their country. He who, in self-seeking,
wronged the State, was cast forth from its bosom. Therefore was it that
Rome grew mighty, the Omnipotent fostering her for ends which the
fulness of time should disclose. Such virtue had our ancestors, even
though they worshipped darkly at the altars of daemons. But from that
pride they fell, for their hearts were hardened; and, at length, when
heathendom had wellnigh destroyed the principle whereby they waxed, God
revealed Himself unto His chosen, that ancient virtue and new faith
might restore the world. To turn your thought upon these things, I sent
you the book written long ago by the holy father Augustine, concerning
the Divine State. Have you read in it?'

'Some little,' answered Basil, 'but with wandering mind.'

'Therein you will discover, largely expounded, these reasonings I do
but touch upon. I would have you trace God's working in the past, and,
by musing upon what now is, ripen yourself in that citizenship whereon
you have prided yourself, though you neither understood its true
meaning nor had the strength to perform its duties. Losing sight of the
Heavenly City for that which is on earth, not even in your earthly
service were you worthy of the name of Roman; and, inasmuch as you
wronged the earthly Rome, even so did you sin against that Eternal
State of the Supreme Lord whereof by baptism you were made a citizen.
By such as you, O Basil, is the anger of our God prolonged, and lest
you should think that, amid a long and bloody war, amid the trampling
of armies, the fall of cities, one death more is of no account, I say
to you that, in the eyes of the All-seeing, this deed of yours may be
of heavier moment than the slaughter of a battlefield. From your own
lips it is manifest that you had not even sound assurance of the guilt
you professed to punish. It may be that the man had not wronged you as
you supposed. A little patience, a little of the calm which becomes a
reasoning soul, and you might not only have saved yourself from crime,
but have resolved what must now ever be a doubt to your harassed
thoughts.'

'Such words did Veranilda herself speak,' exclaimed Basil. 'And I, in
my frenzy, thought them only a lamentation for the death of her lover.'

'Call it frenzy; but remember, O my son, that no less a frenzy was
every act of your life, and every thought, which led you on the path to
that ultimate sin. Frenzy it is to live only for the flesh; frenzy, to
imagine t