They are divided into two hordes—the one perpetually hurling abuse at the other, and bidding the low-born hamper and rebel against all that the other may devise for government. Except that they sit unarmed, and so call each other liar, dog, and bastard without fear, even under the shadow of the Empress’s throne, they are at bitter war which is without any end. They pit lie against lie, till the low-born and common folk grow drunk with lies, and in their turn begin to lie and refuse to pay the revenues. Further, they divide their women into bands, and send them into this fight with yellow flowers in their hands, and since the belief of a woman is but her lover’s belief stripped of judgment, very many wild words are added. Well said the slave girl to Mámún in the delectable pages of the Son of Abdullah:— “Oppression and the sword slay fast— Thy breath kills slowly but at last.” If they desire a thing they declare that it is true. If they desire it not, though that were Death itself, they cry aloud, “It has never been.” Thus their talk is the talk of children, and like children they snatch at what they covet, not considering whether it be their own or another’s. And in their councils, when the army of unreason has come to the defile of dispute, and there is no more talk left on either side, they, dividing, count heads, and the will of that side which has the larger number of heads makes that law. But the outnumbered side run speedily among the common people and bid them trample on that law, and slay the officers thereof. Follow slaughter by night of men unarmed, and the slaughter of cattle and insults to women. They do not cut off the noses of women, but they crop their hair and scrape the flesh with pins. Then those shameless ones of the council stand up before the judges wiping their mouths and making oath. They say: “Before God we are free from blame. Did we say ‘Heave that stone out of that road and kill that one and no other’?” So they are not made shorter by the head because they said only: “Here are stones and yonder is such a fellow obeying the Law which is no law because we do not desire it.”