Bentham，aswehaveseen，wasalreadyknowntosomeoftheFrenchleaders，andhewasnowtakingtimebytheforelock。HesenttotheAbbé；MorelletapartofhistreatiseonPoliticalTactics，hopingtohaveitfinishedbythetimeofthemeetingoftheStatesGeneral。61*Thistreatise，civillyacceptedbyMorellet，andapprovedwithsomequalificationsbyBentham’scounsellors，Romilly，Wilson，andTrail，wasanelaborateaccountoftheorganisationandprocedureofalegislativeassembly，foundedchieflyonthepracticeoftheHouseofCommons。Itwaspublishedin1816byDumontincompanywithAnarchicFallacies，avigorousexposureoftheDeclarationofRights，whichBenthamhadjudiciouslykeptonhisshelf。HadtheFrenchknownofit，heremarksafterwards，theywouldhavebeenlittledisposedtowelcomehim。62*AnelaborateschemefortheorganisationoftheFrenchjudiciarywassuggestedbyareporttotheNationalAssembly，andpublishedinMarch1790。In1791，BenthamofferedtogotoFrancehimselfinordertoestablishaprisononhisnewschemetobementioneddirectly，andbecome’gratuitouslythegaolerthereof，’63*TheAssemblyacknowledgedhis’ardentloveofhumanity，’andorderedanextractfromhisschemetobeprintedfortheirinstruction。ThetacticsactuallyadoptedbytheFrenchrevolutionistsformanagingassembliesandtheirmethodsofexecutingjusticeformaqueercommentaryonthephilosopherwho，likeVoltaire’sMamresintheWhiteBull，continuedto’meditateprofoundly’inplaciddisregardoffacts。Hewasinfactproposingthatthelavaboilingupinavolcaniceruptionshouldarrangeitselfentirelyaccordingtohisarchitecturaldesigns。Buthisproposaltobecomeagaolerduringtherevolutionreachesthepatheticbyitsamiableinnocence。On26thAugust1792，BenthamwasoneofthemenuponwhomtheexpiringAssembly，anxioustoshowitsdesireofuniversalfraternity，conferredthetitleofcitizen。WithBenthamwerejoinedPriestley，Paine，Wilberforce，Clarkson，Washington，andothers。TheSeptembermassacresfollowed。On18thOctoberthehonourwascommunicatedtoBentham。Herepliedinapoliteletter，pointingoutthathewasaroyalistinLondonforthesamereasonwhichwouldmakehimarepublicaninFrance。Heendedbyacalmargumentagainsttheproscriptionofrefugees。64*TheConvention，ifitreadtheletter，andhadanysenseofhumour，musthavebeenamused。ThewarandtheReignofTerrorfollowed。BenthamturnedtheoccasiontoaccountbywritingapamphletnotthenpublishedexhortingtheFrenchto’emancipatetheircolonies。’
　　Colonieswereanaimlessburthen，andtogetridofthemwoulddomorethanconquesttorelievetheirfinances。BritishfleetsandtheinsurrectionofSt。Domingowereemancipatingbyverydifferentmethods。
　　Benthamwas，ofcourse，disgustedbythedivergenceofhisclientsfromthelineschalkedoutbyproperrespectforlawandorder。On31stOctober1793hewritestoafriend，expressinghiswishthatJacobinismcouldbeextirpated；nopricecouldbetooheavytopayforsucharesult：buthedoubtswhetherwarorpeacewouldbethebestmeanstotheend，andprotestsagainstthepolicyofappropriatinguselessandexpensivecoloniesinsteadof’drivingattheheartofthemonster。’65*Neverwasanadvisermoreatcross-purposeswiththeadvised。Itwouldbeimpossibletodrawamorestrikingportraitoftheabstractreasoner，whosecalculationsastohumanmotivesomitallreferencetopassion，andwhofanciedthatallprejudicecanbedispelledbyafewbitsoflogic。
　　Meanwhileavarietyofsuggestionsmoreorlessimportantandconnectedwithpassingeventswereseethinginhisfertilebrain。Hewroteoneofhismoststingingpamphlets，’TruthversusAshhurst’inDecember1792，directedagainstajudgewho，inthepanicsuggestedbytheSeptembermassacres，hadeulogisedtheEnglishlaws。Bentham’saversiontoJacobinmeasuresbynomeanssoftenedhisantipathytoEnglishsuperstitions；andhisattackwassosharpthatRomillyadvisedandobtaineditssuppressionforthetime。
　　Projectsastowar-taxessuggestedacoupleofinterestingpamphletswrittenin1793，andpublishedin1795。Inconnectionwiththis，schemessuggestedthemselvestohimforimprovedsystemsofpatents，forlimitedliabilitycompaniesandotherplans。66*Hisgreatworkstilloccupiedhimatintervals。
