1810 July 20 + '

. 2. C [...?] 9

Authority

1 9

| | Lawyers interest Sinister

It is the interest of the man of law, in the character /situation/ of a Judge that mere ideas /conceptions/ of right and wrong should in the highest possible /to such a degree/ confused, contradictory and changable (1) on each occasion, without hestitation or reflection men should regard his /look up to the/ opinions declared by him whatsoever they be, as constituting the standard of right and wrong, and that a standard variable at all times at his pleasure (2) that they should be ready to receive as right whatsoever he declares to be wrong, and (3) then[?] at all times and on all occasions, let such declarations be ever so inconsistent with the welfare of the people /society/ ever so self-contradictory and inconsistent with one another and with themselves. (4) It is his [...?] at that on such occasion whatsoever it happens to suit him to declare to be right, they should receive as right, only because he has declared it to be right; that in like manner on each occasion whatsoever it happens to suit him to declare to be wrong, they should receive as wrong, only because it has by himm seen so declared to be: - that the same thing should be at one time regarded as being right, at another time as being wrong, as it happens to the interest in the humour of the moment to determine.