dence or his friendship : he is born 

 our friend; while his eyes are still 

 closed, already he believes in us: 

 even before his birth, he has given 

 himself to man. But the word 

 "friend" does not exactly depict 

 his affectionate worship* He 

 loves us and reveres us as though 

 we had drawn him out of nothing. 

 He is, before all, our creature full 

 of gratitude and more devoted 

 than the apple of our eye. He is 

 our intimate and impassioned 

 slave, whom nothing discourages, 

 whom nothing repels, whose 



