Year: 1873

YEARS SINCE.


BIZ ROBERT DALE OWEN.


In those days Jeremy Bentham was
my favorite author, and was deeply
read in his Principles of Morals and
Legislation. From him and from my
father accepted the theory that utility
is the test and measure of virtue and
this caused me to fall in with what
mistakes to wit, the assuming enlighten-
ed selfshness at the most trustworthy
basis of elevated morality. In the in
PRODUCTION to the accout of our school
system find myself saying z clear
knowledge and distinct conviction of the
necessary consequences of any particular
line of conduct is all that is necessary
to direct the child In the way he should
go f; provided common justice be done to
him in regard tsthe other circumstances
which surround him in infancy and
childhood. The publication of these
and similar opinions procured for me,
some time afterward, an interesting in
PRODUCTION. Having accompanied my
father on one of his visits to London,
told him that much wished to make
Jeremy Bentham's acquaintance. He
replied that Bentham's aversion to new
faces was such that his most intimate
friends could not take the liberty even
to propose an introduction, unless he
had himself expressed a desire on the
subject. But a week or two later he
informed me that hehad visited Bentham,
who said to him, in his abrupt way /:
"Owen, I like that son of yours. I've
been reading his book. Send him to
see me, will you? No, I'll write him
myself"


Ten days later had an invitation to
his symposium, as he sometimes called
his o'clock evening meal at which,
however, there was abundance to eat as
well as to drink the profane vulgar
would have called it a late dinner-and
very good one. I preserve a most
agreeable recollection of that grand old
face, beaming with benignity and in
telligence, and occasionally with touch
of humor, which did not expect. The
portrait of him which is prefxed to the
later English editions of his Morals and
Legislation is very like him, as I saw
him then, at the age of 7S, six years
before his death.


do not remember to have met any
one of his age who seemed to have more
complete possession of his faculties,
bodily and mental and this surprised
me the more because I knew that, in
his childhood, he has been a feeble
limbed, frail boy, precocious, indeed
taking the degree of A. M. at 1S,-but
with little of that health of body which
is sometimes spoken of as indispensable
to health of mind. knew, also, that,
in his early years, in that gloomy
"Lincoln's Inn garret" (as he himself
called it,, and before he had made the
acquaintance of the cheerful and talent
ed circle at Lord Shelburne's, he had
been sad and desponding, dispirited by
the worlds lack of appreciation of his
youthful efforts, which to-day are ad-
mitted to have given evidence of marvel
Gus acuteness and promise. Add to
this that his later attempts to have his
principles of jurisprudence adopted I;
at first by his own government, after
ward by the United States, and, not
long before saw him, by Spain, had
all been unsuccessful and yet there
found him, having over-passed by near
a decade the allotted three-score years
and ten, with step as active and eye as
bright and conversation as yiyacious as
one expects hale man of 90.


Our dinner-party consisted of John
Neal of Maine, the author of Logan and
other novels, and then, I think, an in
mate Of Bentham's house; and three OF
four others whose names I can no longer
recall. I shall never forget my surprise
when we were usherd by the venerable
philosopher into his dining-room. An
apartment of good size, it was occupied
| by platform about two feet high, and
| which filed the whole room, except q
/ passage-way, some three or four feet
wide, which had been left so that one
could pass all round it. Upon this
platform stood the dinner-table and
chairs, with l'eem enough for servants
to wait upon us. Around the table was
a huge screen, to protect the old man, ]
suppose, against the draught from the
| doors.


The dinner passed cheerfully, amid
the lively, end to me the most interest
ing conversation of our host but I OBJ.
served that he did not touch upon any
of the topics of the day, nor alIude tc
recent events, political or social while
his recollections Of the past were vivid
and ready. His talk ran chiefly on those
principles of morals and jurisprudenc.
which have made his name famous
When the cloth was drawn and we had
sat for some time over our " vine and
walnuts," Bentham pulled . bell-rop,
that hung on his right. John, n,
narmalade I" heca1led out to the servan
who entered then to us That ScotcI
marmalade is an excellent digester.
always take little after dinner"


When another half hour had passed
he touched the bell again. This tim
his order 10 the servant started me
John, my night-caPr' T. / rose to 80