,,the ,,fallen ,,star1 or1 ,,the        
,,history ,,of ,a ,,false ,,religion  by
 ,e4 ,l4 ,bulwer   and1  ,a             
,,dissertation ,,on ,,the ,,origin ,,of 
,,evil  by ,lord ,brougham              
,,publisher',s ,,preface  ,,religion1   
says ,noah ,webster in his ,american    
,dictionary of the ,english ,language1  
is derived from 8,religo1 to bind anew20
 and1 in this ,history of a ,false      
,religion1 our author has shown how     
easily its votaries were insnared1      
deceived1 and mentally bound in a       
labyrinth of falsehood and error1 by a  
designing knave1 who established a new  
religion and a new order of priesthood  
by imposing on their ignorance and      
credulity4  ,the history of the origin  
of one supernatural religion will1 with 
slight alterations1 serve to describe   
them all4 ,their claim to credence rests
 on the exhibition of so-called         
miracles--that is1 on a violation of the
 laws of nature1--for1 if religions were
 founded on the demonstrated truths of  

science1 there would be no mystery1 no  
supernaturalism1 no miracles1 no        
skepticism1 no false religion4 ,we would
 have only verified truths and          
demonstrated facts for the basis of our 
belief4 ,but this simple foundation does
 not satisfy the unreasoning multitude4 
,they demand signs1 portents1 mysteries1
 wonders and miracles for their faith   
and the supply of prophets1 knaves and  
impostors has always been found ample to
 satisfy this abnormal demand of        
credulity4  ,designing men1 even at the 
present day1 find little difficulty in  
establishing new systems of faith and   
belief4 ,joseph ,smith1 who invented the
 ,mormon religion1 had more followers   
and influence in this country at his    
death1 than the ,carpenter's ,son       
obtained centuries ago from the         
unlettered inhabitants of ,palestine2   
and yet ,smith achieved his success     
among educated people in this so-called 
enlightened age1 while ,jesus taught in 
an age of semi-barbarism and faith1 when

 both ,jews and ,pagans asserted and    
believed that beasts1 birds1 reptiles   
and even fishes understood human        
language1 were often gifted with human  
speech1 and sometimes seemed to possess 
even more than ordinary human           
intelligence4  ,they taught that the    
serpent1 using the language of          
sophistry1 beguiled ,eve in ,eden1 who  
in turn corrupted ,adam1 her first and  
only husband4 ,at the baptism of ,jesus 
by ,john in the river ,jordan1 the voice
 of a dove resounded in the heavens1    
saying1 quite audibly and distinctly1   
8,thou art my beloved ,son2 in thee ,i  
am well pleased40 ,balaam disputed with 
his patient beast of burden1 on their   
celebrated journey in the land of ,moab1
 and the ass proved wiser in the        
argument that ensued than the inspired  
prophet who bestrode him1 ,the great    
fish ,oannes left his native element and
 taught philosophy to the ,chaldeans on 
dry land4 ,one reputable woman1 of      
,jewish lineage1--the mother of an      

interesting family--was changed to a    
pillar of salt in ,sodom while another  
female of great notoriety known to fame 
as the celebrated 8,witch of ,endor10   
raised ,samuel from his grave in ,ramah4
 ,saint ,peter found a shilling in the  
mouth of a fish which he caught in the  
,sea of ,galilee1 and this lucky        
incident enabled the impecunious apostle
 to pay the 8tribute money0 in          
,capernaum4 ,another famous             
,israelite1--so it is said1--broke the  
record of balloon ascensions in ,judea1 
and ascended into heaven in a chariot of
 fire4  ,in an age of ignorance wonders 
abound1 prodigies occur1 and miracles   
become common1 ,the untaught masses are 
easily deceived1 and their unreasoning  
credulity enables them to proudly boast 
of their unquestioning faith4 ,when     
their feelings are excited and their    
passions aroused by professional        
evangelists1 they even profess to       
believe that which they cannot          
comprehend2 and1 in the satirical       

language of ,bulwer1 they endeavor to   
8assist their ignorance by the          
conjectures of their superstition40     
,among the multitudes of diverse and    
opposing religions which afflict        
mankind1 it is self-evident that but one
 religion may justly claim the          
inspiration of truth1 and it is equally 
evident to all reasoning minds that that
 religion is the religion of kindness   
and humanity1--the religion of noble    
thoughts and generous deeds1--which     
removes the enmities of race and creed1 
and 8makes the whole world kin60 ,and   
which1 in its observance is blessed with
 sympathy1 friendship1 happiness and    
love4  ,this religion needs no creed1 no
 profession of faith1 no incense1 no    
prayer1 no penance1 no sacrifice4 ,its  
whole duty consists in comforting the   
afflicted1 assisting the unfortunate1   
protecting the helpless1 and in honestly
 fulfilling our duties to our fellow    
mortals4 ,in the language of ,confucius1
 the ancient ,chinese ,sage1 it is      

simply 8to behave to others as ,i would 
require others to behave to me40  8,do  
unto others as you would they should do 
unto you10 says ,jesus2 and in the      
,epistle of ,james1 we are told that    
8,pure ,religion and undefiled before   
,god and the ,father is this1 ,to visit 
the fatherless and widows in their      
affliction1 and to keep himself         
unspotted from the world40  ,the same   
benign and generous conduct is commended
 in even grander and nobler language in 
the lectures to the ,french ,masonic    
,lodges3 8,love one another1 teach one  
another1 help one another4 ,that is all 
our doctrine1 all our science1 all our  
law40  ,it is believed that the learned 
dissertation of ,lord ,brougham on the  
,origin of ,evil1 which is annexed to   
this work1 will need no commendation to 
ensure its careful perusal4             
,,peter ,,eckler4      ,,the ,,fallen   
,,star1 or1 ,,the ,,history ,,of ,a     
,,false ,,religion  by ,e4 ,l4 ,bulwer  
,,an ,,allegory ,,of ,,the ,,stars4     

,and the ,stars sat1 each on his ruby   
throne1 and watched with sleepless eyes 
upon the world4 ,it was the night       
ushering in the new year1 a night on    
which every star receives from the      
archangel that then visits the universal
 galaxy1 its peculiar charge4  ,the     
destinies of men and empires are then   
portioned forth for the coming year1    
and1 unconsciously to ourselves1 our    
fates become minioned to the stars4  ,a 
hushed and solemn night is that in which
 the dark gates of time open to receive 
the ghost of the dead year1 and the     
young and radiant stranger rushes forth 
from the clouded chasms of eternity4 ,on
 that night1 it is said that there are  
given to the spirits that we see not1 a 
privilege and a power2 the dead are     
troubled in their forgotten graves1 and 
men feast and laugh1 while demon and    
angel are contending for their doom4    
,it was night in heaven2 all was        
unutterably silent1 the music of the    
spheres had paused1 and not a sound came

 from the angels of the stars2 and they 
who sat upon those shining thrones were 
three thousand and ten1 each resembling 
each4  ,eternal youth clothed their     
radiant limbs with celestial beauty1 and
 on their faces was written the dread of
 calm1 that fearful stillness which     
feels not1 sympathizes not with the     
dooms over which it broods4  ,war1      
tempest1 pestilence1 the rise of        
empires1 and their fall1 they ordain1   
they1 compass1 unexultant and           
uncompassionate4 ,the fell and thrilling
 crimes that stalk abroad when the world
 sleeps--the parricide with his stealthy
 step1 and horrent brow1 and lifted     
knife2 the unwifed mother that glides   
out and looks behind1 and behind1 and   
shudders1 and casts her babe upon the   
river1 and hears the wail1 and pities   
not--the splash1 and does not tremble6  
,these the starred kings behold--to     
these they lead the unconscious step2   
but the guilt blanches not their lustre1
 neither doth remorse wither their      

unwrinkled youth4  ,each star wore a    
kingly diadem2 round the loins of each  
was a graven belt1 graven with many and 
mighty signs2 and the foot of each was  
on a burning ball1 and the right arm    
dropped over the knee as they bent down 
from their thrones2 they moved not a    
limb or feature1 save the finger of the 
right hand1 which ever and anon moved   
slowly1 pointing1 and regulated the     
fates of men as the hand of the dial    
speaks the career of time4  ,one only of
 the three thousand and ten wore not the
 same aspect as his crowned brethren2 a 
star1 smaller than the rest1 and less   
luminous4 ,the countenance of this star 
was not impressed with the awful        
calmness of the others2 but there were  
sullenness and discontent upon his      
mighty brow4  ,and this star said to    
himself--8,behold1 ,i am created less   
glorious than my fellows1 and the       
archangel apportions not to me the same 
lordly destinies4 ,not for me are the   
dooms of kings and bards1 the rulers of 

empires1 or1 yet nobler1 the swayers and
 harmonists of souls4 ,sluggish are the 
spirits and base the lot of the men ,i  
am ordained to lead through a dull life 
to a fameless grave4 ,and               
wherefore8--,is it mine own fault1 or is
 it the fault which is not mine1 that ,i
 was woven of beams less glorious than  
my brethren8 ,lo6 when the archangel    
comes1 ,i will bow not my crowned head  
to his decrees4 ,i will speak1 as the   
ancestral ,lucifer before me3 he        
rebelled because of his glory1 ,i       
because of my obscurity2 he from the    
ambition of pride1 and ,i from its      
discontent40  ,and while the star was   
thus communing with himself1 the upward 
heavens were parted as by a long river  
of light1 and adown that stream swiftly1
 and without sound1 sped the archangel  
visitor of the stars2 his vast limbs    
floated in the liquid lustre1 and his   
outspread wings1 each plume the glory of
 a sun1 bore him noiselessly along2 but 
thick clouds veiled his lustre from the 

eyes of mortals1 and while above all was
 bathed in the serenity of his splendor1
 tempest and storm broke below over the 
children of the earth3  8,he bowed the  
heavens and came down1 and darkness was 
under his feet40  ,and the stillness on 
the faces of the stars became yet more  
still1 and the awfulness was humbled    
into awe4 ,right above their thrones    
paused the course of the archangel2 and 
his wings stretched from east to west1  
overshadowing with the shadow of light  
the immensity of space4 ,then forth in  
the shining stillness1 rolled the dread 
music of his voice3 and1 fulfilling the 
heraldry of god1 to each star he        
appointed the duty and the charge1 and  
each star bowed his head yet lower as he
 heard the fiat1 while his throne rocked
 and trembled at the majesty of the     
word4 ,but at last1 when each of the    
brighter stars had1 in succession1      
received the mandate1 and the           
viceroyalty over the nations of the     
earth1 the purple and diadems of        

kings--the archangel addressed the      
lesser star as he sat apart from his    
fellows4  8,behold10 said the archangel1
 8the rude tribes of the north1 the     
fishermen of the river that flows       
beneath1 and the hunters of the forests1
 that darken the mountain-tops with     
verdure6 these be thy charge1 and their 
destinies thy care4 ,nor deem thou1 ,o  
star of the sullen beams1 that thy      
duties are less glorious than the duties
 of thy brethren2 for the peasant is not
 less to thy master and mine than the   
monarch2 nor doth the doom of empires   
rest more upon the sovereign than on the
 herd4 ,the passions and the heart are  
the dominion of the stars--a mighty     
realm2 nor less mighty beneath the hide 
that garbs the shepherd1 than the       
jewelled robes of eastern kings40  ,then
 the star lifted his pale front from his
 breast1 and answered the archangel3    
8,lo60 he said1 8ages have past1 and    
each year thou hast appointed me to the 
same ignoble charge4 ,release me1 ,i    

pray thee1 from the duties that ,i      
scorn2 or1 if thou wilt that the lowlier
 race of men be my charge1 give unto me 
the charge not of many1 but of one1 and 
suffer me to breathe into him the desire
 that spurns the valleys of life1 and   
ascends its steeps4 ,if the humble are  
given to me1 let there be amongst them  
one whom ,i may lead on the mission that
 shall abase the proud2 for1 behold1 ,o 
,appointer of the ,stars1 as ,i have sat
 for uncounted years upon my solitary   
throne1 brooding over the things        
beneath1 my spirit hath gathered wisdom 
from the changes that shift below4      
,looking upon the tribes of earth1 ,i   
have seen how the multitude are swayed1 
and tracked the steps that lead weakness
 into power2 and fain would ,i be the   
ruler of one who1 if abased1 shall      
aspire to rule40  ,as a sudden cloud    
over the face of noon was the change on 
the brow of the archangel4  8,proud and 
melancholy star10 said the herald1 8thy 
wish would war with the courses of the  

invisible destiny1 that1 throned far    
above1 sways and harmonizes all2 the    
source from which the lesser rivers of  
fate are eternally gushing through the  
heart of the universe of things4        
,thinkest thou that thy wisdom1 of      
itself1 can lead the peasant to become a
 king80  ,and the crowned star gazed    
undauntedly on the face of the          
archangel1 and answered3  8,yea6--grant 
me but one trial60  ,ere the archangel  
could reply1 the farthest centre of the 
heaven was rent as by a thunderbolt2 and
 the divine herald covered his face with
 his hands1 and a voice low and sweet1  
and mild with the consciousness of      
unquestionable power1 spoke forth to the
 repining star3  8,the time has arrived 
when thou mayest have thy wish4 ,below  
thee1 upon yon solitary plain1 sits a   
mortal1 gloomy as thyself1 who1 born    
under thy influence1 may be moulded to  
thy will40  ,the voice ceased1 as the   
voice of a dream4 ,silence was over the 
seas of space1 and the archangel1 once  

more borne aloft1 slowly soared away    
into the farther heaven1 to promulgate  
the divine bidding to the stars of      
far-distant worlds4  ,but the soul of   
the discontented star exulted within    
itself2 and it said1 8,i will call forth
 a king from the valley of the herdsmen1
 that shall trample on the kings subject
 to my fellows1 and render the charge of
 the contemned star more glorious than  
the minions of its favored brethren2    
thus shall ,i revenge neglect--thus     
shall ,i prove my claim hereafter to the
 heritage of the great of earth60   ,at 
that time1 though the world had rolled  
on for ages1 and the pilgrimage of man  
had passed through various states of    
existence1 which our dim traditionary   
knowledge has not preserved1 yet the    
condition of our race in the northern   
hemisphere was then what we1 in our     
imperfect lore1 have conceived to be    
among the earliest4     ,,forming ,a    
,,new ,,religion4  ,by a rude and vast  
pile of stones1 the masonry of arts     

forgotten1 a lonely man sat at midnight1
 gazing upon the heavens4 ,a storm had  
just passed from the earth--the clouds  
had rolled away1 and the high stars     
looked down upon the rapid waters of the
 ,rhine2 and no sound save the roar of  
the waves and the dripping of the rain  
from the mighty trees1 was heard around 
the ruined pile3 the white sheep lay    
scattered on the plain1 and slumber with
 them4 ,he sat watching over the herd1  
lest the foes of a neighboring tribe    
seized them unawares1 and thus he       
communed with himself3  8,the king sits 
upon his throne1 and is honored by a    
warrior race1 and the warrior exults in 
the trophies he has won2 the step of the
 huntsman is bold upon the mountain-top1
 and his name is sung at night round the
 pine-fires1 by the lips of the bard2   
and the bard himself hath honor in the  
hail4 ,but ,i1 who belong not to the    
race of kings1 and whose limbs can bound
 not to the rapture of war1 nor scale   
the eyries of the eagle and the haunts  

of the swift stag2 whose hand cannot    
string the harp1 and whose voice is     
harsh in the song2 ,i have neither honor
 nor command1 and men bow not the head  
as ,i pass along2 yet do ,i feel within 
me the consciousness of a great power   
that should rule my species--not obey4  
,my eye pierces the secret hearts of    
men--,i see their thoughts ere their    
lips proclaim them2 and ,i scorn1 while 
,i see1 the weakness and the vices which
 ,i never shared4 ,i laugh at the       
madness of the warrior--,i mock within  
my soul at the tyranny of kings4 ,surely
 there is something in man's nature more
 fitted to command--more worthy of      
renoun1 than the sinews of the arm1 or  
the swiftness of the feet1 or the       
accident of birth60  ,as ,morven1 the   
son of ,osslah1 thus mused within       
himself1 still looking at the heavens1  
the solitary man beheld a star suddenly 
shooting from its place1 and speeding   
through the silent air1 till it as      
suddenly paused right over the midnight 

river1 and facing the inmate of the pile
 of stones4  ,as he gazed upon the star 
strange thoughts grew slowly over him4  
,he drank1 as it were1 from its solemn  
aspect1 the spirit of a great design4 ,a
 dark cloud rapidly passing over the    
earth1 snatched the star from his sight2
 but left to his awakened mind the      
thoughts and the dim scheme that had    
come to him as he gazed4  ,when the sun 
arose one of his brethren relieved him  
of his charge over the herd1 and he went
 away1 but not to his father's home4    
,musingly he plunged into the dark and  
leafless recesses of the winter forest2 
and shaped out of his wild thoughts1    
more palpably and clearly1 the outline  
of his daring hope4  ,while thus        
absorbed1 he heard a great noise in the 
forest1 and1 fearful lest the hostile   
tribe of the ,alrich might pass that    
way1 he ascended one of the loftiest    
pine-trees1 to whose perpetual verdure  
the winter had not denied the shelter he
 sought1 and1 concealed by its branches1

 he looked anxiously forth in the       
direction whence the noise had proceed4 
,and ,,it came--it came with a tramp and
 a crash1 and a crushing tread upon the 
crunched boughs and matted leaves that  
strewed the soil--it came--it came1 the 
monster that the world now holds no     
more--the mighty mammoth of the ,north6 
,slowly it moved in its huge strength   
along1 and its burning eyes glittered   
through the gloomy shade3 its jaws1     
falling apart1 showed the grinders with 
which it snapped asunder the young oaks 
of the forest2 and the vast tusks1      
which1 curved downward to the midst of  
its massive limbs1 glistened white and  
ghastly1 curdling the blood of one      
destined hereafter to be the dreaded    
ruler of the men of that distant age4   
,the livid eyes of the monster fastened 
on the form of the herdsman1 even amidst
 the thick darkness of the pine4 ,it    
paused--it glared upon him--its jaws    
opened1 and a low deep sound1 as of     
gathering thunder1 seemed to the son of 

,osslah as the knell of a dreadful      
grave4 ,but after glaring on him for    
some moments1 it again1 and calmly1     
pursued its terrible way1 crashing the  
boughs as it marched along1 till the    
last sound of its heavy tread died away 
upon his ear4  ,ere yet1 however1 before
 ,morven had summoned the courage to    
descend the tree1 he saw the shining of 
arms through the bare branches of the   
wood1 and presently a small hand of the 
hostile ,alrich came into sight4 ,he was
 perfectly hidden from them2 and1       
listening as they passed him1 he heard  
one say to another3  8,the night covers 
all things2 why attack them by day80    
,and he who seemed the chief of the     
band1 answered 8,right4 ,to-night1 when 
they sleep in their city1 we will upon  
them4 ,lo6 they will be drenched in     
wine1 and fall like sheep into our      
hands40  8,but where1 ,o chief10 said a 
third of the band1 8shall our men hide  
during the day8 for there are many      
hunters among the youth of the ,oestrich

 tribe1 and they might see us in the    
forest unawares1 and arm their race     
against our coming40  8,i have prepared 
for that10 answered the chief4 8,is not 
the dark cavern of ,oderlin at hand8    
,will it not shelter us from the eyes of
 the victims80  ,then the men laughed1  
and shouting1 they went their way adown 
the forest4  ,when they were gone       
,morven cautiously descended1 and1      
striking into a broad path1 hastened to 
a vale that lay between the forest and  
the river in which was the city where   
the chief of his country dwelt4  ,as he 
passed by the warlike men1 giants in    
that day1 who thronged the streets 7if  
streets they might be called71 their    
half garments parting from their huge   
limbs1 the quiver at their backs1 and   
the hunting spears in their hands1 they 
laughed and shouted out1 and1 pointing  
to him1 cried3  8,morven1 the woman6    
,morven1 the cripple6 what dost thou    
among men80  ,for the son of ,osslah was
 small in stature and of slender        

strength1 and his step had halted from  
his birth2 but he passed through the    
warriors unheedingly4  ,at the outskirts
 of the city he came upon a tail pile1  
in which some old men dwelt by          
themselves1 and counseled the king when 
times of danger1 or when the failure of 
the season1 the famine1 or the drought1 
perplexed the ruler1 and clouded the    
savage fronts of his warrior tribe4     
,they gave the counsels of experience1  
and when experience failed1 they drew1  
in their believing ignorance1 assurances
 and omens from the winds of heaven1 the
 changes of the moon1 and the flights of
 the wandering birds4 ,filled 7by the   
voices of the elements1 and the variety 
of mysteries which ever shift along the 
face of things1 unsolved by the wonder  
which pauses not1 the fear which        
believes1 and that eternal reasoning of 
all experience1 which assigns causes to 
effects7 with the notion of superior    
powers1 they assisted their ignorance by
 the conjectures of their superstition4 

