no
favouritism, no accident--nothing but the wearer's years and conduct--
can obtain this, or indeed any other Order.

If the conduct of the woman during the five years she wears the
Matterode had been marked by any deviation from goodness, an occurrence
scarcely heard of, a qualified decoration would be presented to her,
which, though beautiful, and indicating the age and position beyond
doubt, would give evidence that a little cloud had sometime during the
past period, affected the vivid colours of the illumined sky! There are
various ways of modifying the Order so as to show the estimate of
conduct, all differing according to the degree of the offence. But if
the wearer's conduct during the five years of the qualified term is
unexceptionable, the decoration for the subsequent five years would be
the same as though nothing had occurred in the meantime to interrupt the
lady's title to the highest decoration.

Again, if any person, even one who had gained the Matterode, were to
commit something--a decidedly wrongful act--the decoration, during the
following five years, would perhaps consist of a Foot trampling on a
hippopotamus or on a serpent, thus indicating the necessity for bearing
down sin, which is symbolised by both of these creatures.

You will at once see how easily the two first decorations I have named
are distinguishable from each other, and how the last is distinguishable
from both; and so it is with all the others, too numerous to mention
here.

However, by their education, and the laws and customs I introduced,
Woman possesses so high a sentiment of honour, and so much becoming
pride, that the instances of degradation from the two first orders has
been remarkably rare--scarcely worth referring to except to show that we
never hesitate to put the laws in force against the highest personages,
even in those cases where, under another system, our sympathies might
have led us, perhaps unconsciously, to screen the offenders. In my laws
on this subject, it is declared, that whilst mercy and goodness are on
one side, might and justice are no less on the other side of the
celestial throne.

What I have said of these orders is applicable in a great degree to all
the others.

In our world all particulars of conduct and goodness, as well as
deviations from them, are known; nothing on these heads is, or indeed
can be concealed. I am now speaking of an advanced period of my reign;
for at first, and in what I may