Les ruines, ou méditation sur les révolutions des empires

CHAPTER III.

"greed has added: thus, I will oppress the weak, and I will devour the fruits of his labor, and I will say: it is God who decreed it, it is fate that willed it."
— But as for me, I swear it by the laws of heaven and earth, and by the laws of the human heart! the hypocrite will be deceived in his deceit, and the unjust man in his rapacity; the sun will change its course before folly prevails over wisdom and knowledge, and before blindness carries it over prudence in the delicate art of procuring for man his true enjoyments, and of founding his happiness on solid bases.

THE EXPOSITION.

CHAPTER IV.

The Exposition.

Thus spoke the phantom. Stunned by this discourse, and my heart agitated by various thoughts, I remained for a long time in silence. Finally, emboldening myself to speak, I said to him:
"O Genius of the tombs and ruins! your presence and your severity have thrown my senses into confusion; but the justice of your discourse restores confidence to my soul. Forgive my ignorance. Alas! if man is blind, shall that which causes his torment also constitute his crime? I may have misunderstood the voice of reason; but I did not reject it after having known it. Ah! if you read in my heart, you know how much it desires the truth; you know that it seeks it with passion......... And is it not in pursuit of it that you see me in these remote places? Alas! I have traveled the earth, I have visited the countrysides and the cities; and seeing everywhere misery and