o perceive that the happiness of the
people constitutes that of the prince. Does the thirsty traveller know,
or does he care, if the spring of which he drinks gushes out of a
mountain filled with poison, provided he cools his hot blood without
receiving any harm? That hypocrite displeased thee because he did not
answer to thy preconceived high opinion, which thou, for certain reasons,
didst wish to thrust upon me; and I was compelled to strangle him by thy
orders. His infant son was destined to succeed him in the government.
His tutors harassed and oppressed the people, once happy under the
dominion of his father; they corrupted the heart and the mind of the
future regent, who having enervated his body through early pleasure, they
rule him now he is come of age, and are his and his people's tyrants.
Hadst thou not compelled me to murder the father, he would have brought
up his son in his own maxims; he would have developed his faculties, and
have made him a man fit to govern a nation. The numerous subjects who
are now groaning beneath iron-handed oppression, and whose misery is all
to be imputed to thee, would then have been the happiest in Germany. Let
their tears, their despair, and the horrors of an approaching
insurrection, reward thee for having rashly exercised the duty of a
judge.

"Madman! in obedience to thy command, I burnt the castle of the fierce
Wildgrave, with all its inhabitants, with his wife and his infant. What
crime had they committed? It was a moment of delight to me. If the
infant was consumed on the breast of the mother, it was thy work. If the
Wildgrave attacked a neighbouring nobleman as the cause of the
conflagration, set fire to his house, and ignominiously whipped him, it
was thy work. Thousands have already fallen beneath their reciprocal
vengeance, and tranquillity will not be restored to that part of Germany
until the hostile families shall be completely exhausted and annihilated.
And thus, poor worm, hast thou avenged the innocent; thou, who all thy
life hast been wallowing in the grossest sensuality; thou, who didst pull
me out of hell merely to satiate thy lusts. Groan and weep; but I will
overwhelm thee with fresh horrors.

"By thy order I infused the poison of lust into the heart of the innocent
Angelica, she who was the ornament of her sex and of the world. Thou
didst enjoy her in the wild intoxication of thy senses, and she scarcely
knew what had happened to her. Shudde