,but as yet they knew no craft and      
practiced no voluntary delusion2 they   
trembled too much at the mysteries1     
which had created their faith1 to seek  
to belie them4 ,they counselled as they 
believed1 and the bold dream had never  
dared to cross men thus worn and grey   
with age1 of governing their warriors   
and their kings by the wisdom of deceit4
  ,the son of ,osslah entered the vast  
pile with a fearless step1 and          
approached the place at the upper end of
 the hall1 where the old men sat in     
conclave4  8,how1 base-torn and craven  
limbed60 cried the eldest1 who had been 
a noted warrior in his day2 8darest thou
 enter unsummoned amidst the secret     
councils of the wise men8 ,knowest thou 
not1 scatterling6 that the penalty is   
death80  8,slay me1 if thou wilt10      
answered ,morven 8but hear6  8,as ,i sat
 last night in the ruined palace of our 
ancient kings1 tending1 as my father    
bade me1 the sheep that grazed around1  
lest the fierce tribe of ,alrich should 

descend unseen from the mountains upon  
the herd1 a storm came darkly on2 and   
when the storm1 had ceased and ,i looked
 above on the sky1 ,i saw a star descend
 from its height towards me1 and a voice
 from the star said1 #8,son of ,osslah1 
leave thy herd and seek the council of  
the wise men1 and say unto them1 that   
they take thee as one of their number1  
or that sudden will be the destruction  
of them1 and theirs4'  8,but ,i had     
courage to answer the voice1 and ,i     
said1 #8,mock not the poor son of the   
herdsman4 ,behold they will kill me if  
,i utter so rash a word1 for ,i am poor 
and valueless in the eyes of the tribe  
of ,oestrich1 and the great in deeds and
 the grey of hair alone sit in the      
council of the wise men4'  8,then the   
voice said1 #8,do my bidding1 and ,i    
will give thee a token that thou comest 
from the powers that sway the seasons   
and sail upon the eagles of the winds4  
,say unto the wise men that this very   
night if they refuse to receive thee of 

their band1 evil shall fall upon them1  
and the morrow shall dawn in blood4'    
8,then the voice ceased1 and a cloud    
passed over the star2 and ,i communed   
with myself1 and came1 ,o dread fathers1
 mournfully unto you4 ,for ,i feared    
that ye would smite me because of my    
bold tongue1 and that ye would1 sentence
 me to the death1 in that ,i asked what 
may scarce be given even to the sons of 
kings40  ,then the grim elders looked   
one at the other and marvelled much1 nor
 knew they what answer they should make 
to the herdsman's son4  ,at length one  
of the wise men said1 8,surely there    
must be truth in the son of ,osslah1 for
 he would not dare to falsify the great 
lights of heaven4 ,if he had given unto 
men the words of the star1 verily we    
might doubt the truth4 ,but who would   
brave the vengeance of the gods of      
night80  ,then the elders shook their   
heads approvingly2 but one answered and 
said3  8,shall we take the herdsman's   
son as our equal8 ,no60  ,the name of   

the man who thus answered was ,darvan1  
and his words were pleasing to the      
elders4  ,but ,morven spoke out3  8,of a
 truth1 ,o councilors of kings6 ,i look 
not to be an equal with yourselves4     
,enough if ,i tend the gates of your    
palace1 and serve you as the son of     
,osslah may serve20 and he bowed his    
head humbly as he spoke4  ,then said the
 chief of the elders1 for he was wiser  
than the others1 8,but how wilt thou    
deliver us from the evil that is to     
come8 ,doubtless the star hath informed 
thee of the service thou canst render to
 us if we take thee into our palace1 as 
well as the ill that will fall on us if 
we refuse40  ,morven answered meekly3   
8,surely1 if thou acceptest thy servant1
 the star will teach him that which may 
requite thee2 but as yet he knows only  
what he has uttered40  ,then the sages  
bade him withdraw1 and they communed    
with themselves and they differed much2 
but though fierce men and bold at the   
war cry of a human foe1 they shuddered  

at the prophecy of a star4 ,so they     
resolved to take the son of ,osslah1 and
 suffer him to keep the gate of the     
council-hall4  ,he heard their decree   
and towed his head1 and went to the     
gate1 and sat down by it in silence4    
,and the sun went down in the west1 and 
the first stats of the twilight began to
 glimmer1 when ,morven started front his
 seat1 and a trembling appeared to seize
 his limbs4 ,his lips foamed2 an agony  
and a fear possessed him2 he writhed as 
a man whom the spear of a foeman has    
pierced with a mortal wound1 and        
suddenly fell upon his face on the stony
 earth4   ,the elders approached him2   
wondering1 they lifted him up4 ,he      
slowly recovered as from a swoon2 his   
eyes rolled wildly4  8,heard ye not the 
voice of the star80 he said4  ,and the  
chief of the elders answered1 8,nay1 we 
heard no sound40  ,then ,morven sighed  
heavily4  8,to me only the word was     
given4 ,summon instantly1 ,o councilors 
of the king6 summon the armed men1 and  

all the youth of the tribe1 and let them
 take the sword and the spear1 and      
follow thy servant4 ,for lo6 the star   
hath announced to him that the foe shall
 fall into our hands as the wild beast  
of the forests40  ,the son of ,osslah   
spoke with the voice of command1 and the
 elders were amazed4  8,why1 pause ye80 
he cried4 8,do the gods of the night    
lie8 ,on my head rest the peril if ,i   
deceive ye40  ,then the elders communed 
together2 and they went forth and       
summoned the men of arms1 and all the   
young of the tribe2 and each man took   
the sword and the spear1 and ,morven    
also4 ,and the son of ,osslah walked    
first1 still looking up at the star2 and
 he motioned them to be silent1 and move
 with a stealthy step4  ,so they went   
through the thickest of the forest1 till
 they came to the mouth of a great cave1
 overgrown with aged and matted trees1  
and it was called the cave of ,oderlin2 
and he bade the leaders place the armed 
men on either side the cave1 to the     

right and to the left1 among the hushes4
  ,so they watched silently till the    
night deepened1 when they heard a noise 
in the cave and the sound of feet1 and  
forth came an armed man2 and the spear  
of ,morven pierced him1 and he fell dead
 at the mouth of the cave4 ,another and 
another1 and both fell6 ,then loud and  
long was heard the warcry of ,alrich1   
and forth poured1 as a stream over a    
narrow bed1 the river of armed men4     
,and the ,sons of ,oestrich fell upon   
them1 and the foe were sorely perplexed 
and terrified by the suddenness of the  
battle and the darkness of the night2   
and there was a great slaughter4  ,and  
when the morning came1 the children of  
,oestrich counted the slain1 and found  
the leader of ,alrich and the chief men 
of the tribe amongst them1 and great was
 the joy thereof4  ,so they went back in
 triumph to the city1 and they carded   
the brave son of ,osslah on their       
shoulders1 and shouted forth1 8,glory to
 the servant of the star40  ,and ,morven

 dwelt in the council of the wise men4  
,now the king of the tribe had one      
daughter1 and she was stately amongst   
the women of the tribe1 and fair to look
 upon4 ,and ,morven gazed upon her with 
the eyes of love1 but he did not dare to
 speak4  ,now the son of ,osslah laughed
 secretly at the foolishness of men2 he 
loved them not1 for they had mocked him2
 he honored them not1 for he had blinded
 the wisest of their elders4  ,he       
shunned their feasts and merriment and  
lived apart and solitary4  ,the         
austerity of his life increased the     
mysterious homage which his commune with
 the stars had won him1 and the boldest 
of the warriors bowed his head to the   
favorite of the gods4  ,one day he was  
wandering by the side of the river1 and 
he saw a large bird of prey rise from   
the earth1 and give chase to a hawk that
 had not yet gained the full strength of
 its wings4 ,from his youth the solitary
 ,morven had loved to watch1 in the     
great forests and by the banks of the   

mighty stream1 the habits of the things 
which nature had submitted to man2 and  
looking now on the birds1 he said to    
himself1 8,thus is it ever2 by cunning  
or by strength each thing wishes to     
master its kind40  ,while thus1         
moralizing1 the larger bird had stricken
 down the hawk1 and it fell terrified   
and panting at his feet4  ,morven took  
the hawk in his hands1 and the vulture  
shrieked above him1 wheeling nearer and 
nearer to its protected prey2 but       
,morven scared away the vulture1 and    
placing the hawk in his bosom1 he       
carried it home1 and tended it          
carefully1 and fed it from his hand     
until it had regained its strength2 and 
the hawk knew him1 and followed him as a
 dog4  ,and ,morven said1 smiling to    
himself1 8,behold1 the credulous fools  
around me put faith in the flight and   
motions of birds4 ,i will teach this    
poor hawk to minister to my ends40  ,so 
he tamed the bird1 and tutored it       
according to its nature2 but he         

concealed it carefully from others1 and 
cherished it in secret4  ,the king of   
the country was old and like to die1 and
 the eyes of the tribe were turned to   
his two sons1 nor knew they which was   
the worthier to reign4  ,and ,morven    
passing through the forest one evening1 
saw the younger of the two1 who was a   
great hunter1 sitting mournfully under  
an oak1 and looking with musing eyes    
upon the ground4  8,wherefore musest    
thou1 ,o swift footed ,siror80 said the 
son of ,osslah2 8and wherefore art thou 
sad80  8,thou canst not assist me10     
answered the prince1 sternly2 8take thy 
way40  8,nay10 answered ,morven1 8thou  
knowest not what thou sayest2 am ,i not 
the favorite of the stars80  8,away1 ,i 
am no graybeard whom the approach of    
death makes doting3 talk not to inc of  
the stars2 ,i know only the things that 
my eye sees and my ear drinks in40      
8,hush10 said ,morven1 solemnly1 and    
covering his face2 8hush6 lest the      
heavens avenge thy rashness4 ,but1      

behold1 the stars have given unto me to 
pierce the secret hearts of others2 and 
,i can tell thee the thoughts of thine40
  8,speak out1 base-born60  8,thou art  
the younger of two1 and thy name is less
 known in war than the name of thy      
brother2 yet wouldst thou desire to be  
set over his head1 and to sit at the    
high seat of thy father80  ,the young   
man turned pale4  8,thou hast truth in  
thy lips10 said he1 with a faltering    
voice4  8,not from me1 but from the     
stars1 descends the truth40  8,can the  
stars grant my wish80  8,they can2 let  
us meet to-morrow40 ,thus saying1       
,morven passed into the forest4  ,the   
next day1 at noon1 they met again4  8,i 
have consulted the gods of night1 and   
they have given me the power that ,i    
prayed for1 but on one condition40      
8,name it40  8,that thou sacrifice thy  
sister on their altars thou must build  
up a heap of stones1 and take thy sister
 into the wood1 and lay her on the pile1
 and plunge thy sword into her heart2 so

 only shalt then reign40  ,the prince   
shuddered1 and started to his feet1 and 
shook his spear at the pale front of    
,morven4  8,tremble10 said the son of   
,osslah1 with a loud voice4 8,hark to   
the gods1 who threaten thee with death1 
that thou hast dared to lift thine arm  
against their servant60  ,as he spoke1  
the thunder rolled above2 for one of the
 frequent storms of the early summer was
 about to break4  ,the spear dropped    
from the prince's hand2 he sat down and 
cast his eyes on the ground4  8,wilt    
thou do the bidding of the stars1 and   
reign80 said ,morven4  8,i will60 cried 
,siror1 with a desperate voice4  8,this 
evening1 then1 when the sun sets1 thou  
wilt lead her hither1 alone2 ,i may not 
attend thee4 ,now1 let us pile the      
stones40  ,silently the huntsman bent   
his vast strength to the fragments of   
rock that ,morven pointed to him1 and   
they built the altar1 and went their    
way4   ,and beautiful is the dying of   
the great sum when the last song of the 

birds fades into the lap of silence2    
when the islands of the cloud are bathed
 in light1 and the first star springs up
 over the grave of day4   8,whither     
leadest thou my steps1 my brother80 said
 ,gina2 8and why doth thy lip quiver8   
and why dost thou tarn away thy face80  
8,is not the forest beautiful2 doth it  
not tempt us forth1 my sister80  8,and  
wherefore are those heaps of stone piled
 together80  8,let others answer2 ,i    
piled them not40  8,thou tremblest      
brother3 we will return40  8,not so2 by 
those stones is a bird that my shaft    
pierced to-day2 a bird of beautiful     
plumage that ,i slew for thee40  8,we   
are by the pile3 where hast thou laid   
the bird80  8,here60 cried ,siror2 and  
he seized the maiden in his arms1 and1  
casting her on the rude altar1 he drew  
forth his sword to smite her to the     
heart4  ,right over the stones rose a   
giant oak1 the growth of immemorial     
ages2 and from the oak1 or from the     
heavens2 broke forth a loud and solemn  

voice3  8,strike not1 son of kings6 the 
stars forbear their own3 the maiden thou
 shalt not slay2 yet shalt thou reign   
over the race of ,oestrich2 and thou    
shall give ,orna as a bride to the      
favorite of the stars4 ,arise1 and go   
thy way60  ,the voice ceased3 the terror
 of ,orna had overpowered for a time the
 springs of life2 and ,siror bore her   
home through the wood in his strong     
arms4   8,alas60 said ,morven1 when1 at 
the next day1 he again met the aspiring 
prince2 8alas6 the stars have ordained  
me a lot which my heart desires not2 for
 ,i1 lonely of life1 and crippled of    
shape1 am insensible to the fires of    
love2 and ever1 as thou and thy tribe   
know1 ,i have shunned the eyes of women1
 for the maidens laughed at my halting  
step and my sullen features2 and so in  
my youth ,i learned betimes to banish   
all thoughts of love4 ,but since they   
told me 7as they declared to thee71 that
 only through that marriage1 thou1 ,o   
beloved prince6 canst obtain thy        

fatter's plumed crown1 ,i yield me to   
their will40  8,but10 said the prince1  
8not until ,i am king can ,i give thee  
my sister in marriage2 for thou knowest 
that my sire would smite me to the dust1
 if ,i asked him to give the flower of  
our race to the son of the herdsman     
,osslah40  8,thou speakest the words of 
truth4 ,go home and fear not3 but1 when 
thou art king1 the sacrifice must be    
made1 and ,orna mine4 ,alas6 how can ,i 
dare to lift my eyes to her6 ,but so    
ordain the dread kings of the           
night6--,who shall gainsay their word80 
8,the day that sees me king1 sees ,orna 
thine10 answered the prince4  ,morven   
walked forth1 as was his wont1 alone2   
and he said to himself1 8the king is    
old1 yet may he live long between me and
 mine hope60 and he began to cast in his
 mind how he might shorten the time4    
,thus absorbed1 he wandered on so       
unheedingly1 that night advanced1 and he
 had lost his path among the thick      
woods1 and knew not how to regain his   

home2 so he lay down quietly beneath a  
tree1 and rested till day dawned4  ,then
 hunger came upon him and he searched   
among the bushes for such simple roots  
as those with which1 for he was ever    
careless of food1 he was used to appease
 the cravings of nature4  ,he found1    
among other more familiar herbs and     
roots1 a red berry of a sweetish taste1 
which he had never observed before4 ,he 
ate of it sparingly1 and had not        
proceeded far in the wood before he     
found his eyes swim1 and a deadly       
sickness come over him4 ,for several    
hours he lay convulsed on the ground    
expecting death2 but the gaunt spareness
 of his frame1 and his unvarying        
abstinence1 prevailed over the poison1  
and he recovered slowly1 and after great
 anguish3 but he went with feeble steps 
back to the spot where the berries grew1
 and1 plucking several1 hid them in his 
bosom1 and by nightfall regained the    
city4  ,the next day he went forth among
 his father's herds1 and seizing a lamb1

 forced some of the berries into its    
stomach1 and the lamb1 escaping1 ran    
away1 and fell down dead4 ,then ,morven 
took some more of the berries and boiled
 them down1 and mixed the juice with    
wine1 and he gave the wine in secret to 
one of his father's servants1 and the   
servant died4  ,then ,morven sought the 
king1 and coming into his presence      
alone1 he said unto him1 8,how fares my 
lord80  ,the king sat on a couch1 made  
of the skins of wolves1 and his eye was 
glassy and dim2 but vast were his aged  
limbs and huge was his stature1 and he  
had been taller by a head than the      
children of men1 and none living could  
bend the bow he had bent in youth4      
,grey1 gaunt and worn1 as some mighty   
bones that are dug at times from the    
bosom of the earth--a relic of the      
strength of old4  ,and the king said1   
faintly1 and with a ghastly laugh3      
8,the men of my years fare ill4 ,what   
avails my strength8 ,better had ,i been 
born a cripple like thee1 so should ,i  

have had nothing to lament in growing   
old40  ,the red flash passed over       
,morven's brow2 but he bent humbly--    
8,o king1 what if ,i could give thee    
back thy youth8 ,what if ,i could       
restore to thee the vigor which         
distinguished thee above the sons of    
men1 when the warriors of ,alrich fell  
like grass before thy sword80  ,then the
 king uplifted his dull eyes1 and he    
said3  8,what meanest thou1 son of      
,osslah8 ,surely ,i hear much of thy    
great wisdom1 and how thou speakest     
nightly with the stars4 ,can the gods of
 the night give unto thee the secret to 
make the old young80  8,tempt them not  
by doubt10 said ,morven1 reverently4    
8,all things are possible to the rulers 
of the dark hour2 and1 lo6 the star that
 loves thy servant spake to him at the  
dead of night1 and said1 #8,arise1 and  
go unto the king2 and tell him that the 
stars honor the tribe of ,oestrich1 and 
remember how the king bent his bow      
against the ,sons of ,alrich2 wherefore1

 look thou under the stone that lies to 
the right of thy dwelling--even beside  
the pine-tree1 and thou shalt see a     
vessel of clay1 and in the vessel thou  
wilt find a sweet liquid1 that shall    
make the king thy master forget his age 
forever4'  8,therefore1 my lord1 when   
the morning rose ,i went forth1 and     
looked under the stone1 and behold the  
vessel of clay2 and ,i have brought it  
hither to my lord1 the king40           
8,quick--slave--quick6 that ,i may drink
 and regain my youth60  8,nay1 listen1  
,o king6 farther said the star to me3   
8#8,it is only at night1 when the stars 
have power1 that this their gift will   
avail2 wherefore1 the king must wait    
till the hush of the midnight1 when the 
moon is high1 and then may he mingle the
 liquid with his wine4  8#8,and he must 
reveal to none that he hath received the
 gift from the hand of the servant of   
the stars4 ,for ,,they do their work in 
secret1 and when men sleep2 therefore   
they love not the babble of mouths1 and 

he who reveals their benefits shall     
surely die4'0  8,fear not10 said the    
king1 grasping the vessel2 8none shall  
know3 and1 behold1 ,i will rise on the  
morrow2 and my two sons--wrangling for  
my crown--verily1 ,i shall be younger   
than they60  ,then the king laughed     
loud2 and he scarcely thanked the       
servant of the stars1 neither did he    
promise him reward3 for the kings in    
those days had little thought--save for 
themselves4  ,and ,morven said to him1  
8,shall ,i not attend my lord8 for      
without me1 perchance1 the drug might   
fail of its effect40  8,aye10 said the  
king1 8rest here40  8,nay10 replied     
,morven2 8thy servants will marvel and  
talk much1 if they see the son of       
,osslah sojourning in thy palace4 ,so   
would the displeasure of the gods of    
night perchance be incurred4 ,suffer    
that the lesser door of the palace be   
unbarred1 so that at the night hour1    
when the moon is midway in the heavens1 
,i may steal unseen into thy chamber1   

