第31章

InhislateryearstheUnitedStatesbecamehisideal，andhenevertiredofcomparingitscheapandhonestenactmentwiththecorruptionandextravaganceathome。

V。CODIFICATION。

TheunsettledconditionswhichfollowedthepeaceinvariousEuropeancountriesfoundBenthamotheremployment。In1809DumontdidsomecodifyingfortheEmperorofRussia，andin1817wasengagedtodothesameserviceforGeneva。Hewasemployedforsomeyears，andissaidtohaveintroducedaBenthamitePenalCodeandPanopticon，andanapplicationoftheTactics。(125*)

In1820and1821BenthamwasconsultedbytheConstitutionalpartyinSpainandPortugal，andwroteelaboratetractsfortheirenlightenment。HemadeanimpressionuponatleastoneSpaniard。Borrow，whentravellinginSpainsometenyearsafterBentham’sdeath，waswelcomedbyanAlcaldeonCapeFinisterre，whohaduponhisshelvesalltheworksofthe’grandBaintham，’

andcomparedhimtoSolon，Plato，andevenLopedeVega。(126*)ThelastcomparisonappearedtoBorrowtobeoverstrained。Benthamevenendeavouredin1822-23

toadministersomesoundadvicetothegovernmentofTripoli，buthissuggestionsfor’remediesagainstmisrule’seemnevertohavebeencommunicated。(127*)

In1823and1824hewasamemberoftheGreekCommittee；hecorrespondedwithMavrocordatoandotherleaders；andhebeggedParrtoturnsomeofhisadmonitionsinto’Parrian’Greekforthebenefitofthemoderns。(128*)Blaquiè；reandStanhope，twoardentmembersofthecommittee，weredisciples；andStanhopecarriedwithhimtoGreeceBentham’sTableoftheSpringsofAction，withwhichhetriedtoindoctrinateByron。Thepoet，however，thoughtwithsomeplausibilitythathewasabetterjudgeofhumanpassionsthanthephilosopher。

Parry，theengineer，whojoinedByronatthesametime，givesaqueeraccountoftheoldphilosophertrottingaboutLondonintheserviceoftheGreeks。(129*)

Thecoarseandthoughtlessmightlaugh，andperhapssomeneithercoarsenorthoughtlessmightsmile。ButBowringtellsusthattheseweredaysofboundlesshappinessforBentham。(130*)Tributesofadmirationwerepouringinfromallsides，andthetrueGospelwasspreadingacrosstheAtlanticandalongtheshoresoftheMediterranean。

AthometheUtilitarianpartywasconsolidatingitself；andthestrugglewhichresultedintheReformBillwasslowlybeginning。TheveteranCartwright，Bentham’sseniorbyeightyears，triedin1821topersuadehimtocomeoutasoneofacommitteeof’GuardiansofConstitutionalReform，’electedatapublicmeeting。(131*)Benthamwiselyrefusedtobedrawnfromhisprivacy。

Heleftittohisfriendstoagitate，whilehereturnedtolabourinhisstudy。ThedemandforlegislationwhichhadsprungupinsomanypartsoftheworldencouragedBenthamtoundertakethelastofhisgreatlabours。

ThePortugueseCortesvotedinDecember1821thatheshouldbeinvitedtopreparean’all-comprehensivecode’；andin1822heputoutacurious’Codificationproposal，’offeringtodotheworkforanynationinneedofalegislator，andappendingtestimonialstohiscompetenceforthework。Hesettoworkupona’ConstitutionalCode，’whichoccupiedhimatintervalduringtheremainderofhislife，andembodiedthefinaloutcomeofhisspeculations。Hedivergedfromthismainpurposetowritevariouspamphletsupontopicsofimmediateinterest；andwaskeenlyinterestedinthevariousactivitiesofhisdisciples。

TheUtilitariansnowthoughtthemselvesentitledtoenterthefieldofpoliticsasadistinctbody。Anorgantodefendtheircausewasdesirable，andBenthamsuppliedthefundsfortheWestminsterReview，ofwhichthefirstnumberappearedinApril1824。

TheeditorshipfellchieflyintothehandsofBowring(1792-1872)。BowringhadtravelledmuchupontheContinentforacommercialhouse，andhisknowledgeofSpanishpoliticshadbroughthimintoconnectionwithBentham，towhomBlaquiè；rerecommendedhimin1820。(132*)Astrongattachmentsprangupbetweenthetwo。Benthamconfidedallhisthoughtsandfeelingstotheyoungman，andBowringlookeduptohisteacherwithaffectionatereverence。

In1828BenthamsaysthatBowringis’themostintimatefriendhehas。’(133*)

Bowringcomplainsofcalumnies，bywhichhewasassailed，thoughtheyfailedtoalienateBentham。Whattheymayhavebeenmatterslittle；butitisclearthatacertainjealousyarosebetweenthislastdiscipleandhisolderrivals。

JamesMi