BENTHAM JEREMY: (1748-1832) English Philosopher, Jurist and Social Reformer. A fine, long L.S. ...

BENTHAM JEREMY: (1748-1832) English Philosopher, Jurist and Social Reformer. A fine, long L.S., Jeremy Bentham, with several holograph corrections, five pages, 8vo, n.p., n.d. (post 1802), to Baron de Lessert. In an elegantly penned letter Bentham writes to introduce his friend Edward Blaquierre, 'Now for the occasion: Eyes such as yours are of course continually in their travels over the habitable globe viewed through a French medium, the scene exhibited by the regeneration of Spain can not but be familiar to you: not so, perhaps, through an English one. Edward Blaquierre, a most serviceable friend of mine, is in no inconsiderable degree, qualified to satisfy any curiosity which that scene may have left unsatisfied. He is of the noble Irish family of that name. The head of the family - a Sir John Blaquierre - being a parliamentary leader and one of the proprietors of seats in the House of Commons', also explaining that Edward Blaquierre is a naval Lieutenant and was in command of a ship in the Mediterranean 'and in that capacity distinguished himself in various ways, amongst them by saving a Bey of Tunis from an insurrection' and that 'In the world of letters he is known to advantage by several works: one of them entitled ''Letters from the Mediterranean''in which some mention, I believe, is made of the Tunis adventure' and further commenting 'there is a good deal of the Irish enthusiasm and a little more than enough of the Irish impetuosity and eccentricity in his turn of mind....amongst his eccentricities was that of sticking into that work of his an enthusiastic passage or two about the delight of Codification coupled with the mention of a name so little worth it as that which began this already too long letter'. Bentham also informs his correspondent that he had not heard from Blaquierre for some years when he received a letter from him 'on the point of embarkation on a visit to Spain with two declared objects: one of these was the giving in that country what notoriety he could to my works: the other, not then explained, but which has since turned out to be, the writing a history of the revolution, the news of which had just arrived here. Not only unpaid but unasked by me, or anybody else, he has been working for me with as much zeal as the highest paid ambassador could manifest in the service of his Monarch: and to that zeal, I am indebted for that notice from the cortes, of which some not very correct accounts, I believe, have found their way into some of your well-disciplined and well-purified newspapers. He continues full of gratitude for all the service he has done me'. Bentham states that Blaquierre has been married for a year and is currently residing in Paris ('a place of abode which the state of his finances renders a rather more convenient one than London') and is occupied in the completion of his history of the Spanish Revolution, continuing 'The liberty, I am thus taking with you, is, on his part, altogether unasked and unexpected. It would be a real satisfaction to me to bring together two men so worthy of each other: but my respect for both of you forbad my annoying either of you by a letter of introduction, which I have no title to give, and which it might be unpleasant to the one to receive, or the other to deliver: should, therefore, any intercourse have place, it is with you that it will commence'. The philosopher also writes of Blaquierre's proposed renovation of a property near Montpellier and continues to reflect on previous meetings with his correspondent and their wife at their home in Paris in 1802 as well as pleasant days 'at a place I had for four or five years in Devonshire', remarking 'Madame la Baronne, your wife, who was then skipping about from room to room in a state of maiden innocence, can not possibly have had cognizance of my existence, unless it were by the gloom with which the sight of a stupid old man, with deaf and aching ears, may have damped the gaiety of the rest of the company' and also writes of a Mr. Garnier, whom he believes has now been made a Marquis, observing 'If he is a man like other men, and in particular like other Frenchmen, the evidence I gave him of the impression made upon me by his discoveries in relation to the monetary system of ancient Rome, as detailed in his translation of Adam Smith, did something for me. Should Mr. Blaquierre become known to you, perhaps you might give him the additional honour of being known to Mr. Garnier'. Bentham concludes his letter with an anecdote concerning his correspondent's mother, 'One person of your family, the remembrance of whom (would you think it?) is still a source rather of uneasiness to me than satisfaction, is Madame de Lessert, your mother. Yes; for the chance of breaking your ladies with a laugh, I will give them matter for one, though it be at my own expense. At that dinner of which I partook at your house, there were, I suppose, not so few as twenty in company, all of the masculine gender - all of them compleatly unknown to me. As we marched in procession from the drawing room to the dining room, I observed Madame de Lessert's hand stuck by her side, waiting for some other to take hold of it. It had never entered into my conception that the honour could be designed for any such insignificant person as myself: observing, however that the hand still remained single, I perceived my mistake: but it was then too late to attempt repairing it, without encreasing, instead of obliterating, the ridicule. If the lady be still giving the family the benefit of those virtues, of which I heard so much, and to which the evidences were so visible in her countenance, lay me at her feet. I beg of you, communicate to her this my confession, and, if she gives me absolution, Blaquierre, without trouble to your pen, might be the bearer of it´. Some extremely light, very minor age wear, VG

Jules Paul Benjamin Delessert ( 1773-1847) French Banker & Naturalist. John Blaquiere (1732-1812) 1st Baron de Blaquiere. British Soldier, Diplomat and Politician of French descent. Chief Secretary for Ireland 1772-76. Blaquiere fathered three daughters and four sons, including Edward Blaquiere, the subject of the present letter. Jeremy Bentham is considered as the founder of the modern utilitarianism.