Leigh Hunt's Relations with Byron, Shelley and Keats — Part 10

It is not a matter of marvel that the paper made hosts of enemies on every side. Charges of libel quickly followed its onslaughts. Before the paper was a year old a prosecution was begun in connection with the Major Hogan and Mrs. Clarke case,[26] but it was dropped when an investigation was begun by the House of Commons. Within a year's time after this prosecution a second indictment was brought because of the sentence: "Of all monarchs since the Revolution the successor of George the Third will have the finest opportunity of becoming nobly popular."[27] The _Morning Chronicle_ copied it, and was indicted, but both cases were dismissed. The third offense was the quotation of an article by John Scott on the cruelty of military flogging[28] but, like the others, this prosecution came to nothing.

The fourth and most disastrous misdemeanor was libel of the Prince Regent, a man of shocking morals and of unstable character. Before his appointment as Regent he had leaned to the Whig party and advocated Catholic Emancipation, but at his accession to power he retained the Tory ministry. The Whigs were greatly angered in consequence, and _The Examiner_ took it upon itself to voice their indignation.[29] At a dinner given at the Freemason's Tavern on St. Patrick's day, March 22, 1812, Lord Moira, an old friend of the Prince's, omitted mentioning him in his speech. Later, when a toast was proposed to the Prince, it was greeted with hisses. Mr. Sheridan, because of Lord Moira's omission, spoke later in the evening in defense of the Regent, but he, too, was received with hisses. The _Morning Chronicle_ reported the dinner; the _Morning Post_ replied with fulsome praise of the Prince; _The Examiner_ with its usual alacrity joined in the fray and took sides with the _Chronicle_, dissecting, phrase by phrase, the adulation heaped upon the Prince by the _Post_. The following is the bitterest part of the polemic against him:

"What person, unacquainted with the true state of the case, would imagine, in reading these astounding eulogies, that this 'Glory of the people' was the subject of millions of shrugs and reproaches!--that this 'Protector of the arts' had named a wretched foreigner his historical painter, in disparagement or in ignorance of the merits of his own countrymen!--that this 'Mæcenas of the age' patronized not a single deserving writer!--that this 'Breather of eloquence' could not say a few decent extempore words, if we are to judge, at least, from what he said to his regiment on its embarkation for Portugal!--that this 'Conqueror of hearts' was the disappointer of hopes!--that this 'Exciter of desire' [bravo! Messieurs of the Post!]--this 'Adonis in loveliness', was a corpulent man of fifty!--in short, this _delightful_, _blissful_, _wise_, _pleasurable_, _honourable_, _virtuous_, _true_ and _immortal_ prince, was a violator of his word, a libertine over head and ears in disgrace, a dispiser of domestic ties, the companion of gamblers and demireps, a man who has just closed half a century without one single claim on the gratitude of his country, or the respect of posterity!"[30]