"As the county election drew on, we believe between the nomination on
Barham Downs and the voting in the cattle market of the city, the
draught of a certain handbill was sent to a printer of this city, with a
request that he would publish it without delay. Our readers will not be
surprised that he instantly declined the task; but as we have obtained
possession of the copy, and its publication can now do no injury to any
one, we entertain them with a sight of this delectable sample of
Courtenay prudence and politeness.

"'O yes! O yes! O yes! I, Lord Viscount William Courtenay, of Powderham
Castle, Devon, do hereby proclaim Sir Thomas Tylden, Sir Brook Brydges,
Sir Edward Knatchbull, and Sir William Cosway, four cowards, unfit to
represent, or to assist in returning members of Parliament to serve the
brave men of Kent.

"'Percy Honeywood Courtenay, of Hales and Evington Place, Kent, and
Knight of Malta.

"'Any gentleman desiring to know the reasons why Lord Courtenay so
publicly exposes backbiters, any man of honor shall have satisfaction at
his hands, and in a public way, according to the laws of our land--trial
by combat; when the Almighty God, the Lord of Hosts is his name, can
decide the "truth," whether it is a libel or not. I worship truth as my
God, and will die for it--and upon this we will see who is strongest,
God or man.'

"It is a coincidence too curious to be overlooked, that this doughty
champion of _truth_ should so soon have removed himself from public life
by an act of deliberate and wanton perjury. We never read any of his
rhapsodies, periodical or occasional, till the publication of this essay
imposed the self-denying task upon us; but now we find that they abound
in strong and solemn appeals to the _truth_; in bold proclamations that
_truth_ is his palladium; in evidences that he writes and raves, that he
draws his sword and clenches his fist, that he expends his property and
the property of others committed to his hands, in no cause but that of
_truth_! His famous periodical contains much vehement declamation in
defence of certain doctrines of religion, which he terms the truth of
the sublime system of Christianity, and for which alone he is content to
live, and also willing to die. All who deviate from his standard of
truth, whether theological or moral, philosophical or political, he
appears to consider as neither fit for life nor death. Now it is a
little strange, his warmest followers bein