and mix the liquid with thy wine40  8,so
 be it10 said the king4 8,thou art wise 
though thy limbs are crooked and curt2  
and the stars might have chosen a taller
 man40  ,then the king laughed again2   
and ,morven laughed too1 but there was  
danger in the mirth of the son of       
,osslah4   ,the night had began to wane1
 and the inhabitants of ,oestrich were  
buried in deep sleep1 when1 hark6 a     
sharp voice was heard crying out in the 
streets1 8,woe1 woe6 ,awake ye sons of  
,oestrich--woe60  ,then forth1          
wild--haggard--alarmed--spear in hand1  
rushed the giant sons of the rugged     
tribe1 and they saw a man on a height in
 the middle of the city1 shrieking1     
8,woe60 and it was ,morven1 the son of  
,osslah6  ,and he said unto them1 as    
they gathered round him1 8,men and      
warriors1 tremble as ye hear4  8,the    
star of the west hath spoken to me and  
thus saith the star3  8#8,evil shall    
fall upon the kingly house of           
,oestrich--yea1 ere the morning dawns2  

wherefore1 go thou mourning into the    
streets1 and wake the inhabitants to    
woe6'  8,so ,i rose and did the bidding 
of the star40  ,and while ,morven was   
yet speaking1 a servant of the king's   
house ran up to the crowd1 crying       
loudly3  8,the king is dead60  ,so they 
went into the palace and found the king 
stark upon his couch1 and his huge limbs
 all cramped and crippled by the pangs  
of death1 and his hands clenched as if  
in menace of a foe--the foe of all      
living flesh6  ,then fear came on the   
gazers1 and they looked on ,morven with 
a deeper awe than the boldest warrior   
would have called forth3 and they bore  
him back to the council-hall of the wise
 men1 wailing and clashing their arms in
 woe1 and shouting1 ever and anon3      
8,honor to ,morven1 the prophet60  ,and 
that was the first time the word        
,,prophet was ever used in those        
countries4   ,at noon1 on the third day 
from the king's death1 ,siror sought    
,morven1 and he said3  8,lo1 my father  

is no more1 and the people meet this    
evening at sunset to elect his          
successor1 and the warriors and the     
young men will surely choose my brother1
 for he is more known in war4 ,fail me  
not1 therefore40  8,peace1 boy60 said   
,morven1 sternly2 8nor dare to question 
the truth of the gods of night40  ,for  
,morven now began to presume on his     
power among the people1 and to speak as 
rulers speak1 even to the sons of kings4
  ,and the voice silenced the fiery     
,siror1 nor dared he to reply4          
8,behold10 said ,morven1 taking up a    
chaplet of colored plumes1 8wear this on
 thy head1 and put on a brave face--for 
the people like a hopeful spirit--and go
 down with thy brother to the place     
where the new king is to be chosen1 and 
leave the rest to the stars4  8,but1    
above all things1 forget not that       
chaplet2 it has been blessed by the gods
 of night40  ,the prince took the       
chaplet and returned home4  ,it was     
evening and the warriors and chiefs of  

the tribe were assembled in the place   
where the new king was to be elected4   
,and the voices of the many favored     
,prince ,voltoch1 the brother of ,siror1
 for he had slain twelve foeman with his
 spear2 and verily1 in those days1 that 
was a great virtue in a king4  ,suddenly
 there was a shout in the streets1 and  
the people cried out3  8,way for        
,morven1 the prophet1 the prophet60     
,for the people held the son of ,osslah 
in even greater respect than did the    
chiefs4  ,now1 since he had become of   
note1 ,morven had assumed a majesty of  
air which the son of the herdsman knew  
not in his earlier days2 and albeit his 
stature was short1 and his limbs halted1
 yet his countenance was grave and high4
  ,he only of the tribe wore a garment  
that swept the ground1 and his head was 
bare1 and his long black hair descended 
to his girdle1 and rarely was change or 
human passion seen in his calm aspect4  
,he feasted not1 nor drank wine1 nor was
 his presence frequent in the streets4  

,he laughed not1 neither did he smile1  
save when alone in the forest--and then 
he laughed at the follies of his tribe4 
,so he walked slowly through the crowd1 
neither turning to the left nor to the  
right1 as the crowd gave way2 and he    
supported his steps with a staff of the 
knotted pine4  ,and when he came to the 
place where the chiefs were met1 and the
 two princes stood in the centre1 he    
bade the people around him proclaim     
silence4  ,then mounting on a huge      
fragment of rock1 he thus spake to the  
multitude3  8,princes1 wantons and      
bards6 ye1 ,o council of the wise men6  
and ye1 ,o hunters of the forests1 and  
snarers of the fishes of the streams6   
harken to ,morven1 the son of ,osslah4  
8,ye know that ,i am lowly of race1 and 
weak of limb2 but did ,i not give into  
your hands the tribe of ,alrich1 and did
 ye not slay them in the dead of night  
with a great slaughter8  8,surely1 ye   
must know that this of himself did not  
the herdsman's son2 surely he was but   

the agent of the bright gods that love  
the children of ,oestrich4  8,three     
nights since1 when slumber was on the   
earth1 was not my voice heard in the    
streets8  8,did ,i not proclaim woe to  
the kingly house of ,oestrich8 and      
verily the dark arm had fallen on the   
bosom of the mighty1 that is no more4   
8,could ,i have dreamed this thing      
merely in a dream1 or was ,i not as the 
voice of the bright gods that watch over
 the tribes of ,oestrich8  8,wherefore1 
,o men and chiefs6 scorn not the son of 
,osslah1 but listen to his words2 for   
are they not the wisdom of the stars8   
8,behold1 last night1 ,i sat alone in   
the valley1 and the trees were hushed   
around1 and not a breath stirred2 and ,i
 looked upon the star that counsels the 
son of ,osslah2 and ,i said3  8#8,dread 
conqueror of the cloud6 thou that       
bathest thy beauty in the streams and   
piercest the pine-boughs with thy       
presence2 behold thy servant grieved    
because the mighty one hath passed away1

 and many foes surround the houses of my
 brethren2 and it is well that they     
should have a king valiant and          
prosperous in war1 the cherished of the 
stars4  8#8,wherefore1 ,o star6 as thou 
gavest into our hands the warriors of   
,alrich1 and didst warn us of the fall  
of the oak of our tribe1 wherefore1 ,i  
pray thee1 give unto the people a token 
that they may choose that king whom the 
gods of the night prefer6'  8,then a low
 voice sweeter than the music of the    
bard1 stole along the silence4  8#8,thy 
love for thy race is grateful to the    
stars of night3 go then1 son of ,osslah1
 and seek the meeting of the chiefs and 
the people to choose a king1 and tell   
them not to scorn thee because thou art 
slow to the chase and little known in   
war2 for the stars give thee wisdom as a
 recompense for all4  8#8,say unto the  
people that as the wise men of the      
council shape their lessons by the      
flight of birds1 so by the flight of    
birds stall a token be given unto them1 

and they shall choose their kings4      
8#8,for1' said1 the star of right1 #8the
 birds are children of the winds1 they  
pass to and fro along the ocean of the  
air1 and visit the clouds that are the  
warships of the gods4  8#8,and their    
music is but broken melodies which they 
gleam from the harps above4  8#8,are    
they not the messengers of the storm8   
8#8,ere the stream chafes against the   
bank1 and the rain descends1 know ye    
not1 by the wail of birds and their low 
circles over the earth1 that the tempest
 is at hand8  8#8,wherefore1 wisely do  
ye deem that the children of the air are
 the fit interpreters between the sons  
of men and the lords of the world above4
  8#8,say then to the people and the    
chiefs1 that they shall take1 from among
 the doves that nest in the roof of the 
palace1 a white dove1 and they shall let
 it loose in the air1 and verily the    
gods of the night shall deem the dove as
 a prayer coming from the people1 and   
they shall send a messenger to grant the

 prayer and give to the tribes of       
,oestrich a king worthy of themselves4' 
8,with that the star spoke no more40    
,then the friends of ,voltoch murmured  
among themselves1 and they said1 8,shall
 this man dictate to us who shall be    
king80  ,but the people and the warriors
 shouted3  8,listen to the star2 do we  
not give or deny battle according as the
 bird flies--shall we not by the same   
token choose him by whom the battle     
should be led80  ,and the thing seemed  
natural to them1 for it was after the   
custom of the tribe4  ,then they took   
one of the doves that built in the roof 
of the palace1 and they bought it to the
 spot where ,morven stood1 and he1      
looking up to the stars and muttering to
 himself1 released the bird4  ,there was
 a copse of trees a little distance from
 the spot1 and as the dove ascended1 a  
hawk suddenly rose from the copse and   
pursued the dove2 and the dove was      
terrified1 and soared circling high     
above the crowd1 when1 lo1 the hawk1    

poising itself one moment on its wings1 
swooped with a sudden swoop1 and1       
abandoning its prey1 alighted on the    
plumed head of ,siror4  8,behold10 cried
 ,morven in a loud voice1 8behold your  
king60  8,hail1 all hail the king60     
shouted the people4 8,all hail the      
chosen of the stars60  ,then ,morven    
lifted his right hand1 and the hawk left
 the prince1 and alighted on ,morven's  
shoulder4  8,bird of the gods60 said he1
 reverently1 8hast thou not a secret    
message for my ear80 ,then the hawk put 
its beak to ,morven's ear1 and ,morven  
bowed his head submissively2 and the    
hawk rested with ,morven from that      
moment and would not be scared away4    
,and ,morven said3  8,the stars have    
sent me this bird1 that1 in the         
day-time1 when ,i see them not1 we may  
never be without a counsellor in        
distress40  ,so ,siror was made king1   
and ,maven the son of ,osslah was       
constrained by the king's will to take  
,orna for his wife2 and the people and  

the chiefs honored ,morven1 the prophet1
 above all the elders of the tribe4     
,one day ,morven said unto himself1     
musing1 8,am ,i not already equal with  
the king8 nay1 is not the king my       
servant8 did ,i not place him over the  
heads of his brothers8 am ,i not1       
therefore1 more fit to reign than he is8
 shall ,i not push him from his seat8   
8,it is a troublesome and stormy office 
to reign over the wild men of ,oestrich1
 to feast in the crowded hail1 and to   
lead die warriors to the fray4          
8,surely1 if ,i feasted not1 neither    
went out to war1 they might say1 #8,this
 is no king1 but the cripple ,morven2'  
and some of the race of ,siror might    
slay me secretly4  8,but can ,i not be  
greater far than kings1 and continue to 
choose and govern them1 living as now at
 mine own ease8  8,verily1 the stars    
shall give me a new palace1 and many    
subjects40  ,among the wise men was     
,darvan2 and ,morven feared him1 for his
 eye often sought the movements of the  

son of ,osslah4  ,and ,morven said 8,it 
were better to ,,trust this man than to 
,,blind1 for surely ,i want a helpmate  
and a friend40  ,so he said to the wise 
man as he sat alone watching the setting
 sun3  8,it seemeth to me1 ,o ,darvan6  
,i that we ought to build a great pile  
in honor of the stars and the pile      
should be more glorious than all the    
palaces of the chiefs and the palaces of
 the king2 for are not the stars our    
masters8  8,and thou and ,i should be   
the chief dwellers in this new palace1  
and we would serve the gods of night1   
and fatten their altars with the        
choicest of the herd1 and the freshest  
of the fruits of the earth40  ,and      
,darvan said3  8,thou speakest as       
becomes the servant of the stars4 ,but  
will the people help to build the pile1 
for they are a war-like race and they   
love not toil80  ,and ,morven answered3 
8,doubtless the stars will ordain the   
work to be done4 ,fear not40  8,in truth
 thou art a wondrous man1 thy words ever

 come to pass10 answered ,darvan2 8and  
,i wish thou wouldest teach me1 friend1 
the language of the stars40  8,assuredly
 if thou servest me thou shalt know10   
answered the proud ,morven2 and ,darvan 
was secretly wroth that the son of the  
herdsman should command the service of  
an elder and a chief4  ,and when ,morven
 returned to his wife he found her      
weeping much4  ,now she loved the son of
 ,osslah with an exceeding love1 for he 
was not savage and fierce as the men she
 had known1 and she was proud of his    
fame among the tribe2 and he took her in
 his arms and kissed her1 and asked her 
why she wept4  ,then she told him that  
her brother1 the king1 had visited her  
and had spoken bitter words of ,morven4 
8,he taketh from me the affection of my 
people10 said ,siror1 8and blindeth them
 with lies4 ,and since he hath made me  
king1 what if he take my kingdom from   
me8 ,verily1 a new tale of the stars    
might undo the old40  ,and the king had 
ordered her to keep watch on ,morven's  

secrecy1 and to see whether truth was in
 him when he boasted of his commune with
 the ,powers of ,night4  ,but ,orna     
loved ,morven better than ,siror1       
therefore she told her husband all4     
,and ,morven resented the king's        
ingratitude1 and was troubled much1 for 
a king is a powerful foe2 but tie       
comforted ,orna1 and bade her dissemble 
and complain also of him to her brother1
 so that he might confide to her        
unsuspectingly whatsoever he might      
design against ,morven4  ,there was a   
cave by ,morven's house in which he kept
 the sacred hawk1 and wherein he        
secretly trained and nurtured other     
birds against future need1 and the door 
of the cave was always barred4  ,and one
 day he was thus engaged when he beheld 
a chink in the wall1 that he had never  
noted before1 and the sun came playfully
 in2 and while he looked he perceived   
the sunbeam was darkened1 and presently 
he saw a human face peering in through  
the chink4  ,and ,morven trembled1 for  

he knew he had been watched4   ,morven  
ran hastily from the cave1 but the spy  
had disappeared among the trees1 and    
,morven went straight to the chamber of 
,darvan and sat himself down4  ,darvan  
did not return home till late1 and he   
started and turned pale when he saw     
,morven4  ,but ,morven greeted him as a 
brother1 and bade him to a feast1 which1
 for the first time1 he purposed giving 
at the full of the moon1 in honor of the
 stars4  ,and going out of ,darvan's    
chamber1 he returned to his wife1 and   
bade her hair1 and go at the dawn of day
 to the king1 her brother1 and complain 
bitterly of ,morven's treatment1 and    
pluck the black schemes from the breast 
of the king4 8,for surely10 said he1    
8,darvan hath lied to thy brother1 and  
some evil awaits me that ,i would fain  
know40  ,so the next morning ,orna      
sought the king1 and she said3  8,the   
herdsman's son hath reviled me1 and     
spoken harsh words to me2 stall ,i not  
be avenged80  ,then the king stamped his

 feet and shook his mighty sword4       
8,surely thou shalt be avenged1 for ,i  
have learned from one of the elders that
 which convinceth me that the man hath  
lied to the people1 and the base-born   
shall surely die4  8,yea1 the first time
 that he goeth alone into the forest my 
brother and ,i will fall upon him and   
smite him to the death40  ,and with this
 comfort ,siror dismissed ,orna4  ,and  
,orna flung herself at the feet of her  
husband4  8,fly now1 ,o my beloved6--fly
 into the forests afar from my brethren1
 or surely the sword of ,siror will end 
thy days40  ,then the son of ,osslab    
folded his arms1 and seemed buried in   
black thoughts2 nor did he heed the     
voice of ,orna1 until again and again   
she had implored him to fly4  8,fly60 he
 said at length4 8,nay1 ,i was doubting 
what punishment the stars should pour   
down upon our foe4 ,let warriors fly4   
,morven1 the prophet1 conquers by arms  
mightier than the sword40  ,nevertheless
 ,morven was perplexed in his mind1 and 

knew not how to save himself from the   
vengeance of the king4   ,now1 while    
,morven was musing hopelessly1 he heard 
a roar of waters2 and behold the river1 
for it was now the end of autumn1 had   
burst its bounds1 and was rushing along 
the valley to the houses of the city4   
,and now the men of the tribe1 and the  
women1 and the children1 came running1  
and with shrieks to ,morven's house1    
crying3  8,behold the river has burst   
upon us6--,save us1 ,o ruler of the     
stars60  ,then the sudden thought broke 
upon ,morven and he resolved to risk his
 fate upon one desperate scheme4  ,and  
he came out from the house calm and sad1
 and he said3  8,ye know not what ye    
ask2 ,i cannot save ye from this peril3 
ye have brought it on yourselves40  ,and
 they cried3 8,how8 ,o son of           
,osslah--we are ignorant of our crime40 
,and he answered3  8,go down to the     
king's palace and wait before it1 and   
surely ,i will follow ye1 and ye shall  
learn wherefore ye have incurred this   

punishment from the gods40  ,then the   
crowd rolled murmuring back1 as a       
receding sea2 and when it was gone from 
the place1 ,morven went alone to the    
house of ,darvan1 which was next his    
own3 and ,darvan was greatly terrified1 
for he was of a great age1 and had no   
children1 neither friends1 and he feared
 that he could not of himself escape the
 waters4  ,and ,morven said to him1     
soothingly3  8,lo1 the people love me1  
and ,i will see that thou art saved for 
verily thou hast been friendly to me1   
and done me much service with the king40
  ,and as he thus spake1 ,morven opened 
the door of the house and looked forth1 
and saw that they were quite alone2 then
 he seized the old man by the throat1   
and ceased not his grip till he was     
quite dead4  ,and leaving the body of   
the elder on the floor1 ,morven1 stole  
from the house and shut the gate4  ,and 
as he was going to his cave he mused a  
little while1 when1 hearing the mighty  
roar of the waves advancing1 and afar   

off the shrieks of women1 he lifted up  
his head1 and said proudly3  8,no6 in   
this hour terror alone shall be my      
slave2 ,i will use no art save the power
 of my soul40  ,so1 leaning on his pine 
staff1 he strode down to the palace4    
,and it was now evening1 and many of the
 men held torches1 that they might see  
each other's faces in the universal     
fear4  ,red flashed the quivering flames
 on the dark robes and pale front of    
,morven2 and he seemed mightier than the
 rest1 because his face alone was calm  
amidst the tumult4  ,and louder and     
hoarser came the roar of the waters2 and
 swift rusted the shades of night over  
the hastening tide4  ,and ,morven said  
in a stern voice3  8,where is the king2 
and wherefore is he absent from his     
people in the hour of dread80  ,then the
 gate of the palace opened2 and1 behold 
,siror was sitting in the hall by the   
vast pine-fire and his brother by his   
side1 and his chiefs around him3 for    
they would not deign to come amongst the

 crowd at the bidding of the herdsman's 
son4  ,then ,morven1 standing upon a    
rock above the heads of the people 7the 
same rack whereon he had proclaimed the 
king71 thus spake3  8,ye desired to     
know1 ,o sons of ,oestrich6 wherefore   
the river hath burst its bounds1 and the
 peril hath come upon you4  8,learn     
then1 that the stars resent as the      
foulest of human crimes an insult to    
their servants and delegates below4     
8,ye are all aware of the manner of life
 of ,morven1 whom ye have surnamed the  
,prophet6  8,he harms not man or beast2 
he lives alone2 and1 far from the wild  
joys of the warrior tribe1 he worships  
in awe and fear the ,powers of ,night6  
8,so is he able to advise ye of the     
coming danger--so is he able to save ye 
from the foe4 ,thus are your huntsmen   
swift and your warriors bold2 and thus  
do your cattle bring forth their young1 
and the earth its fruits4  8,what think 
ye1 and what do ye ask to hear8         
8,listen1 men of ,oestrich6--they have  

laid snares for my life2 and there are  
amongst you those who have whetted the  
sword against the bosom that is only    
filled with love for you4  8,therefore  
have the stern lords of heaven loosened 
the chains of the river--therefore doth 
this evil menace ye4  8,neither will it 
pass away until they who dig the pit for
 the servant of the stars are buried in 
the same40  ,then1 by the red torches1  
the faces of the men looked fierce and  
threatening2 and ten thousand voices    
shouted forth3  8,name them who         
conspired against thy life1 ,o holy     
prophet6 and surely they shall be torn  
limb from limb40  ,and ,morven turned   
aside1 and they saw that he wept        
bitterly2 and he said3  8,ye have asked 
me1 and ,i have answered3 but now scarce
 will ye believe the foe that ,i have   
provoked against me2 and by the heavens 
themselves ,i swear1 that if my death   
would satisfy their fury1 nor bring down
 upon yourselves1 and your children's   
children1 the anger of the throned      

