登陆注册
4705400000276

第276章

Whatever we may think of the morality of Hastings, it cannot be denied that the financial results of his policy did honour to his talents. In less than two years after he assumed the government, he had without imposing any additional burdens on the people subject to his authority, added about four hundred and fifty thousand pounds to the annual income of the Company, besides procuring about a million in ready money. He had also relieved the finances of Bengal from military expenditure, amounting to near a quarter of a million a year, and had thrown that charge on the Nabob of Oude. There can be no doubt that this was a result which, if it had been obtained by honest means, would have entitled him to the warmest gratitude of his country, and which, by whatever means obtained, proved that he possessed great talents for administration.

In the meantime, Parliament had been engaged in long and grave discussions on Asiatic affairs. The ministry of Lord North, in the session of 1773, introduced a measure which mode a considerable change in the constitution of the Indian Government.

This law, known by the name of the Regulating Act, provided that the presidency of Bengal should exercise a control over the other possessions of the Company; that the chief of that presidency should be styled Governor-General; that he should be assisted by four Councillors; and that a supreme court of judicature, consisting of a chief justice and three inferior judges, should be established at Calcutta. This court was made independent of the Governor-General and Council, and was intrusted with a civil and criminal jurisdiction of immense and, at the same time, of undefined extent.

The Governor-General and Councillors were named in the Act, and were to hold their situations for five years. Hastings was to be the first Governor-General. One of the four new Councillors, Mr. Barwell, an experienced servant of the Company, was then in India. The other three, General Clavering, Mr. Monson, and Mr. Francis, were sent out from England.

The ablest of the new Councillors was, beyond all doubt, Philip Francis. His acknowledged compositions prove that he possessed considerable eloquence and information. Several years passed in the public offices had formed him to habits of business. His enemies have never denied that he had a fearless and manly spirit; and his friends, we are afraid, must acknowledge that his estimate of himself was extravagantly high, that his temper was irritable, that his deportment was often rude and petulant, and that his hatred was of intense bitterness and long duration.

It is scarcely possible to mention this eminent man without adverting for a moment to the question which his name at once suggests to every mind. Was he the author of the Letters Of Junius? Our own firm belief is that he was. The evidence is, we think, such as would support a verdict in a civil, nay, in a criminal proceeding. The handwriting of Junius is the very peculiar handwriting of Francis, slightly disguised. As to the position, pursuits, and connections of Junius, the following are the most important facts which can be considered as clearly proved: first, that he was acquainted with the technical forms of the Secretary of State's office; secondly, that he was intimately acquainted with the business of the War Office; thirdly, that he, during the year 1770, attended debates in the House of Lords, and took notes of speeches, particularly of the speeches of Lord Chatham; fourthly, that he bitterly resented the appointment of Mr. Chamier to the place of Deputy Secretary-at-War; fifthly, that he was bound by some strong tie to the first Lord Holland.

Now, Francis passed some years in the Secretary of State's office. He was subsequently Chief Clerk of the War Office. He repeatedly mentioned that he had himself, in 1770, heard speeches of Lord Chatham; and some of these speeches were actually printed from his notes. He resigned his clerkship at the War Office from resentment at the appointment of Mr. Chamier. It was by Lord Holland that he was first introduced into the public service.

Now, here are five marks, all of which ought to be found in Junius. They are all five found in Francis. We do not believe that more than two of them can be found in any other person whatever. If this argument does not settle the question, there is an end of all reasoning on circumstantial evidence.

The internal evidence seems to us to point the same way. The style of Francis bears a strong resemblance to that of Junius; nor are we disposed to admit, what is generally taken for granted, that the acknowledged compositions of Francis are very decidedly inferior to the anonymous letters. The argument from inferiority, at all events, is one which may be urged with at least equal force against every claimant that has ever been mentioned, with the single exception of Burke; and it would be a waste of time to prove that Burke was not Junius. And what conclusion, after all, can be drawn from mere inferiority? Every writer must produce his best work; and the interval between his best work and his second best work may be very wide indeed.

Nobody will say that the best letters of Junius are more decidedly superior to the acknowledged works of Francis than three or four of Corneille's tragedies to the rest, than three or four of Ben Jonson's comedies to the rest, than the Pilgrim's Progress to the other works of Bunyan, than Don Quixote to the other works of Cervantes. Nay, it is certain that Junius, whoever he may have been, was a most unequal writer. To go no further than the letters which bear the signature of Junius; the letter to the king, and the letters to Horne Tooke, have little in common, except the asperity; and asperity was an ingredient seldom wanting either in the writings or in the speeches of Francis.

