26 July 1810

Plan

Ch Course to be taken

'.1. [...?] place [...?]

1

Therefore ult[?] & repeat any advantage for heresy[?] in the references side: heresy will be most presentable on the other.

Ch. Of the course to be taken by the friends of reform

'.1. Impossibility of secrecy in their plans.

Whatsoever plan of policy /procedure/ the friends of Parliamentary Reform may have in view, and especially those whose wishes would carry them furthest in that truth, it would be a very enormous conception, should it happen to suppose themselves capable of entertaining /pursuing or so much as concurring[?]/ any scheme of policy of which their opponents can in any degree /respect/ fail of being aware.

In comparison of the motives by which on /the force of/ the opposite side viz. that of the defendants' resistance is secured and animated /excited/ are of the strongest and universally operative cast /texture/ viz. personal interest: the motive by the force of which the [...?] of the Castle of Abuse will be actuated will for the most part be composed of no stronger texture than the comparatively weak one of public /of nothing but public/ spirit, a spirit of the weakness of which in comparison of personal self-regarding interests no man surely can need to be informed.

But other things equal /as between men and men in other points equal/, the degree of industry with which any will operate /act/ each of them in pursuit of his own object, will be proportioned of course to the force of the motives by which he is animated /actuated/ /urged/.

Oh! but weak men such as these .... No matter: Every thing of the sort will be understood, and to every practical purpose and well understood - by this or that man by whom nothing else was ever understood: a sort of instinct serves him here. To other purpose, to the purpose of public good be they ever so weak, to the purpose of personal interest no few, no hope but they will be strong enough: In this one point will whatever strength they have be concentrated: they are the children of the world: and in a generation which is their own, it is no secret how much wiser the children of the world are than the children of light.