Concerning Letters | Page 7

of this city,
fell into a cesspool in the Vita Publica, and while being quietly
drowned, was espied of the burgess Pardonix by the light of a lanthorn
held by the old man Cethru; and, forasmuch as, plunging in, the said
Pardonix rescued her, not without grave risk of life and the ruin, of his

clothes, and to-day lies ill of fever; and forasmuch as the old man
Cethru was the cause of these misfortunes to the burgess Pardonix, by
reason of his wandering lanthorn's showing the drowning maiden, the
Watch do hereby indict, accuse, and otherwise place charge upon this
Cethru of 'Vagabondage without serious occupation.'
"And, forasmuch as on this same night the Watchman Filepo, made
aware, by the light of this said Cethru's lanthorn, of three sturdy
footpads, went to arrest them, and was set on by the rogues and well-
nigh slain, the Watch do hereby indict, accuse, and otherwise charge
upon Cethru complicity in this assault, by reasons, namely, first, that he
discovered the footpads to the Watchman and the Watchman to the
footpads by the light of his lanthorn; and, second, that, having thus
discovered them, he stood idly by and gave no assistance to the law.
"And, forasmuch as on this same night the wealthy burgess Pranzo,
who, having prepared a banquet, was standing in his doorway awaiting
the arrival of his guests, did see, by the light of the said Cethru's
lanthorn, a beggar woman and her children grovelling in the gutter for
garbage, whereby his appetite was lost completely; and, forasmuch as
he, Pranzo, has lodged a complaint against the Constitution for
permitting women and children to go starved, the Watch do hereby
indict, accuse, and otherwise make charge on Cethru of rebellion and of
anarchy, in that wilfully he doth disturb good citizens by showing to
them without provocation disagreeable sights, and doth moreover
endanger the laws by causing persons to desire to change them.
"These be the charges, reverend Judges, so please you!"
And having thus spoken, the little advocate resumed his seat.
Then said the oldest of the Judges:
"Cethru, you have heard; what answer do you make?"
But no word, only the chattering of teeth, came from Cethru.
"Have you no defence?" said the Judge: "these are grave accusations!"
Then Cethru spoke:
"So please your Highnesses," he said, "can I help what my lanthorn
sees?"
And having spoken these words, to all further questions he remained
more silent than a headless man.
The Judges took counsel of each other, and the oldest of them thus
addressed himself to Cethru:

"If you have no defence, old man, and there is no one will say a word
for you, we can but proceed to judgment."
Then in the main aisle of the Court there rose a youthful advocate.
"Most reverend Judges," he said in a mellifluous voice, clearer than the
fluting of a bell-bird, "it is useless to look for words from this old man,
for it is manifest that he himself is nothing, and that his lanthorn is
alone concerned in this affair. But, reverend Judges, bethink you well:
Would you have a lanthorn ply a trade or be concerned with a
profession, or do aught indeed but pervade the streets at night, shedding
its light, which, if you will, is vagabondage? And, Sirs, upon the
second count of this indictment: Would you have a lanthorn dive into
cesspools to rescue maidens? Would you have a lanthorn to beat
footpads? Or, indeed, to be any sort of partisan either of the Law or of
them that break the Law? Sure, Sirs, I think not. And as to this third
charge of fostering anarchy let me but describe the trick of this
lanthorn's flame. It is distilled, most reverend Judges, of oil and wick,
together with that sweet secret heat of whose birth no words of mine
can tell. And when, Sirs, this pale flame has sprung into the air swaying
to every wind, it brings vision to the human eye. And, if it be charged
on this old man Cethru that he and his lanthorn by reason of their
showing not only the good but the evil bring no pleasure into the world,
I ask, Sirs, what in the world is so dear as this power to see whether it
be the beautiful or the foul that is disclosed? Need I, indeed, tell you of
the way this flame spreads its feelers, and delicately darts and hovers in
the darkness, conjuring things from nothing? This mechanical
summoning, Sirs, of visions out of blackness is benign, by no means of
malevolent intent; no more than if a man, passing two donkeys in the
road, one lean and the other fat, could justly be arraigned for
malignancy because they were not both