LA PHILOSOPHIE JURIDIQUE DE BENTHAM

1. Blackstone 1 Comin. 4. The science thus committed to his charge^ to be cultivated, methodized, and explained in a course of académie lectures, is that of the laws and constitution of our own conntry ; a speciesof knowledge, in which the gentlemen of England hâve been more remarkably déficient that those of ail Europe besides. — Cf. la lettre de Blackstone à lord Shelburne, du 27 déc. 1761. — Il est curieux de remarquer que Blackstone et Bentham en viennent à définir leur objet presque en termes identiques. — V. Blackstone 1 Cura m. 32 : If practice be the whole he is taught, praeticc must also be !ho Avliole he will cver know : if he hc uninstructed in the éléments and first principles upon which the rule of practice is founded, the loast variation from established précédents will lolally distracl and hcwilder him : ita Icx acripta e^t is the utmost his knowledge will arrive at : he mustuever aspire to form, and seldoui expect tu comprehend, auy arguments drawn a priori, from the spirit of the laws and the nalural foundalions of justice — et Bentham, Fragment ou Governmenty Introd., (Bowring. vol. 1, p 229), discutant Blackstone : q- His professed object was to explain to us wliat the laws of England were. ai lia lex scripta est » was the only molto wiiich he stood engaged to Keepin view.