his occasion rendered still sharper by his friendship for
Mr. Whately who was lying between life and death. After reviewing the
arguments of the opposite counsel, Wedderburne directed himself to an
inculpation of the assembly and people of Massachusets; in the course of
which he attacked Dr. Franklin in a strain of bitter invective, on the
ground of having violated private confidence in the disclosure of the
letters. He observed, "These could not have come to Dr. Franklin by fair
means; the writers did not give them to him, nor yet did the deceased
correspondent, who from our intimacy, would otherwise have told me of
it. Nothing then will acquit Dr. Franklin of the charge of obtaining
them by fraudulent or corrupt means, for the most malignant of purposes,
unless he stole them from the person who stole them.... I hope, my
lords, you will mark and brand the man for the honour of this country,
of Europe, and of mankind. Private correspondence has hitherto been held
sacred in times of the greatest party rage, not only in politics, but
religion;--he has forfeited all the respect of societies and of men.
Into what companies will he hereafter go with an unembarrassed face, or
the honest intrepidity of virtue? Men will watch him with a jealous eye;
they will hide their papers from him, and lock up their escrutoires; he
will henceforth esteem it a libel to be called a man of letters; _homo
trium literarum_! He not only took away the letters from one brother,
but kept himself concealed till he nearly occasioned the murder of the
other. It is impossible to read his account, expressive of the coolest
and most deliberate malice, without horror." Wedderburne concluded with
this indignant burst of feeling:--"Amidst tranquil events, here is a
man who, with the utmost insensibility of remorse, stands up and avows
himself the author of all. I can compare him only to Zanga, in Dr.
Young''s Revenge:--

'Know, then, 'twas I. I forged the letter--I disposed the picture--I
hated--I despised--and I destroy'

I ask, my lords, whether the revengeful temper attributed to the
bloody African, is not surpassed by the coolness and apathy of the wily
American?"

It is said that during this celebrated invective the members of the
council laughed with exultation; none preserving a decent gravity,
except Lord North. On the other hand, Franklin is said to have heard it
all with composure, standing erect in one corner of the room, and not
suffering the