Kolbrin - Hoskiah

A real prophecy here and a set of sound rules for operating a council.   The phiilospghy espoused here is also sound as well.

This is an interesting read and surprising as it is cobbled together from material missing and recreated. 

It is noteworthy that this mass of material was the preserve of the learned as was the Hebrew bible and even the Christian bible as well.  It was the protestant reformation and its insistence on literacy that made all this and now even the Kolbrin a public resource. .. 


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.

Hoskiah said, 'This shall be added to the records": Even the wild beasts have a duty to perform, for duty is the handmaiden of life. All things that have life have a duty, for life itself is duty. When a man has no obligations he is dead.

The greater the standing of a man the greater is his duty. The Captain of Men shall serve better than the footman. 

Greater men have greater duties, lesser men have lesser duties. Wherever there is life there is danger.

It is written, in the Book of Mithram: The True Man is generous in word and deed, meanness has no place with him. He who gives with one hand gathers with the other.

It is also written thus: All men must seek to rise above their estate. They either rise or are cast down. Only man knows discontent and seeks to improve his lot, for discontent is the maker of men.

Hoskiah added this to the records: Aim your arrow above your expectations. The man who sends an arrow towards the moon shoots farther than the one who sends it to a treetop. Choose your bow according to your strength. A strong bow without a strong arm is of no more value than a weak bow. Judge a man by his aim and not by his bow. A plain bow for service, a fancy bow for display. The strongest bow ever made is useless without an arrow.

Hoskiah said, "These are things which are written but have been lost. Let them be recorded again" : Success is the child of diligence and persistence. It follows the footsteps of the wise, even as failure dogs the foolish. Men have the choice of either success or ease, they caimot have both. To be beaten and still not surrender, that is true victory.

Failure is the yardstick of success. It alone adds value to achievement, but there can be no real failure except through the acceptance of failure.

These things were added to the records, but we cannot tell when, though it is said by Hoskiah: The manly spirit rejoices in freedom and cannot bear the yoke of servitude. It will admit no master who imposes his will by force.

A man may submit to leadership and command in warfare, and be a better man, for true service is not servility. 

Never demand your rights before you have earned them.

A man is unworthy of freedom unless he also recognises the rights of others to freedom. The freeman is his own governor and his rule is more rigorous than that of a despot. The only man entitled to be free is the one who governs himself strictly and wisely.

Every nation moves either towards freedom or towards servility, for none can remain suspended between the two. It is free men, if they are weak, who are the greatest enemies of freedom. Great events do not make either heroes or cowards, they just unveil them to the eyes of men.

Hoskiah caused this to be written, saying, "This too was once written but is now lost to us by decay": 

The way of the evildoer is the path of sleeplessness. The wicked follow a road of darkness, they tread in constant fear of  falling.

The evildoer is caught by his own wrongdoing. He is imprisoned by his own wickedness. The evildoer becomes trapped in a snare of his own making, he flees when none pursues.

It is truly said: The wicked in heart praise the wicked in deed. More men think wicked thoughts than commit wicked deeds, for many who would act are cowards. Observe the man who talks much about the deeds of wicked men, would he not be among them did he not lack the courage?

This was written in records which were lost even in the days of Racob: In a hundred generations men will be less wicked, for such was written in the Plans of God. When a thousand years have passed, women will be more fair, for this was written in the Plans of God.

A day will come when a great nation will rise above all others, to lead the nations of the Earth, and it will survive even the Day of Visitation. Much was written of this nation, which is now lost.

As the generations pass, the Earth will become more fruitful, for this was written in the Plans of God.

The body of the Great God contains all that is and His Spirit is contained in all that is. The spirit is perfect, but the body is imperfect.

Hoskiah said, "Let this now be written, for it was written before". No man shall walk in ways set against the will of the people. No man shall bear an unjust grudge or take personal vengeance unjustly.

These things shall be punished: If a man take a wife before he be one score of age, though he may have a concubine; if he empty his body, except in private; if he purify himself, except in flowing waters.

Because of his birth Hoskiah could not become governor over the Sons of Fire, but he sat equal with the governor at the council, for he commanded all in this place.

The council made these statutes and set them together with those of Hoskiah: A stranger, even a barbarian, may become one of us if he be supported by three members of the council, but he shall not sit in the council, unless he has carried arms in war for us. He shall not become one of us until one year after his proclaiming, and any man may come before the council and speak his objections to the acceptance of the stranger.

Each man shall have his assigned place at the council and may speak at his time according to his place. No man shall interrupt another while he is speaking.

No man shall speak before his turn and any man having spoken may speak again. If a man has spoken twice and desires to speak again he shall stand and remain silent. If one man in five raise their hands for him he may speak again, but if they do not he shall be reseated and not speak. If more than one man stand up at a time those of lesser placement shall reseat themselves. On the third time no man shall speak, except on some matter spoken about by one who came after him, and he may not speak about any new thing. No man shall speak beyond his own time.

The old statute shall be changed, so that no man shall sit on the council except he be one score and five years old, but those over three score years may remain on the council. A man who has carried weapons of war in battle shall take a higher position than a man entering the council with him who has not.

If a man go to sleep during a meeting of the council he shall not come there again for one season.

A man shall not leave a meeting of the council while another is on his feet speaking, and when a man goes outside no man shall speak in debate.

A man shall not spit or laugh foolishly or make body noises during a meeting of the council. No man shall whisper or talk, except in his talking time.

A man shall not revile another at a meeting of the council. If a man wish to make an accusation or call something into question he shall state it when he is speaking and ask that a time be made for it to be debated. 

This shall be the stranger's oath upon admittance: "I swear before The God of This Enclosure that I will dutifully follow His ways and obey His commands. I swear to be steadfast on the Great Path. I swear to submit myself to all your statutes and to remain faithful to you in warfare and before the face of terror, even under torment by the barbarians. This I swear for all time."