red　kiss　of　peace　for　scoundrel　and　hero　alike；　with　its　all…embracing　Brotherhood；　and　universal　Sacrament　of　Divorce；　will　have　to　take　itself　away　again！〃
  The　Ancient　Germans；　it　appears；　had　no　scruple　about　public　executions；　on　the　contrary；　they　thought　the　just　gods　themselves　might　fitly　preside　over　these；　that　these　were　a　solemn　and　highest　act　of　worship；　if　justly　done。　　When　a　German　man　had　done　a　crime　deserving　death；　they；　in　solemn　general　assembly　of　the　tribe；　doomed　him；　and　considered　that　Fate　and　all　Nature　had　from　the　beginning　doomed　him；　to　die　with　ignominy。　　Certain　crimes　there　were　of　a　supreme　nature；　him　that　had　perpetrated　one　of　these；　they　believed　to　have　declared　himself　a　prince　of　scoundrels。　　Him　once　convicted　they　laid　hold　of；　nothing　doubting；　bore　him；　after　judgment；　to　the　deepest　convenient　Peat…bog；　plunged　him　in　there；　drove　an　oaken　frame　down　over　him；　solemnly　in　the　name　of　gods　and　men：　〃There；　prince　of　scoundrels；　that　is　what　we　have　had　to　think　of　thee；　on　clear　acquaintance；　our　grim　good…night　to　thee　is　that！　　In　the　name　of　all　the　gods　lie　there；　and　be　our　partnership　with　thee　dissolved　henceforth。　　It　will　be　better　for　us；　we　imagine！〃
  My　friends；　after　all　this　beautiful　whitewash　and　humanity　and　prison…discipline；　and　such　blubbering　and　whimpering；　and　soft　Litany　to　divine　and　also　to　quite　other　sorts　of　Pity；　as　we　have　had　for　a　century　now；give　me　leave　to　admonish　you　that　that　of　the　Ancient　Germans　too　was　a　thing　inexpressibly　necessary　to　keep　in　mind。　　If　that　is　not　kept　in　mind；　the　universal　Litany　to　Pity　is　a　mere　universal　nuisance；　and　torpid　blasphemy　against　the　gods。　　I　do　not　much　respect　it；　that　purblind　blubbering　and　litanying；　as　it　is　seen　at　present；　and　the　litanying　over　scoundrels　I　go　the　length　of　disrespecting；　and　in　some　cases　even　of　detesting。　　Yes；　my　friends；　scoundrel　is　scoundrel：　　that　remains　forever　a　fact；　and　there　exists　not　in　the　earth　whitewash　that　can　make　the　scoundrel　a　friend　of　this　Universe；　he　remains　an　enemy　if　you　spent　your　life　in　whitewashing　him。　　He　won't　whitewash；　this　one　won't。　　The　one　method　clearly　is；　That；　after　fair　trial；　you　dissolve　partnership　with　him；　send　him；　in　the　name　of　Heaven；　whither　_he_　is　striving　all　this　while　and　have　done　with　him。　　And；　in　a　time　like　this；　I　would　advise　you；　see　likewise　that　you　be　speedy　about　it！　　For　there　is　immense　work；　and　of　a　far　hopefuler　sort；　to　be　done　_elsewhere_。
  Alas；　alas；　to　see　once　the　〃prince　of　scoundrels；〃　the　Supreme　Scoundrel；　him　whom　of　all　men　the　gods　liked　worst；　solemnly　laid　hold　of；　and　hung　upon　the　gallows　in　sight　of　the　people；　what　a　lesson　to　all　the　people！　Sermons　might　be　preached；　the　Son　of　Thunder　and　the　Mouth　of　Gold　might　turn　their　periods　now　with　some　hope；　for　here；　in　the　most　impressive　way；　is　a　divine　sermon　acted。　　Didactic　as　no　spoken　sermon　could　be。　Didactic；　devotional　too；in　awed　solemnity；　a　recognition　that　Eternal　Justice　rules　the　world；　that　at　the　call　of　this；　human　pity　shall　fall　silent；　and　man　be　stern　as　his　Master　and　Mandatory　is！Understand　too　that　except　upon　a　basis　of　even　such　rigor；　sorrowful；　silent；　inexorable　as　that　of　Destiny　and　Doom；　there　is　no　true　pity　possible。　　The　pity　that　proves　so　possible　and　plentiful　without　that　basis；　is　mere　_ignavia_　and　cowardly　effeminacy；　maudlin　laxity　of　heart；　grounded　on　blinkard　dimness　of　headcontemptible　as　a　drunkard's　tears。
