Moral and Political Philosophy, Book I, chap. Y

115. Indications concernincj lord Eldon, Sect. II; Bowring, vol. V, p. 349. — Le père de Bentham ne semble pas avoir été un méchant homme : mais de nature vulgaire, résolu à obtenir de ses deux fils, l'un et l'autre remarquablement intelligents, qu'ils se fassent une position et gagnent de l'argent, il se rend insupportable à eux : ils sont (leurs lettres en témoignent) en conspiration permanente contre lui. — La terreur de Bentham

(Pp. 37-38) NOTES. 297

esl amusante, lorsque lord Shelburne manifeste l'in'ention d'inviter son père au château de Bowood. Mss. Brit. Mus. 33, 539, f. 213 (à son frère, le 25 août 1781;- « The answer was : « Your Lordship is very good, but he is full as well where he is »."\Yas not this obliging? What a pretty scène would bave been exhibited had I suffer'd my Lord to send for them ? what a mixture of hectoring and pufflng, and self-complacency and cringing and self-ostentation and forced civility ».

116. Mss. Brit. Mus. 33,537, ff. 242-3, \\ oct. 1772: — In the mean time, excuse the liberty I take in supposing that with regard to some parts that abstruseness may possibly appear greater to you in commori with others of your former profession, than to men at large, as, besides having a new language to acquire, you hâve tlie old one to unlearn. As to myself, if I had waited till I had been immersed in the deptlis of practice, I am satisfied I should neverhad hadability, even if 1 had had inclination, to engage in the design... Forgive me, Sir, if I déclare simply, and once for ail, that till this great business is disposed of, I feel myself unable of any other. — The Wtil is hère out of the question. "NVhatever may be the case with others, I find it impossible with me to bring the powers of invention to a mechanical obédience to the good pleasure of that faculty. — The sensé of necessity which may set them at work in some, strikes me motionless. 1 am in this respect like David : I can « give no melody in my heaviness ». In the track 1 am in, I march up with alacrity and hope : in any other I should crawl on with despondency and reluctance. — If Iam not likely to succeed in a pursuit in which I am engaged with affection and with strong presentiments of success : much less am I yvhere both are wanting : I mean situated as I am at présent — any tolerable amount of success in such an undertaking as mine, you are sensible, must need work a considérable révolution ».