JB/097/015/001

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OBSTACLES PREJUGÉS in favor of Antiquity. LARCENY THEFT common among Gentry.

The Laws of the Saxons & Welsh our Anglo-Saxon & British Ancestors, like those of their contemporaries over Europe, are
full of pecuniary penalties for Theft, & Robbery, for there was not commonly any distinction made, which could only regard persons of dignity rank & opulence,
a plain proof that Theft & Robbery was common amongst such persons. At present
if an incident so circumstanced happens, it is looked upon as a prodigy. It was the same
among the Jews, It was the same among the Athenians. It was the same among the Romans. If we conceive every Member
of Parliament or Justice of Peace afraid of having his Throat cut or Chickens stolen by another
Member of Parliament or Justice of Peace, we shall have a tolerably adequate conception
of the State of Morality in those times. those times which &c Meanwhile, men are still found, & probably will
be so for a long time, who will confound all colours & degrees of Vice & Virtue, to
give their spleen the satisfaction of pronouncing those times better more virtuous than our own.
For this purpose the terms Luxury dissipation & Corruption, & a few other such words which have too which
no meaning no meaning is given, serve in admissable excellent stead. Poets & Divines +
+ Men of tender affections, of warm
imaginations, & of little experience
and discernment, whether the latter
be contracted shrunk <add>narrow</add> by nature, or by the or so
habitual necessity of contracting itself
to the module of extorted
professions —
</p>

Men will not for a long time know
how to refuse themselves their vanity the pleasure
of weeping over the depravity of
their neighbours.

<note>conjunction of vanity & spleen
It is the ordinary resource of a
clumsy workman to complain of
the badness of his Tools.
Instead of endevouring to build public
upon the basis of private interests,
they sit still & lament the prevalence
of the latter as a misfortune peculiar
to the present season.

<p>& Poets of a certain cast are the dupes & promoters
of this disposition; & by under the pretence of sympathy & concern, apologise to themselves find an apology for
poisoning the minds of the vulgar of all ranks with despondency & discontent. by the effusions of their melancholy, & spleen. [

[visus bad Politicians]

Identifier: | JB/097/015/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 97.
Date_1		Marginal Summary Numbering
Box	097	Main Headings
Folio number	015	Info in main headings field	obstacles prejuges in favor of antiquity theft common among gentry
Image	001	Titles
Category	text sheet	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering
Penner	jeremy bentham	Watermarks	j honig & zoonen
Marginals		Paper Producer	cc1
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year
Notes public		ID Number	31399
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