Hence 

 the defeat of the combined attempt to thwart my individual 

 exertions, to defame my reputation, and to render nugatory the 

 immeasurable benefits to be derived from the cultivation, 

 preparation, and manufacture of the flax plant. I sincerely 

 regret that self-defence compels me to advert to the above 

 topics, and to the perversion of a term in my reply to Mr. 

 Rous's letter that had no reference whatsoever to the paltry 

 evidence obtained from Ghent. 



The mystery to which I alluded centred partly in a private 

 correspondence that passed between the Hon. Mr. Rous and 

 myself, in which Mr. Gower's conduct forms a prominent fea- 

 ture. Time and circumstances may unravel the mystery 

 " earlier, probably, than was anticipated," and disclose a 

 treachery and ingratitude that have not often been surpassed. 



I have reviewed the former numbers of my series with much 

 care, and it is no small satisfaction to find that I shall not 

 have to erase a single sentence. They will, therefore, when 



