worthy of credit. Mr. Bigge reported that the sentences infiicted by Marsden were more severe than those of other ^ magi&trateB. Bigge did not impute the exceptional fl severity to harshness of disposition, but to the "habitual contemplation of the depravity of the people brought before him," and a sense that any other pnnishraeiit than that which was severely and corporally felt by them" was inefficacious. When making the charges Macquarie had miscalculated his own stay in the colony. His letter was printed in England, and copies were sent to Sydney. Bigge had departed. Marsden awaited the arrival of Bris- bane, Mac(|uarie's successor, and then asked for the explan- ation from Macquarie which — ** it Avas not in my power ta call upon him for so long as he continued to administer the government." Macquarie did not heed him. Marsden, pre- pared to take legal steps, wrote to Brisbane, who induced him to desist. ** At that period {Marsden wrote) there were strong reasons of a public nature existing in the colony, which induced me to relinquish my intended prosecution of Governor Macquarie, contrary to ray own judp;ment." The militant chaplain wrote nevertheless to England to ask his friends to institute a suit there, Macquarie, meanwhile, published a statement wdiich Marsden eventually answered. He also wrote a pamphlet to vindicate himself against a greater than Macquarie — William C. Went wortli— who, in a third edition of his * Australasia/ attacked Marsden and defended Macquarie, with cultured but coarse vehemence.
- ' Crafty — rancorous — vindictive — turbulent and am-
bitious priest — canting hypocrite,"^ were among the epithets hurled at the already venerable and venerated head of the chaplain; and Wentworfch complained that Wither force had been duped, when in glowing terms he extolled Marsden as a moral hero whose name was dear to the friends of irtu6 and humanity. Marsden did not shrink from a contest w^ith the youthful giant* He in- quired, through his solicitor, if Wentworth was the author of the work to which his name was attached. Wentworth
- Long j'^carB afterwards Jo&epb Hume borrowed the terra * turbulent
priest* to apply it to the devoted Christian, G. A. Selwyn, the Biwhop of New Zealand/ The phrase was not origmal, and the application waa untrue.
