Scott Creighton wrote:

Quote

. . . A slanderous paragraph, intended to be inserted in the English newspapers, was this day shown to me, which accused Colonel Campbell of having improperly laid himself under obligations to the Pacha by obtaining the firmaun; and which implied the Colonel and myself intended to make our fortunes under the pretence of scientific researches. . . .

> SC: Clearly someone else seemed to have a low opinion of Tricky
> Dicky's character and was incensed enough by his improper
> actions to go as far as threatening to expose them in the
> English newspapers. It rather seems that Tricky Dicky just
> can't go anywhere or do anything without courting controversy
> and accruing accusations of improper practice i.e. allegations
> of fraud to you and I. How many is that now? Three? Four?

The usual Creightonian exercise in justice and reason (as in none at all). An accusation elicits an instant verdict, evidence sight unseen, against Vyse and for the accuser.

Just like all of your other verdicts. Put them all together and they add up to a heap of . . . not very much.

But let’s not be ungenerous. You’ve certainly provided ample evidence that Vyse attracted (and continues to attract) the sniping of nonentities.

M.