A Lesson from the Past

“For anyone who will trace in his mind the course of events from the earliest times down to the present, and reflect on what has happened in past ages, will certainly find this. All who have made justice and honesty the foundation of their conduct have not only brought their undertakings to a successful end, but have gathered, as it were, a store of sweet fruit from this pleasant root. Again, whoever looks at the careers of those who have been bold in practicing oppression or injustice will find that such men have received a recompense in proportion to their crimes. I mean those who have either turned their senseless fury against God himself, or have had no kindly feeling toward their fellow men, but have dared to afflict them with exile, disgrace, confiscation, massacre, or other miseries of the same kind, and all this without any remorse or any wish to turn their thoughts to a better course. And these are results that might naturally and reasonably be expected to follow.