MR.
FOOTE's
ADDRESS
TO
THE
PUBLIC
,
After
a
Prosecution
against
him
for
a
LIBEL
.
HUSH
!
let
me
search
before
I
speak
aloud
—
Is
no
informer
skulking
in
the
croud
!
With
art
laconic
noting
all
that's
said
,
Malice
at
heart
,
indictments
in
his
head
,
Prepar'd
to
levy
all
the
legal
war
,
And
rouse
the
clamorous
legions
of
the
bar
!
Is
there
none
such
?
—
not
one
?
—
then
entre
nous
,
I
will
a
tale
unfold
,
tho'
strange
,
yet
true
;
The
application
must
be
made
by
you
.
At
Athens
once
,
fair
queen
of
arms
and
arts
,
There
dwelt
a
citizen
of
moderate
parts
!
Precise
his
manner
,
and
demure
his
looks
,
His
mind
unletter'd
,
tho'
he
dealt
in
books
;
Amorous
,
tho'
old
;
tho'
dull
,
lov'd
repartee
;
And
penn'd
a
paragraph
most
daintily
:
He
aim'd
at
purity
in
all
he
said
,
And
never
once
omitted
eth
nor
ed
;
It
hath
,
and
doth
,
was
rarely
known
to
fail
,
Himself
the
hero
of
each
little
tale
:
With
wits
and
lords
this
man
was
much
delighted
,
And
once
(
it
has
been
said
)
was
near
being
knighted
.
One
Aristophanes
(
a
wicked
wit
,
Who
never
heeded
grace
in
what
he
writ
)
Had
mark'd
the
manner
of
this
Grecian
sage
,
And
thinking
him
a
subject
for
the
stage
,
Had
,
from
the
lumber
,
cull'd
with
curious
care
,
His
voice
,
his
looks
,
his
gesture
,
gait
and
air
,
His
affectation
,
consequence
,
and
mien
,
And
boldly
launch'd
him
on
the
comic
scene
;
Loud
peals
of
plaudits
thro'
the
circle
ran
,
All
felt
the
satire
,
for
all
knew
the
man
.
Then
Peter
—
Petros
was
his
classic
name
,
Fearing
the
loss
of
dignity
and
fame
,
To
a
grave
lawyer
in
a
hurry
flies
,
Opens
his
purse
,
and
begs
his
best
advice
.
The
fee
secur'd
,
the
lawyer
strokes
his
band
,
"
The
case
you
put
,
I
fully
understand
;
"
The
thing
is
plain
from
Cocus's
reports
,
"
For
rules
of
poetry
an't
rules
of
courts
:
"
A
libel
this
—
I'll
make
the
mummer
know
it
.
"
A
Grecian
constable
took
up
the
poet
;
Restrain'd
the
sallies
of
his
laughing
muse
,
Call'd
harmless
humour
scandalous
abuse
:
The
bard
appeal'd
from
this
severe
decree
:
Th'
indulgent
public
set
the
pris'ner
free
;
Greece
was
to
him
,
what
Dublin
is
to
me
.