“It is a wheel which moves all other wheels,” replied William. He soon took me to a secret place. “There,” said he, “do you hear the sound of something falling on that wheel?” I saw, and heard the sound. It seemed to me like gold and silver. I heard a mind say to its comrade, “suppose the gold and silver should cease to fall on that wheel, do you think it would move?”
“The wheel,” replied he, “must have weight, or it would cease to revolve; and when that wheel stops, all the rest must stop, for they depend on its motion.”
“What,” said I, “do you call that main wheel, William?”
W. I call it the wheel of Ruin. I might call it a wheel of Fortune, or rather, as thou wouldst say, the wheel of misfortune; for what is the gain of one, is the loss of the other. There is gain thrown on to the wheel from the current of popularity, but it does not return again to the owner. He will never receive what he has given to the devouring cupidity of the main wheel of all the machinery in this dismal castle. Thou wilt see, that when the weight is withheld, the wheel will assume its just balance, and there remain. When the wheel stops, all the dependent wheels will stop. Therefore, the weights are the moving power of the whole machinery of this castle.
T. Is it not right to remove these weights?
W. These weights will follow the current into which they have been thrown; but when the current is changed, the bark on which they ride will change also its direction.
T. Then, where will the inhabitants of this castle go?
W. They will go where they please, and be free.
T. Would not the freedom of light and love be abused by their emancipation? Would they not run into all manner of excess and crime, if restraint were removed?
W. Thou knowest thy experience. When thou wast admitted into the circle of light and love, didst thou run into excess because of thy freedom? I perceive thou art now even more ready and willing to do thy duty, than when thou wast entangled with the yoke of bondage.