Page:The Early Kings of Norway.djvu/211

 EPILOGUE. 201 'give much, — forgive the wildest, fiercest, cruellest ' exj^eriments, — if fairly made for the determination ' of that. Theft and bloodguiltiness are not pleasing 'in their sight; yet the favouring powers of the 'spiritual and material world will confirm to you ' your stolen goods, and their noblest voices applaud ' of your shield, if only your robbing and slaying have ■ been in fair arbitrament of that question, " yho is ' best man ? " But if you refuse such enquiry, and ' maintain every man for his neighbour's match, — if ' you give vote to the simple and liberty to the vile, ' the powers of those spiritual and material worlds in ' due time present you inevitably with the same pro- ' blem, soluble now only wrong side upwards ; and ' your robbing and slaying must be done then to find ' out, " Wlio is icorst man ? " AVhich, in so wide an ' order of merit, is, indeed, not easy ; but a complete ' Tammany Eing, and lowest circle in the Inferno of All readers will admit that there was something
 * the lifting of your spear, and rehearse the sculpture
 * "Worst, you are sure to find, and to be governed by.' *
 * Fors Clavigera, Letter XIV. pp. 8-10.