employed, whilst we had no room to distrust them? There are now more
than five, six, seven, eight moons revolved since we left the principal
amongst our daughters with them, in order thereby to form the most
durable alliance with them, (for, in short, we and they are the same
thing as to our being, constitution, and blood); and yet we have seen
them look on these girls of the most distinguished rank,
_Kayheepidetchque_, as mere playthings for them, an amusement, a pastime
put by us into their hands, to afford them a quick and easy consolation,
for the fatal blows we had given them in the preceding war. Yet, we had
made them sensible, that this supply of our principal maidens was, in
order that they should re-people their country more honorably, and to
put them under a necessity of conviction, that we were now become
sincerely their friends, by delivering to them so sacred a pledge of
amity, as our principal blood. Can we then, unmoved, behold them so
basely abusing that thorough confidence of ours? Beautiful, all-seeing,
all-penetrating luminary! without whose influence the mind of man has
neither efficacy nor vigor, thou hast seen to what a pitch that nation
(who are however our brothers) has carried its insolence towards our
principal maidens. Our resentment would not have been so extreme with
respect to girls of more common birth, and the rank of whose fathers had
not a right to make such an impression on us. But here we are wounded in
a point there is no passing over in silence or unrevenged. Beautiful
luminary! who art thyself so regular in thy course, and in the wise
distribution thou makest of thy light from morning to evening, wouldst
thou have us not imitate thee? And whom can we better imitate? The earth
stands in need of thy governing thyself as thou dost towards it. There
are certain places, where thy influence does not suffer itself to be
felt, because thou dost not judge them worthy of it. But, as for us, it
is plain that we are thy children; for we can know no origin but that
which thy rays have given us, when first marrying efficaciously, with