Was it not through her that I beguiled the first woman?
And ever since she has remained on earth and waxed very great therein, so
that by now the world is hardly anything but one mass of hypocrisy. And
were it not for the craftiness of Hypocrisy how could anyone of us do
business in any part of the world? For what man would ever have aught to
do with sin, did he once behold it in its true color and under its own
proper name? He would sooner clasp a devil in his own infernal shape and
garb. If it were not that Hypocrisy can disguise the name and nature of
every evil under the semblance of some good, and give a bad name to every
goodness, no man at all would put forth his hand to do evil or would lust
after it. Walk through the entire city of Destruction and ye will
perceive her greatness in every quarter. Go to the street of Pride and
ask for an arrogant man or for a penny-worth of affectation mixed through
pride: 'Woe is me,' exclaims Hypocrisy, 'there is no such thing here,'
no, nor for a devil, anything else in the whole street save proud
demeanour. Or walk into the street of Lucre and enquire for the miser's
house: pshaw, there is no one of the kind therein; or for the dwelling
of the murderer among the doctors, or for the abode of highwaymen amongst
the drovers; thou wouldst sooner be thrown to prison for asking than that
one should confess to his own name.
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