29 April 1807

5

Lawyers judged

Letter 1

Of the degree of confidence thus unhappily and fataly misplaced, mere oversight does not appear /seem / to be /present itself as being/ the only cause: the sense of helplessness - and of the absence of all other resources, must /may/ in no inconsiderable degree have contributed to it. In the [...?] of lawyers, whatsoever may be their disposition /inclination/ men[?] are accustomed to behold the only class of persons in whose /whose minds/ amy adequate knowledge of the subject matter can /acquaintance will/ reasonably be expected: and /to that/ as in the character of suitor, actually labouring under the misfortune of having become litigant, individuals separately taken throw themselves, each of them into the arms of his lawyer conscious of his own inability to conduct or advocate his own course, so in the character of subjects or ruler, exposed to that same misfortune, they abandon themselves collectively to the same hostile and necessarily treacherous /[...?] //pernicious/ guidance. /+ engaged thus by an insuperable /irrestible/ necessity to repose their confidence in hands of whose treachery /hostility to a certain degree/ he could rationally entertain a doubt/

Here then is a sort of despair , despair in sentiment and theory producing at the same time in practice the effects /effect/ of confidence. Their interests are to a certain degree adverse to ours /in a state of opposition/: but to what purpose /use/ should we think of it /think of it/? Let us leave them quietly to deal by us how they please: for it is not in our power to prevent it.

So strong so comprehensive is the advantage for which they[?] stand indebted to the uncognoscibility of the law: accordingly to render it and keep it as uncognoscible as possible has been, is now and ever will be, among the most anxious and constant and universal of their cares.