_But ye are the foes of My people,_ _Rising against those that are peaceful;_ _The mantle ye strip from them that walk quietly by,_ _Averse to war!_[849] _Women of My people ye tear from their happy homes,_[850] _From their children ye take My glory for ever._ _Rise and begone--for this is no resting-place!_ _Because of the uncleanness that bringeth destruction,_ _Destruction incurable._ Of the outrages on the goods of honest men, and the persons of women and children, which are possible in a time of peace, when the rich are tyrannous and abetted by mercenary judges and prophets, we have an illustration analogous to Micah's in the complaint of Peace in Langland's vision of English society in the fourteenth century. The parallel to our prophet's words is very striking:-- "And thanne come Pees into parlement · and put forth a bille, How Wronge ageines his wille · had his wyf taken. 'Both my gees and my grys[851] · his gadelynges[852] feccheth; I dar noughte for fere of hym · fyghte ne chyde. He borwed of me bayard[853] · he broughte hym home nevre, Ne no ferthynge ther-fore · for naughte I couthe plede. He meynteneth his men · to marther myne hewen,[854] Forstalleth my feyres[855] · and fighteth in my chepynge, And breketh up my bernes dore · and bereth aweye my whete, And taketh me but a taile[856] · for ten quarters of otes, And yet he bet me ther-to · and lyth bi my mayde, I nam[857] noughte hardy for hym · uneth[858] to loke.'" They pride themselves that all is stable and God is with them. How can such a state of affairs be stable! They feel at ease, yet injustice can never mean rest. God has spoken the final sentence, but with a rare sarcasm the prophet adds his comment on the scene. These rich men had been flattered into their religious security by hireling prophets, who had opposed himself. As they leave the presence of God, having heard their sentence, Micah looks after them and muses in quiet prose. The prophet speaks:-- _Yea, if one whose walk is wind and falsehood were to try to cozen_ thee, saying, _I will babble to thee of wine and strong drink, then he might be the prophet of such a people._