3 Oct 1803

Evidence

Judicature

Anonymous

The official man /placeman/ in the financial or any other official line, better considered /informed/ of the extreme weakness and rarity of it by prejudice fortified by experience than the Judge is by such reflection as he is at once able and willing to bestow, is sure that [...?] [...?] this at any rate is not so much as of the number of the motives by which your application to him has been produced: nor were he sure it were the only one would he be the more civil to you. What he is sure of is that you are a troublesome fellow: what he is almost /next/ to sure of is that you are villain knave or fool - what he cares not about is - which it be: what would render you but the more troublesome to him if it were possible you should be such, is your being a man of the most active and /as well as/ purest public spirit: because then /in that case/ the same motive which exposes him to be plagued by being the receiver of your demonstrations[?], would upon occasion expose him to be plagued by you still more by being the object of them.

Go to him unknown and without introduction, these /such/ affections and sentiments will be expressed to you without disguise. Go to him with an introduction, the outward civility will be proportioned to the need /demand/ he appears to himself to stand in of the good graces /good will/ of your introductor: his real sentiments and affections, and the regard he is disposed to pay to the information will be little varied by it. Be this as it may, the expedient of seeking out and employing the intervention of an introductor is so much added to the trouble and loss /consumption/ of time.

To give this as the constant or any thing like the constant result of an application of the sort in question, would be to make no allowance for the infinitely diversified modifications of idiosyncratic temperament: but though the supposition of this sort of reception will not be uniformly verified in every instance, nor perhaps in a majority of instances, yet in every instance, antecedently /previously/ to experience /trial/, the probability in favour of its taking place, /being verified and/ that to a degree productive of sensible mortification and inconvenience, will every where be very considerable.