Almon. In the Memoirs of a late Eminent Bookseller, pp. 76-86. is inserted a series of Letters, (31 in number,) from Mr. Calcraft to Almon, of which the first is dated Rempston Hall, Sept. 2, 1770. and the last Ingress, Aug. 16, 1772. being part of the period, within which Junius began and terminated his politico-literary career. In a Letter dated Ingress, Jan. 13, 1772. we read :-"Your dispatch "yesterday is very interesting. The marriage makes it impossible "for Ministers to gratify Luttrell. Bradshaw's language, and Lord. "Shelburne's visit to the Queen's House on his arrival, confirm your intelligence of that party. Pray tell me, in confidence, what "did Lord Temple's visits to St. James's mean? Does he talk as loudly in commendation of Lord North, as the Ministers and their "friends boast, at Lady Primrose's particularly, as well as other "places. If you put in paragraphs, put that MR. FRANCIS is appointed Deputy Secretary at War, and continues his present employment also. It will teaze the worthy Secretary, as I well "know, and oblige me. I will give you my reasons, when you will "find more folly in that noble Lord, than even you thought him "capable of. This may be an interesting week. Pray continue your attention to your country friend."

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In another Letter, dated Ingress, Saturday, we read :-"Thanks "for your Letter. I was not mis-informed; I knew FRANCIS was "not Deputy, but wished him to be so; and to cram the Newspapers with paragraphs that he was so. For he is very deserving." Now from these Letters we may fairly suppose that Sir Philip Francis was not particularly known to Mr. Almon prior to their date, viz. in Jan. 1772, when Junius had nearly finished his brilliant career; for, if Francis, the intimate friend of Mr. Calcraft, had been previously well known to Mr. Almon, also the particular friend of Mr. Calcraft, Mr. C. could not be ignorant of the fact, and the language of his Letters to Mr. Almon would have necessarily contained some such words as these, our friend Francis, 1. because Mr. Almon's intimacy with Francis would have been naturally seized by Mr. Calcraft as a reason why Mr. Almon should insert the contemplated paragraph, 2. because Mr. C. asks for the insertion merely on his own account, and not for the sake of a common friend. The real Junius was evidently an early friend of Almon, (in the Political Register for April 1768. published by Almon, was inserted a Letter from Junius, see Taylor, pp. 135-48.) and as I have shewn that Sir Philip Francis was not a friend of Almon prior to Jan. 1772, it is manifest that Francis and Junius were distinct persons.

4. It is well known that Mr. Almon in his Biographical Anecdotes published in 1797, and his Edition of Junius, (of which books I have neither at hand,) maintained that Hugh Macaulay Boyd was the Author of Junius, and his pretensions to that honour have been abundantly refuted by Dr. Mason Good in the Preliminary Essay prefixed to Woodfall's Edition of Junius. This is a satisfactory proof that Mr. Almon had no facts, which could lead him to a suspicion of Sir Philip Francis's authorship, though he had derived important

assistance from him in the Anecdotes of the Life of Earl Chatham, first published in 1791 or 1792: see Mr. Taylor, p. 139. It is also a satisfactory proof that Mr. Almon, himself a man of much talent, of various knowledge, of large information, of literary reputation, and of political connexions, had formed no such estimate of the abilities, and the attainments of Sir Philip as to suppose him equal to the composition of the Letters, or else he would not have advocated the claims of Boyd. These remarks are not unimportant, when it is confidently stated or broadly insinuated that, because Almon was a friend of Junius, between 1767 and 1773. and because Sir Philip Francis in 1791 or 1792. made communications to Almon for his Anecdotes of the Life of Earl Chatham, therefore Junius and Sir Philip were one and the same person. Mr. Taylor says in p. 148:-"So that it appears not only that Junius had a regard for Woodfall, in which he resembled Sir Philip Francis, but that the next printer, to whom the former had recourse, was equally distinguished by the favours of the latter." But Junius unquestionably had in view chiefly his own political objects. He preferred Woodfall's Paper, not because Woodfall was his school-fellow and his friend, but because his Paper was on many accounts the fittest receptacle for his Articles,—because he could rely on the moral integrity and the personal courage and the political consistency of Woodfall. He gave the second preference to Almon for similar reasons, and not from any particular friendship for him. The sort of friendship, which he felt for Almon, is manifest from the very little effort, which was made by any party to re-imburse Mr. Almon for the expenses attending the prosecution for a libel in publishing Junius's Letter to the King: from the Memoirs of a late Eminent Bookseller, p. 76. it appears that the sum of 1007. collected by Sir John Aubrey, was all the compensation Mr. Almon received for the loss, vexation, trouble, etc. of this prosecution."

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With great respect and esteem I remain, dear Sir,

Thetford, Feb. 5, 1827.

Very truly yours,

E. H. BARKER.

GENERAL SIR HERBERT TAYLOR'S

MEMORANDUM

OF THE ILLNESS AND DECEASE

OF THE

DUKE OF YORK.

LONDON:-1827.

