JB/096/066/001

Click Here To Edit

---page break---

Calculated to make people fancy they know,
when they know nothing.

It is very fine and very specious, carrying
the appearance of the more depth
from its utter profound darkness.
So was the learning or rather laboured ignorance of Scot and Ramus:
it was set more store by it got the possessors the titles of
and irrefragable: it was it got them more reputation, & was set more store
by, than any now that is most as if not:
the only test of it's worthlessness (and sad lamentable it were if there were no test whereby at last it might be distinguished from what is valuable) that when applied
to practise it was found to be of no use, or
of worse than none.

Thus it is with our Author: when he breaks
out of utter darkness, it is only to wander
into error. In general you cannot understand

---page break---

him: tho' his words run so smoothly upon the
ear, without any thing to it by
dissonance lulled disgust, that your not understanding him
is more than without an attention not common
you are able to perceive: but when
you do, you then may see that he is wrong.
Wrong, it will be seen, not in trivial matters
merely: but in matters that are of
the first importance, either immediately
in practise, or midiately by concerning a
theory that has an influences on practise. Wrong
either by immediately recommending a conduct
that is pernicious: or by impeding that attainment the attainment
of that knowledge which may lead to
the discovery of what is useful

---page break---

Shewing it with Latin phrases, which [dazzle
the eye] and give an emphasis to that
which has no meaning: which being in a dead and foreign language proves to people
with an apology to themselves for not understanding
it at first, as they vainly hope to do after
better acquaintance; and thereby for the
author who gives them what is not to
be understood.

The tone of modest enquiry, at least of
[simple exposition] as it is more congenial
to our abilities, would have been more
correspondent consonant to our inclinations: but it
could not have answerd the design what was wanted: [What
the occasion required was] it seemed necessary
that somebody should boldly march up
at once to the chair of Jurisprudence

---page break---

where this our Professor had seated himself
so much to the depression of the artes infra
se pintae, gain the higher ground, march down upon him grapple with him, and with
a boldness confidence drawn rather from the magnitude importance
of the undertaking than the abilities faculties
of the undertake, endeavour to shake him
from his seat. Twas the only course
that seemed adequate to the design
that every sincere votary of the science
is alike interested in, the making room
and gaining a clear stage, the copea
fasidi, for what any one should have
to offer for the common benefit.

... While our Author holds the reins of
the science of the in his hands

BLACKSTONE. VII.

Identifier: | JB/096/066/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 96.
Date_1		Marginal Summary Numbering	not numbered
Box	096	Main Headings	comment on the commentaries
Folio number	066	Info in main headings field	blackstone vi
Image	001	Titles
Category	text sheet	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering
Penner	jeremy bentham	Watermarks	[[watermarks::gr [crown motif] [britannia with shield motif]]]
Marginals	jeremy bentham	Paper Producer
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year
Notes public		ID Number	31070
Box Contents