第26章

　　TheFragmentwaspublishedanonymously，butBenthamhadconfidedthesecrettohisfatherbywayofsuggestingsomeslightset-offagainsthisapparentunwillingnesstoemergefromobscurity。ThebookwasatfirstattributedtoLordMansfield，LordCamden，andtoDunning。ItwaspiratedinDublin；

　　andmostofthefivehundredcopiesprintedappeartohavebeensold，thoughwithoutprofittotheauthor。Thefather’sindiscretionletoutthesecret；

　　andthesale，whenthebookwasknowntobewrittenbyanobody，felloffatonce，orsoBenthambelieved。Theanonymouswriter，however，wasdenouncedandaccusedofbeingtheauthorofmuchribaldry，andamongotheraccusationswassaidtobenotonlythetranslatorbutthewriteroftheWhiteBull。29*

　　Benthamhadfanciedthatallmannerof’torchesfromthehighestregions’

　　wouldcometolightthemselvesathis’farthingcandle。’Noneofthemcame，andhewasleftforsomeyearsinobscurity，thoughstilllabouringatthegreatworkwhichwasonedaytoenlightentheworld。Atlast，however，partialrecognitioncametohiminashapewhichgreatlyinfluencedhiscareer。LordShelburne，afterwardsmarquisofLansdowne，hadbeenimpressedbytheFragment，andin1781soughtoutBenthamathischambers。Shelburne’scareerwastoculminateinthefollowingyearwithhisbrieftenureofthepremiership3rdJuly1782to24thFebruary1783。Rightlyorwronglyhiscontemporariesfeltthedistrustindicatedbyhisnickname’Malagrida’，whichappearstohavebeenpartlysuggestedbyahabitofoverstrainedcompliment。Heincurredthedislikenotunfrequentlyexcitedbymenwhoclaimsuperiorityofintellectwithoutpossessingtheforceofcharacterwhichgivesacorrespondingweightinpoliticalaffairs。Althoughhiseducationhadbeenbad，hehadsomethingofthatcosmopolitantrainingwhichenabledmanymembersofthearistocracytolookbeyondthenarrowmiddle-classprejudicesandshareinsomedegreethewiderphilosophicalmovementsoftheday。HehadenjoyedthefriendshipofFranklin，andhadbeenthepatronofPriestley，whomadesomeofhischemicaldiscoveriesatBowood，andtowhomheallowedanannuity。HebelongedtothatsectionoftheWhigswhichhadmostsympathywiththerevolutionarymovement。HischiefpoliticallieutenantswereDunningandBarr&eacute；，whoatthetimesatforhisboroughCalne。HenowrapidlyformedanintimacywithBentham，whowenttostayatBowoodintheautumnof1781。BenthamnowandtheninlateryearsmadesomeratherdisparagingremarksuponShelburne，whomheapparentlyconsideredtoberatheranamateurthanaseriousphilosopher，andwhointheHouseofLordstalked’vaguegeneralities’——thesacredphrasebywhichtheUtilitariansdenouncedallpreachingbuttheirown——inawaytoimposeuponthethoughtless。HerespectedShelburne。however，asonewhotrustedthepeople，andwasdistrustedbytheWhigaristocracy。Hefelt，too，arealaffectionandgratitudeforthepatrontowhomheowedsomuch。