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2)
some experiments are necessary such as I cannot afford to make myself, and
such as I have no expectation of being assisted in making in this country, at
least not unless Ld Howe was at the head of the Admiralty. In Russia I think
it very probable I may get them tried, & I will tell you my reasons for thinking so.
First in that country the good effects of attending to proposals for improvement have
been felt so much and so lately that they are not prejudiced against innovation in general.
The pains and expence they bestow in sending people to other countries for the purpose of bringing
home improvements shew that in their opinion improvements are at least possible.
Being at present at peace they have leisure to attend to improvement. The first Lord
of the Admiralty there happens to be a man who interests himself in the making improvements.
I should go recommended to him not as a poor man who not being able
to subsist in his own country, would be gald to go anywhere for a livlihood, but as a man
of Science as well as a Shipwright, and who is considered as such in his own country.
I should not go to him as one begging a favor. I should not ask for any post in their
service, nor would I accept of any which there is much probability of their offering me.
As I should sollicit nothing I should stand in nobody's way, I should oppose the interest
of nobody. I should make some proposals which it would be to their interest to attend
to and would probably appear to be to their interest to attend to. Upon the success of any if
of my experiments I should not even then ask for any reward. I should know how to
turn them to account here at home so as that they should afford me ample recompense.
When I can be certain of building better Vessels than are built by other people I shall
have no doubt of succeeding in private business: But oin any other by any other means
I have no hopes of making much money in the way of any business.
You seem to think that I am apt to lay too great a stress upon the "occasional
civilities which I may receive from strangers, but I am well convinced that you have
little occasion for fears of that kind. I expect men to be governed in the way I always
find them, by their passions; for the most part by their interest (in the most extensive
signification of the word). I expect men to be no otherways disposed to serve me
than when they can derive some pleasure to themselves by doing it.
If I have heard Count Chernisheff's Character from his freind & dependant I
have also heard it from one who I am convinced has given me his real opinion upon
other occasions and who suspects the Count to be prejudiced against him: his biass
would of course be rather to represent him in an unfavorable light. but from his
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Identifier: | JB/538/322/002 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 538.
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1779-05-09 |
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538 |
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322 |
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Correspondence |
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Samuel Bentham |
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