059-300.xml

Title: [?? April 1805 Evidence Intro]

Description: ?? April 1805

Evidence

Intro

ch Lawyers' character

' Hypocrisy

By a sort of conspiracy between craft and imbecillity, the imputation of utopianism, and -----ness /----/, has been attached to /fastened upon/ the few --- of mankind, whose labours are applied to the description of things as they ought to be /to the definition of the picture of things as they ought to be: to the endevour to improve /mitigate/ the condition of human nature. But if utopianism be understood to mean, as the ----- of the work which gives birth to it seems to require, the description /delineation/ of desirable effects represented as flowing from inappropriate or inadequate causes, utopianism is a term that would /should/ in England more particularly if not exclusively, be applied /considered/ no ex---- of the spirit which in the geography of law characterizes the pretended describers of things as they are - the Cokes, the Gilberts, and the Blackstones.

In these the system of arrangements is portrayed as if not actually seated upon the pinnacle of perfection, at least fast approaching to the pinnacle /that station/ of perfection, wanting of any thing, nothing but a little ---- to put it in perfection of it /that/ part. How should it be otherwise? It is the work of men of law: of the sages of the law: the fruit of the ---- ----- lucubrations. To be governed, each man by his own interest, is the property of ordinary men - of every man who is not of the number of these sages. These men are not ordinary men: they are of quite another texture. They have no interest of their own: or if they had they would not regard it, they would not be governed by it. Their interest, the interest which on all occasions they are governed by, is /by, the only one they look to is/ no other than the interest of the community - the interests of justice. -- therefore who happens at any time to have the ----- to know what right is, has no more ---- than to show what they do: whatever they do is right: if for no other reason - and indeed there wants no other /and clearly there --- --- another/ - because they do it /it is they that do it.

"The law is the perfection of reason: whatever is not reason is not law". Blackstone

A record is a true /the proper/ diagram for the demonstration of right. Gilbert

JB_172_366.xml

Title: [1822 April 12 Rid Yourselves]

Description: 1822 April 12

Rid Yourselves

Lett. 17

Relinquishment entire

See now on this point how it is with Monarchs: and in particular with

that God on earth, who, having, in the most distinct terms, been so long ago invested

by lawyers and their fictions with the attributes of omnipresence immortaility and

impeccability, has insensibly become invested with the too real attribute of

omnipotence, and is worshipped, in conjunction with the the God of Heaven, by the

prosecutors of blasphemy and their dupes.

On the ocasion of the war which ended in the independence of the

Anglo-American United States, Tucker, Dean of Gloucester, wrote against the policy of it. The pamphlet made a

sensation. I read it at the time. Cui bono? was the title

of it. When public spirit, or whatever else was the motive, drew from him a breach so

conspicuous of the sacred law of passive obedience, the Dean, it may well be

concluded, had no great expectation of ever seeing himself a Bishop: if he had, it

was not realized: mammon in these its richest shapes went of course to the supporters

of the fruitless slaughter. Trusting however to the composing influence of time, -

not many years after, when some of the evidence I have been laying before you had

made its appearance, this more honest than successful monitor ventured to place

himself in the circle at a levee. So far as words went Majesty was now become

gracious. Mention being made of the Colonies "Well Mr Dean (said he) "we begin to be

of your opinion: we find we are as well without them as with them." A few hours after

the words were uttered, they were reported to me by one by whom they had been heard.

As far as words went, here was wisdom: wisdom or to speak

more correctly probity. But in deeds - but in deeds did the probity ever follow? Oh

no: but instead of it, the course marked out by the opposite improbity not only then

was, but ever since has been pursued: pursued with that eagerness and that disastrous

success, of which the bitter fruits continue to be forced down our throats in such

sad abundance. Witness the last gathered of them - the Ionian Isles and that English

" protection" the infamy of which, without any of the

profit, vies so successfully with that of the primaeval Persian tyranny.

As to those emancipated children, after parting with whom the Royal

father found himself so well at ease - could he but have prevailed on the necessary

instruments to keep work g on, best of

Kings (for by whom could this appelation ever be refused to the husband of the

fruitfullest of Queens?) best of Kings and fathers would

have drained all his other children of their last farthing, rather than have left

unsubdued and unpunished, any of those rebellious ones to whose rebellion their

consequent virtue and felicity has given whatsoever could be wanting for its

justification. All this is human, and of course more

particularly regal nature; pride forbids the confession of

miscarriage; love of power forbids the parting with any the least scrap of the

fascinating appendage, how troublesome soever so long as any the faintest hope of

keeping it can be kept.

End of this Letter.

JB_172_357.xml

Title: [1822 April 11 Rid yourselves]

Description: 1822 April 11

Rid yourselves

Copied by R.D.

Ult r

Lett. 17. Relinquishm t entire

See now on this point how it is with Monarchs; and in particular with

that King /God upon earth/ having in the most distinct terms been long ago invested

by lawyers with the attributes of omniprescence immortality and impunibility, been

now insensibly been invested with the too real attribute of omnipotence, and is

worshipped in conjunction with the God of heaven by corruptionists and their dupes.

On the occasion of the war what ended in the independence of the

Anglo-American United States, Tucker, Dean of Gloucester wrote against the policy of

it. The pamphlet made a sensation. I read it at the time. Qui

bono? was the title of it. Where public spirit, or whatever else was the

motive that drew from him a breach so conspicuous of the sacred law of passive

obedience, the Dean, it may well be concluded, had no great expectation of war seeing

himself a Bishop, if he had, it was not realized: mammon in those its visited shapes

went of course to the supporters of the fruitless slaughter. Trusting however to the

composing influence of time, not many years after, where some of the evidence I have

been laying before you had made its appearance, the more honest than successful

monitor ventured to place himself in the circle at a [...?] As far as words went,

Majesty was now become gracious. Mention being made of the Colonies "Well M r Dean" (said George the third) we beging to be of your opinion:

we find we are as well without those as with them." A few hours after they were

uttered the words were reported to me by one by whom they had been heard. As far as

words went, here was wisdom: wisdom, or to speak more

correctly, probity. But in deeds

- in deeds did the probity ever follow? Oh no: but instead of it, the course marked

out by the opposite improbity has ever since been pursued: pursued with that

eagerness, and that disastrous success, of which we the bitter fruits are year by

year forced down our throats.