  To　see　our　Supreme　Scoundrel　hung　upon　the　gallows；　alas；　that　is　far　from　us　just　now！　　There　is　a　worst　man　in　England；　too；curious　to　think　of；whom　it　would　be　inexpressibly　advantageous　to　lay　hold　of；　and　hang；　the　first　of　all。　　But　we　do　not　know　him　with　the　least　certainty；　the　least　approach　even　to　a　guess；such　buzzards　and　dullards　and　poor　children　of　the　Dusk　are　we；　in　spite　of　our　Statistics；　Unshackled　Presses；　and　Torches　of　Knowledge；not　eagles　soaring　sunward；　not　brothers　of　the　lightnings　and　the　radiances　we；　a　dim　horn…eyed；　owl…population；　intent　mainly　on　the　catching　of　mice！　　Alas；　the　supreme　scoundrel；　alike　with　the　supreme　hero；　is　very　far　from　being　known。　　Nor　have　we　the　smallest　apparatus　for　dealing　with　either　of　them；　if　he　were　known。　　Our　supreme　scoundrel　sits；　I　conjecture；　well…cushioned；　in　high　places；　at　this　time；　rolls　softly　through　the　world；　and　lives　a　prosperous　gentleman；　instead　of　sinking　him　in　peat…bogs；　we　mount　the　brazen　image　of　him　on　high　columns：　　such　is　the　world's　temporary　judgment　about　its　supreme　scoundrels；　a　mad　world；　my　masters。　　To　get　the　supreme　scoundrel　always　accurately　the　first　hanged；　this；　which　presupposes　that　the　supreme　hero　were　always　the　first　promoted；　this　were　precisely　the　millennium　itself；　clear　evidence　that　the　millennium　had　come：　　alas；　we　must　forbear　hope　of　this。　　Much　water　will　run　by　before　we　see　this。
  And　yet　to　quit　all　aim　towards　it；　to　go　blindly　floundering　along；　wrapt　up　in　clouds　of　horsehair；　bombazine；　and　sheepskin　officiality；　oblivious　that　there　exists　such　an　aim；　this　is　indeed　fatal。　　In　every　human　law　there　must　either　exist　such　an　aim；　or　else　the　law　is　not　a　human　but　a　diabolic　one。　　Diabolic；　I　say：　　no　quantity　of　bombazine；　or　lawyers'　wigs；　three…readings；　and　solemn　trumpeting　and　bow…wowing　in　high　places　or　in　low；　can　hide　from　me　its　frightful　infernal　tendency；bound；　and　sinking　at　all　moments　gradually　to　Gehenna；　this　〃law；〃　and　dragging　down　much　with　it！　　〃To　decree　_injustice_　by　a　_law_：〃　　inspired　Prophets　have　long　since　seen；　what　every　clear　soul　may　still　see；　that　of　all　Anarchies　and　Devil…worships　there　is　none　like　this；　that　this　is　the　　〃Throne　of　Iniquity〃　set　up　in　the　name　of　the　Highest；　the　human　Apotheosis　of　Anarchy　itself。　　〃_Quiet_　Anarchy；〃　you　exultingly　say？　　Yes；　quiet　Anarchy；　which　the　longer　it　sits　〃quiet〃　will　have　the　frightfuler　account　to　settle　at　last。　　For　every　doit　of　the　account；　as　I　often　say；　will　have　to　be　settled　one　day；　as　sure　as　God　lives。　　Principal；　and　compound　interest　rigorously　computed；　and　the　interest　is　at　a　terrible　rate　per　cent　in　these　cases！　　Alas；　the　aspect　of　certain　beatified　Anarchies；　sitting　〃quiet；〃　and　of　others　in　a　state　of　infernal　explosion　for　sixty　years　back：　　this；　the　one　view　our　Europe　offers　at　present；　makes　these　days　very　sad。
