Chapter III

1 _The rulers in En_. 3 _Concerning Herbert_. 8 _Concerning David_. 11 _Concerning Winston_. 13 _Concerning Walter_. 14 _Concerning Reginald_. 19 _Concerning Samuel_. 20 _Concerning Simon_. 25 _Concerning Masterman_. 26 _Concerning Augustine_. 29 _Concerning Grey_. 33 _Concerning John_. 34 _Concerning Haldane_. 41 _Concerning Tennant_. 42 _Concerning the other rulers_.

Now these were the rulers in the land of En in the days when George that _was_ the Fifth did reign _and_ the Great War _was begun_.

2 There was Herbert, and David, and Winston, and Walter, and Reginald, and Samuel, and Simon, and Masterman, and Augustine, and Grey, and John, and Haldane, and Tennant; and _there were_ also others, whereof the number was great beyond computation.

3 ¶ And Herbert was the man that was responsible unto the people, and he did take the head place at the table whereat the rulers did sit. And there was in him an abundance of patience such as no man did ever have _before_; and he did keep the rulers together, all in one body.

4 And in time of discord he was like unto a gentle shepherd _when_ the rams do fight, and them that spake angrily in the council chamber he did soften with honeyed words.

5 Nevertheless, there were some that _did say_ wicked things concerning him, and they did compare him unto a woman _that is advanced_ in years.

6 And Herbert had taken unto himself a wife.

7 And when _the time_ came, he did leave the head place at the table whereat the rulers did sit, and he did go.

8 ¶ Now before that it _was_ war, David was an hated man; yet was he also loved. And _afterwards_ it came to pass that he was a much loved man, yet was he also hated.

9 And David did _many_ things so that men spake about him, saying, Behold, he is like unto a skeleton key that fitteth all locks. And _whatsoever_ there is need of, that thing will he surely do.

10 But _because_ he was new made and _did_ carry on, therefore he lost favour with certain of the Pharisees, and his name did _become_ an abomination unto them. Yet, when _the time_ came, he went up unto the head place at the table whereat the rulers did sit.

11 ¶ Now Winston _was_ a wild youth and rash, hot of the tongue and venturous in his undertakings. Nevertheless, _he was_ not lacking in understanding.

12 And because he was like unto new wine when the vintage is good, therefore did they set him down in a place that was cool, _saying_, Peradventure, in a little time, there will be maturity.

13 ¶ And Walter was over all them that did deal in merchandise, and he sojourned amongst the rulers _during_ many months. And the things that he did do, what man knoweth thereof? And when _the time_ came, he did go.

14 ¶ Now Reginald was blessed with an heart that was overflowing _with_ the milk of human kindness, and the lot of the immigrants from the land of Hu did move him mightily, so that he _did weep_ tears.

15 And there were many of these men in the land of En, some _of them_ being there that they might make money, and some _of them_ were come for to spy out the land.

16 But Reginald _did_ scorn to make him a distinction between them, fearing lest some man should say, See, there is _one_ that he favoureth.

17 Neither would he lay himself out to hinder any man that was earning his bread; and the spies _that were_ in the land, it was their means of livelihood.

18 Therefore did he uphold them, each man in his place, _because_ he _was_ Reginald. Wherefore there were many that conceived him weak _unto_ foolishness. And when _the time_ came, he did go.

19 ¶ And unto Samuel was given power over all the cities of En. And this man's name was not for ever in the mouths of the people, neither did they concern themselves at all _with the things_ that he did do. Nevertheless, _he was_ not an idle man. But when _the time_ came, he did go.

20 ¶ Now Simon was a man that was strange in his beliefs, neither _was_ he an help in time of trouble. And there were some that, seeking the reason for his _falling away_ in the time of his country's tribulation, did say he was _possessed_ of a devil.

21 And he was a man peaceable beyond all reason, _so that_ he did put himself against the patriots of the land of En when they did set them out for to wage war in a cause that _was_ just.

22 And because he and those that were with him _were_ as a voice that crieth in the wilderness, therefore he did get him out from the inner chamber wherein did sit the rulers of the land, and he _did_ make one cause with them _that did_ for ever carp and cavil.

23 And when the counsellors assembled together for to make them ordinances _for the_ salvation of the country, then would Simon rise upon his feet and he would make him an objection; therefore was he an hindrance unto them that did strive _against_ the perils that beset the land.

24 And Simon was not loved in the country of En. Yet was he earnest in the things that he did do, being a man with a conviction _that is_ founded amiss.

25 ¶ And he that was chief amongst all the rulers did say, on an occasion, Find thou me _the_ man; then will I find _the_ office. So they found him Masterman. And when _the time_ came, he did go.

26 ¶ Now Augustine _was_ a great sage, and there was no man in all the land of En that did surpass him in the knowledge _that is_ gotten of books. _Therefore_ they did make him to rule over the land of Ire.

27 And on a time when he was deep in engagement with the words of the ancient Greeks, behold, the men of Ire stole up secretly and they fell upon his servants _so that_ many of them did die.

28 And when it was told unto Augustine what the men of Ire _had_ done unto his servants, he _was_ filled with a great wonder and his breast _was_ torn with sorrow. And because it was _a thing_ that liked him not, therefore did he remove _himself_ from amongst the seats of the rulers, neither returned he thither again.

29 ¶ Now the chief of the scribes that did write unto the rulers of the nations _concerning_ matters, his name was Grey, And he did _send_ him epistles unto the four corners of the earth, _saying_ this and _saying_ that.

30 And to him there were given many tasks that were difficult, and he did not always find favour with the people; for there are some that look _from afar_ towards the end, but the stones _that are_ upon the way, them do they count not at all.

31 And it was said concerning him that he was a man of strength in time of stress, but in the _leading up_ and _afterwards_, then was he weak as twine that is boiled, and slow as water standing in a pond.

32 But many of the things that he _did_ do were good, and his name was not without honour in the land. Yet when _the time_ came, he did go.

33 ¶ John, that was also called Honest, was another of them that _believed_ not in war. Therefore he did hide himself away in the shadows of oblivion; but he hindered not the rulers in their endeavour.

34 ¶ Now Haldane was the Keeper of the King's Conscience in the land of En, and he was a man that _was_ learned in the ways of the men of Hu, for his spirit abode amongst them; and the King of Hu, he _did_ love him as a brother.

35 And the time came when all the people cried out with a loud voice, saying, Haldane must go! But because the winds did blow in an _high quarter_, he heard them not.

36 And there was a certain man and his name was Northcliffe. And it came to pass that when _he_ cried out, behold, his voice _did_ rise _even as_ the winds, and it was above the shouts of all the other people.

37 And when Northcliffe had raised his voice for a long time so that his throat was raw, being like unto the flesh of a kid _that is_ newly killed,

38 And when all the people had joined with him, shouting in a mighty voice that did _shake_ the seats of the rulers with the violence of its clamour,

39 Then did Haldane hear, and he hearkened unto them.

40 And the people rejoiced them exceedingly, thinking it not good for one that had been _in with_ the men of Hu to hold an high position in the land.

41 ¶ Now Tennant was adroit of the tongue. And when certain _of the_ counsellors questioned him closely, seeking that they might entrap him, he would answer them with a multitude of words; nevertheless would he not say _anything_. And when _the time_ came, he did go.

42 ¶ And concerning the _other_ rulers of the land of En _at the beginning_ of the Great War, is it not written in the Book of Stubbs? Both their names and the streets wherein they did have _their_ habitations, thou shalt find them in that Book in _the order_ that is of the alphabet.