"Mr. Moore thinks it highly incumbent on him to acquaint the public, that Thomas Brayne (who was his shopman all last winter) is now publishing a spurious paper under the same title in Holborn; that they may not be deceived, Mr. Moore's name will be in front of every paper he writes. He begs leave further to add, that Brayne sold several papers last week in his name, and told those who purchased them, that they were wrote by Mr. Moore, and that he published for him. In order that the public may not be deceived by such low artifice, an affidavit of Brayne's proceedings in this respect, will appear in the public papers some time next week."
I have also the papers published by Brayne, which are advertised at the end to be "Printed and Published by T. Brayne, No. 55., opposite Hatton Garden, Holborn."
I have referred to No. 4, for Friday, June 3, 1768, addressed to Lord Mansfield, noticed in the Athenæum; but, with all due respect to the opinion of the reviewer, I cannot see the slightest similitude to the style of Junius. It appears to me to be a very feeble performance, and by a very inferior person. Indeed, the entire series of the Extraordinary North Briton seems poor and flat when compared with its predecessor, the original and famous North Briton.
The attempt to show Mason to be Junius is amusing and ingenious; but the reviewer has evidently failed in persuading himself, and therefore, amidst the many startling improbabilities by which such an attempt is encompassed, is scarcely likely to gain many converts to such a theory.
JAMES CROSSLEY.
Fitzpatrick's Lines on Fox.—MR. MARKLAND, in your [78th Number (p. 334.]), asks the true reading of the third line.—The word should be "mind," not "course."
The lines are under the engraved bust of Fox, prefixed to the edition, in elephant folio, of his History of the early Part of the Reign of James II., and the word there given is "course." In my copy of that work is inserted a letter from Miller, the publisher, to a deceased friend of mine, who was an original subscriber at "Five Guineas, boards!"
That letter, so far as is material, is as follows:—
"The error in the engraving of the writing was certainly a very bad one, and not to be remedied, but it is a satisfaction to me that it was Lord Holland's mistake and not mine. I have his lordship's original writing of the four lines to clear myself. W. Miller, Albemarle Street, June 6, 1808."
Q. D.