CHAPTER VII.
1 Concerning the peace-mongers. 8 Willi speaketh concerning peace. 10 And expoundeth the meaning of the word. 15 Artemas beholdeth a vision. 21 Wherein David slayeth his thousands. 26 And meeteth with Willi and Mud.
Now there were certain men in the land of En, and their talk was for ever concerning peace.
2 And the manner of its attainment, this considered they not at all; neither did they concern themselves with the price to be paid for the blessings of it.
3 And though they were few in number, nevertheless, they were loud of voice; and a man that shouteth out, he is heard above a thousand that be silent.
4 And there was no reason in them, nor any words in their mouths save only, Peace, peace, peace.
5 And if one said unto them, Will ye crave peace of a tyrant? Then would they make answer, and they would say, Give us only peace.
6 And whosoever questioned them, saying, How long this peace, and in what manner shall it be assured? And would ye that our sons be dead in a lost cause? To him would they make answer, and they would say, Give us only peace.
7 And because there was no other word ready unto their tongues, therefore some called them Boloscheviks, and some did call them mad; but many did call them merely traitors.
8 ¶ Now, when Willi, that was the king of Hu, did speak concerning peace, a certain man that was of Amer, he approached unto him, and he questioned him, saying, Explain me now this peace, and expound its meaning unto me.
9 And tell me also, I beseech thee, what things be requisite of thine enemies that peace may come unto all peoples?
10 ¶ And Willi did expound the meaning of the word, even as the man of Amer did beseech him. And he spake unto him in these words, saying,
11 This and that also shall our enemies perform. And they shall return unto us all those lands which they have taken away; and we will behave in like manner unto them, keeping only whatsoever seemeth good unto us.
12 And there shall be a making right of the boundaries that do separate us from our neighbours; peradventure, they shall lose a little in the doing of it.
13 And the might of the Most High Lord of War, it shall be acclaimed of all the world; and afterwards there shall be peace.
14 And the man of Amer, he spake unto Willi, and he said unto him, Verily, the peace, concerning which thou hast spoken unto me, it is indeed the peace that passeth understanding.
15 ¶ Now it fell out on a time, that I, being Artemas, the scribe, did fall into a deep sleep. And whilst I slumbered, lo! a vision came unto me in a dream, and I beheld things.
16 And I saw a river that was wide; and the beginning and the end of it, they did reach beyond man's sight.
17 And on one side of the river, it was War; and on the other side of the river, it was Peace.
18 And, even as I looked, there came one David, a man of Cam, and chief amongst the rulers in the land of En.
19 And in his right hand he did carry a flaming sword; and in his left hand he did carry a picture of the man Winston. And he took up his stand at the crossing over of the river.
20 And it came to pass that the hosts of Hu drew nigh, fleeing before the swords of their adversaries. And they came unto the crossing over of the river.
21 ¶ And David said unto him that was first, Whither goest thou? And he replied unto him, saying, I go unto the Land of Peace. Suffer me, I beseech thee, that I may pass over.
22 And David cast an eye upon him. And he said unto him, Say now, therefore, Best oration. And, behold, he could not frame to pronounce it right, for the word, it was a stranger in his mouth.
23 But he spake as one afflicted of his speech, and did stutter most abominably.
24 And David took him; and he lifted high the flaming sword and slew him at the crossing over of the river.
25 And so it was with all that came up thither, because they could not frame to pronounce it right; wherefore many perished on that day.
26 ¶ And when David had made an end of all of them, a noise of trembling arose. And I did see Willi, that was the king of Hu.
27 And Mud, that was his son, behold, he was with him; and they were hid amongst the rushes of the river.
28 And when David saw them, he beckoned with his finger, saying unto them, Come hither, ye laggards, and ye that are hanging behind. Come, for this is the passage to Peace. Nevertheless they came not unto him.
29 And when he perceived that they came not unto him, then did he take off his garments from about him, and he descended unto them in all his awfulness.
30 And in his right hand he did carry the flaming sword; and in his left hand he did carry a picture of the man Winston.
31 And when he was come amongst them, he did raise up the flaming sword on high, and he said unto them, Say now, therefore, Restoration.
32 And on the instant I did wake, and my dream, it was flown away. Neither was it vouchsafed unto me again for to see the end of the vision.