The Lad, being very attentive to wait on them, went formost. When they were got upon the Bridge; come hither, my pretty Boy, said the Hermit, I must give your Aunt some small Token of my Respect for her last Night's Favours. Upon that, he twisted his Fingers in the Hair of his Head, and threw him, very calmly, into the River. Down went the little Lad; he came up once again to the Surface of the Water; but was soon lost in the rapid Stream. O thou Monster! thou worst of Villains, cry'd _Zadig_! Didn't you promise, said the Hermit, to view my Conduct with Patience? Know then, that had that Boy liv'd but one Year longer, he would have murder'd his Foster-Mother. Who told you so, you barbarous Wretch, said _Zadig_? And when did you read that inhuman Event in your _Black-Book_ of _Fate_? Who gave you Permission pray, to drown so innocent a Youth, that had never disoblig'd you? No sooner had our young _Babylonian_ ceas'd his severe Reflections, but he perceiv'd that the old Hermit's long Beard grew shorter and shorter; that the Furrows in his Face began to fill up, and that his Cheeks glow'd with a Rose-coloured Red, as if he had been in the Bloom of Fifteen. His Mantle was vanish'd at once; and on his Shoulders, which were before cover'd, appear'd four angelic Wings, each refulgent as the Sun. O thou Messenger of Heaven! O thou angelic Form! cry'd _Zadig_, and fell prostrate at his Feet; thou art descended from the Empireum, I find, to instruct such a poor frail Mortal as I am, how to submit to the Mysteries of Fate. Mankind in general, said the Angel _Jesrad_, judge of the Whole, by only viewing the hither Link of the Chain. Thou, of all the human Race, wast the only Man that deserv'd to have thy Mind enlighten'd. _Zadig_, begg'd Leave to speak. I am somewhat diffident of myself, 'tis true; but may I presume, Sir, to beg the Solution of one Scruple? Would it not have been better to have chastiz'd the Lad, and by that Means reform'd him, than to have cut him off thus unprepar'd in a Moment. _Jesrad_, replied, had he been virtuous, and had he liv'd, 'twas his _Fate_ not only to be murder'd himself, but his Wife, whom he would afterwards have married, and the little Infant, that was to have been the Pledge of their mutual Affection. Is it necessary then, venerable Guide, that there should be Wickedness and Misfortunes in the World, and that those Misfortunes should fall with Weight on the Heads of the Righteous? The Wicked, replied _Jesrad_, are always unhappy. Misfortunes are intended only as a Touch-stone, to try a small Number of the Just, who are thinly scatter'd about this terrestrial Globe: Besides, there is no Evil under the Sun, but some Good proceeds from it: But, said _Zadig_, Suppose the World was all Goodness, and there was no such Thing in Nature as Evil. Then, that World of yours, said _Jesrad_, would be another World; the Chain of Events would be another Wisdom; and that other Order, which would be perfect, must of Necessity be the