Mr. C. H. Frewen writes to Sir J. V. Shelley, demanding to know from whom he had received this circular; a private letter presumably given to him in breach of confidence.
Sir J. V. Shelley replies that the circular was a printed document, and therefore not entitled to be considered private. Whereupon Mr. C. H. Frewen (who dates his letters from Cold Overton Hall) replies that, no matter for that, or in whatever way he got possessed of it, the man who would read such a letter in such a way
"Can have no pretensions to call himself a gentleman."
But stay. We do not say that all this is true. We only say that it has appeared in the Times. For aught we know, the Times may be a facetious contemporary, cracking jokes on the head of Mr. Frewen, as if it were a thick one. We do not mean to say that Mr. Frewen made such an ass of himself, as he did make, if his correspondence, as printed in the Times, is genuine. But, however, Sir J. V. Shelley—always according to the Times, mind—rejoins by desiring of Mr. Frewen that the whole of the correspondence should be published, as the first letter had been, and declining to answer any more letters. And then:—
"Mr. Frewen returns this letter unopened. Sir J. Shelly ought to be aware that Mr. Frewen cannot receive any more communications from him except through another person."
What does Mr. Frewen mean by this?—if the nonsense is his really? Surely not the old bluster, the obsolete bullying trick; Chalk Farm, pistols and coffee for two, with cock pheasant also if required for the satisfaction of a gentleman desiring a bellyfull for breakfast. Not an invitation to fight a duel; that ridiculous anachronism; the necessary consequence of which in these days, to the principal fools concerned in it, each of them, must be getting either shot, or imprisoned, or laughed at; most probably the latter. Shot by the other fool; imprisoned—if not hanged—for shooting him; or laughed at for neither having shot him nor been shot by him; but probably having simply exchanged with him a blank pop! If Mr. Frewen has indeed been such a booby as it appears in the Times that he has, Mr. Punch can only say that he would recommend him to change the designation of Cold Overton to that of Clod Hall, and to assume the name, together with the arms, of Bob Acres.
HOMŒOPATHY SUPERSEDED.
Here is a gross libel or a fine satire:—