Ifthereisonethingplainerthananother, itisthatneitherthepleasuresnorthepainsoflife, inthemerelyanimalworld, aredistributedaccordingtodesert; foritisadmittedlyimpossibleforthelowerordersofsentientbeings, , itisthattheviolatorofethicalrulesconstantlyescapesthepunishmentwhichhedeserves; thatthewickedflourisheslikeagreenbaytree, while, therighteousbegshisbread; thatthesinsofthefathersarevisiteduponthechildren; that,intherealmofnature, ignoranceispunishedjustasseverelyaswilfulwrong; andthatthousandsuponthousandsofinnocentbeingssufferforthecrime, ortheunintentionaltrespassofone.
"WorksandDays" andtheBuddhistSutras; thePsalmistandthePreacherofIsrael, , thantheunfathomableinjusticeofthenatureofthings; whatismoredeeplyfelttobetruethanitspresentationofthedestructionoftheblamelessbytheworkofhisownhands, orbythefataloperationofthesinsofothers? SurelyOedipuswaspureofheart; itwasthenaturalsequenceofevents—thecosmicprocess—whichdrovehim, inallinnocence, toslayhisfatherandbecomethehusbandofhismother, , foramoment, beyondthechronologicallimitsIhavesetmyself, whatconstitutesthesempiternalattractionofHamletbuttheappealtodeepestexperienceofthathistoryofanolessblamelessdreamer, dragged, inspiteofhimself,intoaworldoutofjointinvolvedinatangleofcrimeandmisery, createdbyoneoftheprimeagentsofthecosmicprocessasitworksinandthroughman?
Thus, broughtbeforethetribunalofethics, , , ornone,venturedtorecordthatverdict.
