It is rather sorrow and dejection than anger.
Once more my best thanks for your very polite attention; and do me the
favor to believe me, with the most perfect sentiments of respect and
regard,
My dear Lord,
Your Lordship's most obedient and humble servant,
EDMUND BURKE.
BEACONSFIELD, Oct. 30th, 1795.
Friday Evening.
LETTER IV.
TO THE EARL FITZWILLIAM.
My dear Lord,--I am not sure that the best way of discussing any
subject, except those that concern the abstracted sciences, is not
somewhat in the way of dialogue. To this mode, however, there are two
objections: the first, that it happens, as in the puppet-show, one man
speaks for all the personages. An unnatural uniformity of tone is in a
manner unavoidable. The other and more serious objection is, that, as
the author (if not an absolute skeptic) must have some opinion of his
own to enforce, he will be continually tempted to enervate the arguments
he puts into the mouth of his adversary, or to place them in a point of
view most commodious for their refutation. There is, however, a sort of
dialogue not quite so liable to these objections, because it approaches
more nearly to truth and Nature: it is called CONTROVERSY.
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