JB/538/247/002

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I have just been doing a thing for which Q. S. P. would
shirk the act of a poor simple mortal that had no regard to his own
interest: others perhaps might think it an act of supreme magnanimity.
The truth is it is neither the one nor the other; but
an act done in pursuance of I hope not a dishonest regard to what
I take to be my own interest— In my last I told you about
Schwediaeur's friend Pilate. Schw. was to write to him this
evening. It came in my head this morning to write a note or
rather letter to Schw. pr recommending it to him to press Pilate
to write for the Berne premium I had handed it to him last night To have such a concurrence
I said would be a matter of honour to me if I succeeded,
and of consolation if I failed. I urged all the arguments that
I could have urged if I had been ever so desirous of
his embracing the proposal: Indeed I putting him in mind of
the Empress Voltaire &c. &c. and of the book that he has already written
in which he has exposed some of the defects of the established
systems of Criminal Law in a lovely & not injudicious manner—
that he would not be true to the subject; that it
was expected of him, and so forth: and what is more than
all this offering to exhibit to Schw. all of my papers without
return that he might communicate out of them to Pilate
any thing which he should think might be of use to him.
Now as the time is not very long, as he has countries to travel
over and Russian Bears to dandle through them, as he will
understand that I am pretty far advanced, and as I expect imagine will
be taught to look upon me as rather a formidable concurrent,
what I rather expect is that he will not embrace the proposal.
If so he will think it an act of great magnanimity, at least
I hope so, I will trumpet at about as such to his young
cubs and in Russia amongst other places; the rather as every
thing I hear of him induces me to entertain a favorable opinion
of him. But even if he should, I am not at all afraid of him;
neither I believe are you: for if my plan is not what I look upon
it

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Identifier: | JB/538/247/002 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 538.
Date_1	1778-10-27	Marginal Summary Numbering
Box	538	Main Headings
Folio number	247	Info in main headings field
Image	002	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
Box Contents