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THE MORAL. - Jeremy Bentham, The Works of Jeremy Bentham, vol. 10 (Memoirs Part I and Correspondence) [1843]

Edition used:

The Works of Jeremy Bentham, published under the Superintendence of his Executor, John Bowring (Edinburgh: William Tait, 1838-1843). 11 vols. Vol. 10.

Part of: The Works of Jeremy Bentham, 11 vols.

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THE MORAL.

“Generosity like this, does it not deserve to be—rewarded, I was going to to say—I meant no more than to be rescued from infamy at least, to say nothing of oblivion? Ever since a certain speech, made in a certain house, it has been infamous not to have read the ‘Attorney’s Guide,’ (not the ‘Guide to the Practice of the King’s Bench,’ but) ‘to the History of Florence,’ and, at the same time impossible to obtain it—even to those who have money—a fortiori to those who have none. If then—some time within these two or three months—but the substance of an oration is sometimes contained in an expressive silence.”

“July 3.

“Mr Bentham begs of Miss F—, to commission Lord Lansdowne to acquaint Miss F—that he, the aforesaid Mr B., accepts with much acknowledgment, the favour to act upon the terms and conditions, and according to the true intent and meaning of the covenant proposed; videlicet, that, in proper time, a meeting of all proper parties shall be holden at the proper, and only proper place, at which a proper and distinct judgment of the proficiency of the intended pupil can be formed—proper security being previously given, by all proper and necessary parties, against all treasons, treacheries, conspiracies, deceits, impositions, snares, wiles, tricks, impostures, quirks, quibbles, equivocations, mental reservations, backslidings, tergiversations, and all other artifices, to wit, as well all and singular treasons, &c., set forth, and now remaining, &c., as of record, &c., in the Register Roll, &c., at Pixpowder Court, &c., in Albemarle Street, &c., entitled, Liaisons Dangereuses, as all other artifices, frauds, and contrivances whatsoever.

“Mr Bentham begs of Miss F—to desire Lord Lansdowne, to return Miss F—innumerable thanks for the many thanks with which she has been pleased to overpay a humble tribute of ancient respect, far short of being worthy of so rich and unexpected, and for so many years, not to say ages, unprecedented a reward.”

In the year 1827, Bentham gave me the following account of a project for facilitating reference to newspaper advertisements, entertained by him at this period:—

“It was about thirty years ago I was acquainted with an extraordinary man, named Skinner, a captain of marines, who, among other talents, had a talent for decyphering, which he possessed in perfection. I remember taking a passage from ‘Smith’s Wealth of Nations,’ and inventing a new cipher for every line. He returned it to me written out the next day.

“My scheme was this: I considered that the number of advertisements was immense. No man had time to read every advertisement. The scheme was, to publish every day a paper, called ‘The Indicator,’ the object of which was to lead to the paper where the advertisement was, but not to give information enough without reference to the original paper. So I thought that, if it could be properly managed, the establishment of such a paper would be a grand affair. We went to work—found formulas. I do not know what came in the way, except that Skinner killed himself, after having lost his money by dabbling in the funds. He was a man of gentle manners—an extreme republican—who went beyond me in those days. He was violent and indiscriminate in all opposition to government. I remember he was hurt by the manner in which I spoke of Lord Lauderdale, whom I thought a very hubble-bubble, trumpery creature—in which opinion, early formed, I have been abundantly confirmed. The thing that cooled me was the knowledge that it could not go on without government. I mentioned it to George Rose, but he knew a peremptory refusal would meet any proposal of mine.”

In a letter to an acquaintance at Portsmouth, (Mr Lindegren,) Bentham gives an odd account of his abode at Hendon, (28th August, 1798):—

“Your eyes have never yet, I think, been blessed with a sight of this my absconding place. You would find, if you condescend to accept of it, bed as well as board, though in an old farmhouse, and in as homely a state as you could well conceive; yet, I hope, not absolutely in an uncomfortable one. Give me a day or two’s notice, for fear I should chance to be in London when you arrive; besides, that I might perhaps have papers to fetch from thence. The house is the first house you come to beyond the eighth mile-stone on the road through Hampstead to Mill Hill. The farmer’s name is Arnott.

“Why not in Q. S. P.? Because the papers that would be to be looked at, and the conversations they might give rise to, would require a clear day, undisturbed by some unpleasant ideas that would beset me there just now: besides that my dog’s hole here—the only one in which I am comfortable—is a country that you have never visited; nor does S. B. know anything of this, nor do I intend mentioning it to him, nor would I wish you to mention it to him, till I have seen or heard from you.

“As to time, don’t let me stand accused of making you injure your business to run a-gaping after what may turn out to be moonshine; but, notwithstanding all this mystery, you see enough of the business to be sensible, that what may be feasible to-day, may cease to be so to-morrow; I have seen so much reason to subscribe to the maxim nothing comes of anything that I could scarce wish you to come on purpose; but if you happen to be already in town, or to fancy a call to town, so much the better; and I flatter myself that, after so many unsocial months, you would not grudge eight miles for the sake of meeting the embraces of a friend who is not the less sensible to your persevering kindness, from his having said so little of it, and who can truly say, he has never remained unstung by the recollection of it for twelve hours together from the commencement of his experience of it.

“As to poor Panopticon, the Treasury have ordered in a bill, which has already been perused and approved of by the Attorney and Solicitor General, for the appropriation of Tothill Fields; and have, moreover, ordered to be given, in due time, certain notices which, in the case of an enclosure bill, (to which class that in question has been deemed to belong,) must be given before the month of September is at an end. For this I am indebted, I suppose, more or less, to a report of the Committee of Finance. It contains more than one text upon which I should have to preach to you.

“Remember me, with most cordial respect, to Mrs L. If I am destined ever to receive pleasure from society again, as heretofore, hers would be among the very first in which I should begin to look for it.”

Sir Reginald Pole Carew had put into Bentham’s hands his “Ideas on Financial Reform,” which led to the correspondence which follows:—