tarted the
suggestion that Sir Philip Francis was Junius, which I have no means either
of confirming or refuting. If it be so [and I now know that Mr. Taylor
himself never heard of any predecessor], the circumstance is very
remarkable: it is seldom indeed that the first proposer of any solution of
a great and vexed question is the person who so nearly establishes his
point in general opinion as Mr. Taylor has done.

As to the Junius question in general, there is a little bit of the
philosophy of horse-racing which may be usefully applied. A man who is so
confident of his horse that he places him far above any other, may
nevertheless, and does, refuse to give odds against all in the field: for
many small adverse chances united make a big chance for one or other of the
opponents. I suspect Mr. Taylor has made it at least 20 to 1 for Francis
against any one competitor who has been named: but what the odds may be
against the {97} whole field is more difficult to settle. What if the real
Junius should be some person not yet named?

Mr. Jopling, _Leisure Hour_, May 23, 1863, relies on the porphyry coffer of
the Great Pyramid, in which he finds "the most ancient and accurate
standard of measure in existence."

I am shocked at being obliged to place a thoughtful and learned writer, and
an old friend, before such a successor as he here meets with. But
chronological arrangement defies all other arrangement.

(I had hoped that the preceding account would have met Mr. Taylor's eye in
print: but he died during the last summer. For a man of a very thoughtful
and quiet temperament, he had a curious turn for vexed questions. But he
reflected very long and very patiently before he published: and all his
works are valuable for their accurate learning, whichever side the reader
may take.)

MRS. ELIZABETH COTTLE.

1859. _The Cottle Church._--For more than twenty years printed papers have
been sent about in the name of Elizabeth Cottle.[195] It is not so
remarkable that such papers should be concocted as that they should
circulate for such a length of time without attracting public attention.
Eighty years ago Mrs. Cottle might have rivalled Lieut. Brothers or Joanna
Southcott.[196] Long hence, when the now current volumes of our journals
are well-ransacked works of reference, those who look into them will be
glad to see this {98} feature of our time: I therefore make a few extracts,
faithfully copied as to type. The Italic is from