　　In1793heofferstoDundastoemployhimselfindraftingStatutes，andremarksincidentallythathecouldlegislateforHindostan，shouldlegislationbewantedthere，aseasilyasforhisownparish。67*In1794，Dumontisbegginghimto’conquerhisrepugnance’tobestowingafewhintsuponhisinterpreter。68*
　　In1796，BenthamwriteslongletterssuggestingthatheshouldbesenttoFrancewithWilberforce，inordertore-establishfriendlyrelations。69*
　　In1798heiscorrespondingatgreatlengthwithPatrickColquhounuponplansforimprovingtheMetropolitanpolice。70*In1801hesays71*thatfortwoyearsandahalf’hehasthoughtofscarceanythingelse’thanaplanforinterest-bearingnotes，whichhecarefullyelaboratedanddiscussedwithNicholasVansittartandDrBeeke。InSeptember1800，however，hehadfoundtimetooccupyhimselfwithaproposedfrigidariumorice-houseforthepreservationoffish，fruits，andvegetables；andinvitedDrRoget，anephewofRomilly，tocometohishouseandcarryoutthenecessaryexperiments。72*InJanuary1802hewritestoDumont73*proposingtosendhimatriflingspecimenofthePanopticon，asetofhollowfire-ironsinventedbyhisbrother，whichmayattracttheattentionofBuonaparteandTalleyrand。HeproceedstoexpoundthemeritsofSamuel’sinventionformakingwheelsbymachinery。Dumontreplies，thatfire-ironsare’superfluities’——fire-armsmighthavebeenmoretoBuonaparte’stasteandthatthePanopticonitselfwascoldlyreceived。
　　ThisPanopticonwastobeBentham’smasterpiece。ItoccupiedhischiefattentionfromhisreturntoEnglanduntilthepeaceofAmiens。HisbrotherhadreturnedfromRussiain1791。Theirfatherdied28thMarch1792，dividinghispropertyequallybetweenhissons。Jeremy’sshareconsistedoftheestateatQueen’sSquarePlace，Westminster，andoflandedpropertyproducing£；
　　500or£；600ayear。Thefather，spiteofthedistancebetweenthem，hadtreatedhissonwithsubstantialkindness，andhadlearnedtotakeaprideinachievementsveryunlikethosewhichhehadatfirstdesired。74*
　　Bentham’sposition，however，wasimprovedbythefather’sdeath。TheWestminsterestateincludedthehouseinwhichhelivedfortherestofhislife。Therewasagardeninwhichhetookgreatdelight，thoughLondonsmokegraduallydestroyedtheplants：andinthegardenwasthesmallhousewhereMiltonhadoncelived。75*Here，withtheco-operationofhisbrotherandhisincreasedincome，hehadallthemeansnecessaryforlaunchinghisgrandscheme。
　　ThePanopticon，asdefinedbyitsinventortoBrissot，wasa’millforgrindingrogueshonest，andidlemenindustrious。’76*ItwassuggestedbyaplandesignedbyhisbrotherinRussiaforalargehousetobeoccupiedbyworkmen，andtobesoarrangedthattheycouldbeunderconstantinspection。
　　Benthamwasworkingontheoldlinesofphilanthropicreform。Hehadlongbeeninterestedintheschemesofprisonreform，towhichHoward’slabourshadgiventheimpetus。Blackstone，withthehelpofWilliamEden，afterwardsLordAuckland，hadpreparedthe’HardLabourBill，’whichBenthamhadcarefullycriticisedin1778。Themeasurewaspassedin1779，andprovidedforthemanagementofconvicts，whowerebecomingtroublesome，astransportationtoAmericahadceasedtobepossible。Howard，whoserelationtoBenthamI
　　havealreadynoticed，wasappointedasoneofthecommissionerstocarryouttheprovisionsoftheAct。Thecommissionersdisagreed；Howardresigned；
　　andthoughatlastanarchitectWilliamBlackburnwasappointedwhopossessedHoward’sconfidence，andwhoconstructedvariousprisonsinthecountry，theschemewasallowedtodrop。BenthamnowhopedtosolvetheproblemwithhisPanopticon。Heprintedanaccountofitin1791。Hewrotetohisoldantagonist，GeorgeIII，describingit，togetherwithanotherinventionofSamuel’sforenablingarmiestocrossrivers，whichmightbemoretohisMajesty’staste。77*InMarch1792hemadeaproposaltothegovernmentofferingtoundertakethechargeofathousandconvictsuponthePanopticonsystem。78*AfterdelayssuspiciousintheeyesofBentham，buthardlysurprisingatsuchaperiod，anactofparliamentwasobtainedin1794toadopthisschemes。Benthamhadalreadybeenmakingpreparations。Hesays79*14thSeptember1794thathehasalreadyspent£；6000，andisspendingattherateof£；2000ayear，whilehisincomewasunder£；600ayear。
