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p. 321b

Chapter VI

OF CITIES AND GOVERNMENT.

1. TO re-instate the Zarathustrian law, the largest city shall not exceed two thousand souls; and the smallest shall be ten families. Save they are celibates, in which case a city may be as small as eight souls, having one rab'bah or priest.

2. The best, highest learned man, who shall be a celibate, shall be the priest and ruler of the city; and the sins of the people of the city shall be upon his head. But if it be a large city he may choose one, or as many as six priests, to rule with him; and in that case the sins of the city shall be upon them.

3. When a matter cometh up, the priest shall call whom he will to speak thereon; and when they have spoken, he shall decree by his highest light, and that shall be the law without repeal, save by himself.

4. It shall be lawful for the governor, who is the chief priest, prior to death, to repeal all his laws; so that his successor shall make new laws. For no man shall be bound after death by his own laws, in which case he could not come back and repeal them.

5. But as regardeth the laws a governor or chief priest maketh whilst he ruleth over a city, and over all persons whom he hath ruled during his life-time, he shall be responsible for them, both in this world and the next. For if a priest or governor maketh a law of darkness, and his people live by that law, their souls will be in darkness in the next world through his fault, and he shall answer to them in the soul world for what he hath done in this.

6. Wherein the manufacture of copper or iron, or other things, require more than two thousand people, there shall be another city, with five breadths of the first city between them. And the government of the second city shall be like unto the government of the first. But in no case shall there be more than four cities near about in the same country.

7. Ye shall neither hire nor be hired; neither amongst yourselves nor with the king's peoples. Nor shall ye have servants nor masters, for all shall be alike servants to Ormazd only.

p. 322b

8. Sin-wah inquired: Was it not taught in the Zarathustrian age to respect the caste of men according to the number of their servants? And whether, according to the descent of men, they were born of parents who had risen above servitude for many generations?

9. God said: The old law was for the olden time. It was a good law to improve the breed of men for special trades and learning. And that law hath fulfilled its purpose. The physician hath found great cures; and he knoweth all the parts of the flesh and the blood. The miner knoweth the different kinds of stone, and the metals in them, and how to extract them. The farmer knoweth grounds and the yield thereof, and what they will best bring forth. The spinner and weaver have found the best of fibres for paper and for cloth. And so hath it come to pass in all departments; by the Zarathustrian law of caste have they perfected these things sufficient unto the requirement of man.

10. For which reason ye shall teach all things unto all; and they shall work with their own hands at all industries; remembering that the highest, best, most perfect man is he that can do all things.

11. Jon-Le inquired: Since a man dieth in a few years at most, why shall he strive to learn things that pertain to the earth?

12. God said: All learning is as a gymnasium to the spirit. Knowledge is the strength of the soul.

13. Ye shall teach all things unto your sons and daughters, perfecting them in the talents created withal. First, to useful labors; second, to learning; third, to music and art, in sculpture and painting; fourth, to mining; and fifth, to perfectness.

14. And ye shall intersperse labor and learning with recreation, not only in rites and ceremonies, but in harmless games, as in dancing, racing and playing, old and young.

15. Cultivating joyous hearts, for these are outspoken words of glory to the Great Spirit.

16. Every governor, and priest, and rab'bah, shall provide for a successor; after the light of the Counsel of the All Highest shall they be chosen.


Next: Chapter VII