CHAPTER VI.
1 The chief amongst the tax gatherers speaketh unto the people. 5 They hearken unto him. 9 Wherefore the price of paper increaseth. 12 The people are divided amongst themselves concerning the notes of paper. 17 The nature thereof. 19 The people lend their money unto the rulers. 26 And the land of En becometh mighty.
And because there was war, therefore did he that was chief amongst the tax gatherers send word unto the people regarding what they should do. And he said unto them, Hearken unto me, all ye men of wealth, and obey my behests.
2 Ye know that the hosts of En are gone out against a mighty enemy, against a strong foe and one that is wary. And his armaments are terrible beyond anything seen by men before. Therefore it behoves us to gird up our loins for the fray, because it will be a fight unto the death.
3 And all the gold that ye have, that bring ye unto me, and I will give you notes that are of paper in place of it. And whatsoever ye may buy with gold, that may ye also buy with the notes of paper.
4 And our strength will be great amongst the nations, for gold maketh a good ambassador. And we will buy us deadly engines of war and munitions in a great quantity, for a long purse sufficeth in all things.
5 ¶ And so the people did bring gold unto the rulers, some in pieces of ten, some in pieces of an hundred, and some in pieces of a thousand. Verily, whatever gold the people did have, that did they bring with them.
6 And as the people delivered their gold unto the one appointed, he would say unto them, How many pieces of gold hast thou brought, brother? And he would answer them, saying, Such and such a number have I brought.
7 And he would exchange him the gold for notes of paper, even one note of paper for each piece of gold that he did bring with him.
8 And the weight of gold that was exchanged in those days, it was very heavy, so that it did take seven hundred seventy and seven thousands of elephants for to move it.
9 ¶ And the number of the notes of paper was beyond all counting. Wherefore there was a dearth of paper in the land and the price of it became an high one.
10 And they that were dealers in books demanded five shekels of silver for their wares; and before, they did ask only four shekels of silver and six pieces of copper.
11 Nevertheless, there yet remained some in the land that bought them books for to read: and the rest of the people, recking not the waste of paper, did take up their pens, and they did write. And Artemas, the scribe, he was one of these.
12 ¶ And because it was not the custom in the land of En to use notes of paper, save amongst them that were rich, therefore were the people divided among themselves concerning it, whether it were for an advantage.
13 And those that were careless in their manner of living, they liked it not. But the others, they were content, for the notes of paper were without weight, and the space that they did occupy, it was small.
14 And when a man, thinking it a bill that was not paid, did throw away a note of paper that was worth twenty shekels of silver, then would he curse aloud, using new words, and he would affright the passers-by with the violence of his lamentations.
15 And because the notes of paper were thin and did stick themselves together, therefore did a debtor, being unaware, sometimes give the worth of two pieces of gold unto him to whom he owed but one.
16 And this man also would sorrow cursefully and he would tear his hair. And Willi, that was the cause of it, he would consign him unto the nethermost part of Hell.
17 ¶ And the notes of paper were not alike, being writ in two colours; and the one colour, it was black, and the other colour, it was red.
18 And one of those that were writ in black was as much as two that were writ in red; wherefore, and because they were passing rare, they found great favour in the eyes of the people.
19 ¶ Now it came to pass that the rulers did have a need of money for to buy them implements of war. And they sent word unto the people concerning it.
20 And immediately there arrived at the receipt of custom a great multitude of men, each man bearing upon his back a weight of money, according to his means. And they jostled, the one against the other, in their haste to be first.
21 And they said unto the rulers of the land, All that which we have brought with us, that do we lend unto you. Go ye out, therefore, and buy ye the things that are necessary. Neither shall ye stint yourselves in the matter, but rest assured that whatsoever more ye shall require, it shall be forthcoming.
22 And the notes of paper that they did bring unto the rulers of the land were in number as the blades of grass in a meadow that extendeth out of sight. Yea, even more than the words of the rulers was the number thereof, notwithstanding that the jaws of these were for ever agitated.
23 So the rulers of the land did set out for to buy them munitions of war in a great quantity; even all that which they did require did they set out for to buy.
24 And all the merchants of the world came in unto them and displayed their wares before them; and they were eager for to make the bargain and to traffick with the rulers.
25 For the power of money was great in that time, and the things that it could not do, they were not.
26 ¶ And because the people brought unto the rulers money that was of a value beyond calculation, therefore was the might of En felt throughout all the world.