442 MR. MAYIIEW’S SECOND LETTER TO MR. BARLOW. 
him doubtful of his own judgment; he would not have wronged 
himself had he been so modest; he is altogether mistaken : the 
very grounds upon which he pretends to argue are entirely errone- 
ous. Let him get some one acquainted with the English tongue 
to read and explain to him the paper with which he appears to be 
so much displeased, and he will find there is no foundation for his 
displeasure. Had he been in his language ordinarily civil, I 
should have been most happy to have pointed out to him the 
meaning he has misconceived, but his unfortunate vulgarity pre- 
cludes me from undertaking the task. 
There is one part of his strange paper which does astonish me, 
and appears to be so extraordinary that I must be permitted to cha- 
racterize it as meanly indecent; — I allude to the repeated and ful- 
some reference made by Mr. Barlow to the gentleman by whom 
he is retained. 
It is always considered indelicate for a disputant to introduce 
into a controversy the name of any person who may be alive, when 
such reference is not absolutely necessitated; and when compul- 
sory, allusion is, by gentlemen, only made in the most remote and 
guarded manner. In Mr. Barlow’s instance, the existence of other 
and earlier authorities did not compel him to the unusual resort. 
The direct and pandering citation was a purely gratuitous act — a 
debasing flattery offered to the employer whose establishment he 
does not think it beneath him to “ puff” by an indecorous refer- 
ence to the notorious “ cases.” Could this weak-minded young 
man mistake me for a fitting subject on whose back to placard the 
advertisement announcing his own distinguished merits, and pub- 
lishing his purchased adulation of his employer 1 Indeed, his com- 
prehension is not large ! 
It is lamentable to see subjects interesting to the public con- 
verted into the means of quacking up petty individuals. I wanted 
to learn if Mr. Barlow was able to teach. I besought him to 
impart, and begged of him to instruct me. He answers by sing- 
ing his own praises, and truckling to the party who pays him 
his annual stipend. I read only that I am miserable, and he is 
happy — that I am ignorant, and he is learned — that he is expe- 
rienced, famous, and exalted — that he teaches with success, and is 
a little deity in his own sphere. He spares no praise to himself, 
and begrudges no abuse to me ; both are equally deserved, and 
equally creditable : a little proof of his attainments had, however, 
been satisfactory. I have heard pupils speak of Edinburgh vete- 
rinary anatomy without excitement. I have heard examiners 
mention anatomical teachers without being puzzled to find terms 
of commendation. I have read essays, and have found in them 
nothing denoting extraordinary information, but, on the contrary, 
