towards--Heavens, must I name such a place! That is the place we
are bound to, with all our trading-pack, and the small or
extensive budgets of human business laid on us; and there, if we
_don't know_ Justice, we, and all our budgets and Acts of
Parliament, shall find lodging when the day is done!"--The
official person, a polite man otherwise, grinned as he best
could some semblance of a laugh, mirthful as that of the ass
eating thistles, and ended in "Hah, oh, ah!"--

Indeed, it is wonderful to hear what account we at present give
ourselves of the punishment of criminals. No "revenge"--O
Heavens, no; all preachers on Sunday strictly forbid that; and
even (at least on Sundays) prescribe the contrary of that. It is
for the sake of "example," that you punish; to "protect society"
and its purse and skin; to deter the innocent from falling into
crime; and especially withal, for the purpose of improving the
poor criminal himself,--or at lowest, of hanging and ending him,
that he may not grow worse. For the poor criminal is, to be
"improved" if possible: against him no "revenge" even on
week-days; nothing but love for him, and pity and help; poor
fellow, is he not miserable enough? Very miserable,--though much
less so than the Master of him, called Satan, is understood (on
Sundays) to have long deservedly been!

My friends, will you permit me to say that all this, to one poor
judgment among your number, is the mournfulest twaddle that human
tongues could shake from them; that it has no solid foundation in
the nature of things; and to a healthy human heart no credibility
whatever. Permit me to say, only to hearts long drowned in dead
Tradition, and for themselves neither believing nor disbelieving,