date

1821 July 2 Codification Offer
1821 July 2

Codification Offer

'. Offer

Accordingly the argument /observation/ which on this occasion he submitts is this - View the situation in which I stand and then consider how far it is likely that I should knowingly or even unknowingly propose any legislative arrangement by which at the expence of the many the particular and sinister interest of the few would be advanced by which for the sake /advantage/ of any one interest or the interest of the few the interest of the many would in any degree be sacrificed. View my situation, compare it with the situation of any other individual by whom with /under/ any probability of obtaining /being regarded as entitled to/ acceptance any such offer could be made, and then say whether by any temptation to which I could /we would respectively/ be exposed to I should be more likely to yield to it than he would be. Situation is every thing: reserve for that your serious /attentive/ consideration: protestation is nothing: keep reserve for /in readiness for every thing of that sort/ your scorn and indignation. Regard it as the attempt /trick/ of sharpers to convert you into their dupes, or at the best and on the supposition of its being sincere, if it be possible that it should be sincere, regard it as the language of one whose /whose gross/ ignorance of human nature subjects him to /places him in/ the power of every fisher of men who to catch him shall think it worth his while to angle for him with this bait. to employ such bait in fishing for him /to be at the expence of such bait for catching him/
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  • Title: [1821 July 2 Codification Offer]
    Description: 1821 July 2

    Codification Offer

    Offer

    In the case of the individual by whom this offer is made it will be for the reader to judge whether partly by the nature of the work designed and offered and exemplified partly by the situation in which he stands he has not effectually precluded himself from yielding in the conduct of the proposed work to the solicitation of sinister interest, in whatever shape it is capable of presenting itself: whether an individual by whom the refusal all remuneration has been so determinately and continually announced is likely to receive any such offer from any hand at any time from any hand -whether supposing him capable of being /disposed to be/ bought any thing which in such a situation he could write in opposition to the greatest interest of the greatest number could to any one whose interest is opposed to that all-comprehensive interest be worth the purchase.

    By any intimation /observation/ of his being liable to be purchased for the purpose of sinister service he would no more think /regard/ himself as injured nor does ever regard himself as injured any more than he would by the observation that he has a hand at the end of his arm, or that he has a head upon his shoulders.
  • Title: [Friday evening 9 o'clock August 17th 1773]
    Description: Friday evening 9 o'clock August 17th 1773

    Dear Sam,

    I have just received your letter yr queries

    in it I will do my endeavours to answer as soon as I

    have an opportunity, probably tomorrow; in the mean time

    I will execute a design which your letter has revived, &

    which I formed soon after your departure: it is that of

    communicating to you a few considerations which I believe

    will perfectly obviate your scruples about taking the description of the parts of a mathematical

    figure from the accidental circumstance of its situation – I drew them up immediately

    in a form which I will now transcribe, & which I reproach

    myself much for not having transcribed&sent to you before,

    as it would have put you in possession as it were, of

    a very useful, perhaps even necessary expedient which perhaps you may have been losing a good deal of time in

    endeavouring to steer clear of.

    “It is to be observed that, of the 3 sides (better called

    bounds or boundary lines

    , for a reason that will appear presently) of a triangle, as such, there is no one

    in particular to which the name of base more properly belongs than to another: the source

    from whence that name is taken,

    is never any other than the accidental circumstance of the situation of the figure with respect to the reader. And from

    this source the name may well be taken: since it is easy

    to conceive, that whatever station a reader may find it convenient

    to view the figure from, that figure in itself must ever be [still] the name.

    The purpose for which it is taken is, to distinguish

    some one of the three that one means to speak of, from the two when which, at the instant, one does

    not mean to speak of: which two others are still,

    by Euclid, combined under the common [or twin] appellation of the sides.

    Now then, for whatever purpose, by whatever reason, &

    in whatever manner a man is justified in distinguishing any one of the bounds from the 2 remaining

    ones, for the same purpose, by the same reason, & in the same manner is he justifiable in distinguishing

    those 2 from one another. let them be so distinguished & call one of them the right & the other of them the left.

    So of the Angles call one the angle to the right:

    (not the right angle for an obvious reason) the other, the

    angle to the left; & the remaining angle which is opposite

    to the base [boundary-line] the angle at the top. [not the

    vertical angle, that being to be reserved for a twin name,

    ex. gr. the vertical angles.
  • Title: [14 Nov 1814 Influence Addenda]
    Description: 14 Nov 1814

    Influence

    Addenda

    Ch. Rulers adverse interest

    1

    “ I have no interest but that of my people - I have no interest but that of my people. Not alone /only/ do Kings continue to trumpet and blazon forth this transparent falshood, but their self nominated advisers of all sorts officially /authoritatively/ appointed and self-appointed echo the same sound. Sire you have no interest - Kings, ye have no interest , but that of your people. Thus in the garb and with the language of so many Members, they perform, knowingly or unknowingly the office of sycophants. In form - in all the forms of grammar - addressed to the ruler of the ruling few, in effect they are addressed /directed/ to the subject many. By no logic by no rhetoric will the Monarch be persuaded that he will be happier by repressing the desire /ruling passion/ of his life or the desire of the moment, be it what it may, than by gratifying them: by no logic, by no logic will he be persuaded {that it is more his interest to repress his desires than to gratify /and not to satisfy/ them} that it is his interest not to gratify /to satisfy/ his desires but to repress them, so long as the qualification is unattended /neither productive neither/ with either resistance on the part of the people nor so much as any murmur or complaints or murmurs loud enough to make him apprehensive for his personal power[?] or tranquillity. {But the people} But John Bull - when these fine sentiments /this rhetoric/ salute his eyes or his ears, the breast of John Bull is filled with delectation: {on him it operates as a lullaby} in this sweet lullaby he beholds a certificate of the virtue of the Monarch - of the excellence of the Constitution - and a bond of the security of all those who are happy enough to live under it.