《后汉书·列传·酷吏列传》
末世风俗变薄，上下相欺，德义不能使人和睦相处，化道不足以惩恶，于是用严刑痛杀，随时处理，致使刻深的吏员，按暴理奸，靠了疾恶邪乱的公直心，助长了惨酷的虐情。
叔世偷薄，上下相蒙，德义不足以相洽，化导不能以惩违，遂乃严刑痛杀，随而绳之，致刻深之吏，以暴理奸，倚疾邪之公直，济忍苛之虐情。
Bad customs prevailed at the end of the world, with everyone deceiving each other, thus ethics and morality failed to encourage mutual respect among people and transformation failed to deter evil-doing. Therefore, cruel and punitive measures had to be implemented, to punish wrongdoers, thus bringing about more severe officials, using violent methods to bully and exploit others, satisfying their thoughts of hating evil and eliminating it, and adding further cruel mistreatment.