led what was unjust, and gave it a
semblance of what was just; and how they selected some particular
statute which favored their own side of the question, and by cunning
reasonings warped the rest to the same side. After judgement was given,
the decrees were conveyed to their clients, friends and favorers, who,
to recompense them for their services, continued to shout, "O HOW JUST,
O HOW JUST!" After this I conversed respecting them with the angels of
heaven, and related to them some of the things I had seen and heard. The
angels said to me, "Such judges appear to others to be endowed with a
most extraordinary acuteness of intellect; when yet they do not at all
see what is just and equitable. If you remove the prejudices of
friendship in favor of particular persons, they sit mute in judgement
like so many statues, and only say, 'I acquiesce, and am entirely of
your opinion on this point.' This happens because all their judgements
are prejudices; and prejudice with partiality influences the case in
question from beginning to end. Hence they see nothing but what is
connected with their friend's interest; and whatever is contrary
thereto, they set aside; or if they pay any attention to it, they
involve it in intricate reasonings, as a spider wraps up its prey in a
web, and make an end of it; hence, unless they follow the web of their
prejudice, they see nothing of what is right. They were examined whether
they were able to see it, and it was discovered that they were not. That
this is the case, will seem wonderful to the inhabitants of your world;
but tell them it is a truth that has been investigated by the angels of
heaven. As they see nothing of what is just, we in heaven regard them
not as men but as monsters, whose heads are constituted of things
relating to friendship, their breasts of those relating to injustice,
their feet of those which relate to confirmation, and the soles of the
feet of those things which relate to justice, which they supplant and
trample under foot, in case they are unfavorable to the interests of
their friend. But of what quality they appear to us from heaven, you
shall presently see; for their end is at hand." And lo! at that instant
the ground was cleft asunder, and the tables fell one upon another, and
they were swallowed up, together with the whole amphitheatre, and were
cast into caverns, and imprisoned. It was then said to me, "Do you wish
to see them where they now are?" And lo! their fac