14 Sept. 1803

Evidence

Instruction

Considerations in [...?]

2. Interest in general

2. Cause of distrust /suspicion/. Interest - the evidence /testimony/ of the witness [...?] /liable/ to be drawn aside from the line of truth by the influence of some seducing motive.

There are as many species /sorts/ of interest, as there are sorts of motives: there are as many sorts of motives, as there are distinguishable sorts of pains and pleasures.

Whatever, on each given occasion, be the complexion of a man's conduct, lawful or unlawful, beneficial to society or prejudicial commendable or discommendable, it is always a result of the action of some motive or motives, or of the difference in point of force between two lots of contending motives: an action without a motive is an effect without a cause. Of /Among/ motives there are some the action of which tends in man, all the world over, or at least in every civilised community, though with exceptions in different communities - more or less considerable, keep mens conduct within the path of probity, of which a main branch is the love of truth. There are 1. the motives created by the rewards and punishments administered by the law of the state. 2. The motives depending on good and evil reputation, from whence flowed respectively the spontaneous good and ill offices of mankind. 3. The motives created by the affection of benevolence, whether its object be more or less or more extensive - a mans family his friends at large - his province his country or mankind. 4 the motives created by religion. In consideration of this most usual tendency, though there is not one of them which by means of some error or other has not been productive of actions pernicious to mankind and in particular drawn aside mans' testimony from the love of truth all these together may be comprised under the common appellation of tutelary or guardian motives.