it), of avowing
one thing and thinking another, that proceeding he here exemplifies
himself; and yet, while indulging in practices as offensive as this,
he ventures to speak of his sensitive admiration of "hault courage
and strict honour!" "I forgive you, Sir Knight," says the heroine in
the Romance, "I forgive you as a Christian." "That means," said
Wamba, "that she does not forgive him at all." Mr. Kingsley's word of
honour is about as valuable as in the jester's opinion was the
Christian charity of Rowena. But here we are brought to a further
specimen of Mr. Kingsley's method of disputation, and having duly
exhibited it, I shall have done with him.

It is his last, and he has intentionally reserved it for his last.
Let it be recollected that he professed to absolve me from his
original charge of dishonesty up to February 1. And further, he
implies that, _at the time when he was writing_, I had not _yet_
involved myself in any fresh acts suggestive of that sin. He says
that I have had a great _escape_ of conviction, that he hopes I shall
take warning, and act more cautiously. "It depends entirely," he
says, "on _Dr. Newman, whether_ he shall _sustain_ the reputation
which he has so recently acquired" (p. 8). Thus, in Mr. Kingsley's
judgment, I was _then_, when he wrote these words, _still_ innocent
of dishonesty, for a man cannot sustain what he actually has not got;
_only he could not be sure of my future_. Could not be sure! Why at
this very time he had already noted down valid proofs, as he thought
them, that I _had_ already forfeited the character which he
contemptuously accorded to me. He had cautiously said "_up to_
February 1st," _in order_ to reserve the title-page and last three
pages of my pamphlet, which were not published till February 12th,
and out of these four pages, which he had _not_ whitewashed, he had
_already_ forged charges against me of dishonesty at the very time
that he implied that as yet there was nothing against me. When he
gave me that plenary condonation, as it seemed to be, he had already
done his best that I should never enjoy it. He knew well at p. 8,
what he meant to say at pp. 44 and 45. At best indeed I was only out
upon ticket of leave; but that ticket was a pretence; he had made
it forfeit when he gave it. But he did not say so at once, first,
because between p. 8 and p. 44 he meant to talk a great deal about my
idiotcy and my frenzy, which would have been simply out of place, had