Novels and Miscellaneous Works - 1884 Author:Daniel Defoe Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: The Word 'devil' A Multiple. 299 their friends to the resentment of the ponrers whose councils they betray. Besides, the learned tell us, that ministers of... more » state make an excellent plea of their not betraying their intelligence, against all party inquiries into the great sums of money pretended to be paid for secret service ; and whether the secret service was to bribe people to betray things abroad or at home; whether the money was paid to somebody or to nobody; 3-mployed to establish correspondences abroad, or to establish families and amass treasure at home; in a word, whether it was to serve their country or serve themselves, it has been the same thing, and the same plea has been their protection: likewise, in the important affair which I am upon, it is hoped you will not desire me to betray my correspondents ; for you know, Satan is naturally cruel and malicious, and who knows what he might do to show his resentment ? at least it might endanger a stop of our intelligence for the future. And yet, before I have done, I shall make it very plain, that, however my information may be secret and difficult, that yet I came very honestly by it, and shall make a very good use of it; for it is a great mistake in those who think that an acquaintance with the affairs of the Devil may not be. made very useful to us all: they that know no evil can knov no good; and, as the learned tell us, that a stone taken ouv of the head of a toad is a good antidote against poison, so a competent knowledge of the Devil and all his ways, may be the best help to make us defy the Devil and all his works. CHAPTER H. Of The Word 'devil/ As "it is A Proper Name To The ni-.vu., AND ANY OR ALL HIS HOST, ANGKLS, ETC. It is a question, not yet determined by the learned, whether the word Devil b...« less