8
For those who promised to drive off the fears and disorders of a sick soul were sick themselves with ridiculous fear.
9
For even if nothing disturbing frightened them, yet, scared by the passing of beasts and the hissing of serpents,
10
they perished in trembling fear, refusing to look even at the air, though it nowhere could be avoided.
11
For wickedness is a cowardly thing, condemned by its own testimony; distressed by conscience, it has always exaggerated the difficulties.
12
For fear is nothing but surrender of the helps that come from reason;
13
and the inner expectation of help, being weak, prefers ignorance of what causes the torment.
14
But throughout the night, which was really powerless, and which beset them from the recesses of powerless Hades, they all slept the same sleep,
15
and now were driven by monstrous specters, and now were paralyzed by their souls' surrender, for sudden and unexpected fear overwhelmed them.
16
And whoever was there fell down, and thus was kept shut up in a prison not made of iron;
17
for whether he was a farmer or a shepherd or a workman who toiled in the wilderness, he was seized, and endured the inescapable fate; for with one chain of darkness they all were bound.
18
Whether there came a whistling wind, or a melodious sound of birds in wide-spreading branches, or the rhythm of violently rushing water,