Alarmed by the threats of prosecution, the author of the "Gibeonite libel" presented an apology in the following supplicating terms:--"We avow our readiness to preserve inviolate the best and most endeared interests of this community; and we trust that, before misanthropy again can rally his vituperative legions to assault us, we may re-evince to _all_ how staunch is our allegiance, and how sullyless our zeal at the post of probity!" The unfortunate printer could not soften his prosecutor, and was cast in damages and expenses amounting to L500. In 1829, Launceston was favored with two newspapers: the _Advertiser_, and the _Cornwall Press_. Both started together, and both manifesting the spirit of rivals. The _Advertiser_ was the property of Mr. John Fawkner. Its opponent belonged to Mr. S. Dowsett, and reached the nineteenth number. The following are memorials of their fraternal sympathies. The _Cornwall Press_ describes his rival as "an addle-pated upstart--a superannuated Zany." His writings "as the frothings of a beer cask." "Condescending to notice 5 feet 2-1/4," he remarks, "we dropped from our proper elevation." What that might be, it is not difficult to conjecture, if the rejoinder is to be credited:--"if he had his right place, he would be wearing a leather apron and scouring pewter pots." Such were the literary love tokens of those days. It will be seen, that the quarrel of Arthur with the press, was continued to the end of his administration. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote 146: _Gazette_, November, 1824.] [Footnote 147: "We are indebted to the Italians for the idea of newspaper. The title of their _gazettas_ was, perhaps, derived from _gazzera_, a magpie or chatterer; or, more probably, from a farthing coin peculiar to the city of Venice, called _gazetta_, which was the common price of newspapers."--_D'Israeli's Curiosities of Literature_, p. 53.] SECTION III.