THE interest excited by the situation of the late Duke of York, and by every circumstance connected with his long, painful, and lingering illness, from its commencement until the fatal hour which closed his valuable existence, has been so great, and the general feeling which it produced has caused so many particulars to be circulated and received by the public as authentic, for which there either was no foundation, or at least very imperfect foundation, that I have, on due consideration, been induced to draw up from minutes taken during this distressing and trying period of my attendance on his Royal Highness, a statement, not of the progress of the disease, or of the treatment pursued, but of such circumstances and facts as will show the condition of his Royal Highness's mind under this awful visitation of Providence, will do justice to the exemplary resolution and pious resignation with which he met and submitted to it, and will satisfy his attached friends that his Royal Highness was, in every point of view, deserving of the respect and affection which have so strongly marked their sentiments towards him, and of the deep grief and regret which his death has occasioned in their minds, and in those of the respectable and well-thinking individuals of every class in this country.

The state of his Royal Highness's health had, for some time, appeared far from satisfactory, and had occasioned more or less uneasiness to those about him, but the first indications of serious indisposition, such as to produce alarm, were on his Royal Highness's return from Ascot to his residence in Audley-square,

on the 9th of June 1826, and Mr. Macgregor, who then saw him, urged him immediately to send for Sir Henry Halford.

From that period, his Royal Highness continued more or less an invalid, and was occasionally confined to his house.

On the 24th of June, his Royal Highness removed for change of air to Brompton Park, the residence of Mr. Greenwood, who kindly lent it to him, and on that day he sent for me, and told me that he had been unwell for some weeks, and that he did not think that he gained ground: that he did not feel alarmed, and that he had perfect confidence in the attention given to his case, and the skill of his medical advisers; but that he knew that they might entertain apprehensions, which they would consider it their professional duty not to communicate to their patients, and he might therefore remain ignorant of that which ought not to be concealed from him, and which he trusted he should learn without apprehension, although he did not deny that he should learn it with regret. That there were duties to be performed, and arrangements to be made, which ought not to be deferred to the last moment, and he felt that it was due to his character and station, to his comfort, and even to his feelings on this subject, that he should not be taken by surprise on so serious an occasion. He considered it probable that the physicians would be less reserved with me than with him, and he charged me if I should learn from them directly, or should have reason to draw such inference from any expressions that might drop from them, that his situation had become one of danger, not to withhold such knowlege from him. He appealed to me on this occasion for an act of friendship, he would add, for the discharge of a duty, which he claimed from the person who had been with him and enjoyed his confidence during so many years; he called on me to promise that I would perform it whenever the period should arrive to which he alluded, and he desired that I would bear in mind that he wished me to deal by him as he was certain I should desire, under similar circumstances, to be dealt with.

I made the promise without hesitation, and it was received with a warm expression of thanks, and an affectionate pressure of the hand.

This was repeated, in allusion to what had passed at a later period of the day, when he got into his carriage to go to Brompton, and he then said that he felt relieved from great uneasiness by the promise I had given him.

His Royal Highness removed to Brighton on the 14th of August, for the benefit of further change of air, and I learnt from Mr. Macgregor, on the 17th of that month, that a change had

taken place in his general state, and that symptoms had appeared which rendered his situation one of danger.

This distressing information was confirmed to me from other quarters, and I determined immediately to go to Brighton, and to discharge my duty, but to be guided in the character and extent of the disclosure by such further communication as might be made to me by his Royal Highness's medical attendants of the nature and pressure of the danger. I pleaded business rendering personal communication necessary for my visit to his Royal Highness, and I went to Brighton on the 19th of August. On my arrival I learnt from Mr. Macgregor that a favorable change had taken place, that his Royal Highness had gained strength, and the most alarming symptoms had in great measure subsided; that his Royal Highness's situation might, therefore, be considered far more encouraging than when he wrote to me, but that it was impossible to consider it free from danger, although that danger had ceased to be immediate, and although there was reason to hope that the cause of alarm might be removed. He added, that from observations which his Royal Highness had made to himself, he was convinced I should find him prepared for any communication I might feel it my duty to make to him, and that, under all circumstances, I must exercise my discretion.

I then saw the Duke of York, who entered fully into his situation, and told me that although much better then, and he believed going on well, he had reason to think from the manner and looks of his medical attendants, that they had been alarmed, and felt much greater uneasiness than they had expressed, or might feel at liberty to express, and he wished to know what I had learnt.

;

I did not disguise from him that, bearing in mind the engagement I had contracted, I had determined to go to Brighton in consequence of the accounts I had received on the 17th which had alarmed me, but that I was happy to find on my arrival, that his Royal Highness's state had since been improving, and that much of the uneasiness which then prevailed had been removed at the same time it was my duty to confirm the impression which he appeared himself to have received, that his complaint had assumed a more serious character, although great confidence appeared to be felt that the extraordinary resources of his constitution, and the strength he had gained since his removal to Brighton, would enable him to struggle successfully with his disorder. "Then," said he, "I was not mistaken in my suspicions, and my case is not wholly free from danger; but I depend on your honour, and you tell me there is more to hope than to fear."

I assured him that that was decidedly the impression I had received from what Mr. Macgregor had said to me. He thanked NO. LIV.

VOL. XXVII.

Pam.

2 E