stars1 gladly would ,i give my bosom to 
the knife4 ,yes10 he cried1 lifting up  
his voice1 and pointing his shadowy arm 
towards the hall where the king sat by  
the pine-fire--8yes1 thou whom by my    
voice the stars chose above thy         
brother--yes1 ,siror1 the guilty one6   
take thy sword1 and come hither--strike1
 if thou hast the heart to strike1 the  
,prophet of the ,gods60  ,the king      
started to his feet1 and the crowd were 
hushed in a shuddering silence4  ,morven
 resumed3  8,know then1 ,o men of       
,oestrich1 that ,siror and ,voltoch1 his
 brother1 and ,darvan1 the elder of the 
wise men1 have purposed to slay your    
prophet1 even at such hour as when alone
 he seeks the shade of the forest to    
devise new benefits for you4 ,let the   
king deny it1 if he can60  ,then        
,voltoch1 of the giant limbs1 strode    
forth from the hall1 and his spear      
quivered in his hand4  8,rightly hast   
thou spoken1 base son of my father's    
herdsman6 and for thy sins shalt thou   

surely die2 for thou liest when thou    
speakest of thy power with the stars1   
and thou laughest at the folly of them  
who hear thee3 wherefore put him to     
death40  ,then the chiefs in the hall   
clashed their arms1 and rushed forth to 
slay the son of ,osslah4  ,but he1      
stretching his unarmed hands on high1   
exclaimed3  8,hear him1 ,o dread ones of
 the night--hark how he blasphemeth40   
,then the crowd took up the word1 and   
cried3  8,he blasphemeth--he blasphemeth
 against the prophet60  ,but the king   
and the chiefs who hated ,morven1       
because of his power with the people1   
rushed into the crowd2 and the crowd    
were irresolute1 nor knew they how to   
act1 for never yet had they rebelled    
against their chiefs1 and they feared   
alike the prophet and the king4  ,and   
,siror cried3  8,summon ,darvan to us1  
for he bath watched the steps of        
,morven1 and he shall lift the veil from
 my people's eyes40  ,then three of the 
swift of foot started forth to the house

 of ,darvan4  ,and ,morven cried out    
with a loud voice3  8,hark6 thus saith  
the star who1 now riding through yonder 
cloud breaks forth upon my eyes--#8,for 
the lie that the elder hath uttered     
against my servant1 the curse of the    
stars shall fall upon him4' ,seek1 and  
as ye find him1 so may ye find ever the 
foes of ,morven and the gods40  ,a chill
 and an icy fear fell over the crowd1   
and even the cheek of ,siror grew pale2 
and ,morven1 erect and dark above the   
waving torches1 stood motionless with   
folded arms4  ,and hark--far and fast   
came on the war-steeds of the wave--the 
people heard them marching to the land1 
and tossing their white manes in the    
roaring wind4  8,lo1 as ye listen10 said
 ,morven1 calmly1 8the river sweeps on4 
,haste1 for the gods will have a victim1
 be it your prophet or your king40      
8,slave60 shouted ,siror1 and his spear 
left his hand1 and far above the heads  
of the crowd sped hissing beside the    
dark form of ,morven1 and rent the trunk

 of the oak behind4  ,then the people1  
wroth at the danger of their beloved    
seer1 uttered a wild yell1 and gathered 
round him with brandished swords1 facing
 their chieftains and their king4  ,but 
at that instant1 ere the war had broken 
forth among the tribe1 the three        
warriors returned1 and they bore ,darvan
 on their shoulders1 and laid him at the
 feet of the king1 and they said        
tremblingly3  8,thus found we the elder 
in the centre of his own hall40  ,and   
the people saw that ,darvan was a       
corpse1 and that the prediction of      
,morven was thus verified4  8,so perish 
the enemies of ,morven and the ,stars60 
cried the son of ,osslah4 ,and the      
people echoed the cry4  ,then the fury  
of ,siror was at its height1 and waving 
his sword above his head1 he plunged    
into the crowd3  8,thy blood1 base-born1
 or mine40  8,so be it60 answered       
,morven1 quailing not4 8,people1 smite  
the blasphemer4 ,hark how the river     
pours down upon your children and your  

hearths4 ,on1 on1 or ye perish60  ,and  
,siror fell1 pierced by five hundred    
spears4  8,smite6 smite60 cried ,morven1
 as the chiefs of the royal house       
gathered round the king4  ,and the clash
 of swords1 and the gleam of spears1 and
 the cries of the dying1 and the yell of
 the trampling people1 mingled with the 
roar of the elements1 and the voices of 
the rushing wave4  ,three hundred of the
 chiefs perished that night by the      
swords of their own tribe4 ,and the last
 cry of the victors was1 8,morven the   
prophet--,,morven ,,the ,,king60  ,and  
the son of ,osslah1 seeing the waves now
 spreading over the valley1 led ,orna   
his wife1 and the men of ,oestrich1     
their women and their children1 to a    
high mount1 where they waited the       
dawning sun4  ,but ,orna sat apart and  
wept bitterly1 for her brothers were no 
more1 and her race had perished from the
 earth4  ,and ,morven sought to comfort 
her in vain4  ,when the morning rose1   
they saw that the river had overspread  

the greater part of the city1 and now   
stayed its course among the hollows of  
the vale4  ,then ,morven said to the    
people3 8,the star kings are avenged1   
and their wrath appeased4 ,tarry only   
here until the water have melted into   
the crevices of the soil40  ,and on the 
fourth day they returned to the city1   
and no man dared to name another1 save  
,morven1 as the king4   ,but ,morven    
retired into his cave and mused deeply2 
and then assembling the people1 he gave 
them new laws2 and he made them build a 
mighty temple in honor of the stars1 and
 made them heap within it all that the  
tribe held most precious4  ,and he took 
unto him fifty children from the most   
famous of the tribe2 and he took also   
ten from among the men who had served   
him best1 and he ordained that they     
should serve the stars in the great     
temple3 and ,morven was their chief4    
,and he put away the crown they pressed 
upon him1 and he chose from among the   
elders a new king4  ,and he ordained    

that henceforth the servants only of the
 stars in the great temple should elect 
the king and the rulers1 and hold       
council1 and proclaim war3 but he       
suffered the king to feast1 and to hunt1
 and to make merry in the banquet halls4
  ,and ,morven built altars in the      
temple1 and was the first who1 in the   
,north1 sacrificed the beast and the    
bird1 and afterwards human flesh1 upon  
the altars4  ,and he drew auguries from 
the entrails of the victim1 and made    
schools for the science of the prophet2 
and ,morven's piety was the wonder of   
the tribe1 in that he refused to be a   
king4  ,and ,morven1 the high-priest1   
was ten thousand times mightier than the
 king4  ,he taught the people to till   
the ground1 and to sow the herb2 and by 
his wisdom1 and the valor that his      
prophecies instilled into men1 he       
conquered all the neighboring tribes4   
,and the sons of ,oestrich spread       
themselves over a mighty empire1 and    
with them spread the name and the laws  

of ,morven4  ,and in every province     
which he conquered1 he ordered them to  
build a temple to the stars4  ,but a    
heavy sorrow fell upon the years of     
,morven4  ,the sister of ,siror bowed   
down her head and survived not long the 
slaughter of her race4  ,and she left   
,morven childless4  ,and he mourned     
bitterly and as one distraught1 for her 
only in the world had his heart the     
power to love4  ,and he sat down and    
covered his face1 saying3  8,lo3 ,i have
 conquered and travailed2 and never     
before in the world did man conquer what
 ,i have conquered4  8,verily1 the      
empire of the iron thews and the giant  
limbs is no more2 ,i have found a new   
power1 that henceforth shall sway the   
lands2--the empire of plotting brain and
 a commanding mind4  8,but1 behold1 my  
fate is barren1 and ,i feel already that
 it will grow neither fruit nor tree as 
a shelter to mine old age4  8,desolate  
and lonely shall ,i pass away unto my   
grave4  8,o ,orna6 my beautiful6 my     

loved6 none were like unto thee1 and to 
thy love do ,i owe my glory and my life4
  8,would for thy sake1 ,o sweet bird6  
that nestled in the dark cavern of my   
heart--would for thy sake that thy      
brethren had been spared1 for verily    
with my life would ,i have purchased    
thine4  8,alas6 only when ,i lost thee  
did ,i find that thy love was dearer to 
me than the fear of others40  ,and      
,morven mourned night and day1 and none 
might comfort him4  ,but from that time 
forth he gave himself solely to the     
cares of his calling2 and his nature and
 his affections1 and whatever there was 
left soft in him1 grew hard like stone2 
and he was a man without love1 and he   
forbade love and marriage to the priest4
  ,now1 in his latter years1 there arose
 ,,other prophets2 for the world had    
grown wiser even by ,morven's wisdom1   
and some did say unto themselves3       
8,behold ,morven1 the herdsman's son1 is
 a king of kings3 this did the stars for
 their servant2 shall we not1 therefore1

 be also servants to the star80  ,and   
they wore black garments like ,morven1  
and went about prophesying of what the  
stars foretold them4  ,and ,morven was  
exceeding wroth2 for he1 more than other
 men1 knew that the prophets lied2      
wherefore he went forth against them    
with the ministers of the temple1 and he
 took them and burned them by a slow    
fire3 for thus said ,morven to the      
people3  8,a true prophet hath honor1   
but ,i only am a true prophet60  8,to   
all false prophets there shall be surely
 death40  ,and the people applauded the 
piety of the son of ,osslah4  ,and      
,morven educated the wisest of the      
children in the mysteries of the temple1
 so that they grew up to succeed him    
worthily4  ,and he died full of years   
and honor2 and they carved his effigy on
 a mighty stone before the temple1 and  
the effigy endured for a thousand ages1 
and whoso looked on it trembled2 for the
 face was calm with the calmness of     
unspeakable awe6  ,and ,morven was the  

first mortal of the ,north that made    
,religion the stepping stone to ,power4 
,of a surety ,morven was a great man6   
,,conclusion  ,it was the last night of 
the old year1 and the stars sat1 each   
upon his ruby throne1 and watched with  
sleepless eyes upon the world4 ,the     
night was dark and troubled1 the dread  
winds were abroad1 and fast and frequent
 hurried the clouds beneath the thrones 
of the kings of night4 ,but ever and    
anon fiery meteors flashed along the    
depths of heaven1 and were again        
swallowed up in the graves of darkness4 
,and far below his brethren1 and with a 
lurid haze around his orb1 sat the      
discontented star that had watched over 
the hunters of the ,north4 ,and on the  
lowest abyss of space there was spread a
 thick and mighty gloom1 from which1 as 
from a caldron1 rose columns of         
wreathing smoke2 and still1 when the    
great winds rested for an instant on    
their paths1 voices of woe and laughter1
 mingled with shrieks1 were heard       

booming from the abyss to the upper air4
  ,and now1 in the middest night1 a vast
 figure rose slowly from the abyss1 and 
its wings threw blackness over the      
world4 ,high upward to the throne of the
 discontented star sailed the fearful   
shape1 and the star trembled on his     
throne when the form stood before him   
face to face4 ,and the shape said3      
8,hail1 brother6--all hail60  8,i know  
thee not10 answered the star3 8thou art 
not the archangel that visitests the    
kings of night40  ,and the shape laughed
 loud4 8,i am the fallen star of the    
morning4--,i am ,lucifer1 thy brother4  
,hast thou not1 ,o sullen king1 served  
me and mine8 and hast thou not wrested  
the earth from thy ,lord who sittest    
above and given it to me by darkening   
the souls of men with the religion of   
fear8 ,wherefore come1 brother1         
come2--thou hast a throne prepared      
beside my own in the fiery gloom4       
,come4--,the heavens are no more for    
thee40 ,then the star rose from his     

throne1 and descended to the side of    
,lucifer4 ,for ever hath the spirit of  
discontent had sympathy with the soul of
 pride4  ,and slowly they sank down to  
the gulf of gloom4 ,it was the first    
night of the new year1 and the stars sat
 each on his ruby throne1 and watched   
with sleepless eyes upon the world4 ,but
 sorrow dimmed the bright faces of the  
kings of night1 for they mourned in     
silence and in fear for a fallen        
brother4  ,and the gates of the heaven  
of heavens flew open with a golden      
sound1 and the swift archangel fled down
 on his silent wings2 and the archangel 
gave to each of the stars1 as before1   
the message of his ,lord2 and to each   
star was his appointed charge4  ,and    
when the heraldry seemed done1 there    
came a laugh from the abyss of gloom1   
and half way from the gulf rose the     
lurid shape of ,lucifer1 the fiend4     
8,thou countest thy flock ill1 ,o       
radiant shepherd4 ,behold6 one star is  
missing from the three thousand and     

ten40  8,back to thy gulf1 false        
,lucifer6--the throne of thy brother    
hath been filled40  ,and lo6 as the     
archangel spake1 the stars beheld a     
young and all lustrous stranger on the  
throne of the erring star2 and his face 
was so soft to look upon1 that the      
dimmest of human eyes might have gazed  
upon its splendor unabashed2 but the    
dark fiend alone was dazzled by its     
lustre1 and1 with a yell that shook the 
flaming pillars of the universe1 he     
plunged backwards into the gloom4       
,then1 far and sweet from the arch      
unseen1 came forth the voice of ,god3   
8,behold6 on the throne of the          
discontented star sits the star of hope2
 and he that breathed into mankind the  
,religion of ,fear hath a successor in  
him who shall teach earth the ,religion 
of ,love40  ,and evermore the ,star of  
,fear dwells with ,lucifer1 and the     
,star of ,love keeps vigil in heaven4   
,,on ,,the ,,origin ,,of ,,evil  ,by    
,lord ,brougham     ,a ,,dissertation   

,,on ,,the ,,origin ,,of ,,evil4  ,the  
question which has more than1 any other 
harassed metaphysical reasoners1 but    
especially theologians1 and upon which  
it is probable that no very satisfactory
 conclusion will ever be reached by the 
human faculties1 is the ,origin and     
,sufferance of ,evil4  ,its existence   
being always assumed1 philosophers have 
formed various theories for explaining  
it1 but they have always drawn very     
different inferences from it4  ,the     
ancient ,epicureans argued against the  
existence of the ,deity1 because they   
held that the existence of ,evil either 
proved him to be limited in power or of 
a malignant nature2 either of which     
imperfections is inconsistent with the  
first notions of a divine being4  ,in   
this kind of reasoning they have been   
followed both by the atheists and       
sceptics of later times4  ,bayle        
regarded the subject of evil as one of  
the great arsenals from whence his      
weapons were to be chiefly drawn4 ,none 

of the articles in his famous           
,dictionary are more labored than those 
in which he treats of this subject4     
,monichian1 and still more ,paulician1  
almost assume the appearance of formal  
treatises upon the question2 and both   
,marchionite and ,zoroaster treat of the
 same subject4 ,all these articles are  
of considerable value2 they contain the 
greater part of the learning upon the   
question2 and they are distinguished by 
the acuteness of reasoning which was the
 other characteristic of their          
celebrated author4  ,those ancient      
philosophers who did not agree with     
,epicurus in arguing from the existence 
of evil against the existence of a      
providence that superintended and       
influenced the destinies of the world1  
were put to no little difficulty in     
accounting for the fact which they did  
not deny1 and yet maintaining the power 
of a divine ruler4 ,the doctrine of a   
double principle1 or of two divine      
beings of opposite natures1 one         

beneficent1 the other mischievous1 was  
the solution which one class of         
reasoners deemed satisfactory1 and to   
which they held themselves driven by the
 phenomena of the universe4  ,others    
unable to deny1 the existence of things 
which men denominate evil1 both physical
 and moral1 explain them in a different 
way4 ,they maintained that physical evil
 only obtains the name from our         
imperfect and vicious or feeble         
dispositions2 that to a wise man there  
is no such thing2 that we may rise      
superior to all such groveling notions  
as make us dread or repine at any events
 which can befall the body2 that pain1  
sickness1 loss of fortune or of         
reputation1 exile1 death itself1 are    
only accounted ills by a weak and       
pampered mind2 that if we find the world
 tiresome1 or woeful1 or displeasing1 we
 may at any moment quit it2 and that    
therefore we have no right whatever to  
call any suffering connected with       
existence on earth an evil1 because     

almost all sufferings can be borne by a 
patient and firm mind2 since if the     
situation we are placed in becomes      
either intolerable1 or upon the whole   
more painful than agreeable1 it is our  
own fault that we remain in it4  ,but   
these philosophers took a further view  
of the question which especially applied
 to moral evil4 ,they considered that   
nothing could be more groundless than to
 suppose that if there were no evil     
there could be any good in the world2   
and they illustrated this position by   
asking how we could know anything of    
temperance1 fortitude or justice1 unless
 there were such things as excess1      
cowardice and injustice4  ,these were   
the doctrines of the ,stoics1 from whose
 sublime and impracticable philosophy   
they seemed naturally enough to flow4   
,aulus ,gellius relates that the        
last-mentioned argument was expounded by
 ,chrysippus1 in his work upon          
providence4 ,the answer given by        
,plutarch seems quite sufficient3 8,as  

well might you say that ,achilles could 
not have a fine head of hair unless     
,thersites had been bald2 or that one   
man's limbs could not be all sound if   
another had not the gout40  ,in truth1  
the ,stoical doctrine proceeds upon the 
assumption that all virtue is only the  
negative of vice2 and is as absurd1 if  
indeed it be not the very same          
absurdity1 as the doctrine which should 
deny the existence of affirmative or    
positive truths1 resolving them all into
 the opposite of negative propositions4 
,indeed1 if we even were to admit this  
as an abstract position1 the actual     
existence of evil would still be        
unnecessary to the idea1 and still more 
to the existence1 of good4 ,for the     
conception of evil1 the bare idea of its
 possibility1 would be quite sufficient1
 and there would be no occasion for a   
single example of it4  ,the other       
doctrine1 that of two opposite          
principles1 was embraced by most of the 
other sects1 as it should seem1 at some 

period or other of their inquiries4     
,plato himself1 in his later works1 was 
clearly a supporter of the system2 for  
he held that there were at least two    
principles1 a good and an evil2 to which
 he added a third1 the moderator or     
mediator between them4  ,whether this   
doctrine was1 like many others1 imported
 into ,greece from the ,east1 or was the
 natural growth of the schools1 we      
cannot ascertain4 ,certain it is that   
the ,greeks themselves believed it to   
have been taught by ,zoroaster in ,asia1
 at least five centuries before the     
,trojan war2 so that it had an existence
 there long before the name of          
philosophy was known in the western     
world4  ,zoroaster's doctrine agreed in 
every respect with ,plato's2 for besides
 ,oomazes1 the good1 and ,arimanius1 the
 evil principle1 he taught that there   
was a third1 or mediatory one1 called   
,mithras4 ,that it never became any part
 of the popular belief in ,greece or    
,italy is quite clear4 ,all the         

polytheism of those countries recognized
 each of the gods as authors alike of   
good and evil4 ,nor did even the chief  
of the divinities1 under whose power the
 rest were placed1 offer any exception  
to the general rule2 for ,jupiter not   
only gave good from one urn and ill from
 another1 but he was also1 according to 
the barbarous mythology of classical    
antiquity1 himself a model at once of   
human perfections and of human vices4   
,after the light of the ,christian      
religion had made some way toward       
supplanting the ancient polytheism1 the 
doctrine of two principles was broached2
 first by ,marcion1 who lived in the    
time of ,adrian and ,antonius ,pius1    
early in the second century2 and next by
 ,manes1 a hundred years later4 ,he was 
a ,persian slave1 who was brought into  
,greece1 where he taught this doctrine1 
since known by his name1 having learned 
it1 as is said1 from ,scythianus1 an    
,arabian4 ,the ,manichean doctrines1    
afterwards called also ,paulician1 from 

a great teacher of them in the seventh  
century1 were like almost all the       
heresies in the primitive church1 soon  
mixed up with gross impurities of sacred
 rites as well as extravagant           
absurdities of creed4  ,the ,manicheans 
were1 probably as much on this account  
as from the spirit of religious         
intolerance1 early the objects of severe
 persecution2 and the ,code of          
,justinian itself denounces capital     
punishment against any of the sect1 if  
found within the ,roman dominions4  ,it 
must be confessed that the theory of two
 principles1 when kept free from the    
absurdities and impurities which were   
introduced into the ,manichean doctrine1
 is not unnaturally adopted by men who  
have no aid from the light of           
revelation1#a and who are confounded by 
the appearance of a world where evil and
 good are mixed together1 or seem to    
struggle with one another1 sometimes the
 one prevailing1 and sometimes the      
other2 and accordingly1 in all          

countries1 in the most barbarous        
nations1 as well as among the most      
refined1 we find plain traces of        
reflecting men having been driven to    
this solution of the difficulty4  ,it   
seems upon a superficial view to be very
 easily deducible from the phenomena2   
and as the idea of infinite power1 with 
which it is manifestly inconsistent1    
does by no means so naturally present   
itself to the mind1 as long as only a   
very great degree of power1 a power     
which in comparison of all human force  
may be termed infinite1 is the attribute
 with which the ,deity is believed to be
 endued4 ,manichean hypothesis is by no 
means so easily refuted4 ,that the power
 of the ,deity was supposed to have     
limits even in the systems of the most  
enlightened heathens is unquestionable4 
,they1 generally speaking1 believed in  
the eternity of matter1 and conceived   
some of its qualities to be so          
essentially necessary to its existence  
that no divine agency could alter them4 

