ere seething in his fertile brain. He wrote one of
his most stinging pamphlets, '_Truth versus Ashhurst_' in December 1792,
directed against a judge who, in the panic suggested by the September
massacres, had eulogised the English laws. Bentham's aversion to Jacobin
measures by no means softened his antipathy to English superstitions;
and his attack was so sharp that Romilly advised and obtained its
suppression for the time. Projects as to war-taxes suggested a couple of
interesting pamphlets written in 1793, and published in 1795. In
connection with this, schemes suggested themselves to him for improved
systems of patents, for limited liability companies and other
plans.[266] His great work still occupied him at intervals. In 1793 he
offers to Dundas to employ himself in drafting Statutes, and remarks
incidentally that he could legislate for Hindostan, should legislation
be wanted there, as easily as for his own parish.[267] In 1794, Dumont
is begging him to 'conquer his repugnance' to bestowing a few hints upon
his interpreter.[268] In 1796, Bentham writes long letters suggesting
that he should be sent to France with Wilberforce, in order to
re-establish friendly relations.[269] In 1798 he is corresponding at
great length with Patrick Colquhoun upon plans for improving the
Metropolitan police.[270] In 1801 he says[271] that for two years and a
half 'he has thought of scarce anything else' than a plan for
interest-bearing notes, which he carefully elaborated and discussed with
Nicholas Vansittart and Dr. Beeke. In September 1800, however, he had
found time to occupy himself with a proposed _frigidarium_ or ice-house
for the preservation of fish, fruits, and vegetables; and invited Dr.
Roget, a nephew of Romilly, to come to his house and carry out the
necessary experiments.[272] In January 1802 he writes to Dumont[273]
proposing to send him a trifling specimen of the Panopticon, a set of
hollow fire-irons invented by his brother, which may attract the
attention of Buonaparte and Talleyrand. He proceeds to expound the
merits of Samuel's invention for making wheels by machinery. Dumont
replies, that fire-irons are 'superfluities'--(fire-arms might have been
more to Buonaparte's taste)--and that the Panopticon itself was coldly
received.

This Panopticon was to be Bentham's masterpiece. It occupied his chief
attention from his return to England until the peace of Amiens. His
brother had returned from Russia in 1791. Their