首页 >出版文学> Jeremy Bentham>第30章

第30章

  Benthamremainedasmucharecluseasever。HeseldomleftQueen’sSquarePlaceexceptforcertainsummeroutings。In1807hetookahouseatBarrowGreen,nearOxted,inSurrey,lyinginapicturesquehollowatthefootofthechalkhills。101*Itwasanold-fashionedhouse,standinginwhathadbeenapark,withalakeandacomfortablekitchengarden。Benthampotteredaboutinthegroundsandundertheoldchestnut-trees,codifying,gardening,andtalkingtooccasionaldisciples。Hereturnedthitherinfollowingyears;
  butin1814,probablyinconsequenceofhiscompensationforthePanopticon,tookalargerplace,FordAbbey,nearChardinSomersetshire。Itwasasuperbresidence,102*withchapel,cloisters,andcorridors,ahalleightyfeetlongbythirtyhigh,andagreatdiningparlour。PartsofthebuildingdatedfromthetwelfthcenturyorthetimeoftheCommonwealth,orhadundergonealterationsattributedtoInigoJones。NoSquireWesterncouldhavecaredlessforantiquarianassociations,butBenthammadeaveryfairmonk。Theplace,forwhichhepaid£;315ayear,wascongenial。Herodehisfavouritehobbyofgardening,andtookhisregular’ante-jentacular,and’post-prandial’
  walks,andplayedbattledoreandshuttlecockintheintervalsofcodification。
  Helikeditsowellthathewouldhavetakenitforlife,butforthelossof£;8000or£;10,000inaDevonshiremarble-quarry。103*In1818
  hegaveitup,andthenceforwardrarelyquittedQueen’sSquarePlace。Hislifewasvariedbyfewincidents,althoughhisinfluenceuponpublicaffairswasforthefirsttimebecomingimportant。Thebusierjournalistsandplatformoratorsdidnottroublethemselvesmuchaboutphilosophy。Buttheywereincommunicationwithmenofahigherstamp,Romilly,JamesMill,andothers,whoformedBentham’sinnermostcouncil。ThusthemovementsintheoutsideworldsetupanagitationinBentham’sstudy;andthereclusewaspromptedtosethimselftoworkuponelaboratinghisowntheoriesinvariousdirections,inordertosupplythenecessarysubstratumofphilosophicaldoctrine。Ifhehadnotthepowerofgainingthepublicear,hisoraclesweretransmittedthroughthediscipleswhoalsoconvertedsomeofhisrawmaterialsintocoherentbooks。
  ThemostimportantofBentham’sdisciplesformanyyearswasJamesMill,andIshallhavetosaywhatmoreisnecessaryinregardtotheactiveagitationwhenIspeakofMillhimself。Forthepresent,itisenoughtosaythatMillfirstbecameBentham’sproselyteabout1808。MillstayedwithBenthamatBarrowGreenandatFordAbbey。Thoughsomedifferencescausedsuperficialdisturbancesoftheirharmony,noprophetcouldhavehadamorezealous,uncompromising,andvigorousdisciple。Mill’sforceofcharacterqualifiedhimtobecometheleaderoftheschool;buthisdoctrinewasalwaysessentiallythedoctrineofBentham,andforthepresenthewascontenttobethetransmitterofhismaster’smessagetomankind。HewasatthisperiodacontributortotheEdinburghReview;andinOctober1809heinsertedsomepraisesofBenthaminareviewofabookuponlegislationbyS。ScipionBexon。ThearticlewascruellymangledbyJeffrey,accordingtohiscustom,andJeffrey’smostpowerfulvassal,Brougham,thoughtthatthepraiseswhichremainedwereexcessive。104*
  ObviouslytheorthodoxWhigswerenotpreparedtoswearallegiancetoBentham。HewasdrawingintocloserconnectionwiththeRadicals。In1809
  CobbettwasdenouncingthedukeofYorkinconsequenceoftheMrsClarkescandal。Benthamwrotetohim,butanonymouslyandcautiously,toobtaindocumentsinregardtoapreviouslibelcase,105*andproceededtowriteapamphletontheElementsoftheArtofPackingasappliedtoSpecialJuries,sosharpthathisfaithfuladviser,Romilly,procureditssuppressionforthetime。106*Copies,however,wereprintedandprivatelygiventoafewwhocouldbetrusted。Benthamnextwrote1809a’CatechismofParliamentaryReform,’whichhecommunicatedtoCobbett16thNovember1810,witharequestforitspublicationintheRegister。107*Cobbettwasatthistimeinprisonforhisattackuponfloggingmilitiamen;and,thoughstillmorehostiletogovernment,wasboundtobemorecautiousinhislineofassault。Theplanwasnotpublished,whetherbecausetoodaringortoodull;butitwasapparentlyprinted。Bentham’sopinionofCobbettwasanythingbutflattering。
