[129b-416]

22 Mar. 1817

Plan Cat

2 o

Introd

§.11. Seat Traffic

II. Absorption certain

3

To the reader {of Old Mortality’s[?] the popinjay} to him whose acquaintance with French customs has brought it under his view, the cocapus, best of the how[?] the cocapus may serve to pourtray the situation to which in this country the C – r General is indebted for so large a portion of his power. What the {popinjay was or is to the sharp shooters what the} cocapus was or is or was to the scramblers, the pile /pyramid/ round which the assemblage of bribes royal is kept suspended above /over/ and in view of all heads is to the band /squad/ of corruptionists corruption hunters and corruption hunters To engage men in the pursuit no particular invitation applied individually to individuals can ever be necessary: permission – general and even universal permission is quite sufficient Permission if in the most general head /terms/ nor even that expressed by words. There stands the pile with the popinjay at /hanging from the/ top of it, shoot at it who will /list[?]/: there stands /rears its head/ the pyramid with the assortment of bribes royal all around it, scramble for it who will. Of the scramble for ribbons a view has been given by the historian of /biographer of Captain/ Gullian[?]: but a ribbon is but one out of the vast number of objects of concupiscence with which the cocapi of the Corrupter General is bedecked.