gh to say that I have never misread a word, or overlooked a
passage of importance. I profess only to have dealt with my materials
honestly to the best of my ability. I submit myself to a formal
trial, of which I am willing to bear the entire expense, on one
condition-that the report, whatever it be, shall be published word
for word in The Saturday Review."

The proposal was certainly a novel one, and could not in ordinary
circumstances have been accepted. But it is also novel to charge an
historian of the highest character and repute with inability to speak
the truth, or to distinguish between truth and falsehood. Freeman,
signing himself "Mr. Froude's Saturday Reviewer," replied in The Pall
Mall Gazette. The challenge he left to the editor of The Saturday,
who contemptuously refused it, and he admitted that after all Froude
probably did know what a Bill of Attainder was. The rest of his
letter is a shuffle. "I have made no charge of bad faith against Mr.
Froude"--whom he had accused of not knowing what truth meant--"with
regard to any Spanish manuscripts, or any other manuscripts. All that
I say is, that as I find gross inaccuracies in Mr. Froude's book,
which he does not whenever I have the means of testing him which was
certainly not often--"I think there is a presumption against his
accuracy in those parts where I have not the means of testing him.
But this is only a presumption, and not proof. Mr. Froude may have
been more careful, or more lucky"--meaning less fraudulent, or more
skilful--"with the hidden wealth of Simancas than he has been with
regard to materials which are more generally accessible. I trust it
may prove so." If Freeman thought that he meant that, he must have
had singular powers of self-deception. "I have been twitted by men of
thought and learning"--whom he does not name--"for letting Mr. Froude
off too easily, and I am inclined to plead guilty to the charge. I do
not suppose that Mr. Froude wilfully misrepresents anything; the
fault seems to be inherent and incurable; he does not know what
historical truth is, or how a man should set about looking for it. As
therefore his book is not written with that regard for truth with
which a book ought to be written, I hold that I am justified in
saying that it is not 'un livre de bonne roy.'"

It is difficult to read this disingenuous farrago of insinuation even
now without a strong sense of moral contempt. But vengeance was
coming, and before many yea