and with religious
scrupulousness the reasons for which he does not deserve death, and also
the sins of the others who ought to die instead of him, and further the
mistakes of the magistrates. If, moreover, it should seem right to the
person thus asserting, he must say why the accused ones are deserving of
less punishment than he. And if by his arguments he gains the victory he
is sent into exile, and appeases the state by means of prayers and
sacrifices and good life ensuing. They do not torture those named by the
accused person, but they warn them. Sins of frailty and ignorance are
punished only with blaming, and with compulsory continuation as
learners under the law and discipline of those sciences or arts against
which they have sinned. And all these things they have mutually among
themselves, since they seem to be in very truth members of the same
body, and one of another.

This further I would have you know, that if a transgressor, without
waiting to be accused, goes of his own accord before a magistrate,
accusing himself and seeking to make amends, that one is liberated from
the punishment of a secret crime, and since he has not been accused of
such a crime, his punishment is changed into another. They take special
care that no one should invent slander, and if this should happen they
meet the offence with the punishment of retaliation. Since they always
walk about and work in crowds, five witnesses are required for the
conviction of a transgressor. If the case is otherwise, after having
threatened him, he is released after he has sworn an oath as the warrant
of good conduct. Or if he is accused a second or third time, his
increased punishment rests on the testimony of three or two witnesses.
They have but few laws, and these short and plain, and written upon a
flat table, and hanging to the doors of the temple, that is between the
columns. And on single columns can be seen the essences of things
described in the very terse style of Metaphysics--viz., the essences of
God, of the angels, of the world, of the stars, of man, of fate, of
virtue, all done with great wisdom. The definitions of all the virtues
are also delineated here, and here is the tribunal, where the judges of
all the virtues have their seat. The definition of a certain virtue is
written under that column where the judges for the aforesaid virtue sit,
and when a judge gives judgment he sits and speaks thus: O son, thou
hast sinned against this sacr