' letter I had the honour of receiving and answering ' by Mr. Secker.' Your lordship's most obedient, Directed to JOHN WILKES. Earl Talbot. SIR, I fuppofe you have by this time found the letter I wrote directed to you at Winchester, and that hath acquainted you why I addreffed myself 'to Mr. Wilkes, to enquire if The North Briton ' of the 21st of August was written by him. I well know every gentleman who contributes to fupport periodical papers by his pen, is not answerable for all the papers that appear under the title • of that which he affifts, but I cannot conceive that any man should refufe to affure a perfon who hath been the object of the wit of any paper, that he ' was not the author of a paper he did not write. Every man's fenfe of honour ought to direct his conduct, if you prefer a perfonal engagement to the denying being the author of a paper that hath been fo free with my name; I who am publickly 'affronted by that paper, cannot in honour avoid requiring the fatisfaction you feem most defirous to give. Be pleafed to write or fend to me as 'foon as you have determined what part you will act. I fhall be in London Thurfday and Friday next, and this day fe'nnight, after which I fhall ⚫ not be in London till Thurfday the 23d.' I am, Sir, your humble fervant. Bolton-street, TALBOT. Directed to Col. Wilkes. Winchester, My Lord, Winchester, Sept. 16. 1762* I had not till yesterday the honour of your lordship's letter of the 12th, and embrace this earliest opportunity of acknowledging it. Your lordship has not yet, in my poor idea, ascertained the right you claim of interrogating me about the paper of the 21st of Auguft, and I will first know the very good authority on which I am thus questioned, before I will return any answer whatever. Your lordship defires me to write or send to you as foon as I have determined what part I fhall act. I intended my first letter should have • made that fufficiently clear.' Directed to I am, my Lord, Earl Talbot. SIR, I have this inftant received your's of the 16th. It is your own declaration before men of truth and honour that you occafionally affifted the paper called The North Briton with your pen, that is the foundation of my interrogating you • about the North Briton of the 21st of August ' and whatever may be your idea, mine is that when a gentleman owns himfelf an occafional author of an anonymous fatirical paper, any perfon • by name ridiculed in fuch an hebdomadal performance hath a right to afk the occafional avow⚫ed writer, if he was the author of the offending 6 paper. • You You may now, Sir, anfwer my question or not, I have offered to put myself upon that foot'ing with you that became a man who hath fpirit, and is influenced by honour-if you do not deny 'the paper I must and will conclude you wrote it.' Your humble fervant, Bolton-street, Sept. 17, 1762. TALBO T. Directed to Col. Wilkes. Winchester, Sept. 21, 1762. My Lord, Sunday's poft brought me your lordship's of the 17th, and by the return of it this waits on your lordship. You are pleased to say that it is my own declaration before men of truth and honour that I 'occafionally aflifted the paper called the North Briton. I wish your lordship had been more explicit, and had mentioned the name of any one gentleman before whom I made that declaration. Was it made in public? or was it in private converfation? Still I have the misfortune of not yet feeing your lordship's right of putting the queftion to me about the paper of the 21ft of August, and 'till I do, I will never refolve your lordship on that head, though I would any friend I have in the world, who had the curiofity of afking me, if it was in a civil manner. . Your lordship fays that if I do not deny the paper, you must and will conclude I wrote it. Your lordship has my free consent to make any • conclufions you think proper, whether they are well or ill grounded; and I feel the moft perfect indifference about what they are, or the confequences of them. • I in I intend at present to make a tour on Thurf day to the ifle of Wight. I fhall return to this city the beginning of the next week.' I am, my Lord, Your Lordship's Directed to most humble fervant, Earl Talbot. JOHN WILKES. SIR, Winchester, Sept. 30, 1762. pre Lord Talbot by your meffage has at laft brought this most important question to the cife point, where my first answer to his lordship fixed it, if he preferred that. As you have only feen the two laft letters, I must entreat you to caft your eye over thofe preceding, because I apprehend they will justify an obfervation or two I made this morning, when I had the honour of paying my compliments to you at camp. Be affured that if I am between heaven and earth, I will be on Tuesday evening at Tilbury's the Red Lion at Bagfhot, and on Wednesday morning will play this duet with his lordship. It is a real fatisfaction to me that his lordship is to be accompanied by a gentleman of colonel Berkley's worth and honour. This will be delivered to you by my adjutant, who attends me to Bagfhot. I fhall not bring any fervant with me, from the fear of any of the parties being known. My piftols only, or his lordship's, at his option, fhall decide this point. I beg the favour of you to return me the letters, as I mean to leave Winchester this evening. I have lord Bruce's leave of abfence for ten • days.' I am, with fincere regard, Sir, JOHN WILKES. I hope that we may make a partie quarréé for fupper on Tuesday at Bagfhot. Directed to Colonel Berkeley. SIR, I have read all the letters and shall depend upon the pleasure of fupping with you at Tilbury's the Red Lion at Bagfhot Tuesday evening. My fervant will attend me, as the going alone 'would give room for fufpicion, but you may depend upon his following your direction at Baghot, and that he fhall not be feen where you would not have him-I am much obliged by your favourable opinion, and am, Your very humble fervant, Camp near Winchester, Sept. 30, 1762. N. BERKELEY. Inclosed is the copy of a letter received by Mr. Stanley this afternoon. [It related to the taking the Havannah.] Directed to Colonel Wilkes. [To thefe Letters we shall fubjoin the following Paper; as it alfo relates to the North Briton.] Extract from an AFFIDAVIT, examined by the Office Copy. A ND this deponent, Peregrine Cuft, for himfelf faith that he hath particularly attended to and confidered the following paragraph or parts of the faid annexed paper, A, called the North Briton, beginning at the 28th line of the third VOL. I. G page |