同类推荐
  • 全相二十四孝诗选

    全相二十四孝诗选

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 长离阁集

    长离阁集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 金箓大斋宿启仪

    金箓大斋宿启仪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 元始洞真决疑经

    元始洞真决疑经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Martin Eden

    Martin Eden

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 我家老婆又开挂了

    我家老婆又开挂了

    重生就一定能成为人生赢家?不,回到十四年前的苏千寻,就活的生不如死。她死了,但九尾狐千寻,却苏醒了。当千年前的祸国妖姬成为苏千寻,从此,欺我者,十倍奉还,辱我者,不得好死!说她胖如肥猪?减肥后亮瞎人眼,让你们知道什么叫胖子都是潜力股!笑她成绩差丢人现眼,当学渣逆袭成学霸,告诉你们什么叫智商是无法逾越的鸿沟!箭无虚发,她是为国争光的神箭手;演技爆炸,她是娱乐圈的演员教科书;引领潮流,她是时尚界的百变女王,靠脸就圈粉无数。
  • 梦中的通神者

    梦中的通神者

    大萨满斯琴掛几次来哈尔滨都坚持不住在我家里。说身上带着“东西”,包里装着“神器”。算起来我们相识交往快十年了。2002年我应莫力达瓦达斡尔族自治旗人民政府之邀,赴尼尔基做全旗的旅游规划。十几年来我一直在东蒙地区做科研搞调查,了解到达斡尔、鄂温克、鄂伦春、赫哲、朝鲜等民族是东北亚地区的世居民族,是萨满教母源地之一。他们的氏族萨满至今也是萨满教最古老、最为典型的传承人之一,并不断向外延伸,影响其他北方民族而成为一种世界性的历史文化现象。北方民族萨满继承的是“天人合一”、“人神合一”、“万物有灵”的哲学思维。
  • 爱的欺负:驯服小老婆

    爱的欺负:驯服小老婆

    他是高高在上的霸道总裁,她是顽强小白领。恶劣的他一向坚持一个原则:爱她就要欺负她。他还打算逼她结婚,据为己有。她愤然“你这魔鬼,强枪民女”,他撇嘴“我怎么可能是魔鬼?因为近亲禁止结婚”
  • 豪门禁爱:总裁大人宠上瘾

    豪门禁爱:总裁大人宠上瘾

    轻轻打开门,朝里面偷偷看了一眼,一道高瘦完美的背影映入女孩的眼帘。果然没猜错,原来嘉南……
  • 不良世子妃

    不良世子妃

    大婚之日那混蛋相公不见了踪影,她忍。相公喜欢逛窑子睡美人,成,睡就睡吧。婆婆作威作福,好吧,让就让吧。皇后欺压,婆婆刁难,郡主叫板,这些她都不在乎。但是,当她们把注意打到那个温润如玉的男子身上时,她佟卿歌终于怒了。
  • 兽神逆袭:帝君,来PK!

    兽神逆袭:帝君,来PK!

    传言唐王府的大小姐容貌倾城,嚣张跋扈,十足的花痴,可是眼前这个黑如没谈,柔弱清纯的人是谁?她,樊迟星球毒人部落里的大元帅,莫名重生成了一只黑猫,化成误入了唐王府成了大小姐!某女试做一朵白莲花,奈何非好脾气的她时时暴走!众人懵逼,说好你是一朵白莲花呢,这个女汉子是哪里来的?她本是他的契约兽,谁知莫名没了天赋成了废材兽,某男眼睛都不眨的把她扔了低级大陆:“如若还是不能修炼,你这只猫——将会是本君的腹中之物!”然最后她真的成为了他的腹中之物……“帝君,夫人要去包养小白脸,怎么办!”某男咬牙切齿:本君要把她抓回来家法!“夫人,听说你要去包养小白脸,难道为夫不够白吗?来,咱们好好验一下!”只见某女泪奔。
  • 木苒花开

    木苒花开

    穿越?不带这么玩的,我怎么的青春逼人,18谁花季少女的年纪,居然就嫁人了。身份还是光界的废物公主?但是,好的是,被木界的太子殿下宠的不要不要的,这次穿越还是有用的
  • 这样做就会有钱

    这样做就会有钱

    本书阐释的是一种赚钱的心态,一种支配和驾驭财富的智慧,一个可行的致富秘经。但愿通过阅读《这样做就会有钱》,你能够成为创造财富的佼佼者,创造美好幸福生活!思路决定贫富,人的贫穷主要是在于思想的贫穷,所以,要想富起来,就要让你的头脑灵活起来,靠智慧和头脑赚钱,才能立于不败之地。成功和财富离你并不遥远,也许这样做你就会有钱——要保持致富心态。不同的心态会演绎不同的命运,导致不同的结果。积极向上的心态激发人生的活力,为创造财富带来巨大的动力源泉。要有良好的人品。良好的品德不仅是每个人立足社会、创造财富的基础,更是让他人与你合作、赢得财富的前提,财富必然会跟着美德来。
  • 浮生红尘醉

    浮生红尘醉

    一场师徒禁恋,一个情字,爱亦是不爱皆在一线之间!
  • 穿越时空只为与你相恋

    穿越时空只为与你相恋

    偶叫莫玥樱,21世纪的独立女孩。最大愿望就是能有一个灰常灰常疼偶滴帅锅锅。还有一个粉爱粉爱偶滴帅锅。还有就是当系最最流行的穿越,以及谈上一场轰轰烈烈的爱情。呵呵。什么呀,我只不过是写了一个心愿瓶而已。第二天醒来就真的穿越了。还附身到了当朝南宫丞相的千金身上。拜托,有没有这么神奇呀。人家都说古代的美男多。可我看那古代帝王的画像都长得很丑诶。正好借这次穿越来辩辩真假好了。我这个人一点都不贪心哦,我觉得吧喜欢不同于爱,此生我只能把我的真爱为那一直以来等待着我出现的人而绽放。亲爱的老公,等着我哦。哦呵呵。