,they ascribed to the ,deity a plastic  
power1 a power not of creating or       
annihilating1 but only of moulding1     
disposing and moving matter4 ,so over   
mind they generally give him the like   
power1 considering it as a kind of      
emanation from his own greater mind or  
essence1 and destined to be re-united   
with him hereafter4 ,nay1 over all the  
gods1 and of superior potency to any1   
they conceived fate to preside2 an      
overruling and paramount necessity1 of  
which they formed some dark conceptions1
 and to which the chief of all the gods 
was supposed to submit4 ,it is1 indeed1 
extremely difficult to state precisely  
what the philosophic theory of theology 
was in ,greece and ,rome1 because the   
wide difference between the esoteric and
 exoteric doctrines1 between the belief 
of the learned few and the popular      
superstition1 makes it very difficult to
 avoid confounding the two1 and lending 
to the former some of the grosser errors
 with which the latter abounded4        

,nevertheless1 we may rely upon what has
 been just stated1 as conveying1        
generally speaking1 the opinion of      
philosophers1 although some sects       
certainly had a still more scanty       
measure of belief4  ,but we shall       
presently find that in the speculation  
of the much more enlightened moderns1   
,christians of course1 errors of a like 
kind are to be traced4 ,they constantly 
argue the great question of evil upon a 
latent assumption1 that the power of the
 ,deity is restricted by some powers or 
qualities inherent in matter2 notions   
analogous to that of faith are          
occasionally perceptible2 not stated or 
expanded indeed into propositions1 but  
influencing the course of the reasoning2
 while the belief of infinite attributes
 is never kept steadily in view1 except 
when it is called in as requisite to    
refute the ,manichean doctrines4 ,some  
observers of the controversy have indeed
 not scrupled to affirm that those of   
whom we speak are really ,manicheans    

without knowing it2 and build their     
systems upon assumptions secretly       
borrowed from the disciples of          
,zoroaster1 without ever stating those  
assumptions openly in the form of       
postulates or definition4  ,the         
refutation of the ,manichean hypothesis 
is extremely easy if we be permitted to 
assume that both the principles which it
 supposes are either of infinite power  
or of equal power4 ,if they are of      
infinite power1 the supposition of their
 co-existence involves a contradiction  
in terms2 for the one being in          
opposition to the other1 the power of   
each must be something taken from that  
of the other2 consequently neither can  
be of infinite power4 ,if1 again1 we    
only suppose both to be of equal power1 
and always acting against each other1   
there could be nothing whatever done1   
neither good or evil2 the universe would
 be at a standstill2 or rather no act of
 creation could ever have been          
performed1 and no existence could be    

conceived beyond that of the two        
antagonistic principles4  ,archbishop   
,tillotson's argument1 properly         
speaking1 amounts to this last          
proposition1 and is applicable to equal 
and opposite principles1 although he    
applies it to two beings1 both          
infinitely powerful and counteracting   
one another4 ,when he says they would   
tie up each other's bands1 he might     
apply this argument to such antagonistic
 principles if only equal1 although not 
infinitely powerful4 ,the hypothesis of 
their being both infinitely powerful    
needs no such refutation2 it is a       
contradiction in terms4 ,but it must be 
recollected that the advocates of the   
,manichean doctrine endeavor to guard   
themselves against the attack by        
contending1 that the conflict between   
the two principles ends in a kind of    
compromise1 so that neither has it all  
his own way2 there is a mixture of evil 
admitted by the good principle1 because 
else the whole would beat a standstill2 

while there is much good admitted by the
 evil principle1 else nothing1 either   
good or evil1 would be done4 ,another   
answer is therefore required to this    
theory than what ,tillotson and his     
followers have given4  ,first1 we must  
observe that this reasoning of the      
,manicheans proceeds upon the analogy of
 what we see in mortal contentions2     
where neither party having the power to 
defeat the other1 each is content to    
yield a little to his adversary1 and so1
 by mutual concession1 both are         
successful to some extent1 and both to  
some extent disappointed4 ,but in a     
speculation concerning the nature of the
 ,deity1 there seems no place for such  
notions4  ,secondly1 the equality of    
power is not an arbitrary assumption2 it
 seems to follow from the existence of  
the two opposing principles4 ,for if    
they are independent of one another as  
to existence1 which they must needs be1 
else one would immediately destroy the  
other1 so must they also1 in each       

particular instance1 be independent of  
each other1 and also equal each to the  
other1 else one would have the mastery1 
and the influence of the other could not
 be perceived4 ,to say that in some     
things the good principle prevails and  
in others the evil1 is really saying    
nothing more than that good exists here 
and evil there4 ,it does not further the
 argument one step1 nor give anything   
like an explanation4 ,for it must always
 be borne in mind that the whole        
question respecting the ,origin of ,evil
 proceeds upon the assumption of a wise1
 benevolent and powerful ,being having  
created the world4 ,the difficulty1 and 
the only difficulty1 is1 how to         
reconcile existing evil with such a     
,being's attributes2 and if the         
,manichean only explains this by saying 
the good ,being did what is good1 and   
another and evil ,being did what is bad 
in the universe1 he really tells us     
nothing more than the fact2 he does not 
apply his explanation to the difficulty2

 and he supposes the existence of a     
second ,deity gratuitously and to no    
kind of purpose4  ,but1 thirdly1 in     
whatever light we view the hypothesis1  
it seems exposed to a similar objection1
 namely1 of explaining nothing in its   
application1 while it is wholly         
gratuitous in itself4 ,it assumes1 of   
course1 that creation was the act of the
 good ,being2 and it also assumes that  
,being's goodness to have been perfect1 
though his power is limited4 ,then as he
 must have known the existence of the   
evil principle and foreseen the         
certainty of misery being occasioned by 
his existence1 why did he voluntarily   
create sentient beings1 to put them1 in 
some respects at least1 under the evil  
one's power1 and thus be exposed to     
suffering8 ,the good ,being1 according  
to this theory1 is the remote cause of  
the evil which is endured1 because but  
for his act of creation the evil ,being 
could have had1 no subjects whereon to  
work mischief2 so that the hypothesis   

wholly fails in removing1 by more than  
one step1 the difficulty which it was   
invented to solve4  ,fourthly1 there is 
no advantage gained to the argument by  
supposing two ,beings1 rather than one  
,being of a mixed nature4 ,the facts    
lead to this supposition just as        
naturally as to the hypothesis of two   
principles4 ,the existence of the evil  
,being is as much a detraction from the 
power of the good one1 as if we only at 
once suppose the latter to be of limited
 power1 and that he prefers making and  
supporting creatures who suffer much    
less than they enjoy1 to making no      
creatures at all4 ,the supposition that 
he made them as happy as he could1 and  
that not being able to make them less   
miserable1 he yet perceived that upon   
the whole their existence would occasion
 more happiness than if they never had  
any being at all1 will just account for 
the phenomena as well as the ,manichean 
theory1 and will as little as that      
theory assume any malevolence in the    

power which created and preserved the   
universe4 ,if1 however1 it be objected  
that this hypothesis leaves unexplained 
the fetters upon the good ,being's      
power1 the answer is obvious2 it leaves 
those fetters not at all less explained 
than the ,manichean theory does2 for    
that theory gives no explanation of the 
existence of a counteracting principle1 
and it assumes both an antagonistic     
power1 to limit the ,deity's power1 and 
a malevolent principle to set the       
antagonistic power in motion2 whereas   
our supposition assumes no malevolence  
at all1 but only a restraint upon the   
divine power4  ,fifthly1 this leads us  
to another and most formidable          
objection4 ,to conceive the eternal     
existence of one ,being infinite in     
power1 8self-created and creating all   
others10 is by no means impossible4     
,indeed1 as everything must have had a  
cause1 nothing we see being by          
possibility self-created1 we naturally  
mount from particulars to generals1     

until finally we rise to the idea of a  
first cause1 uncreated1 and             
self-existing1 and eternal4 ,if the     
phenomena compels us to affix limits to 
his goodness1 we find it impossible to  
conceive limits to the power of a       
creative1 eternal1 self-existing        
principle4 ,but even supposing we could 
form the conception of such a ,being    
having his power limited as well as his 
goodness1 still we can conceive no      
second ,being independent of him4 ,this 
would necessarily lead to the           
supposition of some third ,being1 above 
and antecedent to both1 and the creator 
of both--the real first cause--and then 
the whole question would be to solve    
over again1--,why these two antagonistic
 ,beings were suffered to exist by the  
great ,being of all8  ,the ,manichean   
doctrine1 then1 is exposed to every     
objection to which a theory can be      
obnoxious4 ,it is gratuitous2 it is     
inapplicable to the facts2 it supposes  
more causes than are necessary2 it fails

 to explain the phenomena1 leaving the  
difficulties exactly where it found     
them4 ,nevertheless1 such is the theory1
 how easily soever refuted when openly  
avowed and explicitly stated1 which in  
various disguises appears to pervade the
 explanations1 given of the facts by    
most of the other systems2 nay1 to form1
 secretly and unacknowledged1 their     
principal ground-work4 ,for it really   
makes very little difference in the     
matter whether we are to account for    
evil by holding that the ,deity has     
created as much happiness as was        
consistent with 8the nature of things10 
and has taken every means of avoiding   
all evil except 8where it necessarily   
existed0 or at once give those limiting 
influences a separate and independent   
existence1 and call them by a name of   
their own1 which is the ,manichean      
hypothesis4  ,the most remarkable       
argument on this subject1 and the most  
distinguished both for its clear and    
well ordered statement1 and for the     

systematic shape which it assumes1 is   
that of ,archbishop ,king4 ,it is the   
great text-book of those who study this 
subject2 and like the famous legal work 
of ,littleton1 it has found an expounder
 yet abler and more learned than the    
author himself4 ,bishop ,law's          
commentary is full of information1 of   
reasoning and of explication2 nor can we
 easily find anything valuable upon the 
subject which is not contained in the   
volumes of that work4 ,it will1 however1
 only require a slight examination of   
the doctrines maintained by these       
learned and pious men1 to satisfy us    
that they all along either assume the   
thing to be proved1 or proceed upon     
suppositions quite inconsistent with the
 infinite power of the ,deity--the only 
position which raises a question1 and   
which makes the difficulty that requires
 to be solved4  ,according to all the   
systems as well as this one1 evil is of 
two kinds--physical and moral4 ,to the  
former class belong all the sufferings  

to which sentient beings are exposed    
from the qualities and affections of    
matter independent of their own acts2   
the latter class consists of the        
sufferings of whatever kind which arise 
from their own conduct4 ,this division  
of the subject1 however1 is liable to   
one serious objection2 it comprehends   
under the second head a class of evils  
which ought more properly to be ranged  
under the first4 ,nor is this a mere    
question of classification3 it affects  
the whole scope of the argument4 ,the   
second of the above-mentioned classes   
comprehends both the physical evils     
which human agency causes1 but which it 
would have no power to cause unless the 
qualities of matter were such as to     
produce pain1 privation and death2 and  
also the moral evil of guilt which may  
possibly exist independent of material  
agency1 but which1 whether independent  
or not upon that physical action1 is    
quite separable from it1 residing wholly
 in the mind4 ,thus a person who        

destroys the life of another produces   
physical evil by means of the           
constitution of matter1 and moral evil  
is the source of his wicked action4 ,the
 true arrangement then is this3         
,physical evil is that which depends on 
the constitution of matter1 or only is  
so far connected with the constitution  
of mind as that the nature and existence
 of a sentient being must be assumed in 
order to its mischief being felt4 ,and  
this physical evil is of two kinds2 that
 which originates in human action1 and  
that which is independent of human      
action1 befalling us from the           
unalterable course of nature4 ,of the   
former class are the pains1 privations  
and destruction inflicted by men one    
upon another2 of the latter class are   
diseases1 old age and death4 ,moral evil
 consists in the crimes1 whether of     
commission or omission1 which men are   
guilty of--including under the latter   
head those sufferings which we endure   
from ill-regulated minds through want of

 fortitude or self-control4 ,it is clear
 that as far as the question of the     
origin of evil is concerned1 the first  
of these two classes1 physical evil1    
depends upon the properties of matter1  
and the last upon those of mind4 ,the   
second as well as the first subdivision 
of the physical class depends upon      
matter2 because1 however ill-disposed   
the agent's mind may be1 he could       
inflict the mischief only in consequence
 of the constitution of matter4         
,therefore1 the ,being1 who created     
matter enabled him to perpetrate the    
evil1 even admitting that this ,being   
did not1 by creating the mind also give 
rise to the evil disposition2 and       
admitting that1 as far as regards this  
disposition it has the same origin with 
the evil of the second class1 or moral  
evil1 the acts of a rational agent4  ,it
 is quite true that many reasoners      
refuse to allow any distinction between 
the evil produced by natural causes and 
the evils caused by rational agents1    

whether as regards their own guilt1 or  
the mischief it caused to others4 ,those
 reasoners deny that the creation of    
man's will and the endowing it with     
liberty explains anything2 they hold    
that the creation of a mind whose will  
is to do evil1 amounts to the same      
thing1 and belongs to the same class1   
with the creation of matter whose nature
 is to give pain and misery4 ,but this  
position1 which involves the doctrine of
 necessity1 must1 at the very least1    
admit of one modification4 ,where no    
human agency whatever is interposed1 and
 the calamity comes without any one     
being to blame for it1 the mischief     
seems a step1 and a large step1 nearer  
the creative or the superintending      
cause1 because it is1 as far as men go1 
altogether inevitable4 ,the main        
tendency of the argument1 therefore1 is 
confined to physical evil2 and this has 
always been found the most difficult to 
account for1 that is to reconcile with  
the government of a perfectly good and  

powerful ,being4 ,it would indeed be    
very easily explained1 and the          
reconcilement would be readily made1 if 
we were at liberty to suppose matter    
independent in its existence1 and in    
certain qualities1 of the divine        
control2 but this would be to suppose   
the ,deity's power limited and          
imperfect1 which is just one horn of the
 ,epicurean dilemma1 8,aut vult et non  
potest20 and in assuming this1 we do not
 so much beg the question as wholly give
 it up and admit we cannot solve the    
difficulty4 ,yet obvious as this is1 we 
shall presently see that the reasoners  
who have undertaken the solution1 and   
especially ,king and ,law1 under such   
phrases as 8the nature of things10 and  
8the laws of the material universe10    
have been constantly1 through the whole 
argument1 guilty of this petitio        
principii 7begging the question71 or    
rather this abandonment of the whole    
question1 and never more so than at the 
very moment when they complacently      

plumed themselves upon having overcome  
the difficulty4  ,having premised these 
observations for the purpose of clearing
 the ground and avoiding confusion in   
the argument1 we may now consider that  
,archbishop ,king's theory is in both   
its parts2 for there are in truth two   
distinct explanations1 the one          
resembling an argument a priori1 the    
other an argument a posteriori4 ,it is1 
however1 not a little remarkable that   
,bishop ,law1 in the admirable abstract 
or analysis which he gives of the       
,archbishop's treatise at the end of his
 preface1 begins with the second branch1
 omitting all mention of the first1 as  
if he considered it to be merely        
introductory matter2 and yet his        
fourteenth note 7t4 cap4 ,i s4 #c47     
shows that he was aware of its being an 
argument wholly independent of the rest 
of the reasonings2 for he there says    
that the author had given one           
demonstration a priori1 and that no     
difficulties raised by an examination of

 the phenomena1 no objection a          
posteriori1 ought to overrule it1 unless
 these difficulties are equally certain 
and clear with the demonstration1 and   
admit of no solution consistent with    
that demonstration4  ,the necessity of a
 first cause being shown1 and it being  
evident that therefore this cause is    
uncreated and self-existent1 and        
independent of any other1 the conclusion
 is next drawn that its power must be   
infinite4 ,this is shown by the         
consideration that there is no other    
antecedent cause1 and no other principle
 which was not created by the first     
cause1 and consequently which was not of
 inferior power2 therefore1 there is    
nothing which can limit the power of the
 first cause2 and there being no limiter
 or restrainer1 there can be no         
limitation or restriction4  ,again1 the 
infinity of the ,deity's power is       
attempted to be proved in another way4  
,the number of possible things is       
infinite2 but every possibility implies 

a power to do the possible thing2 and as
 one possible thing implies a power to  
do it1 an infinite number of possible   
things implies an infinite power4 ,or as
 ,descartes and his followers put it1 we
 can have no idea of anything that has  
not either an actual or a possible      
existence2 but we have an idea of a     
,being of infinite perfection2          
therefore1 he must actually exist2 for  
otherwise there would be one perfection 
wanting1 and so he would not be         
infinite1 which he either is actually or
 possibly4 ,it is needless to remark    
that this whole argument1 whatever may  
be said of the former one1 is a pure    
fallacy1 and a petitio principii        
throughout4 ,the ,cartesian form of it  
is the most glaringly fallacious1 and   
indeed exposes itself2 for by that      
reasoning we might prove the existence  
of a fiery dragon or any other phantom  
of the brain4 ,but even ,king's more    
concealed sophism is equally absurd4    
,what ground is there for saying that   

the number of possible things is        
infinite8 ,he adds1 8at least in power10
 which means either nothing or only that
 we have the power of conceiving an     
infinite number of possibilities4 ,but  
because we can conceive or fancy an     
infinity of possibilities1 does it      
follow that there actually exists this  
infinity8 ,the whole argument is        
unworthy of a moment's consideration4   
,the other is more plausible1 that      
restriction implies a restraining power4
 ,but even this is not satisfactory when
 closely examined4 ,for although the    
first cause must be self-existent and of
 eternal duration1 we only are driven by
 the necessity of supposing a cause     
whereon all the argument rests1 to      
suppose one capable of causing all that 
actually exists2 and1 therefore1 to     
extend this inference and suppose that  
the cause is of infinite power seems    
gratuitous4 ,nor is it necessary to     
suppose another power limiting its      
efficacy1 if we do not find it necessary

 to suppose its own constitution and    
essence such as we term infinitely      
powerful4 ,however1 after noticing this 
manifest defect in the fundamental part 
of the argument1 that which infers      
infinite power1 let us for the present  
assume the position to be proved either 
by these or by any other reasons1 and   
see if the structure raised upon it is  
such as can stand the test of           
examination4  ,thus1 then1 an infinitely
 powerful ,being exists1 and he was the 
creator of the universe2 but to incline 
him towards the creation there could be 
no possible motive of happiness to      
himself1 and he must1 says ,king1 have  
either sought his own happiness or that 
of the universe which he made4          
,therefore his own ideas must have been 
the communication of happiness to the   
creature4 ,he could only desire to      
exercise his attributes without1 or     
eternally to himself1 which before      
creating other beings he could not do4  
,but this could only gratify his nature1

 which wants nothing1 being perfect in  
itself1 by communicating his goodness   
and providing for the happiness of other
 sentient beings created by him for this
 purpose4 ,therefore1 says ,king1 8it   
manifestly follows that the world is as 
well as it could be made by infinite    
power and goodness2 for since the       
exercise of the divine power and the    
communication of his goodness are the   
ends1 for which the world is formed1    
there is no doubt but ,god has attained 
these ends40 ,and again1 8,if then      
anything inconvenient or incommodious be
 now1 or was from the beginning in it1  
that certainly could not be hindered or 
removed even by infinite power1 wisdom  
and goodness40  ,now certainly no one   
can deny1 that if ,god be infinitely    
powerful and also infinitely good1 it   
must follow that whatever looks like    
evil1 either is not really evil1 or that
 it is such as infinite power could not 
avoid4 ,this is implied in the very     
terms of the hypothesis4 ,it may also be

 admitted that if the ,deity's only     
object in his dispensation be the       
happiness of his creatures1 the same    
conclusion follows even without assuming
 his nature to be infinitely good2 for  
we admit what1 for the purpose of the   
argument1 is the same thing1 namely1    
that there entered no evil into his     
design in creating or maintaining the   
universe4 ,but all this really assumes  
the very thing to be proved4 ,king gets 
over the difficulty and reaches his     
conclusion by saying1 8,the ,deity could
 have only one of two objects--his own  
happiness or that of his                
creatures40--,the skeptic makes answer1 
8,he might have another object1 namely1 
the misery of his creatures20 and then  
the whole question is1 whether or not he
 had this other object2 or1 which is the
 same thing1 whether or not his nature  
is perfectly good4 ,it must never be    
forgotten that unless evil exists there 
is nothing to dispute about--the        
question falls4 ,the whole difficulty   

arises from the admission that evil     
exists1 or what we call evil1 exists4   
,from this we inquire whether or not the
 author of it can be perfectly          
benevolent8 or if he be1 with what view 
he has created it8 ,this assumes him to 
be infinitely powerful1 or at least     
powerful enough to have prevented the   
evil2 but indeed we are now arguing with
 the ,archbishop on the supposition that
 he has proved the ,deity to be of      
infinite power4 ,the skeptic rests upon 
his dilemma1 and either alternative1    
limited power or limited goodness1      
satisfies him4  ,it is quite plain1     
therefore1 that ,king has assumed the   
thing to be proved in his first         
argument1 or argument a priori4 ,for he 
proceeds upon the postulates that the   
,deity is infinitely good1 and that he  
only had human happiness in view when he
 made the world4 ,either supposition    
would have served his purpose2 and      
making either would have been taking for
 granted the whole matter in dispute4   

