6 July 1807

25

Letter V

II. Litigat. promot.

III. Plff malâ fide

Different causes do indeed concurr in applying some alleviation to that misery - in defrauding you of some portion of your profits: the force of the sympathetic affections in the shape of pity and remorse: the force of the moral sanction: the force of the religious sanction. But in all this there is no fault of yours. You continue to do what depends upon yourselves for the weakening of all three: by the encouragement you never cease to hold out to fraud, to oppression, to mendacity to perjury. See Letter I. Devices.

The choice which a man of himself helpless of standing[?] suit may have of finding support from without, presents a difficult point. The terms on which the support is but given may be gratuitous or commercial: gratuitous support it would not be easy for you to cut from under him, if you wished it: support on commercial terms you may, at least for the most part, {If on this occasion you could deprive the indigent of support in all cases, the bondage would be entire.

to p.26

From p. 26

{All those who could not afford to advance the £25 or whatever greater sum may prove to be necessary to the carrying the suit through on the defendant's side would be a set of villains in gross, having for Lords (tenants in common of the seigniory) all who could afford to advance the £25 or more, necessary to the carrying it through on the Plffs side:- so many Helots on one part, so many Spartans on the other:} the line might be drawn by the returns to the Income -tax might almost serve to draw the line. From the possibility of extraneous support this beautiful simplicity receives considerable disturbance.

+ Spartans quare[?] nactin es hani vrae[?], might then be the advice.