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Digital Paxton: Digital Collection, Critical Edition, and Teaching Platform

A Humble Attempt at Scurrility - 16

FROM whence they have gathered, that Mr. F—n’s Friends “make it a Condition on which alone they will make a Reply,” I am at a Loss to guess. No Words in Mr. H—s’s Advertisement imply any thing of the kind. It is there said, that if they will avow their Performance, in such Case, there shall be a Reply published with the Writer’s Name affixed. But surely this is not to be construed to mean that, if they don’t avow it, there will then be no Reply made, either anonymous or otherwise. If you really, Gentlemen, do imagine that this was the Intention of either Mr. H—s, or any other of Mr. F—n’s Friends, you flatter yourselves egregiously. They were determined, from the first, to “detect and expose what was false in the Answer to the Remarks,” but then they wanted also to detect and expose the Author of those Falsities, and thereby prevent his imposing on the Publick in future; which could not be done without he could be made to appear. For this Purpose, and to show his Regard for an absent Friend, Mr. H—s published his Challenge; but, to do you Justice, you have had the Address to discover the Plot, and have therefore prudently declined entering the Lists.

SINCE Matters are thus circumstanced, and you are determined, like your Brother Savages of the Ohio, to keep to your Bush-Fighting, we must engage you in the same Manner. A prudent Officer will always adapt his Operations to the Nature of his Enemy, and attack them in their own Way.— By this Conduct Boquet conquered; by the contrary Braddock was defeated.

AS to myself, I am but young and inexperienced in waging Wordy-War, this being the first Campaign I ever served; yet have I Spirit enough to attack the great Giant himself in his Castle, notwithstanding all his Blunderbusses. But shou’d I not succeed in my Attempt, there is a hardy Band of Veterans, all sure Marksmen, and long enured to Service, who intend soon to charge their Rifle-barrel’d Quills, and make one general Assault on the Giant and all his Adherents. A Body of light Infantry, all Volunteers

Contents of this annotation:

In reply to an attack on Benjamin Franklin by John Hughes. Attributed to Isaac Hunt in the Dictionary of American biography. Ascribed to the press of Anthony Armbruster by Evans. "Prologue to the coffee-house politician, or The justice caught in his own trap."--p. vii-viii. "Thirteen descriptions of the great A. drawn from the life by that celebrated master D---d J--s D-ve, poet laureat to the Pr---ry Party."--p. 38-42. Signatures: [A]? B-E? F_ (F2 verso blank). "Errata."--p. [43].