,but he has assumed both2 and it must be
 added1 he has made his assumption of   
both as if he was only laying down a    
single position4 ,this part of the work 
is certainly more slovenly than the     
rest4 ,it is the third section of the   
first chapter4  ,it is certainly not    
from any reluctance to admit the        
existence of evil that the learned      
author and his able commentator have    
been led into this inconclusive course  
of reasoning4 ,we shall nowhere find    
more striking expositions of the state  
of things in this respect1 nor more     
gloomy descriptions of our condition1   
than in their celebrated work4 8,whence 
so many1 inaccuracies10 says the        
,archbishop1 8in the work of a most good
 and powerful ,god8 ,whence that        
perpetual war between the very elements1
 between animals1 between men8 ,whence  
errors1 miseries and vices1 the constant
 companions of human life from its      
infancy8 ,whence good to evil men1 evil 
to the good8 ,if we behold anything     

irregular in the work of men1 if any    
machine serves not the end it was made  
for1 if we find something in it         
repugnant to itself or others1 we       
attribute that to the ignorance1        
impatience or malice of the workman4    
,but since these qualities have no place
 in ,god1 how come they to have place in
 anything8 ,or why does ,god suffer his 
works to be deformed by them80--,chap4  
ii4 s4 #c4 ,bishop ,law1 in his         
admirable preface1 still more cogently  
puts the case3 8,when ,i inquire how ,i 
got into the world1 and came to be what 
,i am1 ,i am told that an absolutely    
perfect being produced me out of        
nothing1 and placed me here on purpose  
to communicate some part of his         
happiness to me1 and to make me in some 
manner like himself4 ,this end is not   
obtained--the direct contrary           
appears--,i find myself surrounded with 
nothing but perplexity1 want and        
misery--by whose fault ,i know not--how 
to better myself ,i cannot tell4 ,what  

notions of good and goodness can this   
afford me8 ,what ideas of religion8     
,what hopes of a future state8 ,for if  
,god's aim in producing me be entirely  
unknown1 if it be either his glory 7as  
some will have it71 which my present    
state is far from advancing1 nor mine   
own good1 which the same is equally     
inconsistent with1 how know ,i what ,i  
have to do here1 or indeed in what      
manner ,i must endeavor to please him8  
,or why should ,i endeavor it at all8   
,for if ,i must be miserable in this    
world1 what security have ,i that ,i    
shall not be so in another too 7if there
 be one71 since if it were the will of  
my ,almighty ,creator1 ,i might 7for    
aught ,i see7 have been happy in        
both40--,pref4 viii4 ,the question thus 
is stated4 ,the difficulty is raised in 
its full and formidable magnitude by    
both these learned and able men2 that   
they have signally failed to lay it by  
the argument a priori is plain4 ,indeed1
 it seems wholly impossible ever to     

answer by an argument a priori any      
objection whatever which arises         
altogether out of the facts made known  
to us by experience alone1 and which are
 therefore in the nature of contingent  
truths1 resting upon contingent         
evidence1 while all demonstrations a    
priori must necessarily proceed upon    
mathematical truths4 ,let us now see if 
their labors have been more successful  
in applying to the solution of the      
difficulty the reasoning a posteriori4  
,archbishop ,king divides evil into     
three kinds--imperfection1 natural evil 
and moral evil--including under the last
 head all the physical evils that arise 
from human actions1 as well as the evils
 which consists in the guilt of those   
actions4  ,the existence of imperfection
 is stated to be necessary1 because     
everything which is created and not     
self-existent must be imperfect2        
consequently every work of the ,deity1  
in other words1 everything but the      
,deity himself1 must have imperfection  

in its nature4 ,nor is the existence of 
some beings which are imperfect any     
interference with the attributes of     
others4 ,nor the existence of beings    
with many imperfections any interference
 with others having pre-eminence4 ,the  
goodness of the ,deity therefore is not 
impugned by the existence of various    
orders of created beings more or less   
approaching to perfection4 ,his creating
 none at all would have left the        
universe less admirable and containing  
less happiness than it now does4        
,therefore1 the act of mere benevolence 
which called those various orders into  
existence is not impeached in respect of
 goodness any more than of power by the 
variety of the attributes possessed by  
the different beings created4  ,he now  
proceeds to grapple with the real       
difficulty of the question4 ,and it is  
truly astonishing to find this acute    
metaphysician begin with an assumption  
which entirely begs that question4 ,as  
imperfection1 says he1 arises from      

created beings having been made out of  
nothing1 so natural evils arise 8from   
all natural things having a relation to 
matter1 and on this account being       
necessarily subject to natural evil40   
,as long as matter is subject to motion1
 it must be the subject of generation   
and corruption4 8,these and all other   
natural evils10 says the author1 8are so
 necessarily connected with the material
 origin of things that they cannot be   
separated from it1 and thus the         
structure of the world either ought not 
to have been formed at all1 or these    
evils must have been tolerated without  
any imputation on the divine power and  
goodness40  ,again1 he says1 8corruption
 could not be avoided without violence  
done to the laws of motion and the      
nature of matter40 ,again1 8,all manner 
of inconveniences could not be avoided  
because of the imperfection of matter   
and the nature of motion4 ,that state of
 things were therefore preferable which 
was attained with the fewest and the    

least inconveniences40 ,then follows a  
kind of menace1 8,and who but a very    
rash1 indiscreet person will affirm that
 ,god has not made choice of            
this80--when every one must perceive    
that the bare propounding of the        
question concerning evil calls upon us  
to exercise this temerity and commit    
this indiscretion4--,chap4 iv4 s4 ,i1   
div4 #g4 ,he then goes into more detail 
as to particular cases of natural evil2 
but all are handled in the same way4    
,thus death is explained by saying that 
the bodies of animals are a kind of     
vessels which contain fluids in motion1 
and being broken1 the fluids are spilt  
and the motions cease2 8because by the  
native imperfection of matter it is     
capable of dissolution1 and the spilling
 and stagnation must necessarily follow1
 and with it animal life must           
cease40--,chap4 iv4 s4 #c4 ,disease is  
dealt with in like manner4 8,it could   
not be avoided unless animals had been  
made of a quite different frame and     

constitution40--,chap4 iv4 s4 #g4 ,the  
whole reasoning is summed up in the     
concluding section of this part1 where  
the author somewhat triumphantly says1  
8,the difficult question then1 whence   
comes evil8 is not unanswerable4 ,for it
 arises from the very nature and        
constitution of created beings1 and     
could not be avoided without a          
contradiction40--,chap4 iv4 s4 #i4 ,to  
this the commentary of ,bishop ,law adds
 7,note #d;i71 8that natural evil has   
been shown to be1 in every case1        
unavoidable1 without introducing into   
the system a greater evil40  ,it is     
certain that many persons1 led away by  
the authority of a great name1 have been
 accustomed to regard this work as a    
text-book1 and have appealed to         
,archbishop ,king and his learned       
commentator as having solved the        
question4 ,so many men have referred to 
the ,principia as showing the motions of
 the heavenly bodies1 who never read1 or
 indeed could read1 a page of that      

immortal work4 ,but no man ever did open
 it who could read it and find himself  
disappointed in any one particular2 the 
whole demonstration is perfect2 not a   
link is wanting2 nothing is assumed4    
,how different the case here6 ,we open  
the work of the prelate and find it from
 the first to last a chain of gratuitous
 assumptions1 and1 of the main point1   
nothing whatever is either proved or    
explained4 ,evil arises1 he says1 from  
the nature of matter4 ,who doubts it8   
,but is not the whole question why      
matter was created with such properties 
as of necessity to produce evil8 ,it was
 impossible1 says he1 to avoid it       
consistently with the laws of motion and
 matter4 ,unquestionably2 but the whole 
dispute is upon those laws4 ,if indeed  
the laws of nature1 the existing        
constitution of the material world1 were
 assumed as necessary1 and as binding   
upon the ,deity1 how is it possible that
 any question ever could have been      
raised8 ,the ,deity having the power to 

make those laws1 to endow matter with   
that constitution1 and having also the  
power to make different laws and to give
 matter another constitution1 the whole 
question is1 how his choosing to create 
the present existing order of           
things--the laws and the constitution   
which we find to prevail--can be        
reconciled with perfect goodness4 ,the  
whole argument of the ,archbishop       
assumes that matter and its laws are    
independent of the ,deity2 and the only 
conclusion to which the inquiry leads us
 is that the ,creator has made a world  
with as little of evil in it as the     
nature of things1--that is1 as the laws 
of nature and matter--allowed him2 which
 is nonsense1 if those laws were made by
 him1 and leaves the question where it  
was1 or rather solves it by giving up   
the omnipotence of the ,creator1 if     
these laws were binding upon him4  ,it  
must be added1 however1 that ,dr4 ,king 
and ,dr4 ,law are not singular in       
pursuing this most inconclusive course  

of reasoning4  ,thus ,dr4 ,j4 ,clarke1  
in his treatise on natural evil1 quoted 
by ,bishop ,law 7,note #cb71 shows how  
mischiefs arise from the laws of matter2
 and says this could not be avoided     
8without altering those primary laws1 i4
 e41 making it something else than what 
it is1 or changing it into another form2
 the result of which would only be to   
render it liable to evils of another    
kind against which the same objections  
would equally lie40 ,so ,dr4 ,j4        
,burnett1 in his discourses on evil1 at 
the ,boyle ,lecture 7vol4 ii4 ,p4 #bja71
 conceives that he explains death by    
saying that the materials of which the  
body is composed 8cannot last beyond    
seventy years1 or thereabouts1 and it   
was originally intended that we should  
die at that age40 ,pain1 too1 he        
imagines is accounted for by observing  
that we are endowed with feelings1 and  
that if we could not feel pain1 so      
neither could we pleasure 7p4 #bjb74    
,again1 he says that there are certain  

qualities which 8in the nature of things
 matter is incapable of0  7p4 #bjg74    
,and as if he really felt the pressure  
of this difficulty1 he at length comes  
to this conclusion1 that life is a free 
gift1 which we had no right to exact1   
and which the ,deity lay under no       
necessity to grant1 and therefore we    
must take it with the conditions annexed
 7p4 #baj72 which is undeniably true1   
but is excluding the discussion and not 
answering the question proposed4 ,nor   
must it be forgotten that some reasoners
 deal strangely with the facts4 ,thus   
,derham1 in his ,physico-,theology1     
explaining the use of poison in snakes1 
first desires us to bear in mind that   
many venomous ones are of use           
medicinally in stubborn diseases1 which 
is not true1 and if it were1 would prove
 nothing1 unless the venom1 not the     
flesh1 were proved to be medicinal2 and 
then says1 they are 8scourges upon      
ungrateful and sinful men20 adding the  
truly astounding absurdity1 8that the   

nations which know not ,god are the most
 annoyed with noxious reptiles and other
 pernicious creatures40 7,book ix4 c4   
,i72 which if it were true would raise a
 double difficulty1 by showing that one 
people was scourged because another had 
neglected to preach the gospel among    
them4 ,dr4 ,j4 ,burnett1 too1 accounts  
for animals being suffered to be killed 
as food for man1 by affirming that they 
thereby gain all the care which man is  
thus led to bestow upon them1 and so    
are1 on the whole1 the better for being 
eaten4 7,boyle ,lecture1 ,,ii4 #bjg74   
,but the most singular error has perhaps
 been fallen into by ,dr4 ,sherlock1 and
 the most1 unhappy--which yet ,bishop   
,law has cited as a sufficient answer to
 the objection respecting death3 8,it is
 a great instrument of government1 and  
makes men afraid of committing such     
villanies as the laws of their country  
have made capital40 7,note #cd74 ,so    
that the greatest error in the criminal 
legislation of all countries forms part 

of the divine providence1 and man has at
 length discovered1 by the light of     
reason1 the folly and the wickedness of 
using an instrument expressly created by
 divine ,omniscience to be abused6  ,the
 remaining portion of ,king's work1     
filling the second volume of ,bishop    
,law's edition1 is devoted to the       
explanation of ,moral ,evil2 and here   
the gratuitous assumption of the 8nature
 of things10 and the 8laws of nature10  
more or less pervade the whole as in the
 former parts of the ,inquiry4  ,the    
fundamental position of the whole is1   
that man having been endowed with free  
will1 his happiness consists in making  
due elections1 or in the right exercise 
of that free will4 ,five causes are then
 given of undue elections1 in which of  
course his misery consists as far as    
that depends on himself2 these causes   
are error1 negligence1 over-indulgence  
of free choice1 obstinacy or bad habit1 
and the importunity of natural          
appetites2 which last1 it must in       

passing be remarked1 belongs to the head
 of physical evil1 and cannot be assumed
 in this discussion without begging the 
question4 ,the great difficulty is then 
stated and grappled with1 namely1 how to
 reconcile these undue elections with   
divine goodness4 ,the objector states   
that free will might exist without the  
power of making undue elections1 he     
being suffered to range1 as it were1    
only among lawful objects of choice4    
,but the answer to this seems sound1    
that such a will would only be free in  
name2 it would be free to choose among  
certain things1 but would not be        
free-will4 ,the objector again urges1   
that either the choice is free and may  
fall upon evil objects1 against the     
goodness of ,god1 or it is so restrained
 as only to fall on good objects4       
,against freedom of the will ,king's    
solution is1 that more evil would result
 from preventing these undue elections  
than from suffering them1 and so the    
,deity has only done the best he could  

in the circumstances2 a solution        
obviously liable to the same objection  
as that respecting ,natural ,evil4      
,there are three ways1 says the         
,archbishop1 in which undue elections   
might have been prevented2 not creating 
a free agent--constant interference with
 his free-will--removing him to another 
state where he would not be tempted to  
go astray in his choice4 ,a fourth mode 
may1 however1 be suggested--creating a  
free-agent without any inclination to   
evil1 or any temptation from external   
objects4 ,when our author disposes of   
the second method1 by stating that it   
assumes a constant miracle1 as great in 
the moral as altering the course of the 
planets hourly would be in the material 
universe1 nothing can be more sound or  
more satisfactory4 ,but when he argues  
that our whole happiness consists in a  
consciousness of freedom of election1   
and that we should never know happiness 
were we restrained in any particular1 it
 seems wholly inconceivable how he      

should have omitted to consider the     
prodigious comfort of a state in which  
we should be guaranteed against any     
error or impropriety of choice2 a state 
in which we should both be unable to go 
astray and always feel conscious of that
 security4 ,he1 however1 begs the       
question most manifestly in dealing with
 the two other methods stated1 by which 
undue elections might have been         
precluded4 8,you would have freedom10   
says he1 8without any inclination to    
sin2 but it may justly be doubted if    
this is possible in the present state of
 things10 7chap4 v4 s4 #e1 sub4 #b72 and
 again1 in answering the question why   
,god did not remove us into another     
state where no temptation could seduce  
us1 he says3 8,it is plain that in the  
present state of things it is impossible
 for men to live without natural evils  
or the danger of sinning40 7,ib47 ,now  
the whole question arises upon the      
constitution of the present state of    
things4 ,if that is allowed to be       

inevitable1 or is taken as a datum in   
the discussion1 there ceases to be any  
question at all4  ,the doctrine of a    
chain of being is enlarged upon1 and    
with much felicity of illustration4 ,but
 it only wraps up the difficulty in     
other words1 without solving it4 ,for   
then the question becomes this--,why did
 the ,deity create such a chain as could
 not be filled up without misery8 ,it   
is1 indeed1 merely restating the fact of
 evil existing2 for whether we say there
 is suffering among sentient beings--or 
the universe consists of beings more or 
less happy1 more or less miserable--or  
there exists a chain of beings varying  
in perfection and in felicity--it is    
manifestly all one proposition4 ,the    
remark of ,bayle upon this view of the  
subject is really not at all unsound1   
and is eminently ingenious3 8,would you 
defend a king who should confine all his
 subjects of a certain age in dungeons1 
upon the ground that if he did not1 many
 of the cells he had built must remain  

empty80 ,the answer of ,bishop ,law to  
this remark is by no means satisfactory4
 ,he says it assumes that more misery   
than happiness exists4 ,now1 in this    
view of the question1 the balance is    
quite immaterial4 ,the existence of any 
evil at all raises the question as much 
as the preponderance of evil over good1 
because the question conceives a        
perfectly good ,being1 and asks how such
 a ,being can have permitted any evil at
 all4 ,upon this part of the subject    
both ,king and ,law have fallen into an 
error which recent discoveries place in 
a singularly clear light4 ,they say that
 the argument they are dealing with     
would lead to leaving the earth to the  
brutes without human inhabitants4 ,but  
the recent discoveries in ,fossil       
,osteology have proved that the earth1  
for ages before the last #e1jjj or      
#f1jjj years1 was left to the lower     
animals2 nay1 that in a still earlier   
period of its existence no animal life  
at all was maintained upon its surface4 

