the expedition of humphry clinker-第31章

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libel；　this　is　so　far　from　being　counted　a　punishment；　in
terrorem；　that　it　will　probably　make　his　fortune。　The　multitude
immediately　take　him　into　their　protection；　as　a　martyr　to　the
cause　of　defamation；　which　they　have　always　espoused。　They　pay　his
fine；　they　contribute　to　the　increase　of　his　stock；　his　shop　is
crowded　with　customers；　and　the　sale　of　his　paper　rises　in
proportion　to　the　scandal　it　contains。　All　this　time　the
prosecutor　is　inveighed　against　as　a　tyrant　and　oppressor；　for
having　chosen　to　proceed　by　the　way　of　information；　which　is
deemed　a　grievance；　but　if　he　lays　an　action　for　damages；　he　must
prove　the　damage；　and　I　leave　you　to　judge；　whether　a　gentleman's
character　may　not　be　brought　into　contempt；　and　all　his　views　in
life　blasted　by　calumny；　without　his　being　able　to　specify　the
particulars　of　the　damage　he　has　sustained。

'This　spirit　of　defamation　is　a　kind　of　heresy；　that　thrives
under　persecution。　The　liberty　of　the　press　is　a　term　of　great
efficacy；　and　like　that　of　the　Protestant　religion；　has　often
served　the　purposes　of　sedition　　A　minister；　therefore；　must　arm
himself　with　patience；　and　bear　those　attacks　without　repining　
Whatever　mischief　they　may　do　in　other　respects；　they　certainly
contribute；　in　one　particular；　to　the　advantages　of　government；
for　those　defamatory　articles　have　multiplied　papers　in　such　a
manner；　and　augmented　their　sale　to　such　a　degree；　that　the　duty
upon　stamps　and　advertisements　has　made　a　very　considerable
addition　to　the　revenue。'　Certain　it　is；　a　gentleman's　honour　is
a　very　delicate　subject　to　be　handled　by　a　jury；　composed　of　men；
who　cannot　be　supposed　remarkable　either　for　sentiment　or
impartiality　　In　such　a　case；　indeed；　the　defendant　is　tried；　not
only　by　his　peers；　but　also　by　his　party；　and　I　really　think；
that　of　all　patriots；　he　is　the　most　resolute　who　exposes　himself
to　such　detraction；　for　the　sake　of　his　country　　If；　from　the
ignorance　or　partiality　of　juries；　a　gentleman　can　have　no
redress　from　law；　for　being　defamed　in　a　pamphlet　or　newspaper；　I
know　but　one　other　method　of　proceeding　against　the　publisher；
which　is　attended　with　some　risque；　but　has　been　practised
successfully；　more　than　once；　in　my　remembrance　　A　regiment　of
horse　was　represented；　in　one　of　the　newspapers；　as　having
misbehaved　at　Dettingen；　a　captain　of　that　regiment　broke　the
publisher's　bones；　telling　him；　at　the　same　time；　if　he　went　to
law；　he　should　certainly　have　the　like　salutation　from　every
officer　of　the　corps。　Governor　took　the　same　satisfaction　on　the
ribs　of　an　author；　who　traduced　him　by　name　in　a　periodical
paper　　I　know　a　low　fellow　of　the　same　class；　who；　being　turned
out　of　Venice　for　his　impudence　and　scurrility；　retired　to
Lugano；　a　town　of　the　Grisons　（a　free　people；　God　wot）　where　he
found　a　printing　press；　from　whence　he　squirted　his　filth　at　some
respectable　characters　in　the　republic；　which　he　had　been　obliged
to　abandon。　Some　of　these；　finding　him　out　of　the　reach　of　legal
chastisement；　employed　certain　useful　instruments；　such　as　may　be
found　in　all　countries；　to　give　him　the　bastinado；　which；　being
repeated　more　than　once；　effectually　stopt　the　current　of　his
abuse。

As　for　the　liberty　of　the　press；　like　every　other　privilege；　it
must　be　restrained　within　certain　bounds；　for　if　it　is　carried　to
a　branch　of　law；　religion；　and　charity；　it　becomes　one　of　the
greatest　evils　that　ever　annoyed　the　community。　If　the　lowest
ruffian　may　stab　your　good　name　with　impunity　in　England；　will
you　be　so　uncandid　as　to　exclaim　against　Italy　for　the　practice
of　common　assassination？　To　what　purpose　is　our　property　secured；
if　our　moral　character　is　left　defenceless？　People　thus　baited；
grow　desperate；　and　the　despair　of　being　able　to　preserve　one's
character；　untainted　by　such　vermin；　produces　a　total　neglect　of
fame；　so　that　one　of　the　chief　incitements　to　the　practice　of
virtue　is　effectually　destroyed。