  Cobbett,hethoughtin1812,wasa’vilerascal,’andwasafterwardspronouncedtobe’filledwiththeodiumhumanigeneris——hismalevolenceandlyingbeyondeverything。’108*Cobbett’sradicalism,infact,wasofthetypemosthostiletotheUtilitarians。JohnHunt,intheExaminerwas’trumpeting’
  BenthamandRomillyin1812,andwaspraisedaccordingly。109*BenthamformedanalliancewithanotherleadingRadical。Hehadmadeacquaintanceby1811
  withSirF。Burdett,towhomhethenappealedforhelpinanattackuponthedelaysofChancery。110*Burdett,indeed,appearedtohimtobefarinferiortoRomillyandBrougham,buthethoughtthatsopowerfula’heroofthemob’oughttobeturnedtoaccountinthegoodcause。111*Burdettseemstohavecourtedtheoldphilosopher;andafewyearslateracloseralliancewasbroughtabout。Thepeaceof1815wassucceededbyaperiodofdistress,themoreacutelyfeltfromthedisappointmentofnaturalhopesofprosperity;andaperiodofagitation,metbyharshrepression,followed。
  ApplicationsweremadetoBenthamforpermissiontousehis’Catechism,’
  whichwasultimatelypublished1818inacheapformbyWooler,wellknownastheeditorofthedemocraticBlackDwarf。112*Burdettappliedforaplanofparliamentaryreform。HenryBickersteth1783-1851,afterwardsLordLangdaleandMasteroftheRolls,atthistimearisingbarristerofhighcharacter,wroteanappealtoBenthamandBurdetttocombineinsettingforthaschemewhich,withsuchauthority,mustcommandgeneralacceptance。
  TheresultwasaseriesofresolutionsmovedbyBurdettintheHouseofCommonson2ndJune1818,113*demandinguniversalsuffrage,annualparliaments,andvotebyballot。Benthamhadthusacceptedtheconclusionsreachedinadifferentwaybythebelieversinthat’hodge-podge’ofabsurdities,thedeclarationoftherightsofman。Curiouslyenough,hisassaultuponthatdocumentappearedinDumont’sFrenchversionintheyear1816,attheverytimewhenhewasacceptingitspracticalconclusions。
  TheschemesinwhichMillwasinterestedatthistimedrewBentham’sattentioninotherdirections。In1813theQuaker,WilliamAllen,whohadbeenacloseallyofMill,inducedBenthamtoinvestmoneyintheNewLanarkestablishment。
  Owen,whosebenevolentschemeshadbeenhamperedbyhispartners,boughtthemout,thenewcapitalbeingpartlyprovidedbyAllen,Bentham,andothers。
  BenthamafterwardsspokecontemptuouslyofOwen,who,ashesaid,’beganinvapourandendedinsmoke,’114*andwhosedisciplescameinafteryearsintosharpconflictwiththeUtilitarians。Bentham,however,tookpleasure,itseems,inOwen’sbenevolentschemesforinfanteducation,andmademoneybyhisinvestment,foroncecombiningbusinesswithphilanthropysuccessfully。115*
  ProbablyheregardedNewLanarkasakindofPanopticon。OwenhadnotasyetbecomeaprophetofSocialism。
  AnothersetofcontroversiesinwhichMillandhisfriendstookanactivepart,startedBenthaminawholeseriesofspeculations。AplanwhichI
  shallhavetomentioninconnectionwithMill,wasdevisedin1815fora’Chrestomathicschool,’whichwastogiveasoundeducationofproperUtilitariantendenciestotheupperandmiddleclasses。Brougham,Mackintosh,Ricardo,WilliamAllen,andPlacewereallinterestedinthisundertaking。116*BenthamofferedasiteatQueen’sSquarePlace,andthoughtheschemenevercametothebirth,itsethimactivelyatwork。HewroteaseriesofpapersduringhisfirstyearatFordAbbey117*uponthetheoryofeducation,publishedin1816asChrestomathia;andtothiswasapparentlydueafurtherexcursionbeyondthelimitsofjurisprudence。Educationalcontroversyinthatignorantdaywascomplicatedbyreligiousanimosity;theNationalSocietyandthe’BritishandForeign’SocietywerefightingunderthebannersofBellandLancaster,andthewarrousedexcessivebitterness。Benthamfindingthechurchinhisway,hadlittledifficultyindiscoveringthatthewholeecclesiasticalsystemwaspartofthegeneralcomplexofabuseagainstwhichhewaswarring。
