Machiavelli in the doghouse
Sir: Mr Cosgrave (Letters. 9 May) thinks that he has revealed a dark secret by which he can explain away my criticism of Mr Anglo's book on Machiavelli (2 May). He assumes that I have read and• resented what appears (if we can believe his account of it) to be an intemperate and disagreeable attack made by Mr Anglo, some years ago, on a book by my pupil Felix Raab; he assumes that my criticism of Mr Anglo's book is a long delayed act of under- hand revenge for this assumed slight; and he belabours my dishonesty in not avowing the improper motives which he has arbitrarily im- puted to me.
I shall not argue with such an adversary. I shall merely state that, when I review books, I judge them by their content, not by past epi- sodes in the life of their authors. I know noth- ing about Mr Anglo except what emerges from his book. I have never read his alleged attack on Raab. Indeed, I never even knew of its existence till I read the silly letter of Mr Cos- History Faculty Library, Merton Street, Oxford
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