点击下载App，搜索"Jeremy Bentham",免费读到尾

　　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。

　　Shelburnehaddonehimagreatservice。30*’Heraisedmefromthebottomlesspitofhumiliation。HemademefeelIwassomething。’TheelderBenthamwasimpressedbyhisson’sacquaintancewithamaninsoeminentaposition，andhopedthatitmightleadbyadifferentpathtothesuccesswhichhadbeenmissedatthebar。AtBowoodBenthamstayedoveramonthuponhisfirstvisit，andwastreatedinthemannerappropriatetoaphilosopher。Themenshowedhimfriendliness，dashedwithoccasionalcontempt，andtheladiespettedhim。HemetLordCamdenandDunningandyoungWilliamPitt，andsomeminoradherentsofthegreatman。Pittwas’verygood-naturedandalittleraw。’Iwasmonstrously’frightenedathim，’but，whenIcametotalkwithhim，heseemed’frightenedatme。’31*Bentham，however，didnotseewhatideastheywerelikelytohaveincommon。Infacttherewastheusualgulfbetweenthespeculativethinkerandthepracticalman。’Allthestatesmen，’

　　sothoughtthephilosopher，’werewantinginthegreatelementsofstatesmanship’：

　　theywerealwaystalkingabout’whatwas’andseldomorneverabout’whatoughttobe。’32*Occasionally，itwouldseem，theydescendedlower，andmadealittlefunoftheshyandover-sensitiveintruder。33*Theladies，however，madeituptohim。Shelburnemadehimreadhis’drymetaphysics’

　　tothem，34*andtheyreceiveditwithfemininedocility。LordShelburnehadlately1779marriedhissecondwife，Louisa，daughterofthefirstearlofUpperOssory。Hersister，LadyMaryFitz-Patrick，marriedin1766

　　toStephenFox，afterwardsLordHolland，wasthemotheroftheLordHollandoflaterdaysandofMissCarolineFox，whosurvivedtill1845，andwasatthistimeapleasantgirlofthirteenorfourteen。LadyShelburnehadalsotwohalfsisters，daughtersofhermother’ssecondmarriagetoRichardVernon。

　　LadyShelburnetookafancytoBentham，andgavehimthe’prodigiousprivilege’

　　ofadmissiontoherdressing-room。Thoughhaughtyinmanner，shewasmildinreality，andafteratimesheandhersisterindulgedin’innocentgambols。’

　　Inherlastillness，Benthamwasoneoftheonlytwomenwhomshewouldsee，anduponherdeathin1789，hewastheonlymalefriendtowhomherhusbandturnedforconsolation。MissFoxseemstohavebeentheonlywomanwhoinspiredBenthamwithasentimentapproachingtopassion。Hewroteoccasionalletterstotheladiesinthetoneofelephantinepleasantrynaturaltoonewhowasallhislifebothaphilosopherandachild。35*HemadeanofferofmarriagetoMissFoxin1805，whenhewasnearersixtythanfifty，andwhentheyhadnotmetforsixteenyears。TheimmediateoccasionwaspresumablythedeathofLordLansdowne。Sherepliedinafriendlyletter，regrettingthepainwhichherrefusalwouldinflict。In1827Bentham，theninhiseightiethyear，wroteoncemore，speakingoftheflowershehadgivenhim’inthegreenlane，’andaskingforakindanswer。Hewas’indescribablyhurtanddisappointed’

　　byacoldanddistantreply。Thetearswouldcomeintotheoldman’seyesashedealtuponthecherishedmemoriesofBowood。36*ItispleasanttoknowthatBenthamwasonceinlove；thoughhisloveseemstohavebeenchieflyforamemoryassociatedwithwhathecalledthehappiesttimeofhislife。

　　ShelburnehadaprojectforamarriagebetweenBenthamandthewidowofLordAshburtonDunning，whodiedin1783。37*Healsomadesomeoverturesofpatronage。’Heaskedme，’saysBentham，38*’whathecoulddoforme?

