ABSTRACT
271I paid a visit to Mr. William Godwin, the author of the once famous work, “Political Justice.” He was about the middle size, with an intelligent countenance, and a copious flow of language. He talked much about his early friends, Paine, Halcroft, Thelwall, Sir James Mackintosh, and Horne Took. He related the following incident with great glee:—It appears that Sir James Mackintosh was a sort of bosom friend among these worthies, until he obtained some distinction from the Tory Government of the day, when he shied out of the Reform ranks, and soon finally cut the connection entirely. Paine, knowing the baronet was employed on a work on the “French Revolution,” met his footman in Cheapside, stopped him and requested him to tell his master that he, Thomas Paine, was going to write a book on the same subject, and after it was published no other would be read on that topic. “This,” said Godwin, “was very prophetic, for Mackintosh was entirely thrown into the shade after the ‘Rights of Man’ made its appearance.”