  My　unfortunate　philanthropic　friends；　it　is　this　long…continued　oblivion　of　the　soul　of　law　that　has　reduced　the　Criminal　Question　to　such　a　pass　among　us。　　Many　other　things　have　come；　and　are　coming；　for　the　same　sad　reason；　to　a　pass！　　Not　the　supreme　scoundrel　have　our　laws　aimed　at；　but；　in　an　uncertain　fitful　manner；　at　the　inferior　or　lowest　scoundrel；　who　robs　shop…tills　and　puts　the　skin　of　mankind　in　danger。　　How　can　Parliament　get　through　the　Criminal　Question？　　Parliament；　oblivious　of　Heavenly　Law；　will　find　itself　in　hopeless　_reductio　ad　absurdum_　in　regard　to　innumerable　other　questions；in　regard　to　all　questions　whatsoever　by　and　by。　　There　will　be　no　existence　possible　for　Parliament　on　these　current　terms。　Parliament；　in　its　law…makings；　must　really　try　to　attain　some　vision　again　of　what　Heaven's　Laws　are。　　A　thing　not　easy　to　do；　a　thing　requiring　sad　sincerity　of　heart；　reverence；　pious　earnestness；　valiant　manful　wisdom；qualities　not　overabundant　in　Parliament　just　now；　nor　out　of　it；　I　fear。
  Adieu；　my　friends。　　My　anger　against　you　is　gone；　my　sad　reflections　on　you；　and　on　the　depths　to　which　you　and　I　and　all　of　us　are　sunk　in　these　strange　times；　are　not　to　be　uttered　at　present。　　You　would　have　saved　the　Sarawak　Pirates；　then？　　The　Almighty　Maker　is　wroth　that　the　Sarawak　cut…throats；　with　their　poisoned　spears；　are　away？　　What　must　his　wrath　be　that　the　thirty　thousand　Needlewomen　are　still　here；　and　the　question　of　〃prevenient　grace〃　not　yet　settled！　　O　my　friends；　in　sad　earnest；　sad　and　deadly　earnest；　there　much　needs　that　God　would　mend　all　this；　and　that　we　should　help　him　to　mend　it！And　don't　you　think；　for　one　thing；　〃Farmer　Hodge's　horses〃　in　the　Sugar　Islands　are　pretty　well　〃emancipated〃　now？　　My　clear　opinion　farther　is；　we　had　better　quit　the　Scoundrel…province　of　Reform；　better　close　that　under　hatches；　in　some　rapid　summary　manner；　and　go　elsewhither　with　our　Reform　efforts。　　A　whole　world；　for　want　of　Reform；　is　drowning　and　sinking；　threatening　to　swamp　itself　into　a　Stygian　quagmire；　uninhabitable　by　any　noble…minded　man。　　Let　us　to　the　well…heads；　I　say；　to　the　chief　fountains　of　these　waters　of　bitterness；　and　there　strike　home　and　dig！　　To　puddle　in　the　embouchures　and　drowned　outskirts；　and　ulterior　and　ultimate　issues　and　cloacas　of　the　affair：　　what　profit　can　there　be　in　that？　　Nothing　to　be　saved　there；　nothing　to　be　fished　up　there；　except；　with　endless　peril　and　spread　of　pestilence；　a　miscellany　of　broken　waifs　and　dead　dogs！　　In　the　name　of　Heaven；　quit　that！
  ＇April　1；　1850。＇　No。　III。　　DOWNING　STREET。
  From　all　corners　of　the　wide　British　Dominion　there　rises　one　complaint　against　the　ineffectuality　of　what　are　nicknamed　our　〃red…tape〃　establishments；　our　Government　Offices；　Colonial　Office；　Foreign　Office　and　the　others；　in　Downing　Street　and