I believe it is because the government selects you if you are good enough for it.
Answer:
I did not think myself bound in honor to discover, and I apprehended they might be lost or spoiled if I ventured them out of my possession.
Explanation:
He does not want them found, because they would be taken if they were found.
It was to show what he was like then, and to compare himself to his past and present self.
