Chapter VI

1 _The rulers send unto Artemas_. 4 _He seeketh the Lord High Physician_. 22 _And findeth him_. 23 _One carrieth a multitude of papers_. 27 _A man of fat hoppeth wonderfully_. 31 _The scribe performeth also_. 37 _Wherefore he is sent away_.

Now it came to pass that the rulers sent word unto me, _saying_, Stand forth, and show thyself unto a physician, for we have need of thee to smite the men of Hu.

2 And I rose up from my bed _and_ anointed myself with sweet oil and did shave the hair from off my face _with_ a razor.

3 And I did don my richest apparel and did put in the pocket of _it_ a brush for the teeth, fearing lest they should _straightway_ send me into battle, and mine habitation, I should see it no more.

41 ¶ And after I was made ready, _I did_ hie me unto the place appointed.

5 Now when I was come there, I saw a man; and he was one of the fighters of En, being _also_ a scribe.

6 And I drew nigh unto him, and I did salute him saying, Peace be unto thee, brother, and peace be _upon thy_ father's house. Nevertheless, he heeded me not, but did continue in the task that he was doing.

7 And after he had writ all _that which_ he was minded to write, and more also, then lifted he his eyes towards me. And he spake unto me in a _voice_ of thunder, saying, Wots-yer nime?

8 And because the language that he spake, it was strange unto mine ear, and because the look upon his face, _it was_ terrible, therefore did I seek for to pacify him.

9 And I said unto him, Whatsoever thou hast _said_, verily, it is so; and who be I to gainsay thee? But what be the _meaning_ of it, that indeed I know not.

10 Now there was one that _came_ after me, a young man, benign of countenance; and he did understand the meaning _of it_, and he interpreted it unto me,

11 So I made answer, and I said unto him _that_ asked, Behold I am a citizen of Lon, a poor scribe, and my name, _it is_ Artemas.

12 Wherefore he did write down Artemus. And _after_ he had written it so, he spake unto me again, saying, Get thee to the physician, that we may know what _manner_ of man thou art. And I gat me thence.

13 And I came unto a certain place, where four winds _did_ meet. And I did take _up_ my stand in that corner of it that was most draughty; and I did wait.

14 And after I was become hardened by _the length_ of my vigil, then did the Lord High Physician send out an herald.

15 And he stood upon the step _of the_ house wherein the physician was hid, and he called out in a loud voice, saying, Artemus.

16 And the eyes of them that were round _about_, they did look on me with envy; and there was hate in their hearts also because I was summoned for to go up _before_ them.

17 And when I was come within the house, behold, _there was_ a man, and he commanded me that I should take off my raiment, that was also my richest apparel. Yea, whatsoever I did _have_ on, that did he command me _to_ take off.

18 And the mandate troubled me greatly, for I was a young _man_ and loth to reveal my loveliness _before_ all the world.

19 And because I was backward in setting about it, therefore did he hearten me _with_ words; yea, he did bid me that I should get me a move _on_.

20 And I did get me a move _on_; but all else _I did_ get me off.

21 And when I was become naked enough, then did he measure the height of my stature, and _what_ it was. And I was weighed in the balance, also, _and_ found wanting. And afterwards he did take me unto the Lord High Physician.

22 ¶ And there were others in that _room_, being in like straits to myself. And each _of us_ did eye his fellows with a great contempt, for, verily, _we were_ a sorry lot, and strangely made.

23 ¶ Now he that went up before me, he did carry in his hand a multitude of papers. And he spake unto the Lord High Physician, and _he said_ unto him, Behold, I am sick unto death.

24 And after the Lord High Physician had taken stock _of him_, and after he had read that which was writ upon the papers, then spake he unto the young man, and he said,

25 It seemeth unto me that thou art a vigorous youth and hefty. But if, peradventure, _thou art_ sick unto death, what _matter_ the means to thy end? And he did send him forth.

26 And the young man was amazed, for he had paid one hundred talents of gold for _that which_ was writ upon the papers, being assured that he might work the matter by _force_ of their numbers.

27 ¶ And after him there stood forth another. And he was a man given _over_ to fatness, so that even in his resting moments he was continually _out of_ breath.

28 And the Lord High Physician _spake_ unto him in these words, saying, Stand thou upon thy right leg, _and_ hop; and he did hop.

29 And the Lord High Physician spake unto him again, _saying_, Stand thou now upon thy left leg, _and_ hop; and he did hop upon his left leg also.

30 And, behold, his stomach, it did shake _before_ him, for it was _of a_ size, and loose withal. Wherefore, the hopping of him, _it was_ a matter of delight.

31 ¶ And after it was finished, then did the Lord High Physician command me to stand forth; and _I did_ stand forth.

32 And when he had seen me, _what_ I was, he said unto the scribe that attended him, Verily, this man's nakedness _becometh_ him ill, and his body, it lacketh meat. So let _it be_ recorded of him.

33 And he spake unto me again, saying, Read now the symbols that _thou seest_ before thee. And because they were _beyond_ the sight of mine eye, therefore spake he unto the scribe again, saying unto him, Verily, the fool hath not even eyes to see. So let _it be_ recorded of him.

34 And he did smite me upon the chest, and he ordered me _to say_ unto him, Ninety-nine.

35 And he did smite me upon the stomach, being in a tender place, and on _the top_ of the back did he smite me also.

36 And he commanded me that I should perform the hop; and I did perform it. And I did do other things _also_, and did disport myself _about_ the floor. And the eyes _of_ the man of fat, they were filled with satisfaction.

37 ¶ And after the Lord High Physician, he had marked me for _what_ I was, he called a servant unto him, and he commanded him, saying, Take thou _this_ man out of my sight. And I departed out of his sight for ever.

38 And I returned unto mine habitation, taking also the brush for the teeth that I had brought away.

39 Neither did the rulers send unto me again, for _what_ I was, it was writ upon the records, and _what_ I was, behold, _it was_ enough.