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.