sternly at her father, “Am not I,” said she, “thy daughter Truth? art not thou called true?  Is it not true that thou didst fix a punishment for him, and threaten him with death by torments?  If thou art true, thou wilt follow that which is true; if thou art not true, thou canst not have me, Truth, for thy daughter.”  Here, you see, Mercy and Truth are met together.  The third sister, namely, Justice, hearing this strife, contention, quarreling, and pleading, and summoned by the outcry, began to inquire the cause from Truth.  And Truth, who could only speak that which was true, said, “This sister of ours, Mercy, if she ought to be called a sister who does not agree with us, desires that our father should have pity on that proud transgressor.”  Then Justice, with an angry countenance, and meditating on a grief which she had not expected, said to her father, “Am not I thy daughter Justice? are thou not called just?  If thou art just, thou wilt exercise justice on the transgressor; if thou dost not exercise that justice, thou canst not be just; if thou art not just, thou canst not have me, Justice, for thy daughter.”  So here were Truth and Justice on the one side, and Mercy on the other. Ultima coelicolum terras Astrea reliquit; this means, that Peace fled into a far distant country.  For where there is strife and contention, there is no peace; and by how much greater the contention, by so much further peace is driven away.

Peace, therefore, being lost, and his three daughters in warm discussion, the King found it an extremely difficult matter to determine what he should do, or to which side he should lean.  For, if he gave ear to Mercy, he would offend Truth and Justice if he gave ear to Truth and Justice, he could not have Mercy for his daughter; and yet it was necessary that he should be both merciful and just, and peaceful and true.  There was great need then of good advice.  The father, therefore, called his wise son, and consulted him about the affair.  Said the son, “Give me my father, this present business to manage, and I will both punish the transgressor for thee, and will bring back to thee in peace thy four daughters.”  “These are great promises,” replied the father, “if the deed only agrees with the word.  If thou canst do that which thou sayest, I will act as thou shalt exhort me.”

Having, therefore, received the royal mandate, the son took his sister Mercy along with him, and leaping upon the mountains, passing over the hills, came to the prison, and looking through the windows, looking through the lattice, he beheld the imprisoned servant, shut out from the present life, devoured of affliction, and from the sole of his foot even to the crown there was no soundness in him.  He saw him in the power of death, because through him death entered into the world.  He saw him devoured, because, when a man is once dead he is eaten of worms.  And because I now have the opportunity of telling you, you shall