第62章 BENTHAM'S LIFE(6)

In her last ill ness，Bentham was one of the only two men whom she would see，and upon her death in 1789，he was the only male friend to whom her husband turned for consolation.Miss Fox seems to have been the only woman who inspired Bentham with a sentiment approaching to passion.He wrote occasional letters to the ladies in the tone of elephantine pleasantry natural to one who was all his life both a philosopher and a child.(35)He made an offer of marriage to Miss Fox in 1805，when he was nearer sixty than fifty，and when they had not met for sixteen years.The immediate occasion was presumably the death of Lord Lansdowne.She replied in a friendly letter，regretting the pain which her refusal would inflict.In 1827Bentham，then in his eightieth year，wrote once more，speaking of the flower she had given him 'in the green lane，'and asking for a kind answer.He was 'indescribably hurt and disappointed'by a cold and distant reply.The tears would come into the old man's eyes as he dealt upon the cherished memories of Bowood.(36)It is pleasant to know that Bentham was once in love；though his love seems to have been chiefly for a memory associated with what he called the happiest time of his life.

Shelburne had a project for a marriage between Bentham and the widow of Lord Ashburton (Dunning)，who died in 1783.(37)He also made some overtures of patronage.'He asked me，'says Bentham，(38)'what he could do for me？

I told him，nothing，'and this conduct --so different from that of others，'endeared me to him.'Bentham declined one offer in 1788；but in 1790he suddenly took it into his head that Lansdowne had promised him a seat in parliament；and immediately set forth his claims in a vast argumentative letter of sixty-one pages.(39)Lansdowne replied conclusively that he had not made the supposed promise，and had had every reason to suppose that Bentham preferred retirement to politics.Bentham accepted the statement frankly，though a short coolness apparently followed.The claim，in fact，only represented one of those passing moods to which Bentham was always giving way at odd moments.

Bentham's intimacy at Bowood led to more important results.In 1788he met Romilly and Dumont at Lord Lansdowne's table.(40)He had already met Romilly in 1784through Wilson，but after this the intimacy became close.

Romilly had fallen in love with the Fragment，and in later life he became Bentham's adviser in practical matters，and the chief if not the sole expounder of Bentham's theories in parliament.(41)The alliance with Dumont was of even greater importance.Dumont，born at Geneva in 1759，had become a Protestant minister；he was afterwards tutor to Shelburne's son，and in 1788visited Paris with Romilly and made acquaintance with Mirabeau.Romilly showed Dumont some of Bentham's papers written in French.Dumont offered to rewrite and to superintend their publication.He afterwards received other papers from Bentham himself，with whom he became personally acquainted after his return from Paris.(42)Dumont became Bentham's most devoted disciple，and laboured unweariedly upon the translation and condensation of his master's treatise.

One result is odd enough.Dumont，it is said，provided materials for some of Mirabeau's 'most splendid'speeches；and some of these materials came from Bentham.(43)One would like to see how Bentham's prose was transmuted into an oratory by Mirabeau.In any case，Dumont's services to Bentham were invaluable.It is painful to add that according to Bowring the two became so much alienated in the end，that in 1827Bentham refused to see Dumont，and declared that his chief interpreter did 'not understand a word of his meaning.'Bowring attributes this separation to a remark made by Dumont about the shabbiness of Bentham's dinners as compared with those at Lansdowne House --a comparison which he calls 'offensive，uncalled for，and groundless.'(44)Bentham apparently argued that a man who did not like his dinners could not appreciate his theories：a fallacy excusable only by the pettishness of old age.Bowring，however，had a natural dulness which distorted many anecdotes transmitted through him；and we may hope that in this case there was some exaggeration.

Bentham's emergence was，meanwhile，very slow.The great men whom he met at Lord Lansdowne's were not specially impressed by the shy philosopher.

Wedderburn，so he heard，pronounced the fatal word 'dangerous'in regard to the Fragment.(45)How，thought Bentham，can utility be dangerous？Is this not self-contradictory？Later reflection explained the puzzle.What is useful to the governed need not be therefore useful to the governors.

Mansfield，who was known to Lind，said that in some parts the author of the Fragment was awake and in others was asleep.In what parts？Bentham wondered.

Awake，he afterwards considered，in the parts where Blackstone，the object of Mansfield's personal 'heart-burning，'was attacked；asleep where Mansfield's own despotism was threatened.Camden was contemptuous；Dunning only 'scowled'at him；and Barréafter taking in his book，gave it back with the mysterious information that he had 'got into a scrape.'(46)The great book，therefore，though printed in 1781，(47)'stuck for eight years，'(48)and the writer continued his obscure existence in Lincoln's Inn.(49)An opinion which he gave in some question as to the evidence in Warren Hastings's trial made，he says，an impression in his favour.Before publication was achieved，however，a curious episode altered Bentham's whole outlook.His brother Samuel (1757-1831)，whose education he had partly superintended，(50)had been apprenticed to a shipwright at Woolwich，and in 1780had gone to Russia in search of employment.Three years later he was sent by Prince Potemkin to superintend a great industrial establishment at Kritchev on a tributary of the Dnieper.