The Life Of Thomas Paine, Vol. 2. (of 2): With A History of His Literary, Political and Religious Career in America France, and EnglandConway, Moncure Daniel
History
The Life Of Thomas Paine, Vol. 2. (of 2): With A History of His Literary, Political and Religious Career in America France, and England
Conway, Moncure Daniel
Paine, Thomas, 1737-1809
All of the English prisoners became Paine's friends. Among these was
General O'Hara,--that same general who had fired the American heart at
Yorktown by offering the surrendered sword of Cornwallis to
Rochambeau instead of Washington. O'Hara's captured suite included two
physicians--Bond and Graham--who attended Paine during an illness, as he
gratefully records. What money Paine had when arrested does not appear
to have been taken from him, and he was able to assist General O'Hara
with £200 to return to his country; though by this and similar charities
he was left without means when his own unexpected deliverance came.**
The first part of "The Age of Reason" was sent out with final revision
at the close of January.
* "Mémoires sur les prisons," t. ii., p. 153.
** Among the anecdotes told of O'Hara in prison, one is related of an
argument he held with a Frenchman, on the relative degrees of liberty
in England and France. "In England," he said, "we are perfectly free to
write and print, George is a good King; but you--why you are not even
Permitted to write, Robespierre is a tiger!"
In the second edition appeared the following inscription:
"TO MY FELLOW CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.--I put the
following work under your protection. It contains my opinion upon
Religion. You will do me the justice to remember, that I have always
strenuously supported the Right of every man to his opinion, however
different that opinion might be to mine. He who denies to another this
right, makes a slave of himself to his present opinion, because he
precludes himself the right of changing it. The most formidable weapon
against errors of every kind is Reason. I have never used any other, and
I trust I never shall.--Your affectionate friend and fellow citizen,
"Thomas Paine."
This dedication is dated, "Luxembourg (Paris), 8th Pluviôse, Second year
of the French Republic, one and indivisible. January 27, O. S. 1794."
Paine now addressed himself to the second part of "The Age of Reason,"
concerning which the following anecdote is told in the manuscript
memoranda of Thomas Rickman:
"Paine, while in the Luxembourg prison and expecting to die hourly, read
to Mr. Bond (surgeon of Brighton, from whom this anecdote came) parts
of his _Age of Reason_; and every night, when Mr. Bond left him, to
be separately locked up, and expecting not to see Paine alive in the
morning, he [Paine] always expressed his firm belief in the principles
of that book, and begged Mr. Bond should tell the world such were his
dying sentiments. Paine further said, if he lived he should further
prosecute the work and print it. Bond added, Paine was the most
conscientious man he ever knew."
In after years, when Paine was undergoing persecution for "infidelity,"
he reminded the zealots that they would have to "accuse Providence of
infidelity," for having "protected him in all his dangers." Incidentally
he gives reminiscences of his imprisonment.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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