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1830. Nov. 27
J.B. to Belgians.
☞ To come next after the lesser of uselessness?
☞ Quere whether to insert this?
You have read – what everybody has read – the fable
of the frogs – of the frogs when nothing must serve them
but they must have a king. A king they accordingly
prayed for to Jupiter, and he gave them one: it was King Log.
It or he not suiting them, they grew tired of him: they hopped
upon him; they skipped over him: they applied a second time to
Jupiter, and put up their prayers for another. He humoured them
a second time: he gave them a King Stork. What was the consequence?
The condition of the that people this second time was worse –
much worse – than the first. They now prayed for a No-King
in preference to all kings: but it was too late; his Majesty
gobbled them all up, and there was an end of them.
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1830. Nov. 27
J.B. to Belgians
(1)
This fable (I say) you must have read: for everybody has
read it. But you have not made application of it. With submission,
it would not have been the worse for you if you had.
You have determined to give yourselves a king: and in
what hope? In the hope that he will not, like King Charles, be a
King Stork; but – what it is hoped King Louis Philippe will be –
a King Log.
Yes: a King Log. For what better hope than that can there
be? What better hope does the nature of man admit of? That
his Majesty should love you better than you love yourselves?
This is not altogether in keeping with human nature That he
should know what is best for you better than all of you put
together? No: nor this neither. Might it not have been worth
your while – may it not still be worth your while – to ask
one another – and in the first place for each one of you – to ask
himself – a question or two?
Identifier: | JB/023/159/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 23.
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1830-11-27 |
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023 |
lord brougham displayed |
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159 |
jb to belgians |
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001 |
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copy/fair copy sheet |
1 |
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recto |
c1 / e2 / e3 |
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james mill |
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8030 |
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