JUNIUS, the pseudonym of a writer who contributed a series of letters to the London _Public Advertiser_, from the 21st of January 1769 to the 21st of January 1772. The signature had been already used by him in a letter of the 21st of November 1768, which he did not include in his collection of the _Letters of Junius_ published in 1772. The name was chosen in all probability because he had already signed "Lucius" and "Brutus," and wished to exhaust the name of Lucius Junius Brutus the Roman patriot. Whoever the writer was, he wrote under other pseudonyms before, during and after the period between January 1769 and January 1772. He acknowledged that he had written as "Philo-Junius," and there is evidence that he was identical with "Veteran," "Nemesis" and other anonymous correspondents of the _Public Advertiser_. There is a marked distinction between the "letters of Junius" and his so-called miscellaneous letters. The second deal with a variety of subjects, some of a purely personal character, as for instance the alleged injustice of Viscount Barrington the secretary at war to the officials of his department. But the "letters of Junius" had a definite object--to discredit the ministry of the duke of Grafton. This administration had been formed in October 1768, when the earl of Chatham was compelled by ill health to retire from office, and was a reconstruction of his cabinet of July 1766. Junius fought for the return to power of Chatham, who had recovered and was not on good terms with his successors. He communicated with Chatham, with George Grenville, with Wilkes, all enemies of the duke of Grafton, and also with Henry Sampson Woodfall, printer and part owner of the _Public Advertiser_. This private correspondence has been preserved. It is written in the disguised hand used by Junius.