Feb y 1807

7

Letter II[?]

Make the most of it, the advantage you get by competition is not abolsute, it is but comparative: as between Court and Court it gives to the best qualified, or least ill qualified set of Judges, the most business: it causes each set /branch/ of Judges, or rathe /say rather/ the President if each Branch to endeavour to excell the President of the other Branch. But if both be ill qualified by Nature, competition will not remove the imperfections fixt by nature.

Again. Honour being the prize, love of Honour is the spur. But where money is out of the question, and all further ascent on[?] the [...?] of honour impossible or hopeless - especially at that time of life at which the greater number of Judges will commonly be found, is honour finds a rival, growing every day stronger and stronger, which honour himself is growing every day weaker and weaker, and that is Evil. Most other loves lose strength by /divers part with strength to[?]/ time[?]: love of case[?] receives /draws/ strength from that source.