Tom Paine
Sir: A distinguished historical biographer, in reviewing my book on Thomas Paine in another paper. has remarked on the extraordinary hatred aroused by Paine, matched only by that aroused by Cromwell, and maintained across the centuries. Richard Luckett's persistence is a case in point: for it should surely be acknowledged, by anyone without prejudice, that although I criticise Paine's support of Napoleonic invasion, his quarrel was, not with the English people whom he aimed, however mistakenly, to l'ree but with the English government which had suspended. Habeas Corpus and was giving long terms of imprisonment, plus transportation and the pillory, to those who published his works and any others of liberal views. Many of those imprisoned were his friends. The similarity is to the government of Greece today and those Greeks in exile who oppose it, such as Lady Fleming and Melina Mercouri. both treated as ' traitors ' by the present Greek government.
The point is your reviewer ignores the whole of Paine's life and writines
and doubtless thinks I. lack ' clarity of insight ' when I state a man has " a right to be judged " by the record of his Work in his prime. I notice my lack of insight and exposition does not vent his repeating (without ackniiwc,,,J ledgment) my passages on Hazlitt s compartson of the writiligS 'of Paine and Cobbett and also my,quotatiOn of George Selwyn's remarks on the boys hanged after the Gordon Riots. I am not the only one to suggest he shows ignorance of the subject and its sources. Perhaps he should stick to Lenny Bruce.
Audrey Williamson
29 Turner House. Erasmus Street, London SWI
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