Chapter XVII

1 _The city of Lon is divided into parts_. 4 _Certain men get them new names_. 7 _An heavy tax is imposed upon the traders_. 11 _A dearth of paper arises in the land_. 13 _Concerning Northcliffe_. 16 _And concerning Welz_. 22 _Strange chariots are seen throughout the land_. 25 _The ways of the charioteers_.

All Gaul is divided into three parts; but _at the time_ when there was war, the city of Lon, it was divided into more parts than three. And unto each part _there was_ a number given.

2 And it was ordained that whosoever should write him an epistle unto any man of Lon, he should write also the number of _the part_ upon the outside of it.

3 And all the people obeyed the commandment. But the rulers, and the servants _of the_ rulers, they obeyed it not, being exercised with the business of the war _so that_ they forgot all else.

4 ¶ Now there were certain men and their names, they were framed _after_ the manner of those of Hu. And it was a cause of continual trouble unto them that their names, they were _what_ they were.

5 And they gathered themselves together and they did commune, the one with the other, _concerning_ their infirmity. And they cursed the days of their births, and did pour loud murmurings of anger _upon_ the heads of their ancestors.

6 And, _afterwards_, they gat them new names. Yea, whatsoever name seemed good _unto_ them, that name did they take for themselves, so that no man ever _again_ did hold up his hands in horror at the mention of them.

7 ¶ Now the rulers laid a tax upon the profits of all the traders that did make benefit during _the time_ when there was war. And it was an heavy tax, so that little was left over.

8 Wherefore all the traders set them out for to make that kind of money _that is_ not amongst the profits. And they were hard put to _for_ to do it.

9 And they became full of generosity towards their servants, and they did exercise great care in the preservation of their buildings, nor grudged a little money for to make them beautiful.

10 Yea, they were full of craft, and their cunning filled the hearts of the righteous _sort_ with envy. And the money that they did make, verily, it was not all of the kind _that is_ amongst the profits.

11 ¶ Now it came to pass that a great dearth of paper arose throughout the land, and all the people were afraid _because_ of it, And they reasoned amongst themselves, the one with the other, _saying_,

12 By what means shall the scribes instruct us if, so _be_ it, the paper be taken away? And who shall train us _up_ in the way we should go?

13 ¶ And there was a _certain_ man, and his name, it was Northcliffe. And he called all the people unto him, and he spake unto them.

14 And he went down on his knees _before_ them, and he besought them earnestly and _with_ many tears that they should refrain from buying that paper which did bear the _sign_ of The Times.

15 And the power of his eloquence, it did move them mightily. Also, his paper was _of the_ cost of two pennies at a time when two farthings sufficed for another. Wherefore many did hearken unto his prayer.

16 ¶ Now there was a learned scribe, and his name, _it was_ Welz. And he was the first amongst all the men of En that did fly unto the moon.

17 And it came to pass that he did set out for to get him paper, and _he did_ get it. Yea, notwithstanding that it was _a time_ of war, nevertheless, he did get him a great abundance of paper.

18 And after it was got together, he sate him _down_ upon a seat, and he did write. And after the writing was finished, he called certain men unto him, and he did flip his fingers, _and_ he said unto them,

19 Behold, there is a new God come to be over us. For I _that_ know, I have written it. And what I have writ, verily, _it is_. And _it was_ not.

20 And he did get him more paper, and he sate him _down_ again, and he did write. And after the writing was finished, he called certain men unto him, and he did flip his fingers, _and_ he said unto them,

21 Behold, there is no king for to reign over us. For I _that_ know, I have written it. And what I have writ, verily, _it is_. And _it was_ not.

22 ¶ Now it came to pass about this time that many strange chariots were seen throughout the land. And each one did carry _upon it_ a mighty bag, a puffed out _thing_ of wonderful design.

23 And they were those chariots that erstwhile had been wont to take their motion _from_ a tank but, being converted, they now did take it _from_ the bag.

24 Nevertheless, it was whispered amongst the people that notwithstanding that the bag, it was full, yet _would_ they move not when the tank was empty. Wherefore many _did_ doubt the sincerity of their conversion.

25 ¶ Now whensoever it happened that a young man approached unto the driver of a public chariot seeking for to hire him _at a price_, then would the charioteer consider him for to see _the manner_ of man that he was.

26 And he would look upon the countenance of the young man; yea, from the crown of his head unto the soles that were upon his feet, _he would_ observe him narrowly.

27 And if the young man pleased him, he would say unto him, Because thou hast found favour _in_ mine eyes, therefore am I content. And the hire, it shall be _at a price_.

28 But if the young man was ill-favoured nor found favour in the eyes of the charioteer _because_ he carried a mean look, then would the charioteer say unto him,

29 Begone, thou _man_ of little promise, for what have I _to do_ with thee? Also, the wheels of my chariot are lacking in wind, _and_ I am a man that hath an empty tank.

30 Yea, howsoever it was, verily, he would have his _reason_. And after he had finished speaking, then would he haste him away _for_ to seek the man of his choice.