  HefellfouloftheCatechism;heexposedtheabusesofnon-residenceandepiscopalwealth;hediscoveredthattheThirty-nineArticlescontainedgrossfallacies;hewentontomakeanonslaughtupontheApostleStPaul,whoseevidenceastohisconversionwasexposedtoaseverecross-examination;
  and,finally,hewrote,orsuppliedthematerialsfor,aremarkableAnalysisofNaturalReligion,whichwasultimatelypublishedbyGroteunderthepseudonym’PhilipBeauchamp,’in1822。ThisprocedurefromtheparticularcaseoftheCatechisminschoolsuptothegeneralproblemoftheutilityofreligioningeneral,iscuriouslycharacteristicofBentham。
  Bentham’smindwasattractedtovariousotherschemesbythediscipleswhocametositathisfeet,andprofessed,withmoreorlesssincerity,toregardhimasaSolon。Foreignershadbeenresortingtohimfromallpartsoftheworld,andgavehimhopesofnewfieldsforcodifying。Asearlyas1808hehadbeenvisitedatBarrowGreenbythestrangeadventurer,politician,lawyer,andfilibuster,AaronBurr,famousfortheduelinwhichhekilledAlexanderHamilton,andnowframingwildschemesforanempireinMexico。
  Unscrupulous,restlesslyactiveandcynical,hewasasingularcontrasttotheplacidphilosopher,uponwhomhisconfidencesseemtohavemadeanimpressionofnotunpleasinghorror。Burr’sconversationsuggestedtoBenthamasingularschemeforemigratingtoMexico。HeappliedseriouslyforintroductionstoLordHolland,whohadpassedsometimeinSpain,andtoHolland’sfriend,Jovellanos1749-1812,amemberoftheSpanishJunta,whohadwrittentreatisesuponlegislation1785,ofwhichBenthamapproved。118*ThedreamofMexicowassucceededbyadreamofVenezuela。GeneralMirandaspentsomeyearsinEngland,andhadbecomewellknowntoJamesMill。HewasnowabouttostartuponanunfortunateexpeditiontoVenezuela,hisnativecountry。Hetookwithhimadraftofalawforthefreedomofthepress,whichBenthamdrewup,andheproposedthatwhenhisnewstatewasfounded,Benthamshouldbeitslegislator。119*MirandawasbetrayedtotheSpanishgovernmentin1812,anddied1816inthehandsoftheInquisition。Bolivar,whowasalsoinLondonin1810andtooksomenoticeofJosephLancaster,appliedinflatteringtermstoBentham。Longafterwards,whendictatorofColumbia,heforbadetheuseofBentham’sworksintheschools,towhich,however,theprivilegeofreadinghimwasrestored,and,letushope,dulyvalued,in1835。120*
  Santander,anotherSouthAmericanhero,wasalsoadisciple,andencouragedthestudyofBentham。Benthamsaysin1830thatfortythousandcopiesofDumont’sTraité;shadbeensoldinParisfortheSouthAmericantrade。121*
  WhatshareBenthammayhavehadinmodifyingSouthAmericanideasisunknowntome。IntheUnitedStateshehadmanydisciplesofamorecreditablekindthanBurr。Heappealedin1811toMadison,thenPresident,forpermissiontoconstructa’Pannomion’orcompletebodyoflaw,fortheuseoftheUnitedStates;andurgedhisclaimsbothuponMadisonandtheGovernorofPennsylvaniain1817,whenpeacehadbeenrestored。HehadmanyconversationsuponthisprojectwithJohnQuincyAdams,whowasthenAmericanministerinEngland。122*
  This,ofcourse,cametonothing,butaneminentAmericandisciple,EdwardLivingston1764-1836,between1820and1830preparedcodesfortheStateofLouisiana,andwarmlyacknowledgedhisobligationstoBentham。123*In1830Benthamalsoacknowledgesanoticeofhislabours,probablyresultingfromthis,whichhadbeenmadeinoneofGeneralJackson’spresidentialmessages。124*