{191}If that kind and amount of evidence would hang a man in the time of Macaulay, the times have so changed that it takes far stronger evidence to hang men now than then. That kind of evidence is absolutely worthless for two reasons: first, the facts alleged in the separate counts are neither of them necessary to the production of Junius; and, secondly, they would prove nothing if they were, for they might be common to a hundred men, and that they were _not_ would be matter of fact to prove. Even Macaulay makes this rest on his own _belief_. "We do not _believe_," he says, "that more than two of them can be found in any other person whatever." But the fact is, they are absolutely "imaginary," and not at all necessary. "The internal evidence," he says, "_seems_ to point in the same way." First, he acknowledges that Francis, as a writer, is inferior to Junius, but not "_decidedly_," and then he goes on to say: "One of the strongest reasons for believing that Francis was Junius, is the _moral_ resemblance between the two men." Macaulay now sets up a character for Junius, the most of which is not to be found in Junius, and says it is like Francis. It is thus he imposes on the credulity of the ignorant. But I give his words, that the reader may investigate for himself: "It is not difficult, from the letters which, under _various signatures_, are known to have been written by Junius, and from his dealings with Woodfall and others, to form a tolerable correct _notion_ of his character." I call the attention of the reader to the above sentence, and have emphasized the word "_notion_," and the phrase "_various signatures_." Of the former, I would remark that a _notion_ of one's character falls far short of a judgment, and in a criticism is not only trifling, but contemptible. In regard to "various signatures," I will let Junius himself answer: "The encouragement given to a _multitude of spurious, mangled publications_ of the 'Letters of Junius,' persuades me that a complete edition, corrected and improved by the author, will be favorably received."--Preface. In this volume his signature is Junius, and occasionally, when he wishes to explain the meaning, or defend the principle, he puts forward Philo Junius, but _never without this cause_. I now proceed to give the character which Macaulay has picked up--_I know not where_: