1 July 1811 7 V. ad Juperbriam

Fallacies 7 Ch. 1. Generalia

Exposure

Of the ement[?] this broached, let it not be imagined, that either in tendency or in design, it was an innoxious /other than a mischievous/ one. For its design by every eye by which a portion of the works of men of law can represented /drawn/ in that point of view that which is never absent from the mind of the English lawyer, nor in particular of all such lawyers ever was from that of Lord Chief Justice Coke, that of giving extent and stability to arbitrary power in the hands of lawyers. Or[?] Admitt the principle though it be in but this one application of it, you invest them with this power. Reason being equally out of the question in all cases, with them rests the choice of the laws on which this attribute shall be conferred. Thus in each instance they set up their own authority in opposition to and at a height superior to that of the legislature for the time being: and whosoever it is be by whom in relation to any /this or that/ particular law this doctrine of theirs is acceded to, by that man in so far as in him lies /on him depends/ two things are in their favour done - in the first place in the individual instance in question the advantage of negativing or repealing any particular law which is not to their taste, in the next place in virtue of the general[?] principle, a permanent authority superior to that of the legislators, an authority by exercise of which it depends on them to [...?] it /at their choice/ the same fate /a/ as many other acts of authority as by any future legislature would be exercised in opposite to any them[?] subsisting laws.