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.