　　Itoldhim，nothing，’andthisconduct——sodifferentfromthatofothers，’endearedmetohim。’Benthamdeclinedoneofferin1788；butin1790hesuddenlytookitintohisheadthatLansdownehadpromisedhimaseatinparliament；andimmediatelysetforthhisclaimsinavastargumentativeletterofsixty-onepages。39*Lansdownerepliedconclusivelythathehadnotmadethesupposedpromise，andhadhadeveryreasontosupposethatBenthampreferredretirementtopolitics。Benthamacceptedthestatementfrankly，thoughashortcoolnessapparentlyfollowed。Theclaim，infact，onlyrepresentedoneofthosepassingmoodstowhichBenthamwasalwaysgivingwayatoddmoments。

　　Bentham’sintimacyatBowoodledtomoreimportantresults。In1788hemetRomillyandDumontatLordLansdowne’stable。40*HehadalreadymetRomillyin1784throughWilson，butafterthistheintimacybecameclose。

　　RomillyhadfalleninlovewiththeFragment，andinlaterlifehebecameBentham’sadviserinpracticalmatters，andthechiefifnotthesoleexpounderofBentham’stheoriesinparliament。41*ThealliancewithDumontwasofevengreaterimportance。Dumont，bornatGenevain1759，hadbecomeaProtestantminister；hewasafterwardstutortoShelburne’sson，andin1788visitedPariswithRomillyandmadeacquaintancewithMirabeau。RomillyshowedDumontsomeofBentham’spaperswritteninFrench。Dumontofferedtorewriteandtosuperintendtheirpublication。HeafterwardsreceivedotherpapersfromBenthamhimself，withwhomhebecamepersonallyacquaintedafterhisreturnfromParis。42*DumontbecameBentham’smostdevoteddisciple，andlabouredunweariedlyuponthetranslationandcondensationofhismaster’streatise。

　　Oneresultisoddenough。Dumont，itissaid，providedmaterialsforsomeofMirabeau’s’mostsplendid’speeches；andsomeofthesematerialscamefromBentham。43*OnewouldliketoseehowBentham’sprosewastransmutedintoanoratorybyMirabeau。Inanycase，Dumont’sservicestoBenthamwereinvaluable。ItispainfultoaddthataccordingtoBowringthetwobecamesomuchalienatedintheend，thatin1827BenthamrefusedtoseeDumont，anddeclaredthathischiefinterpreterdid’notunderstandawordofhismeaning。’BowringattributesthisseparationtoaremarkmadebyDumontabouttheshabbinessofBentham’sdinnersascomparedwiththoseatLansdowneHouse——acomparisonwhichhecalls’offensive，uncalledfor，andgroundless。’44*

　　Benthamapparentlyarguedthatamanwhodidnotlikehisdinnerscouldnotappreciatehistheories：afallacyexcusableonlybythepettishnessofoldage。Bowring，however，hadanaturaldulnesswhichdistortedmanyanecdotestransmittedthroughhim；andwemayhopethatinthiscasetherewassomeexaggeration。

　　Bentham’semergencewas，meanwhile，veryslow。ThegreatmenwhomhemetatLordLansdowne’swerenotspeciallyimpressedbytheshyphilosopher。

　　Wedderburn，soheheard，pronouncedthefatalword’dangerous’inregardtotheFragment。45*How，thoughtBentham，canutilitybedangerous?Isthisnotself-contradictory?Laterreflectionexplainedthepuzzle。Whatisusefultothegovernedneednotbethereforeusefultothegovernors。

　　Mansfield，whowasknowntoLind，saidthatinsomepartstheauthoroftheFragmentwasawakeandinotherswasasleep。Inwhatparts?Benthamwondered。

　　Awake，heafterwardsconsidered，inthepartswhereBlackstone，theobjectofMansfield’spersonal’heart-burning，’wasattacked；asleepwhereMansfield’sowndespotismwasthreatened。Camdenwascontemptuous；Dunningonly’scowled’

　　athim；andBarr&eacute；，aftertakinginhisbook，gaveitbackwiththemysteriousinformationthathehad’gotintoascrape。’46*Thegreatbook，therefore，thoughprintedin1781，47*’stuckforeightyears，’48*andthewritercontinuedhisobscureexistenceinLincoln’sInn。49*AnopinionwhichhegaveinsomequestionastotheevidenceinWarrenHastings’strialmade，hesays，animpressioninhisfavour。Beforepublicationwasachieved，however，acuriousepisodealteredBentham’swholeoutlook。HisbrotherSamuel1757-1831，whoseeducationhehadpartlysuperintended，50*hadbeenapprenticedtoashipwrightatWoolwich，andin1780hadgonetoRussiainsearchofemployment。ThreeyearslaterhewassentbyPrincePotemkintosuperintendagreatindustrialestablishmentatKritchevonatributaryoftheDnieper。

　　Therehewastobe’Jack-of-all-trades——buildingships，likeHarlequin，ofoddsandends——arope-maker，asailmaker，adistiller，brewer，malster，tanner，glass-man，glass-grinder，potter，hemp-spinner，smith，andcoppersmith。’51*