h no chief, and a ship that hath no
captain, and a body of men who have no guide. Observe! Thou art like a
high official who is a thief, a governor of a town who taketh [bribes],
and the overseer of a province who hath been appointed to suppress
robbery, but who hath become the captain of those who practise it."

And this peasant came a fourth time to lay his complaint before Rensi,
and he met him as he was coming out from the door of the temple of the
god Herushefit, and said, "O thou who art praised, the god Herushefit,
from whose house thou comest forth, praiseth thee. When well-doing
perisheth, and there is none who seeketh to prevent its destruction,
falsehood maketh itself seen boldly in the land. If it happen that the
ferry-boat is not brought for thee to cross the stream in, how wilt thou
be able to cross the stream? If thou hast to cross the stream in thy
sandals, is thy crossing pleasant? Assuredly it is not! What man is
there who continueth to sleep until it is broad daylight? [This habit]
destroyeth the marching by night, and the travelling by day, and the
possibility of a man profiting by his good luck, in very truth. Observe!
One cannot tell thee sufficiently often that 'Compassion hath departed
from thee.' And behold, how the oppressed man whom thou hast destroyed
complaineth! Observe! Thou art like unto a man of the chase who would
satisfy his craving for bold deeds, who determineth to do what he
wisheth, to spear the hippopotamus, to shoot the wild bull, to catch
fish, and to catch birds in his nets. He who is without hastiness will
not speak without due thought. He whose habit is to ponder deeply will
not be light-minded. Apply thy heart earnestly and thou shalt know the
truth. Pursue diligently the course which thou hast chosen, and let him
that heareth the plaintiff act rightly. He who followeth a right course
of action will not treat a plaintiff wrongly. When the arm is brought,
and when the two eyes see, and when the heart is of good courage, boast
not loudly in proportion to thy strength, in order that calamity may not
come unto thee. He who passeth by [his] fate halteth between two
opinions. The man who eateth tasteth [his food], the man who is spoken
to answereth, the man who sleepeth seeth visions, but nothing can resist
the presiding judge when he is the pilot of the doer [of evil]. Observe,
O stupid man, thou art apprehended. Observe, O ignorant man, thou art
freely discussed. Observe, too, th