第28章

　　Bentham，aswehaveseen，wasalreadyknowntosomeoftheFrenchleaders，andhewasnowtakingtimebytheforelock。HesenttotheAbb&eacute；MorelletapartofhistreatiseonPoliticalTactics，hopingtohaveitfinishedbythetimeofthemeetingoftheStatesGeneral。61*Thistreatise，civillyacceptedbyMorellet，andapprovedwithsomequalificationsbyBentham’scounsellors，Romilly，Wilson，andTrail，wasanelaborateaccountoftheorganisationandprocedureofalegislativeassembly，foundedchieflyonthepracticeoftheHouseofCommons。Itwaspublishedin1816byDumontincompanywithAnarchicFallacies，avigorousexposureoftheDeclarationofRights，whichBenthamhadjudiciouslykeptonhisshelf。HadtheFrenchknownofit，heremarksafterwards，theywouldhavebeenlittledisposedtowelcomehim。62*AnelaborateschemefortheorganisationoftheFrenchjudiciarywassuggestedbyareporttotheNationalAssembly，andpublishedinMarch1790。In1791，BenthamofferedtogotoFrancehimselfinordertoestablishaprisononhisnewschemetobementioneddirectly，andbecome’gratuitouslythegaolerthereof，’63*TheAssemblyacknowledgedhis’ardentloveofhumanity，’andorderedanextractfromhisschemetobeprintedfortheirinstruction。ThetacticsactuallyadoptedbytheFrenchrevolutionistsformanagingassembliesandtheirmethodsofexecutingjusticeformaqueercommentaryonthephilosopherwho，likeVoltaire’sMamresintheWhiteBull，continuedto’meditateprofoundly’inplaciddisregardoffacts。Hewasinfactproposingthatthelavaboilingupinavolcaniceruptionshouldarrangeitselfentirelyaccordingtohisarchitecturaldesigns。Buthisproposaltobecomeagaolerduringtherevolutionreachesthepatheticbyitsamiableinnocence。On26thAugust1792，BenthamwasoneofthemenuponwhomtheexpiringAssembly，anxioustoshowitsdesireofuniversalfraternity，conferredthetitleofcitizen。WithBenthamwerejoinedPriestley，Paine，Wilberforce，Clarkson，Washington，andothers。TheSeptembermassacresfollowed。On18thOctoberthehonourwascommunicatedtoBentham。Herepliedinapoliteletter，pointingoutthathewasaroyalistinLondonforthesamereasonwhichwouldmakehimarepublicaninFrance。Heendedbyacalmargumentagainsttheproscriptionofrefugees。64*TheConvention，ifitreadtheletter，andhadanysenseofhumour，musthavebeenamused。ThewarandtheReignofTerrorfollowed。BenthamturnedtheoccasiontoaccountbywritingapamphletnotthenpublishedexhortingtheFrenchto’emancipatetheircolonies。’

　　Colonieswereanaimlessburthen，andtogetridofthemwoulddomorethanconquesttorelievetheirfinances。BritishfleetsandtheinsurrectionofSt。Domingowereemancipatingbyverydifferentmethods。

　　Benthamwas，ofcourse，disgustedbythedivergenceofhisclientsfromthelineschalkedoutbyproperrespectforlawandorder。On31stOctober1793hewritestoafriend，expressinghiswishthatJacobinismcouldbeextirpated；nopricecouldbetooheavytopayforsucharesult：buthedoubtswhetherwarorpeacewouldbethebestmeanstotheend，andprotestsagainstthepolicyofappropriatinguselessandexpensivecoloniesinsteadof’drivingattheheartofthemonster。’65*Neverwasanadvisermoreatcross-purposeswiththeadvised。Itwouldbeimpossibletodrawamorestrikingportraitoftheabstractreasoner，whosecalculationsastohumanmotivesomitallreferencetopassion，andwhofanciedthatallprejudicecanbedispelledbyafewbitsoflogic。

　　Meanwhileavarietyofsuggestionsmoreorlessimportantandconnectedwithpassingeventswereseethinginhisfertilebrain。Hewroteoneofhismoststingingpamphlets，’TruthversusAshhurst’inDecember1792，directedagainstajudgewho，inthepanicsuggestedbytheSeptembermassacres，hadeulogisedtheEnglishlaws。Bentham’saversiontoJacobinmeasuresbynomeanssoftenedhisantipathytoEnglishsuperstitions；andhisattackwassosharpthatRomillyadvisedandobtaineditssuppressionforthetime。

　　Projectsastowar-taxessuggestedacoupleofinterestingpamphletswrittenin1793，andpublishedin1795。Inconnectionwiththis，schemessuggestedthemselvestohimforimprovedsystemsofpatents，forlimitedliabilitycompaniesandotherplans。66*Hisgreatworkstilloccupiedhimatintervals。