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King-Hunger 311
King-Hunger. Who are you, starveling? Answer.
Do you understand human speech?
Starveling. We are the peasants.
King-Hunger. What s your offense?
Starveling. We killed the devil.
King-Hunger. It was a man whom you burnt.
Starveling. No, it was the devil. The priest told us
so, and then we burnt him.
The peasant is condemned. The session of the
Court closes with a brief speech by King-Hunger:
King-Hunger. To-day you witnessed a highly in
structive spectacle. Divine, eternal justice has found in
us, as judges and your retainers, its brilliant reflection on
earth. Subject only to the laws of immortal equity, un
known to culpable compassion, indifferent to cursing and
entreating prayers, obeying the voice of our conscience
alone we illumed this earth with the light of human
wisdom and sublime, sacred truth. Not for a single
moment forgetting that justice is the foundation of life,
we have crucified the Christ in days gone by and since,
to this very day, we cease not to grace Golgotha with new
crosses. But, certainly, only ruffians, only ruffians are
hanged. We showed no mercy to God himself, in the
name of the laws of immortal justice would we be
now disconcerted by the howling of this impotent, starv
ing rabble, by their cursing and raging? Let them curse!
Life herself blesses us, the great sacred truth will screen
us with her veil, and the very decree of history will not
be more just than our own. What have they gained by
cursing? What? They are there, we re here. They
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