Mr　Barton's　last　consideration；　respecting　the　stamp…duty；　is
equally　wise　and　laudable　with　another　maxim　which　has　been　long
adopted　by　our　financiers；　namely；　to　connive　at　drunkenness；
riot；　and　dissipation；　because　they　inhance　the　receipt　of　the
excise；　not　reflecting；　that　in　providing　this　temporary
convenience；　they　are　destroying　the　morals；　health；　and　industry
of　the　people　　Notwithstanding　my　contempt　for　those　who　flatter
a　minister；　I　think　there　is　something　still　more　despicable　in
flattering　a　mob。　When　I　see　a　man　of　birth；　education；　and
fortune；　put　himself　on　a　level　with　the　dregs　of　the　people；
mingle　with　low　mechanics；　feed　with　them　at　the　same　board；　and
drink　with　them　in　the　same　cup；　flatter　their　prejudices；
harangue　in　praise　of　their　virtues；　expose　themselves　to　the
belchings　of　their　beer；　the　fumes　of　their　tobacco；　the
grossness　of　their　familiarity；　and　the　impertinence　of　their
conversation；　I　cannot　help　despising　him；　as　a　man　guilty　of　the
vilest　prostitution；　in　order　to　effect　a　purpose　equally　selfish
and　illiberal。

I　should　renounce　politics　the　more　willingly；　if　I　could　find
other　topics　of　conversation　discussed　with　more　modesty　and
candour；　but　the　daemon　of　party　seems　to　have　usurped　every
department　of　life。　Even　the　world　of　literature　and　taste　is
divided　into　the　most　virulent　factions；　which　revile；　decry；　and
traduce　the　works　of　one　another。　Yesterday；　I　went　to　return　an
afternoon's　visit　to　a　gentleman　of　my　acquaintance；　at　whose
house　I　found　one　of　the　authors　of　the　present　age；　who　has
written　with　some　success　　As　I　had　read　one　or　two　of　his
performances；　which　gave　me　pleasure；　I　was　glad　of　this
opportunity　to　know　his　person；　but　his　discourse　and　deportment
destroyed　all　the　impressions　which　his　writings　had　made　in　his
favour。　He　took　upon　him　to　decide　dogmatically　upon　every
subject；　without　deigning　to　shew　the　least　cause　for　his
differing　from　the　general　opinions　of　mankind；　as　if　it　had　been
our　duty　to　acquiesce　in　the　ipse　dixit　of　this　new　Pythagoras。
He　rejudged　the　characters　of　all　the　principal　authors；　who　had
died　within　a　century　of　the　present　time；　and；　in　this　revision；
paid　no　sort　of　regard　to　the　reputation　they　had　acquired　
Milton　was　harsh　and　prosaic；　Dryden；　languid　and　verbose；　Butler
and　Swift　without　humour；　Congreve；　without　wit；　and　Pope
destitute　of　any　sort　of　poetical　merit　　As　for　his
contemporaries；　he　could　not　bear　to　hear　one　of　them　mentioned
with　any　degree　of　applause　　They　were　all　dunces；　pedants；
plagiaries；　quacks；　and　impostors；　and　you　could　not　name　a
single　performance；　but　what　was　tame；　stupid；　and　insipid。　It
must　be　owned；　that　this　writer　had　nothing　to　charge　his
conscience　with；　on　the　side　of　flattery；　for　I　understand；　he
was　never　known　to　praise　one　line　that　was　written；　even　by
those　with　whom　he　lived　on　terms　of　good　fellowship。　This
arrogance　and　presumption；　in　depreciating　authors；　for　whose
reputation　the　company　may　be　interested；　is　such　an　insult　upon
the　understanding；　as　I　could　not　bear　without　wincing。

I　desired　to　know　his　reasons　for　decrying　some　works；　which　had
afforded　me　uncommon　pleasure；　and；　as　demonstration　did　not　seem
to　be　his　talent；　I　dissented　from　his　opinion　with　great
freedom。　Having　been　spoiled　by　the　deference　and　humility　of　his
hearers；　he　did　not　bear　contradiction　with　much　temper；　and　the
dispute　might　have　grown　warm；　had　it　not　been　interrupted　by　the
entrance　of　a　rival　bard；　at　whose　appearance　he　always　quits　the
place　　They　are　of　different　cabals；　and　have　been　at　open　war
these　twenty　years　　If　the　other　was　dogmatical；　this　genius　was
declamatory：　he　did　not　discourse；　but　harangue；　and　his　orations
were　equally　tedious　and　turgid。　He　too　pronounces　ex　cathedra
upon　the　characters　of　his　contemporaries；　and　though　he　scruples
not　to　deal　out　praise；　even　lavishly；　to　the　lowest　reptile　in
Grubstreet　who　will　either　flatter　him　in　private；　or　mount　the
public　rostrum　as　his　panegyrist；　he　damns　all　the　other　writers
of　the　age；　with　the　utmost　insolence　and　rancour　　One　is　a
blunderbuss；　as　being　a　native　of　Ireland；　another；　a　half…starved
louse　of　l