It makes us betray, accuse, and fight against ourselves, and for want of other witnesses, to give evidence against ourselves: "Occultum quatiens animo tortore flagellum." ["The torturer of the soul brandishing a sharp scourge within." -- Juvenal, iii.

195.] This story is in every child's mouth: Bessus the Paeonian, being reproached for wantonly pulling down a nest of young sparrows and killing them, replied, that he had reason to do so, seeing that those little birds never ceased falsely to accuse him of the murder of his father.
This parricide had till then been concealed and unknown, but the revenging fury of conscience caused it to be discovered by him himself, who was to suffer for it.

Hesiod corrects the saying of Plato, that punishment closely follows sin, it being, as he says, born at the same time with it.

Whoever expects punishment already suffers it, and whoever has deserved it expects it.

Wickedness contrives torments against itself: "Malum consilium consultori pessimum." ["Ill designs are worst to the contriver." -- Apud Aul.