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32

But having started the subject of bodily pleasure the Instructor tells us, that at all
events the summum bonum is not there. And why?

Because the part of the human frame to which they belong is the ignoble part
and secondly, they do not last – they are short.
And thirdly, Every now and then when they are over they leave unsavoury recollections
and bring blushes.†

They are ignoble. The life of A is filled up with pleasures, all of them ignoble,
all of them intense, – none of them alloyed with pains. In the life of B such
pleasures as there are are of the noble kind, but all of them mingled & outweighed by pains.
Whose lot of the two would a man in his senses choose?

The part – the semi ignoble – be it what it may – is it less necessary than any
other part? Ignoble as it is, would the compendium-writer – would his master have liked
to have been without it. But, as thus applied ignoble means any thing but ignoble –
the sound of the word is all there is in it. Let it mean, however, what he will
have it mean. Let Take two men, Felix & Miser. The life of Felix is crowded
with pleasures – with ignoble pleasures – pure pleasures i.e. pleasures unalloyed
with pain. The life of Miser has pleasures too – noble pleasures – each pleasure
faint, – & each of them outweighed by pains. Felix or Miser, tell us philosopher
which would you rather be?

Alas! Alas! this all a mistake– it is not the particular organ it is the
body, the whole body which is the ignoble thing. The organ may be subservient
to the pleasure, but the pleasure is subservient to the body. Well, allowing ignoble
though it means nothing to mean any thing – & that the body is as ignoble as
heart can wish, what then? The seat of the pleasure, be the pleasure what it
will, – is it not in the mind? Did any body ever see a body that felt pleasure
when the mind was out of it?

Again – the duration of bodily pleasure is short. Well, Good again, and what if it be ? Take
each by itself there is but little of it? Well and what of that? Take a guinea out of
your pocket and get the change for it – shillings – farthings – which is worth most the guinea
or the change? Which is the heavier a pound of gold or a pound of feathers?
When you have answered these, you shall be told, if you like whether the objection about
shortness has any thing in it but words.

Once more – the recollection of bodily pleasures is unsavoury – & demands blushes.
When enjoyed in an improper manner, let the recollection of them be ever so
unsavoury – will those enjoyed in a proper manner will they be the worse for

Identifier: | JB/015/163/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 15.
Date_1		Marginal Summary Numbering
Box	015	Main Headings	deontology
Folio number	163	Info in main headings field
Image	001	Titles
Category	linking material	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	f32
Penner	sir john bowring	Watermarks	[[watermarks::[prince of wales feathers] i&m 1818]]
Marginals		Paper Producer	arthur wellesley, duke of wellington
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year	1818
Notes public		ID Number	5379
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