JB/537/265/001

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in the same strain, that a man need not wish for a better cause.

But howsoever it be with this, there is another invention of his which you
have mentioned, that I cannot by any means commend him for witholding so long
nor excuse him, if he persists in witholding it any longer. I mean the Fire-escaping
engine, as you term it: an invention that I might have alledged of
as an example of that class, the purpose of which is to compass some end (&
few can be more important) not compassed before.

I must acknowledge to you, indeed, for my own part, that considering the
matter at large, and antecedently to any particular knowledge of his ,
contrivance, I have no great presentiment in favour of the utility of any
engine for that purpose: since the making use of it upon any occasion will
I should think require a number of little circumstances to be aware of and
operations to be performed which persons under that kind of distress which the
invention is calculated to relieve cannot commonly be supposed to be in a condition
to perform and to be aware of. If however he who bests knows how this is, continues
to be of opinion that it will answer in any degree a purpose so important, I
think that if he delays communicating it to the public he is inexcuseable.
As to what you were once mentioning concerning his reluctance to take it out of the
hands of that brute Allen, I could wish him to take himself a little to task, &
consider what case he can find to attribute it to other than indolence and a false modesty,
& how he can reconcile to himself the sacrificing of his own and the public
benefit together to such considerations. Put him in mind of the parable of
the talents in the Gospel.

I had like to have forgotten to mention, that whether it be or be not
in the nature of things for any contrivance to answer the purpose compleatly
and effectually, nothing however should prevent him from being a candidate
for the reward offer'd by the Society of Arts for the engine best calculated
to answer that purpose as far as it can be answer'd.

If I should not have render'd myself sufficiently intelligible upon
any of these points, let me know that I may do my endeavours to set it
right. Adieu, my dear Sam, and judge from the length of this Epistle
of my desire to make you amends for the silence which preceded it.
Your's ever affectionately
Jere:y Bentham

My best Compliments to Mr Gray -
let me hear from you soon, and
in my next I will send you some
little intelligences relative to E.F.
I will certainly write to my Uncle
about the paper tomorrow.
Thursday Novr 4 1773.
Lincoln's Inn No 6.

Identifier: | JB/537/265/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 537.
Date_1	1773-11-04	Marginal Summary Numbering
Box	537	Main Headings
Folio number	265	Info in main headings field
Image	001	Titles
Category	Correspondence	Number of Pages
Recto/Verso		Page Numbering
Penner	Jeremy Bentham	Watermarks
Marginals		Paper Producer
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year
Notes public		ID Number
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