,so that1 in fact1 the foundation is    
removed of the reductio ad absurdum     
attempted by the learned prelates4  ,a  
singular argument is used towards the   
latter end of the inquiry4 ,when the    
,deity1 it is said1 resolved to create  
other beings1 ,he must of necessity     
tolerate imperfect natures in his       
handiwork1 just as he must the equality 
of a circle's radii when he drew a      
circle4 ,who does not perceive the      
difference8 ,the meaning of the word    
circle is that the radii are all equal2 
this equality is a necessary truth4 ,but
 it is not shown that men could not     
exist without the imperfections they    
labor under4 ,yet this is the argument  
suggested by these authors while        
complaining 7chap4 v4 s4 #e1 sub4 #g1   
div4 #g71 that ,lactantius had not      
sufficiently answered the ,epicurean    
dilemma2 it is the substitute propounded
 to supply that father's                
deficiency4--8,when1 therefore10 says   
the ,archbishop1 8matter1 motion and    

free-will are constituted1 the ,deity   
must necessarily permit corruption of   
things and the abuse of liberty1 or     
something worse1 for these cannot be    
separated without a contradiction1 and  
,god is no more important1 because he   
cannot separate equality of radii from a
 circle40--,chap4 v4 s4 #e1 subs4 #g4   
,if he could not have created evil1 he  
would not have been omnipotent2 if he   
would not1 he must let his power lie    
idle2 and rejecting evil have rejected  
all the good4 8,thus10 exclaims the     
author with triumph and                 
self-complacency1 8then vanishes this   
,herculean argument which induced the   
,epicureans to discard the good ,deity1 
and the ,manicheans to substitute an    
evil one40 7,ib4 subs4 #g1 sub4 fine47  
,nor is the explanation rendered more   
satisfactory1 or indeed more            
intelligible1 by the concluding passage 
of all1 in which we are told that 8from 
a conflict of two properties1 namely1   
omnipotence and goodness1 evils         

necessarily arise4 ,these attributes    
amicably conspire together1 and yet     
restrain and limit each other40 ,it     
might have been expected from hence that
 no evil at all should be found to      
exist4 8,there is a kind of struggle and
 opposition between them1 whereof the   
evils in nature bear the shadow and     
resemblance4 ,here1 then1 and no where  
else1 mar we find the primary and most  
certain rise and origin of evils40      
,such is this celebrated work2 and it   
may safely be affirmed that a more      
complete failure to overcome a great and
 admitted difficulty--a more            
unsatisfactory solution of an important 
question--is not to be found in the     
whole history of metaphysical science4  
,among the authors who have treated of  
this subject1 a high place is justly    
given to ,archdeacon ,bulguy1 whose work
 on ,divine ,benevolence is always      
referred to by ,dr4 ,paley with great   
commendation4 ,but certain it is that   
this learned and pious writer either had

 never formed to himself a very precise 
notion of the real question under       
discussion1 namely1 the compatibility of
 the appearances which we see and which 
we consider as evil1 with a ,being      
infinitely powerful as well as good2 or 
he had in his mind some opinions        
respecting the divine nature1 opinions  
of a limitary kind1 which he does not   
state distinctly1 although he constantly
 suffers them to influence his          
seasonings4 ,hence1 whenever he comes   
close to the real difficulty he appears 
to beg the question4 ,a very few        
instances of what really pervades the   
whole work will suffice to show how     
unsatisfactory its general scope is1    
although it contains1 like the treatise 
of ,dr4 ,king and ,dr4 ,law's           
,commentary1 many valuable observations 
on the details of the subject4  ,and    
first we may perceive that what he terms
 a 8previous remark10 and desires the   
reader 8to carry along through the whole
 proof of divine benevolence10 really   

contains a statement that the difficulty
 is to be evaded and not met4 8,an      
intention of producing good10 says he1  
8will be sufficiently apparent in any   
particular instance if the thing        
considered can neither be changed nor   
taken away without loss or harm1 all    
other things continuing the same4       
,should you suppose various things in   
the system changed at once1 you can     
neither judge of the possibility nor the
 consequences of the changes1 having no 
degree of experience to direct you40    
,now assuredly this postulate makes the 
whole question as easy a one as ever    
metaphysician or naturalist had to      
solve4 ,for it is no longer--,why did a 
powerful and benevolent ,being create a 
world in which there is evil--but       
only--,the world being given1 how far   
are its different arrangements          
consistent with one another8 ,according 
to this1 the earthquake at ,lisbon1     
,voltaire's favorite instance1 destroyed
 thousands of persons1 because it is in 

the nature of things that subterraneous 
vapors should explode1 and that when    
houses fall on human beings they should 
be killed4 ,then if ,dr4 ,balguy goes to
 his other argument1 on which he often  
dwells1 that if this nature were        
altered1 we cannot possibly tell whether
 worse might not ensue2 this1 too1 is   
assuming a limited power in the ,deity1 
contrary to the hypothesis4 ,it may most
 justly be said1 that if there be any   
one supposition necessarily excluded    
from the whole argument1 it is the      
fundamental supposition of the 8previous
 remark10 namely1 8all other things     
continuing the same40  ,but see how this
 assumption pervades and paralyzes the  
whole argument1 rendering it utterly    
inconclusive4 ,the author is to answer  
an objection derived from the           
constitution of our appetites for food1 
and his reply is1 that 8we cannot tell  
how far it was possible for the stomachs
 and palates of animals to be           
differently formed1 unless by some      

remedy worse than the disease40 ,again1 
upon the question of pain3 8,how do we  
know that it was possible for the uneasy
 sensation to be confined to particular 
cases80 ,so we meet the same fallacy    
under another form1 as evil being the   
result of 8general principles40 ,but no 
one has ever pushed this so far as ,dr4 
,balguy1 for he says1 8that in a        
government so conducted1 many events are
 likely to happen contrary to the       
intention of its author40 ,he now calls 
in the aid of chance1 or accident4--8,it
 is probable10 he says1 8that ,god      
should be good1 for evil is more likely 
to be accidental than appears from      
experience in the conduct of men40      
,indeed1 his fundamental position of the
 ,deity's benevolence is rested upon    
this foundation1 that 8pleasures only   
were intended1 and that the pains are   
accidental consequences1 although the   
means of producing pleasures40 ,the same
 recourse to accident is repeatedly had4
 ,thus1 8the events to which we are     

exposed in this imperfect state appear  
to be the accidental1 not natural1      
effects of our frame and condition40    
,now can any one thing be more manifest 
than that the very first notion of a    
wise and powerful ,being excludes all   
such assumptions as things happening    
contrary to ,his intention2 and that    
when we use the word chance or accident1
 which only means our human ignorance of
 causes1 we at once give up the whole   
question1 as if we said1 8,it is a      
subject about which we know nothing40   
,so again as to power4 8,a good design  
is more difficult to be executed1 and   
therefore more likely to be executed    
imperfectly1 than an evil one1 that is1 
with a mixture of effects foreign to the
 design and opposite to it40 ,this at   
once assumes the ,deity to be powerless4
 ,but a general statement is afterwards 
made more distinctly to the same effect4
 8,most sure it is that he can do all   
things possible4 ,but are we in any     
degree competent judges of the bounds of

 possibility80 ,so again under another  
form nature is introduced as something  
different from its author1 and offering 
limits to his power4 8,it is plainly not
 the method of nature to obtain her ends
 instantaneously40 ,passing over such   
propositions as that 8useless evil is a 
thing never seen10 7when the whole      
question is why the same ends were not  
attained without evil71 and a variety of
 other subordinate assumptions contrary 
to the hypothesis1 we may rest with this
 general statement1 which almost every  
page of ,dr4 ,balguy's book bears out1  
that the question which he has set      
himself to solve is anything rather than
 the real one touching the ,origin of   
,evil2 and that this attempt at a       
solution is as ineffectual as any of    
those which we have been considering4   
,is1 then1 the question wholly incapable
 of solution1 which all these learned   
and ingenious men have so entirely      
failed in solving8 ,must the difficulty 
remain forever unsurmounted1 and only be

 approached to discover that it is      
insuperable8 ,must the subject1 of all  
others the most interesting for us to   
know well1 be to us always as a sealed  
book1 of which we can never know        
anything8 ,from the nature of the       
thing--from the question relating to the
 operation of a power which1 to our     
limited faculties1 must ever be         
incomprehensible--there seems too much  
reason for believing that nothing       
precise or satisfactory ever will be    
attained by human reason regarding this 
great argument2 and that the bounds     
which limit our views will only be      
passed when we have quitted the         
encumbrances of our mortal state1 and   
are permitted to survey those regions   
beyond the sphere of our present        
circumscribed existence4 ,the other     
branch of ,natural ,theology1 that which
 investigates the evidences of          
,intelligence and ,design1 and leads us 
to a clear apprehension of the ,deity's 
power and wisdom1 is as satisfactorily  

cultivated as any other department of   
science1 rests upon the same species of 
proof1 and affords results as precise as
 they are sublime4 ,this branch will    
never be distinctly known1 and will     
always so disappoint the inquirer as to 
render the lights of ,revelation        
peculiarly acceptable1 although even    
those lights leave much of it still     
involved in darkness--still mysterious  
and obscure4#b  ,yet let us endeavor to 
suggest some possible explication1 while
 we admit that nothing certain1 nothing 
entirely satisfactory can be reached4   
,the failure of the great writers whose 
works we have been contemplating may    
well teach us humility1 make us distrust
 ourselves1 and moderate within us any  
sanguine hopes of success4 ,but they    
should not make us wholly despair of at 
least showing in what direction the     
solution of the difficulty is to be     
sought1 and whereabouts it will probably
 be found situated1 when our feeble     
reason shall be strengthened and        

expanded4 ,for one cause of their       
discomfiture certainly has been their   
aiming too high1 attempting a complete  
solution of a problem which only        
admitted of approximation1 and          
discussion of limits4  ,it is admitted  
on all hands that the demonstration is  
complete which shows the existence of   
intelligence and design in the universe4
 ,the structure of the eye and ear in   
exact confirmity to the laws of optics  
and acoustics1 shows as clearly as any  
experiment can show anything1 that the  
source1 cause or origin is common both  
to the properties of light and the      
formation of the lenses and retina in   
the eye--both to the properties of sound
 and the tympanum1 malleus1 incus and   
stapes of the ear4 ,no doubt whatever   
can exist upon the subject1 any more    
than1 if we saw a particular order      
issued to a body of men to perform      
certain uncommon evolutions1 and        
afterwards saw the same body performing 
those same evolutions1 we could doubt   

their having received the order4 ,a     
designing and intelligent and skillful  
author of these admirably adapted works 
is equally a clear inference from the   
same facts4 ,we can no more doubt it    
than we can question1 when we see a mill
 grinding corn into flour1 that the     
machinery was made by some one who      
designed by means of it to prepare the  
materials of bread4 ,the same           
conclusions are drawn in a vast variety 
of other instances1 both with respect to
 the parts of human and other bodies1   
and with respect to most of the other   
arrangements of nature4 ,similar        
conclusions are also drawn from our     
consciousness1 and the knowledge which  
it gives us of the structure of the     
mind4#c ,thus we find that attention    
quickens memory and enables us to       
recollect2 and that habit renders all   
exertions and all acquisitions easy1    
beside having the effect of alleviating 
pain4  ,but when we carry our survey    
into other parts1 whether of the natural

 or moral system1 we cannot discover any
 design at all4 ,we frequently perceive 
structures the use of which we know     
nothing about2 parts of the animal frame
 that apparently have no functions to   
perform--nay1 that are the source of    
pain without yielding any perceptible   
advantage2 arrangements and movements of
 bodies which are of one particular     
kind1 and yet we are quite at a loss to 
discern any reason why they might not   
have been of many other descriptions2   
operations of nature that seem to serve 
no purpose whatever2 and other          
operations and other arrangements1      
chosen equally without any beneficial   
view1 and yet which often give rise to  
much apparent confusion and mischief4   
,now1 the question is1 first1 whether in
 any one of these cases of arrangement  
and structures with no visible object at
 all1 we can for a moment suppose that  
there really is no object answered1 or  
only conceive that we have been unable  
to discover it8 ,secondly1 whether in   

the cases where mischief sometimes is   
perceived1 and no other purpose appears 
to be effected1 we do not almost as     
uniformly lay the blame on our own      
ignorance1 and conclude1 not that the   
arrangement was made without any design1
 and that mischief arises without any   
contriver1 but that if we knew the whole
 case we should find a design and       
contrivance1 and also that the apparent 
mischief would sink into the general    
good8 ,it is not necessary to admit1 for
 our present purpose1 this latter       
proposition1 though it brings us closer 
to the matter in hand2 it is sufficient 
for the present to admit1 what no one   
doubts1 that when a part of the body1   
for instance1 is discovered1 to which1  
like the spleen1 we cannot assign any   
function in the animal system1 we never 
think of concluding that it is made for 
no use1 but only that we have as yet not
 been able to discover its use4  ,now1  
let us ask1 why do we1 without any      
hesitation whatever1 or any exception   

whatever1 always and immediately arrive 
at this conclusion respecting           
intelligence and design8 ,nothing could 
be more unphilosophical1 nay1 more      
groundless1 than such a process of      
reasoning1 if we had only been able to  
trace design in one or two instances2   
for instance1 if we found only the eye  
to show proofs of contrivance1 it would 
be wholly gratuitous1 when we saw the   
ear1 to assume that it was adapted to   
the nature of sound1 and still more so1 
if1 on examination1 we perceived it bore
 no perceptible relation to the laws of 
acoustics4 ,the proof of contrivance in 
one particular is nothing like a proof1 
nay1 does not even furnish the least    
presumption of contrivance in other     
particulars2 because1 a priori1 it is   
just as easy to suppose one part of     
nature to be designed for a purpose1 and
 another part1 nay1 all other parts1 to 
be formed at random and without any     
contrivance1 as to suppose that the     
formation of the whole is governed by   

design4 ,why1 then1 do we1 invariably   
and undoubtedly1 adopt the course of    
reasoning which has been mentioned1 and 
never for a moment suspect anything to  
be formed without some reason--some     
rational purpose8 ,the only ground of   
this belief is1 that we have been able  
distinctly to trace design in so vast a 
majority of cases as leaves us no power 
of doubting that1 if our faculties had  
been sufficiently powerful1 or our      
investigation sufficiently diligent1 we 
should also have been able to trace it  
in those comparatively few instances    
respecting which we still are in the    
dark4  ,it may be worth while to give a 
few instances of the ignorance in which 
we once were of design in some important
 arrangements of nature1 and of the     
knowledge which we now possess to show  
the purpose of their formation4 ,before 
,sir ,isaac ,newton's optical           
discoveries1 we could not tell why the  
structure of the eye was so complex1 and
 why several lenses and humors were     

required to form a picture of objects   
upon the retina4 ,indeed1 until         
,dolland's subsequent discovery of the  
achromatic effect of combining various  
glasses1 and ,mr4 ,blair's still more   
recent experiments on the powers of     
different refracting media1 we were not 
able distinctly to perceive the         
operation and use of the complicacy in  
the structure of the eye4 ,we now well  
understand its nature1 and are able to  
comprehend how that which had at one    
time1 nay1 for ages1 seemed to be an    
unnecessary complexity2 forms the most  
perfect of all optical instruments1 and 
according to the most certain laws of   
refraction and of dispersion4  ,so1 too1
 we had observed for some centuries the 
forms of the orbits in which the        
heavenly bodies move1 and we had found  
these to be ellipses with a very small  
eccentricity4 ,but why this was the form
 of those orbits no one could even      
conjecture4 ,if any person1 the most    
deeply skilled in mathematical science1 

and the most internally convinced of the
 universal prevalence of design and     
contrivance in the structure of the     
universe1 had been asked what reason    
there was for the planets moving in     
ellipses so1 nearly approaching to      
circles1 he could not have given any    
good reason1 at least beyond a guess4   
,the force of gravitation1 even         
admitting that to be1 as it were1 a     
condition of the creation of matter1    
would have made those bodies revolve in 
ellipses of any degree of eccentricity  
just as well1 provided the angle and the
 force of projection had been varied4   
,then1 why was this form rather1 than   
any other chosen8 ,no one knew2 yet no  
one doubted that there was ample reason 
for it4 ,accordingly the sublime        
discoveries of ,lagrange and ,la ,place 
have shown us that this small           
eccentricity is one material element in 
the formula by which it is shown that   
all the irregularities of the system are
 periodical1 and that the deviation     

never can exceed a certain amount on    
either hand4  ,but1 again1 while we are 
ignorant of this1 perhaps the most      
sublime truth in all science1 we were   
always arguing as if the system had an  
imperfection1 as if the disturbing      
forces of the different planets and the 
sun1 acting on one another1 constantly  
changed the orbits of each planet1 and  
must1 in a course of ages1 work the     
destruction of the whole planetary      
arrangement which we had contemplated   
with so great admiration and with awe4  
,it was deemed enough if we could show  
that this derangement must be extremely 
slow1 and that1 therefore1 the system   
might last for many more ages without   
requiring any interposition of          
omnipotent skill to preserve it by      
rectifying its motions4 ,thus one of the
 most celebrated writers above cited    
argues that1 8from the nature of        
gravitation and the concentricity of the
 orbits1 the irregularities produced are
 so slowly operated in contracting1     

dilating and inclining those orbits1    
that the system may go on for many      
thousand years before any extraordinary 
interference becomes necessary in order 
to correct it40 ,and ,dr4 ,burnett adds1
 that 8those small irregularities cast  
no discredit on the good contrivance of 
the whole40 ,nothing1 however1 could    
cast greater discredit if it were as he 
supposed1 and as all men previous to the
 late discoveries supposed2 it was only1
 they rather think1 a 8small            
irregularity10 which was every hour     
tending to the destruction of the whole 
system1 and which must have deranged or 
confounded its whole structure long     
before it destroyed it4 ,yet now we see 
that the wisdom1 to which a thousand    
years are as one day1 not satisfied with
 constructing a fabric which might last 
for 8many thousand years without ,his   
interference10 has so formed it that it 
may thus endure forever4  ,now if such  
be the grounds of our belief in the     
universal prevalence of ,design1 and    

such the different lights which at      
different periods of our progress in    
science we possess upon this branch of  
the divine government2 if we            
undoubtingly believe that contrivance is
 universal only because we can trace and
 comprehend it in a great majority of   
instances1 and if the number of         
exceptions to the rule is occasionally  
diminished as our knowledge of the      
particulars is from time to time        
extended--may we not apply the same     
principle to the apprehension of        
,benevolent purpose1 and infer from the 
number of instances in which we plainly 
perceive a good intention1 that if we   
were better acquainted with those cases 
in which a contrary intention is now    
apparent1 we should there1 too1 find the
 generally pervading character of       
,benevolence to prevail8 ,not only is   
this the manner in which we reason      
respecting the ,design of the ,creator  
from examining his works2 it is the     
manner in which we treat the conduct of 

our fellow-creatures4 ,a man of the most
 extensive benevolence and strictest    
integrity in his general deportment has 
done something equivocal2 nay1 something
 apparently harsh and cruel2 we are slow
 to condemn him2 we give him credit for 
acting with a good motive and for a     
righteous purpose2 we rest satisfied    
that 8if we only knew everything he     
would come out blameless40 ,this arises 
from a just and a sound view of human   
character1 and its general consistency  
with itself4 ,the same reasoning may    
surely be applied with all humility and 
reverence1 to the works and the         
intentions of the great ,being who has  
implanted in our minds the principles   
which lead to that just and sound view  
of the deeds and motives of men4  ,but  
let the argument be rested upon our     
course of reasoning respecting divine   
contrivance4 ,the existence of ,evil is 
in no case more apparent than the       
existence of ,disorder seems to be in   
many things4 ,to go no further than the 

last example which has been given--the  
mathematician could perceive the        
derangement in the planetary orbits1    
could demonstrate that it must ensue    
from the mutual action of the heavenly  
bodies on each other1 could calculate   
its progress with the utmost exactness1 
could tell with all nicety how much it  
would alter the forms of the orbits in a
 given time1 could foresee the time when
 the whole system must be irretrievably 
destroyed by its operation as a         
mathematical certainty4 ,nothing1 that  
we call evil can be much more certainly 
perceived than this derangement1 of     
itself an evil1 certainly a great       
imperfection1 if the system was observed
 by the mind of man as we regard human  
works4 ,yet we now find1 from well      
considering some things which had       
escaped attention1 that the system is   
absolutely free from derangement2 that  
all the disturbances counterbalance each
 other2 and that the orbits never can   
either be flattened or bulged out beyond

 a definite or very inconsiderable      
quantity4 ,can any one doubt that there 
is also a reason for even the small and 
limited1 this regular and temporary     
derangement8 ,why it exists at all1 or  
in any the least degree1 we as yet know 
not4 ,but who will presume to doubt that
 it has a reason which would at once    
satisfy our minds were it known to us8  
,nay1 who will affirm that the discovery
 of it may not yet be in reserve for    
some later and happier age8 ,then are we
 not entitled to apply the same         
reasoning to what at present appears    
,evil in a system of which1 after all we
 know of it1 so much still remains      
concealed from our view8  ,the mere act 
of creation in a ,being of wisdom so    
admirable and power so vast1 seems to   
make it extremely probable that perfect 
goodness accompanies the exertion of his
 perfect skill4 ,there is something so  
repugnant to all our feelings1 but also 
to all the conceptions of our reason1 in
 the supposition of such a ,being       

desiring the misery1 for its own sake1  
of the ,beings whom he voluntarily      
called into existence and endowed with a
 sentient nature1 that the mind         
naturally and irresistibly recoils from 
such a thought4 ,but this is not all4   
,if the nature of that great ,being were
 evil1 his power being unbounded1 there 
would be some proportion between the    
amounts of ills and the monuments of    
that power4 ,yet we are struck dumb with
 the immensity of ,his works to which no
 imperfection can be ascribed1 and in   
which no evil can be traced1 while the  
amount of mischief that we see might    
sink into a most insignificant space2   
and is such as a being of inconsiderable
 power and very limited skill could     
easily have accomplished4 ,this is not  
the same consideration with the balance 
of good against evil2 and inquirers do  
not seem to have sufficiently attended  
to it4 ,the argument1 however1 deserves 
much attention1 for it is purely and    
strictly inductive4 ,the divine nature  

