ld chief criminal judge of the kingdom.

JUNIUS.

DOCTORS NOTES:

[A] 1. Dated January 21, 1769. There is a great regularity in
the structure of this letter. The first two paragraphs contain the
_exordium_. The _transition_ follows in the third paragraph, leading to
the main _proposition_, which is contained in the fourth, viz., "that
the existing discontent and disasters of the nation were justly
chargeable on the king and ministry." The next eight paragraphs are
intended to give the proof of the proposition, by reviewing the chief
departments of government, and endeavoring to show the incompetency or
mal-administration of the men to whom they were intrusted. A
_recapitulation_ follows in the last paragraph but one, leading to a
restatement of the proposition in still broader terms. This is
strengthened in the _conclusion_ by the remark, that if the nation
should escape from its desperate condition through some signal
interposition of Divine Providence, posterity would not believe the
history of the times, or consider it possible that England should have
survived a crisis "so full of terror and despair."

[B] 2. We have here the starting point of the exordium, as it
lay originally in the mind of Junius, viz., that the English nation was
"insulted and abused" by the king and ministers. But this was too strong
a statement to be brought out abruptly. Junius therefore went back, and
prepared the way by showing in successive sentences, (1.) Why a free
people obey the laws--"because they have themselves enacted them." (2.)
That this obedience is ordinarily cheerful, and almost unlimited. (3.)
That such obedience to the guardian of the laws naturally leads to a
strong affection for his person. (4.) That this affection (as shown in
their history) had often been excessive among the English, who were, in
fact, peculiarly liable to a "mistaken zeal for particular persons and
families." Hence they were equally liable (this is not said, but
implied) to have their loyalty imposed upon; and therefore the feeling
then so prevalent was well founded, that the king in his rash counsels
and reckless choice of ministers, _must_ have been taking advantage of
the generous confidence of his people, and playing on the easiness of
their temper. If so, they were _indeed_ insulted and abused. The
exordium, then, is a complete chain of logical deduction, and the case
is fully made out, provi