　　Heobtained，however，£；2000fromthegovernment。Hehadmademodelsandarchitecturalplans，inwhichhewashelpedbyReveley，alreadyknowntohimatConstantinople。Thissum，itappears，wasrequiredinordertokeeptogetherthemenwhomheemployed。Thenatureoftheiremploymentisremarkable。80*Samuel，amanofsingularmechanicalskill，whichwasofgreatusetothenavyduringthewar，haddevisedmachineryforworkinwoodandmetal。Benthamhadjoinedhisbrother，andtheywerelookingoutforasteam-engine。Ithadnowoccurredtothemtoemployconvictsinsteadofsteam，andthustocombinephilanthropywithbusiness。Difficultiesoftheusualkindaroseastotheprocurementofasuitablesite。Thesitesecuredundertheprovisionsofthe’HardLabourBill’wasforsomereasonrejected；
　　andBenthamwasalmostindespair。Itwasnotuntil1799thatheatlastacquiredfor£；12，000anestateatMillbank，whichseemedtobesuitable。
　　MeanwhileBenthamhadfoundanotherapplicationforhisprinciple。Thegrowthofpauperismwasalarmingstatesmen。WhitbreadproposedinFebruary1796
　　tofixaminimumrateofwages。Thewisestthingthatgovernmentcoulddo，hesaid，wasto’offeraliberalpremiumfortheencouragementoflargefamilies。’
　　PittproceededtopreparetheabortivePoor-lawBill，81*uponwhichBenthaminFebruary1797sentinsomeveryshrewdcriticisms。Theywerenotpublished，butaresaidtohave’powerfullycontributedtotheabandonmentofthemeasure。’82*
　　TheyshowBentham’spowerofincisivecriticism，thoughtheyscarcelydealwiththegeneralprinciple。InthefollowingautumnBenthamcontributedtoArthurYoung’sAnnalsofAgricultureuponthesametopic。IthadstruckhimthatanapplicationofhisPanopticonwouldgivetherequiredpanacea。Heworkedoutdetailswithhisusualzeal，andtheschemeattractednoticeamongthephilanthropistsofthetime。Itwastobea’succedaneum’toPitt’sproposal。
　　Meanwhilethefinancecommittee，appointedin1797，heardevidencefromBentham’sfriend，PatrickColquhoun，uponthePanopticon，andareportrecommendingitwasproposedbyR。PoleCarew，afriendofSamuelBentham。Althoughthisreportwassuppressed，theschemeapparentlyreceivedanimpetus。TheMillbankestatewasboughtinconsequenceoftheseproceedings，andasumofonly£；1000waswantedtobuyoutthetenantofonepieceofland。Benthamwasconstantlyinattendanceatapublicoffice，expectingafinalwarrantforthemoney。Itnevercame，and，asBenthambelieved，thedelaywasduetothemaliceofGeorgeIII。Hadanyotherkingbeenonthethrone，Panopticoninboth’theprisonerbranchandthepauperbranch’wouldhavebeensetatwork。83*Sucharetheconsequencesofnewspapercontroversieswithmonarchs！
　　Afterthis，inanycase，thepoorPanopticon，astheoldlawyerssaid，’languishingdidlive，’andatlast’languishingdiddie。’PoorBenthamseemstohavestruggledvainlyforatime。HeappealedtoPitt’sfriend，Wilberforce；heappealedtohisstep-brotherAbbot；hewrotetomembersofparliament，butallwasinvain。
　　Romillyinducedhimin1802tosuppressastatementofhisgrievanceswhichcouldonlyhaverenderedministersimplacable。84*Buthefoundoutwhatwouldhardlyhavebeenadiscoverytomostpeople，thatofficialscanbedilatoryandevasive；andcertaindiscoveriesaboutthetreatmentofconvictsinNewSouthWalesconvincedhimthattheycouldevendefythelawsandtheConstitutionwhentheywerebeyondinspection。Hepublished1803aPleafortheConstitution，showingtheenormitiescommittedinthecolony，’inbreachofMagnaCharta，thePetitionofRight，theHabeasCorpusAct，andtheBillofRights。’Romillyinvaintoldhimthattheattorney-generalcouldnotrecommendtheauthorofsuchaneffusiontobekeeperofaPanopticon。85*
　　Theactualenddidnotcometill1811。Acommitteethenreportedagainstthescheme。Theynoticedoneessentialandverycharacteristicweakness。