CHAPTER II.
1 Peace reigneth in En. 2 Internal discord is loosed. 4 The men of Ire have much power. 6 They obtain their demands. 12 Petty strife prevaileth. 14 The priests see wickedness everywhere. 19 The owners of ships raise their hire. 26 The rulers are blamed. 27 Concerning the war scribes.
Now there was peace throughout all the land of En, and the noise of battle was afar off. And the merchants of the world did bring their wares for to sell them, even fine cloth and spices that were rare did they bring in their ships.
2 ¶ But he that putteth away the sword doth loosen the tongue; wherefore it came to pass that there was great talk amongst the rulers, and the mighty men did say things, the one against the other.
3 And there were many jealousies amongst them, and they did utter spiteful sayings concerning each other; verily, they were like unto evil-minded children in a quarrel, and their pettiness of spirit was an abomination.
4 ¶ Now an House that is divided against itself will stand anything. And when men from the land of Ire took power into their own hands and did rule over En, there was no one amongst the rulers to say them nay.
5 And the men of Ire exacted tribute from the rulers, and the people of the land rebelled not; for penury doth bring forth wisdom, but prosperity breedeth only fools. And the prosperity of the land of En was great.
6 ¶ And when the men of Ire saw that all that which they demanded was given unto them, they did make them long faces, and did grumble aloud, and did utter groans in the public places and strange noises in the portals of the House. And when they had thus prepared the way for it, they did straightways ask for more.
7 And a few that dwelt in the land of En did make them a stand, saying, What we have given unto you, it is enough. Therefore, get ye hence, ye men of Ire.
8 And the men of Ire waxed very wroth, and they did curse the men of En and did swear strange oaths concerning them, so that they that were weak amongst the rulers began to shiver in their sandals.
9 And they held them a council together in secret and did agitate themselves greatly, seeking for a means whereby they might escape from the wrath of the men of Ire, for it was a terrible wrath, being very ugly.
10 And after one had said one thing and another had said another thing, then did all them that were gathered together make them an agreement, and they did give unto the men of Ire all those things that they had demanded.
11 And the men of Ire prepared them long faces and did get them ready for another occasion. Neither was the day ever known when any man that was from Ire did render thanks for that which he had received.
12 ¶ And class quarrelled with class, the artisan with the master, the noble with the serf, the priests with the people, and the fools with one another.
13 And all those that thought one thing did contend with them that did think another thing, and the bickering that was between them, it was very great.
14 ¶ And there were those amongst the priests that did travel about the country, crying out in a loud voice, and saying, Wickedness! Wickedness! All is wickedness!
15 And they did say many things concerning the young men and concerning the damsels, and also concerning them both together. And those that listened unto them were amazed that such things should be; and some there were that doubted.
16 And the priests did raise their hands unto heaven, saying, Deliver us from evil. And the people did drop their hands towards the earth, saying, Deliver us from the priests.
17 And notwithstanding all that which was said by the priests and by them that did grub into things, the wickedness of the people was in no wise greater than the wickedness of the other nations of the world.
18 And this was the state of the land of En when Willi did make him the War: but afterwards, it was different. For the rulers declared them a truce, and no longer cried out after one another in the public places; nevertheless, the ardour of the priests remained without abatement, and there were those amongst the newsmongers on both sides that did conceal their partisanship in an ill manner.
19 ¶ And because the land of En was built upon an island, therefore was it necessary for the food of the people to be brought unto them in ships.
20 And the men of Hu did sink of these ships a few, and the rulers of the land did seize a great number of them for to carry the armies and the implements of war. Wherefore the number of them that were available for to bring the people's food, it was less than before.
21 And they that did own the ships that remained did make them new rates of freight that were twofold, and threefold, and fourfold greater than those that had been before.
22 And the merchants did make them higher prices for the wares that they did sell; and some did do so because it was forced upon them; and others did do so because they were greedy for the profits, wherefore they spake privily, the one unto the other, saying, See, brother, the opportunity is upon us.
23 And because it was beyond them and they could devise no plan against it, therefore did the rulers of the land hold themselves aloof from all these things for a full two years.
24 Wherefore the people did pay them very dearly for everything that they did eat, and those that did sell merchandise in the market places, these grew fat in a lean time.
25 And when the people murmured, the rulers spake soft words unto them, saying, Assuredly is your lot cast in an hard place; even so, the straits of the men of Hu, are they not worse than yours? And because it was war, therefore were the people easily appeased.
26 ¶ Nevertheless, there were many that complained because the owners of the ships and those that sold the people's food did make them profits such as never before; and many blamed the rulers that did countenance such things at a time when there was war.
27 ¶ Now there were certain men amongst the scribes and they did wage them the war on paper.
28 And, of these, Belloc did write him for the great captains and for them in authority, that they might read and learn and receive his commandments.
29 And Blatch did write him for the common soldier, wherefore the violence of his words was a thing for delight, demolishing all contrary argument.
30 And Garv did write him so that all might read. And because there was nothing that this man did leave unwritten, therefore did those that followed him perforce forego their sabbath meal.
31 And there was also Horatio, being he that did for ever step into the breach; yea, even into the breach that was not there did he step; and he wrote concerning righteousness and blood.
32 And there were also others in great number, and all did write them freely and as men that did know.
33 And when the captains did not do those things that had been written down for their instruction, then was there much anger amongst the war scribes, and they did gnash their teeth in rage.
34 Wherefore they were continually provoked beyond endurance, and they wrote them more because of it.