1819 July 10

To Erskine

Lett. 6 ?

§ 7.5. Petitions rely on ?

No indecent animadversions!

3

3

50

9

Not to mention so many other intimations in this same Letter that have already been brought to view, in those which are here brought to view a second time is there not that which if haply the Judge whom Your /his/ Lordship has in contemplation for this adequate judicature should from the Bible or any inferior source of doctrine have learnt that he ought not to be a respecter of persons, would not the quondam head of the law run some risk of being swept off along with us of the swinish multitude into the sink of punishment into the place appointed for libellers? Supposing even that to the animadversions in question by the competent authority /judicatory/ in question the term indecent should not be found applicable – and nobody can be farther than myself from thinking that in this case it is justly applicable, among those appellatives which would be most indecent can /could/ any be found that to the set of men /authority/ in question would be more annoying? – more destructive of that reverence in which, if it were /where it is/ “well founded the legislature and the laws (Your Lordship assures us in this same passage /on this same occasion/) are regarded by the great body of the people? upon which reverence Your Lordship therein also assures us the security and confidence of every country mainly depends?