258

DEATH 8 DOINGS.

ous consideration remained behind, viz.: theadoption of means sure and effectual for theexecution of this purpose. It was not till after along-protracted interval that thus the Destroyercounselled with himself.

" I have held a long and vast communion withthe sons of men who walk this earth, and all whohave disappeared from it were removed by me.This is not all: known it is to me, by ages of ex-perience and the use of observation, that the pas-sion of fear is among the strongest felt by mortals,and that of nothing are they so horribly afraid asof my threatenings and my power to enforce them.How is this ? that the man who has courage tocontemn and to oppose the requisitions of justice;to admit and to encourage the foulest offencesagainst the charities of humanity and the con-sciousness of moral obligation; to cherish the cor-ruption of, and to perpetrate the blackest crimesagainst, the fellowship of men! that the sameidentical man of flesh and blood, on whom thefear of me is so deeply impressed, should ever failto tremble while thinking upon the crimes, the