Note 52 — POLITICAL ESSAYS, WITH SKETCHES OF PUBLIC CHARACTERS (continued 9)

‘Somebody (Fontenelle, I believe) has said, that if he had his hand full of truths, he would open but one finger at a time; and I find it necessary to use the same sort of reserve with respect to Mr. Phelim Connor’s very plain-spoken letters. The remainder of this Epistle is so full of unsafe matter of fact, that it must, for the present at least, be withheld from the public.’