l on his knees
before me, begged my pardon amid tears and groans, and held his right
leg towards me that I might feel how his heart beat.

At this I laughed, and almost forgot to be angry. I wiped the tears from
the poor sinner's eyes, and told him not to be afraid. He rose up,
kissed my hand, and went out to prepare my food. Not long after, I heard
lamentable cries and howls in the kitchen. I hastened thither, and to my
great astonishment, saw the humble and trembling Monsieur poltroon
engaged, very valiantly, in beating his wife and servant girls. When he
perceived me he took to flight. I turned to the weeping wife and girls
and demanded what could have excited such terrible anger in my lamb-like
host. They stood for some time, silently, with their eyes fixed on the
ground. At length, the wife replied in the following words: "You do not
seem, dear stranger! to have much knowledge of human nature. The
citizens of this place, who dare not look at an armed enemy, and, at the
least noise, creep like mice into holes, hector in the kitchens, and
tyrannize over us feeble women."

Thoroughly disgusted by the mean and cowardly spirit of this people, I
hired a boat to go to Mikolak. On landing I missed my outer coat, which
I recollected to have put in the boat at starting. After quarrelling a
long time with the boatman, who denied all knowledge of it, I went to a
magistrate, and related the whole matter to him. I asserted that I had
at least a right to demand my own property, if I could not sue at law
one with whom I had entrusted my goods.

The boatman still denied the theft, and required that I should be
punished for wrongly accusing him. In this doubtful case, the court
demanded witnesses. This demand I could not answer, but proposed that my
opponent should take oath on his innocence.

At this proposal the judge smiled and said: "In this land, my friend,
there is no weight in religious confirmation. The laws are our gods.
Proof must, therefore, be given in a formal manner, by witnesses or
written documents. Whoever cannot do this not only lose their case, but
are subject to punishment for malicious accusation. Prove your case by
witnesses, and you will get your own again." I lost my case, but from
regard to the hospitality due to strangers, was not punished.

I had far more reason to pity this people than to regret my own loss.
How weak is that society which relies for its safety on bare human laws.
It is like a city bu