Page:Life of Edmond Malone.djvu/441

421 however he performed but a part from dislike to its drudgery. It has long been supposed that the author of Junius died soon after the papers were discontinued. The first letter of Junius is dated “21st Jan. 1769,” and the last “21st Jan. 1771.” Dyer died Sept. 15th, 1772. Immediately after his death, Mr. William Burke went to his lodgings, and cut many of his papers into very minute fragments, there being no fire then to destroy them. Sir J. Reynolds saw these broken papers strewed all over the room.

The hypothesis now stated explains many circumstances which have puzzled all the conjecturers on this subject. It accounts for the accurate and quick intelligence which is exhibited in these letters shortly after the event, or negotiation, or whatever else is the subject of discussion. From this some have argued that the author must either have been closely connected with those in immediate opposition to Government, or have been himself one of the opposers; for Dyer lived in such intimacy with Burke, that from him he could learn everything that was going on, or even meditated. It accounts also for the novelty of the style. It is not likely that Mr. Burke, though he could easily imitate any known style, should have originally struck out a new one for these letters, so totally differing from his own. He might however in corrections and intercalations have adopted the style of his friend; and now and then there certainly may be found passages extremely Burkish.

It accounts also for the minute knowledge which Junius shows of Irish matters and phraseology, and particularly for the passage in his fourth letter (the