Page:Leaves of Grass (1860).djvu/211

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Leaves of Grass.
203

18. Great is Law—great are the old few landmarks of
the law,
They are the same in all times, and shall not be
disturbed.

19. Great are commerce, newspapers, books, free-trade,
railroads, steamers, international mails, tele-
graphs, exchanges.

20. Great is Justice!
Justice is not settled by legislators and laws—it is in
the Soul,
It cannot be varied by statutes, any more than love,
pride, the attraction of gravity, can,
It is immutable—it does not depend on majorities—
majorities or what not come at last before the
same passionless and exact tribunal.

21. For justice are the grand natural lawyers and perfect
judges—it is in their Souls,
It is well assorted—they have not studied for noth-
ing—the great includes the less,
They rule on the highest grounds—they oversee all
eras, states, administrations.

22. The perfect judge fears nothing—he could go front
to front before God,
Before the perfect judge all shall stand back—life
and death shall stand back—heaven and hell
shall stand back.

23. Great is Goodness!
I do not know what it is, any more than I know what
health is—but I know it is great.