the Publicans and Tax-Gatherers he said, What do ye, oppressing the people? and he cast them out.

19 And unto the Bowmen and Spearmen he said, What mean ye by this armor? Wist ye not that the Land is in peace? And why are there such mighty ships on the great waters? peradventure John Bull shall steal upon them unawares, and take them away, for he loveth treachery and deceit. And he said unto them, ye shall even take them and the price shall be what seemeth good unto you. And they did so.

20. And Thomas said unto the wife of Samuel, forasmuch as we have spoken against costly attire, ye shall put off your ornaments.

21. The wages of our servants shall be made less for even this we have promised unto the people, inasmuch as we have spoken loudly against John for all his extravagance in the household of Samuel; wherefore, ye shall speak unto the servants, and he that aforetime hath received ten talents, shall receive five, and he that received two, shall receive one.

22. Howbeit, the woman communed with the ser vants and said, Hear ye what Thomas saith? Now the wages ye receive are not too much, ye shall even keep them, for behold, Thomas himself, now he hath obtained the chief-stewardship, receiveth twenty-five talents, the same that hath been aforetime. And they said unto her, Thy counsel is good.

23. Moreover when Thomas first came into the stewardship he assembled all the people together, and spake smoothly unto them, and whereas he knew that there was a division amongst the people, which himself had caused, he said, ye are all brethren, wot ye not that ye are all Jews, ye are all Samaritans, therefore strive

not one against another. Your affairs prosper and your gold overfloweth, Therefore be ye not dismayed, for I will render equal and exact justice unto all, and I will give unto Labor the bread it has earned.

24. And the people rejoiced exceedingly, howbeit, some doubted.

25. And in those days, certain evil minded men rose up against Thomas and said, Thou hast broken down the defences wherein we trusted and hast sold the ships wherein we went down upon the Great waters, and the spearmen are driven away and scattered to and fro, and peradventure John Bull, or Apollyon the king of the Assyrians, shall come and shall war against us, and we shall be devoured before them.

26. And Thomas said I will build boats a great multitude, the price whereof shall be but few talents; and when the enemy seeth them he shall be afraid, and shall depart from our borders.

27. Moreover, I have made a parchment roll, wherein I have said many grievous things against John and his servants, and when they see it and read the matter that is written, they shall be afraid and their knees shall smite together.

28. Nevertheless the servants of Bull appeared full of haughtiness and with swelling words, had the boats of Thomas in derision; and even the parchment roll they regarded not, and being exceedingly puffed up, blasphemed against the magic and wisdom of Thomas by which he divined.

29. Moreover, the servants of Apollyon came and possessed the wilderness of Sin, which lieth on the brook Hiddekel, to the South and to the West of the plains of Samuel. And the servants of Apollyon became ex

ceedingly troublesome, and strove with them, saying, Ye shall not wash in the brook, nor lay your stuff by the side thereof.

30. And these tidings amazed Thomas, and he said, What shall I do? I will even buy the wilderness for a price, even the wilderness of Sin. And he bought it for fifteen talents of Gold.

31. For he said, The Country stretcheth even to the going down of the sun, and now this woman which Samuel hath taken unto him, betokeneth to have many Children.

32. Moreover I will send into the far countries, towards the sun rising, even over the great waters, and I will bring over the blind, the halt and the lame, and even him that parteth the hoof and cheweth not the cud, I will not refuse.

33. And those that have committed any manner of abomination and have been thrust out of their habitations, shall be received within our gates and shall even bear rule in our household.

34. For, inasmuch as I have received wisdom of twenty gods, it is no marvel if I shall cause them to refrain from their evil doings, and they shall establish me in mine office. And the thing pleased the wife of Samuel insomuch that her heart leaped within her for joy.

35. And it came to pass that John Bull warred with Apollyon on the great waters, and prevailed; but on the Land Apollyon prevailed, and the nations were discomfited and fled like Grasshoppers before him.

36. And they each of them questioned with Samuel and said "join with me, join with me." And Samuel smote upon his forehead, and was perplexed.

37. And the servants of Bull took the merchandiz of Samuel and of his Merchants. And in like manne

did the servants of Apollyon.

38. And the chief steward said, what shall I do ?— and he said I will even do this. I will send forth a de cree that none of the servants of Samuel shall hence forth trade upon the great waters, even from the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same.

39. And he published the decree and gave charge to his servants saying, If ye find any one using the trade of a Merchant, or carrying his stuff upon the great waters, ye shall take them, and take away their stuff and the ship wherewith they dealt.

40. And the people cried out, and said unto the chief steward, Thou hast done us great mischief, for divers of us have no other means of providing food for our little ones, save that we traffic on the great waters, and Lo, now our Ships have become food for worms.

41. Moreover they said our fathers did not thus, when the Assyrians did us mischief aforetime, they resisted unto blood and prevailed.

42. And Thomas was wroth and chode with them saying, "What mean ye to find fault always and to vex mine heart; behold now, for these many years, ye have dealt on the great waters and have increased your substance, and have waxed fat and have kicked. When your substance was wasted by the enemy, ye complained and lo now I have commanded you to keep yourselves in safety, and still ye complain."

43. And the people answered and said, when our foes destroyed our substance we asked for protection; Yea, we had a right to demand it, inasmuch as we pay every year, into the treasury, many talents. Albeit we

have only insisted on the privilege of defending outselves.

44. And moreover thou art kind and forbearing toward this wicked Apollyon, even now while he doeth us much evil, he burneth our ships, and casteth our men into his prison, and saith unto us, Ye are a feeble and contemptible people, ye are as women.

45. Then Thomas lifted up his voice and said, Ye are a very foolish people, inasmuch as ye know not your own good; What need ye go upon the great waters? keep at home, and ye shall be out of danger, see ye not the fields? are they not sufficient to afford sustenance for yourselves and your little ones.

46. It is not wise that ye have built ships; it is a very foolish thing, and whereas ye pretend that all knowledge is with you ye know nothing at all.

47. And as for this Apollyon of whom ye complain, in that he hath destroyed your substance, burned your ships, and cast your young men into prison, he meaneth you not evil, but good in that he hath done this, for he seeth ye are fools to have ships, and knoweth that ye ought to be keepers of flocks and craftsmen ; but as for Bull he meaneth you evil, and his heart is fully set in him to do wickedly. But as for this Apollyon hath he not declared that he loveth us?

48. So Thomas regarded not the cry of the people, for he said, Wisdom is with me.

49. And it came to pass, that at the end of every year, even at the full moon, Thomas made a speech unto the people, "ye have Gold in abundance and your substance is increasing; Wot ye not that I have done this by my wisdom ?”