I therefore indeed did not think thou KNEWEST all that thou hast charged me with on this head.

Thou sayest that the papers I am about to publish are thine, and that thou hast Joseph Banks’s word for it. If by the papers thou meanest the Manuscript of my brother’s Journal, I must tell thee I have it not, it being in Joseph Banks’s possession, to whom I sent it, in order to oblige Dr. Fothergill. What I have are indeed taken from my brother’s papers, but contain far more than what that manuscript does; the other part thereof I have been furnished with by some friends of my late brother.

But allowing that what I am going to publish was no more than what that manuscript contained thou wouldst find it a difficult matter to perswade me out of my Right of publication, and must bring with thee into a court of Equity something more strong for Evidence than what thou hast mentioned, as I have Dr. Solander as a witness to the contrary, who said in the presence of Joseph Banks’s lawyer whom I can produce as an Evidence, and in my hearing, that my brother desired that thou wast to have only the perusal of them. Joseph Banks’s lawyer asked him, at that very time, if he had it in writing, that my brother’s papers were bequeathed to thee; who answered in the Negative; on which the lawyer pronounced them to be my property. And Joseph Banks was so well satisfied at what Dr. Solander then uttered, that he said he gave it up.

I think thou wilt find I have sufficiently cleared myself from thy charges exhibited against me, which I have done: not that I am any ways fearful of thy threats, for I shall be at all times ready to answer thy suits, but that l am desirous of living peaceably with all men.

As for the words, matchless impudence, treachery, wretched principles, avarice, and such like, which thou hast applied to me, I regard them as wrote in heat of passion; and advise thee (to make use of thy own phrase) to take shame on thee for having written them, as also for having unjustly charged me with crimes I never committed.

I always have, and I trust always shall, act as a man of honour, and I well know the consequence of doing wrong, I hope, after reading this, thou wilt also act as becomes such towards
STANFIELD PARKINSON.

Persisting still in the preparations for publishing my book, and turning a deaf ear to Dr. Fothergill’s remonstrances, as not being of so friendly a nature as I thought becoming him, I forfeited his good-will, and he became all at once as much my declared enemy as he had been before my pretended friend. He traduced my reputation before others, complained of my ingratitude to him, and my injustice to Joseph Banks; appearing to join with Dr. John Hawkesworth, the compiler of the south-sea voyages now published, in representing my book as an unfair and surreptitious publication.* To this purpose indeed Dr. Hawkesworth caused an advertisement to be inserted in the public news-papers; in answer to which I thought it incumbent on me to insert one, in my own defence I asserting my right to my brother’s papers, and my resolution to publish them.

Voyaging Accounts