Man wars on man. It is his instinct--compact. He injures--stabs me! Granted. What should stay him? Is it love for his fellow--kindness --charity? What will--for "love" or "charity"--that "fellow" do for him? Will he honour in poverty? Defend in danger? Abstain to prey upon when time shall serve? No!--none of these, methinks. He may deride his weakness; insult his misery; publish for sport the tale that maddens him; maltreat and crush, as far as strength and law will serve! Away then with the jest of "Duty"--my "Practice" towards my neighbour is to eye him as my spoil! Man breaks no faith with man, for he has pledged none. He casts away no fame, no reputation. He does not wreck the heart that blindly trusted--leaned upon--him. He does not, for an hour's indulgence, whim, or vanity, give up all honour--name--esteem--respect--rank --kindred--friends--the world--for ever! This is the sacrifice that woman offers. Let her demand it from her lover--see if he dares to make it? Ask him--let the mistress that he sues to ask him!--to lie--to beg--to steal--to take a blow--be branded as a wretch--shunned by the honoured of his own sex--scorned even by the worthy of the other? His answer is--that he can bleed--can die--can give up fortune--hope--nay, even her love--but may not lose his _caste_--live in the world's contempt--his own disgust--for ever. Yet fate had dealt harshly with the lady of Arestino! She was a wife, but she was the unwooed, unwilling wife of a proud and unfeeling husband. Eight years she had been wedded, and eight years her heart had slept as dead; or, waking, waked but to swell with sullen bitterness against that power by which its rights had been despised. He who is wise, though his self-love may suffer, makes his wooing otherwise than this. He will not trust his all of hope in life to one whose every hope in life himself has blasted! Ye who seek service, love, or safety, seek it with the free! Will ye have chains?--then look that they be chains of adamant! ye made a traitor when ye made a slave. * * * * *