1823 Feb. 21

Greece J.B. to Greek Legislators

Grounding myself on these observations, the first piece of advice which I shall take the liberty of submitting to you is © not to suffer yourselves to be turned aside from any thing that follows by the observation that not the least atom of flattery in any shape is offered to you or any of you that the inducements by which on this /each/ occasion I expect to find your conduct /practice/ determined are no other than those self©regarding ones which with few or no exceptions it has seemed to me that human conduct has in all places and at all times been determined

that as I do not in the instance of any public man or any public situation look for voluntary /willing/ self sacrifice in any shape, so neither can I look for any such thing in your situation in the instance of you or any of you

that accordingly I look not on any occasion for any such stile of conduct as can with any propriety be termed disinterested produced by any other cause than a mans own opinion /conception/ of what at the moment in question /of action/ is in the highest degree conducive to his own interest.

that when in this or that situation a sacrifice has been thought or [...?] to have been made by a man in this shape © a sacrifice of his own interest it /the sacrifice/ has been nothing more than a sacrifice of his interest in one shape to his interest in another the sacrifice of what has at the moment been in his eyes a lesser to what has in his eyes at that same moment his greater interest: the sacrifice for example of pecuniary interest to reputation: of a certain sum of money to such a quantity of general good opinion and good will and good offices at the hands of other men as according to his calculation would be worth more.