prudent, and calculating-, ever to do anything 

 tangibly wrong-. And they go through life generally 

 in a most exemplary manner. Sometimes, however, 

 a temptation comes in their way they are open to. 

 About money most likely. Then they murder a 

 little perhaps, or forg-e, or set a house on fire. It is 

 all one. But if murder, it is done with the utmost 

 kindness and g-ood humour. And when they are 

 hang-ed a few weeks afterwards, they no doubt think 

 it a foolish and unreasonable penalty for the trans- 

 gression of a mere arbitrarily made law of society. 

 For if there are no such thing-s as absolute and eternal 



c5 



right and wrong-, any laws about conduct must be 

 mere conventional contrivances for the convenience 

 of society. 



Of course all this that I have written above about 

 utilitarians and metaphysicians are only general 

 observations. They cannot be intended for any 

 individual or individuals of either of these classes, 

 for I am happy to say I know none. Besides, if I 

 did, I should consider it most unjustifiable saying- 

 such thing-s of them. " Who am I that I should 

 judg-e another man's servant?" 



Perhaps I oug-ht to apologise for this digression 

 about metaphysics, but I shall not; for after all 

 we have still liberty in England to write what we 

 think, however long- this liberty may last. On the 

 one hand, we are not expatriated for doing so like 

 Victor Hugo; and, on the other hand, we have not 

 yet come to lynching; 