is shown to be clothed with prodigious  
power and incomparable wisdom and       
skill1--power and skill so vast and so  
exceeding our comprehension that we     
ordinarily term them infinite1 and are  
only inclined to conceive the           
possibility of limiting1 by the course  
of the argument upon evil1 one          
alternative of which is assumed to raise
 an exception4 ,but admitting on account
 of the question under discussion1 that 
we have only a right to say that power  
and skill are prodigiously great1 though
 possibly not boundless1 they are       
plainly shown in the phenomena of the   
universe to be the attributes of a      
,being1 who1 if evil-disposed1 could    
have made the monuments of ,ill upon a  
scale resembling those of ,power and    
,skill2 so that if those things which   
seem to us evil be really the result of 
a mischievous design in such a ,being1  
we cannot comprehend why they are upon  
so entirely different a scale4 ,this is 
a strong presumption from the facts that

 we are wrong in imputing those         
appearances to such a disposition4 ,if  
so1 what seems evil must needs be       
capable of some other explanation       
consistent with divine goodness--that is
 to say1 would not prove to be evil at  
all if we knew the whole of those facts4
  ,but it is necessary to proceed a step
 further1 especially with a view to the 
fundamental position now contended for1 
the extending to the question of        
,benevolence the same principles which  
we apply to that of ,intelligence4 ,the 
evil which exists1 or that which we     
suppose to be evil1 not only is of a    
kind and a magnitude requiring          
inconceivably less power and less skill 
than the admitted good of the           
creation--it also bears a very small    
proportion in amount2 quite as small a  
proportion as the cases of unknown or   
undiscoverable design bear to those of  
acknowledged and proved contrivance4    
,generally speaking1 the preservation   
and the happiness of sensitive creatures

 appears to be the great object of      
creative exertion and conservative      
providence4 ,the expanding of our       
faculties1 both bodily and mentally1 is 
accompanied with pleasure2 the exercise 
of those powers is almost always        
attended with gratification2 all labor  
so acts as to make rest peculiarly      
delicious2 much of labor is enjoyment2  
the gratification of those appetites by 
which both the individual is preserved  
and the race is continued1 is highly    
pleasurable to all animals2 and it must 
be observed that instead of being       
attracted by grateful sensations to do  
anything requisite for our good or even 
our existence1 we might have been just  
as certainly urged by the feeling of    
pain1 or the dread of it1 which is a    
kind of suffering in itself4 ,nature1   
then1 resembles the law-giver who1 to   
make his subjects obey1 should prefer   
holding out rewards for compliance with 
his commands rather than denounce       
punishments for disobedience4 ,but      

nature is yet more kind2 she is         
gratuitously kind2 she not only prefers 
inducement to threat or compulsion1 but 
she adds more gratification than was    
necessary to make us obey her calls4    
,how well might all creation have       
existed and been continued1 though the  
air had not been balmy in spring1 or the
 shade and the spring refreshing in     
summer2 had the earth not been enamelled
 with flowers2 and the air scented with 
perfumes6 ,how needless for the         
propagation of plants was it that the   
seed should be enveloped in fruits the  
most savory to our palate1 and if those 
fruits serve some other purpose1 how    
foreign to that purpose was the         
formation of our nerves so framed as to 
be soothed or excited by their flavor6  
,we here perceive design1 because we    
trace adaptation4 ,but we at the same   
time perceive benevolent design1 because
 we perceive gratuitous and             
supererogatory enjoyment bestowed4      
,thus1 too1 see the care with which     

animals of all kinds are tended from    
their birth4 ,the mother's instinct is  
not more certainly the means of securing
 and providing for her young1 than her  
gratification in the act of maternal    
care is great and is also needless for  
making her perform that duty4 ,the grove
 is not made vocal during pairing and   
incubation1 in order to secure the      
laying or the hatching of eggs2 for if  
it were as still as the grave1 or were  
filled with the most discordant         
croaking1 the process would be as well  
performed4 ,so1 too1 mark the care with 
which injuries are remedied by what has 
been correctly called the vis           
medicatrix4 ,is a muscle                
injured8--,suppuration takes place1 the 
process of granulation succeeds1 and new
 flesh is formed to supply the gap1 or  
if that is less wide1 a more simple     
healing process knits together the      
severed parts4 ,is a bone injured8--,a  
process commences by which an           
extraordinary secretion of bony matter  

takes place1 and the void is supplied4  
,nay1 the irreparable injury of a joint 
gives rise to the formation of a new    
hinge1 by which the same functions may  
be not inconveniently1 though less      
perfectly1 performed4 ,thus1 too1       
recovery of vigor after sickness is     
provided for by increased appetite2 but 
there is here superadded1 generally1 a  
feeling of comfort and lightness1 an    
enjoyment of existence so delightful1   
that it is a common remark how nearly   
this compensates the sufferings of the  
illness4 ,in the economy of the mind it 
is the same thing4 ,all our exertions   
are stimulated by curiosity1 and the    
gratification is extreme of satisfying  
it4 ,but it might have been otherwise   
ordered1 and some painful feeling might 
have been made the only stimulant to the
 acquisition of knowledge4 ,so1 the     
charm of novelty is proverbial2 but it  
might have been the unceasing cause of  
the most painful alarms4 ,habit renders 
every thing easy2 but the repetition    

might have only increased the annoyance4
 ,the loss of one organ makes the others
 more acute4 ,but the partial injury    
might have caused1 as it were1 a general
 paralysis4 #8,tis thus that ,paley is  
well justified in exclaiming1 8,it is a 
happy world after all60 ,the pains and  
the sufferings1 bodily and mental1 to   
which we are exposed1 if they do not    
sink into nothing1 at least retreat     
within comparatively narrow bounds2 the 
ills are hardly seen when we survey the 
great and splendid picture of worldly   
enjoyment or ease4  ,but the existence  
of considerable misery is undeniable3   
and the question is1 of course1 confined
 to that4 ,its exaggeration1 in the     
ordinary estimate both of the vulgar and
 of skeptical reasoners1 is equally     
certain4 ,paley1 ,bishop ,sumner1 as    
well as ,derham1 ,king1 ,ray and others 
of the older writers1 have made many    
judicious and generally correct         
observations upon its amount1 and they1 
as well as some of the able and learned 

authors of the ,bridgwater ,treatises1  
have done much in establishing          
deductions necessary to be made1 in     
order that we may arrive at the true    
amount4 ,that many things1 apparently   
unmixed evils1 when examined more       
narrowly1 prove to be partially         
beneficial1 is the fair result of their 
well-meant labors2 and this1 although   
anything rather than a proof that there 
is no evil at all1 yet is valuable as   
still further proving the analogy       
between this branch of the argument and 
that upon design2 and in giving hopes   
that all may possibly be found hereafter
 to be good1 as everything will         
assuredly be found to be contrived with 
an intelligent and useful purpose4 ,it  
may be right to add a remark or two upon
 some evils1 and those of the greatest  
magnitude in the common estimate of     
human happiness1 with a view of further 
illustrating this part of the subject4  
,mere imperfection must altogether be   
deducted from the account4 ,it never can

 be contended that any evil nature can  
be ascribed to the first cause1 merely  
for not having endowed sentient         
creatures with greater power or wisdom1 
for not having increased and multiplied 
the sources of enjoyment1 or for not    
having made those pleasures which we    
have more exquisitely grateful4 ,no one 
can be so foolish as to argue that the  
,deity is either limited in power1 or   
deficient in goodness1 because he has   
chosen to create some beings of a less  
perfect order than others4 ,the mere    
negation in the creating of some1 indeed
 of many1 nay1 of any conceivable number
 of desirable attributes1 is therefore  
no proper evidence of evil design or of 
limited power in the ,creator--it is no 
proof of the existence of evil properly 
so called4 ,but does not this also erase
 death from the catalogue of ills8 ,it  
might well please the ,deity to create a
 mortal being which1 consisting of soul 
and body1 was only to live upon this    
earth for a limited number of years4    

,if1 when that time has expired1 this   
being is removed to another and a       
superior state of existence1 no evil    
whatever accrues to it from the change2 
and all views of the government of this 
world lead to the important and         
consolitary conclusion1 that such is the
 design of the ,creator2 that he cannot 
have bestowed on us minds capable of    
such expansion and culture only to be   
extinguished when they have reached     
their highest pitch of improvement2 or  
if this be considered as begging the    
question by assuming benevolent design1 
we cannot easily conceive that while the
 mind's force is so little affected by  
the body's decay1 the destruction or    
dissolution of the latter should be the 
extinction of the former4 ,but that     
death operates as an evil of the very   
highest kind in two ways is obvious2 the
 dread of it often embitters life1 and  
the death of friends brings to the mind 
by far its most painful infliction2     
certainly the greatest suffering it can 

undergo without any criminal            
consciousness of its own4  ,for this    
evil1 then--this grievous and admitted  
evil--how shall we account8 ,but first  
let us consider whether it be not       
unavoidable2 not merely under the       
present dispensation1 and in the        
existing state of things2 for that is   
wholly irrelevant to the question which 
is raised upon the fitness of this very 
state of things2 but whether it be not a
 necessary evil4 ,that man might have   
been created immortal is not denied2 but
 if it were the will of the ,deity to   
form a limited being and to place him   
upon the earth for only a certain period
 of time1 his death was the necessary   
consequence of this determination4 ,then
 as to the pain which one person's      
removal inflicts upon surviving parties1
 this seems the equally necessary       
consequence of their having affections4 
,for if any being feels love towards    
another1 this implies his desire that   
the intercourse with that other should  

continue2 or what is the same thing1 the
 repugnance and aversion to its ceasing2
 that is1 he must suffer affliction for 
that removal of the beloved object4 ,to 
create sentient beings devoid of all    
feelings of affection was no doubt      
possible to ,omnipotence2 but to endow  
those beings with such feelings as would
 give the constant gratification derived
 from the benevolent affections1 and yet
 to make them wholly indifferent to the 
loss of the objects of those affections1
 was not possible even for ,omnipotence2
 because it was a contradiction in      
terms1 equivalent to making a thing both
 exist and not exist at one and the same
 time4 ,would there have been any       
considerable happiness in a life        
stripped of these kindly affections8 ,we
 cannot affirm that there would not1    
because we are ignorant what other      
enjoyments might have been substituted  
for the indulgence of them4 ,but neither
 can we affirm that any such            
substitution could have been found2 and 

it lies upon those who deny the         
necessary connection between the human  
mind1 or any sentient being's mind1 and 
grief for the loss of friends1 to show  
that there are other enjoyments which   
could furnish an equivalent to the      
gratification derived from the          
benevolent feelings4 ,the question then 
reduces itself to this3 ,wherefore did a
 being1 who could have made sentient    
beings immortal1 choose to make them    
mortal8 or1 ,wherefore has he placed man
 upon the earth for a time only8 or1    
,wherefore has he set bounds to the     
powers and capacities which he has been 
pleased to bestow upon his creatures8   
,and this is a question which we        
certainly never shall be able to solve2 
but a question extremely different from 
the one more usually put--,how happens  
it that a good being has made a world   
full of misery and death8  ,in the      
necessary ignorance wherein we are of   
the whole designs of the ,deity1 we     
cannot wonder if some things1 nay1 if   

many things1 are to our faculties       
inscrutable4 ,but we assuredly have no  
right to say that those difficulties    
which try and vex us are incapable of a 
solution1 any more than we have to say1 
that those cases in which as yet we can 
see no trace of design1 are not equally 
the result of intelligence1 and equally 
conducive to a fixed and useful purpose 
with those in which we have been able to
 perceive the whole1 or nearly the whole
 scheme4 ,great as have been our        
achievements in physical astronomy1 we  
are as yet wholly unable to understand  
why a power pervades the system acting  
inversely as the squares of the distance
 from the point to which it attracts1   
rather than a power acting according to 
any other law2 and why it has been the  
pleasure of the almighty ,architect of  
that universe1 that the orbits of the   
planets should be nearly circular       
instead of approaching to1 or being     
exactly the same with many other        
trajectories of a nearly similar form1  

though of other properties2 nay1 instead
 of being curves of a wholly different  
class and shape4 ,yet we never doubt    
that there was a reason for this choice2
 nay1 we fancy it possible that even on 
earth we may hereafter understand it    
more clearly than we now do3 and never  
question that in another state of being 
we may be permitted to enjoy the        
contemplation of it4 ,why should we     
doubt that1 at least in that higher     
state1 we may also be enabled to        
perceive such an arrangement as shall   
make evil wholly disappear from our     
present system1 by showing that it was  
necessary and inevitable1 even in the   
works of the ,deity2 or1 which is the   
same thing1 that its existence conduces 
to such a degree of perfection and      
happiness upon1 the whole1 as could not1
 even by ,omnipotence1 be attained      
without it2 or1 which is the same thing1
 that the whole creation as it exists1  
taking both worlds together1 is perfect1
 and incapable of being in any          

particular changed without being made   
worse and less perfect8 ,taking both    
worlds together--,for certainly were our
 views limited to the present sublunary 
state1 we may well affirm that no       
solution whatever could even be imagined
 of the difficulty--if we are never     
again to live2 if those we here loved   
are forever lost to us2 if our faculties
 can receive no further expansion2 if   
our mental powers are only trained and  
improved to be extinguished at their    
acme--then indeed are we reduced to the 
melancholy and gloomy dilemma of the    
,epicureans2 and evil is confessed to   
checker1 nay1 almost to cloud over our  
whole lot1 without the possibility of   
comprehending why1 or of reconciling its
 existence with the supposition of a    
providence at once powerful and good4   
,but this inference is also an          
additional argument for a future state1 
when we couple it with these other      
conclusions respecting the economy of   
the world to which we are led by wholly 

different routes1 when we investigate   
the phenomena around us and within us4  
,suppose1 for example1 it should be     
found that there are certain purposes   
which can in no way whatever--no        
conceivable way--be answered except by  
placing man in a state of trial or      
probation2 suppose the essential nature 
of mind shall be found to be such that  
it could not in any way whatever exist  
so as to be capable of the greatest     
purity and improvement--in other words1 
the highest perfection--without having  
undergone a probation2 or suppose it    
should be found impossible to           
communicate certain enjoyments to       
rational and sentient beings without    
having previously subjected them to     
certain trials and certain              
sufferings--as1 for instance1 the       
pleasures derived from a consciousness  
of perfect security1 the certainty that 
we can suffer and perish no more--this  
surely is a possible supposition4 ,now1 
to continue the last example--,whatever 

pleasure there is in the contrast       
between ease and previous vexation or   
pain1 whatever enjoyment we derive from 
the feeling of absolute security after  
the vexation and uncertainty of a       
precarious state1 implies a previous    
suffering--a previous state of          
precarious enjoyment2 and not only      
implies it but necessarily implies it1  
so that the power of ,omnipotence itself
 could not convey to us the enjoyment   
without having given us the previous    
suffering4 ,then is it not possible that
 the object of an all powerful and      
perfectly benevolent being should be to 
create like beings1 to whom as entire   
happiness1 as complete and perfect      
enjoyment1 should be given as any       
created beings--that is1 any being1     
except the ,creator himself--can by     
possibility enjoy8 ,this is certainly   
not only a very possible supposition1   
but it appears to be quite consistent   
with1 if it be not a necessary          
consequence of1 his being perfectly good

 as well as powerful and wise4 ,now we  
have shown1 therefore1 that such being  
supposed the design of ,providence1 even
 ,omnipotence itself could not          
accomplish this design1 as far as one   
great and important class of enjoyments 
is concerned1 without the previous      
existence of some pain1 some misery4    
,whatever gratification arises from     
relief--from contrast--from security    
succeeding anxiety--from restoration of 
lost affections--from renewing severed  
connections--and many others of a like  
kind1 could not by any possibility be   
enjoyed unless the correlative suffering
 had first been undergone4 ,nor will the
 argument be at all impeached by        
observing1 that one ,being may be made  
to feel the pleasure of ease and        
security by seeing others subjected to  
suffering and distress2 for that assumes
 the infliction of misery on those      
others2 it is 8alterius spectare        
laborem0 that we are supposing to be    
sweet2 and this is still partial evil4  

,as the whole argument respecting evil  
must1 from the nature of the question1  
resolve itself into either a proof of   
some absolute or mathematical necessity 
not to be removed by infinite power1 or 
the showing that some such proof may be 
possible although we have not yet       
discovered it1 an illustration may      
naturally be expected to be attainable  
from mathematical considerations4 ,thus1
 we have already adverted to the law of 
periodical irregularities in the solar  
system4 ,any one before it was          
discovered seemed entitled to expatiate 
upon the operation of the disturbing    
forces arising from mutual attraction1  
and to charge the system arranged upon  
the principle of universal gravitation  
with want of skill1 nay1 with leading to
 inevitable mischief--mischief or evil  
of so prodigious an extent as to exceed 
incalculably all the instances of evil  
and of suffering which we see around us 
in this single planet4 ,nevertheless1   
what then appeared so clearly to be a   

defect and an evil1 is now well known to
 be the very absolute perfection of the 
whole heavenly architecture4  ,again1 we
 may derive a similar illustration from 
a much more limited instance1 but one   
immediately connected with strict       
mathematical reasoning1 and founded     
altogether in the nature of necessary   
truth4 ,the problem has been solved by  
mathematicians1 ,sir ,isaac ,newton     
having first investigated it1 of finding
 the form of a symmetrical solid1 or    
solid of revolution1 which in moving    
through a fluid shall experience the    
least possible resistance4 ,the figure  
bears a striking resemblance to that of 
a fish4 ,now suppose a fish were formed 
exactly in this shape1 and that some    
animal endowed with reason were placed  
upon a portion of its surface1 and able 
to trace its form for only a limited    
extent1 say at the narrow part1 where   
the broad portion or end of the moving  
body were opposed1 or seemed as if it   
were opposed1 to the surrounding fluid  

when the fish moved--the reasoner would 
at once conclude that the contrivance of
 the fish's form was very inconvenient1 
and that nothing could be much worse    
adapted for expeditious or easy movement
 through the waters4  ,yet it is certain
 that upon being afterwards permitted to
 view ,,the ,,whole body of the fish1   
what had seemed a defect and an evil1   
not only would appear plainly to be none
 at all1 but it would appear manifest   
that this seeming evil or defect was a  
part of the most perfect and excellent  
structure which it was possible even for
 ,omnipotence and ,omniscience to have  
adopted1 and that no other conceivable  
arrangement could by possibility have   
produced so much advantage1 or tended so
 much to fulfill the design in view4    
,previous to being enlightened by such  
an enlarged view of the whole facts1 it 
would thus be a rash and unphilosophical
 thing in the reasoner whose existence  
we are supposing to pronounce an        
unfavorable opinion4 ,still more unwise 

would it be if numerous other           
observations had evinced traces of skill
 and goodness in the fish's structure4  
,the true and the safe conclusion would 
be to suspend an opinion which could    
only be unsatisfactorily formed upon    
imperfect data2 and to rest in the      
humble hope and belief that one day all 
would appear for the best4  ,,the ,,end4
     ,,footnotes3    ,footnote #a3 ,the 
8light of revelation10 as well as the   
8light of the ,christian religion10 has 
not dispelled the darkness of ignorance4
 ,the torch of reason is a surer        
guide4--,pub4  ,footnote #b3 ,the human 
race has from time immemorial been      
afflicted with so-called revelations1   
all claiming inspiration1 all           
conflicting1 and all being equally      
8mysterious and obscure40 ,the wars     
arising among these sectarians have     
retarded civilization1 and deluged the  
earth in blood4 ,the revelations of     
science1 founded upon reason and        
demonstration1 have proved the only safe

 and beneficent guide4--,pub4  ,footnote
 #c3 ,while it is true that the argument
 of ,design1 here given1 places the     
subject one step in advance1 it is still
 unsatisfactory1 because it fails to    
explain to us who designed the designer1
 and the mystery of creation still      
remains unsolved4  8,what think you of  
an uncaused cause of everything80 is the
 pertinent question which ,bishop       
,watson1 in his ,apology for the ,bible1
 asked1 and vainly asked1 of the        
celebrated deist1 ,thomas ,paine4--,pub4