“If a woman do something for which a man would be punished she shall suffer likewise, except that the burning shall be with skyfire. The council shall not overlook a suitable punishment for the master of her household.” “If a man become indebted by trial and fail within the season to pay whatever be demanded of him, he and his possessions shall be seized and given into the keeping of those to whom he is indebted.” “A woman having been declared by her husband before the council as unsuitable for a wife, and the council having found this to be so, she may remain within his household without being his wife. Or she may return to the household from which she came or that of her father or her brother or her father’s brother or mother’s brother, as she wills. But she may not go elsewhere and having chosen where to go cannot choose again.”
“It is unlawful for a man to use whatever force and chastisements are necessary to maintain order within his household. He may make any adjustments within the household to endow it with contentment, but all things must be done with justice and moderation. All disagreements within a household shall be judged by its master.” “That which be done by a wife or a daughter, a youth or a child; or a servant or his wife or his sons or his daughters, or his servants; or by a freeman or his wife or his sons or his daughters, or his servants or slaves; or by a slave or a bondswoman or a bondsman, or their wives or their sons or their daughters, within your household; or by a freewoman or by a guest or by the stranger within your gates, shall be as though it were done by the master of the household and both shall suffer alike. Except that the council shall weigh all the actions of the master of the household and set his punishment according to them.”
“If, upon marriage, it be found that a woman taken to wife as a virgin be not a virgin, evidence of this may be given at the Seat of Truth before three witnesses. One witness shall then go to her household and declare this before its master. Then, except the matter come before the council, the woman may be put aside as a wife and returned to her household, and her bride price reclaimed double. Or, if her husband choose, she may remain in his household as wife or concubine, but he may reclaim her bride price.”
“If a woman be put aside by her husband as no longer his wife and she remain in his household, she shall be as a concubine.”
“The rights of a concubine are those of a bondswoman, but she is a bondswoman to her master for life.” “When the master of a household dies his eldest son shall become the master, and brother shall follow brother, until there are no sons. Then the brothers of the master shall follow in the order of their ages, and their sons, according to their kinship. The new master shall provide for the wives and concubines of his father in the same manner as previously. His brothers and sisters shall become as sons and daughters. Within a household the death of its master changes nought but the master. After the death of its master a household cannot divide, except it be done lawfully by the new master after he has been master for one year.”
“All who stand at the market gate of the temple shall be proclaimed by the hours, and under the proclaimer’s voice all men shall cease exchanges and be silent.”
“A child may be adopted into house and household according to the custom of the Sons of Fire, and it may be one of us or a barbarian from across the waters, or a barbarian from outside our boundary. But if a barbarian from outside our boundary it shall not be adopted unless a foundling under seven years if male, or a child if female.”
“If a man take a barbarian woman to wife and have no other wife from among us who is her superior, he shall not become the master of a household, and a younger son shall step over him.”
“A man with womanly ways who has proclaimed himself shall stand before us as a woman and be treated as
one. Except if he bear arms in war he shall then stand before us as a man, unless he choose otherwise.”
“If the master of a household have within it a woman who is not a virgin and is a concubine or slave, and he
give her to a guest or another within the household, that he may go in unto her, no wrong is done.”
“If a man be proclaimed a man with womanly ways, an arrangement may be made with the governor and a price
paid to become bis protector. He shall then enter the household of the man who paid the price.”
“A slave or bondsman may be bought for any woman of your household. But if she be a freewoman, then the
slave shall be made free, and if a bondsman the debt paid so that he be free.”
“If a woman be a concubine and within five years of her loss of virginity or admittance into your household have not become with child, she shall pass into the household of another after the custom of the Sons of Fire, and returned according to the same custom.”
“During the proclaiming of a stranger his deeds, good and bad, shall be made known. All things about him shall be told to all within hearing of the proclaimer’s voice. Any man may question the stranger concerning such things and if aught be hidden or lies told, the stranger shall be dealt with lawfully by the council.” “A virgin shall not be burnt, but is to be whipped with wands and the council shall set the number of stripes.” “A man who has been punished by trial three times shall be driven out from among us after the fourth punishment, unless he be a bearer of arms in war.”
“Records and writings, namemarks and marks of meaning can be destroyed or altered only by permission of the council and the governor.”
“The man who is the companion of thieves is himself a thief at heart and may be taken to trial if his companions steal.”
“If the rightful master of a household be under age of manhood, the council shall appoint a steward and guardian for the household and heir.”
“A stranger may not enter our boundaries bearing weapons of war made of metal. But the lords of the barbarians about our boundaries may come bearing weapons.”
These are the statutes between the council and the governor and men. Those between man and man are in the keeping of the court of the market place. There are others between the court of the temple and men. It was Hoskiah who set the statutes up and Racob recorded them. I, Brigadan of the Gulwa, preserved them, but many are unknown. Those are the statutes of Hoskiah.
This was misplaced from its text. “It was decreed that the iron for burning should not glow, neither should a blinding be made by contact with metal but should be through heat alone nor should it be absolute.”
CHAPTER TEN
THE ROLLS OF RECORD - 4
Now, even in the days of Hoskiah the records were not whole and Hoskiah caused it to be that this was written. It was set down in the manner of Kahadmos.
It is written, in the Book of Mithram: The True Man has many quahties and among the greatest is the inclination towards his duty. A man has a duty to his soul, to his God, to those who govern and to his household. The weakling runs in battle and says, “See, I have done my duty, I am alive.” The True Man stands resolute and grim, his enemies are like chaff before the wind, he is the master of life. Duty is the goddess of manhood and she demands no mean sacrifice.
The grim goddess says “Die”, and the True Man steps forward. The ranks of the Everlasting Lords of Life open and he takes his place among them.
Duty says, “Glory and honour will never be yours, your miserable lot is to labour in the brickpits, so that your wife and children will not go hungry”. The True Man faces his task with fortitude and cheerfulness. Courage is the greatest quality of manliness, and duty the greatest expression of courage. What chastity is to woman duty is to man, the willingly assumed burden of their kind. Man and woman travel the same road together, but each bears a different burden.