taken without running that risk? Had I written it myself, there would have been my hand writing against me, and had I employed another, that other might have betrayed me; he might have ruined me in the opinion of all those, whom it is my interest as well as my pride to be esteemed by; or, at best, I should have been at his mercy for ever after wards. Besides the great risk of detection, let any one point out, if he can, what end I could propose to myself by such a device. As to making my shop and myself known, I presume I did not stand in need of a Scare-Crow, to effect that, when the kind democrats themselves had published to the whole Union, that I had taken the house in which I live, for the purpose of retailing my "poison," as they called it, and had even had the candour to tell the world, that I had paid my rent in advance*. They *It was to Mr. Franklin Bache's creditable and incorruptible Gazette, that I was indebted for this volunteer advertisement. This was generous in a declared foe; but those will not be astonished at the editor's candour and tolerating principles, who are acquainted with the following anecdote. From the European Magazine, for September 1795, page 156. "When Voltaire arrived at Paris, an interview took place "between him and Franklin. After the first compliments, "which by the way were more adulative than comported with "the character of an American, and above all of a stern Re"publican, the Doctor presented his grandson to Voltaire, in "soliciting him for his blessing. The philosopher of impiety relished the pleasantry; and to render the farce complete, "he rose from his chair, and with a patriarchal air, laid his "hands on the head of the child, and solemnly pronounced, "in a loud voice, these three words: God, Liberty, and Tole"ration. All the pious were shocked at the American, who, they said, burlesqued Religion in asking the blessing of Vol"taire." affect affect to believe, sometimes, that the letter was a mere trick to bring in the pence, and, in one of their latest paragraphis, they call me a "catch penny author." But, let them recollect, that I am now a bookseller, whose trade it is to get money; and if I am driven to such shifts as the ScareCrow, to get a living, let them reconcile this circumstance with their assertions concerning my being liberally paid by Great Britain. A man in British pay, rolling in "the gold of Pitt," could certainly never be so reduced as to venture every thing for the sake of collecting a few eleven-penny bits. It is the misfortune of the democrats ever to furnish arguments against themselves. Those who reason upon the improbability of the democrats sending the threatening letter, do not recollect the extract I have above quoted from the Aurora, in which the people of Philadelphia are called upon to murder me, and are told, that "jus"tice, honour, and national gratitude demand it.' It is very improbable that men, capable of writing paragraphs like this, should, upon finding the people deaf to their honourable insinuations, attempt to intimidate my landlord by a cut-throat letter? Their great object is to silence me, to this all their endeavours point: lies, threats, spies and informers, every engine of Jacobinical invention is played off. I am sorry to tell them, that it is all in vain, for I am one of those whose obstinacy increases with opposition. I have now to apologize to my indulgent reader, for having taken up so much of his time with subjects relating chiefly to myself. The task has, to me, been a very disagreeable one; but it was become necessary, as well for the vindication of my own character as for the satisfaction of my friends; F 3 friends: yes, in spite of envy, malice and falsehood, I say, my numerous and respectable friends, who, I trust, will be well pleased to find, that there is nothing in the history of Peter Porcupine to raise a blush for the commendations they have bestowed on his works, or to render them unworthy of their future support, END OF THE LIFE OF PORCUPINE. THE |