Let the food be given to his friends and let them give it to him.”  So there were given unto him four bread-cakes and two pots of beer daily.  These were provided by Rensi, the son of Meru, the steward, and he gave them to a friend, and it was this friend who gave them to the peasant.  And Rensi, the son of Meru, the steward, sent instructions to the governor of [the Oasis of] Sekhet-hemat to supply the wife of the peasant with daily rations, and there were given unto her regularly the bread-cakes that were made from three measures of corn.

Then this peasant came a second time to lay his complaint [before Rensi], and he found him as he was coming out from the ..., and he said, “O steward, my lord, the greatest of the great, thou richest of the rich, whose greatness is true greatness, whose riches are true riches, thou rudder of heaven, thou pole of the earth, thou measuring rope for heavy weights (?)!  O rudder, slip not, O pole, topple not, O measuring rope, make no mistake in measuring!  The great lord taketh away from her that hath no master (or owner), and stealeth from him that is alone [in the world].  Thy rations are in thy house—­a pot of beer and three bread-cakes.  What dost thou spend in satisfying those who depend upon thee?  Shall he who must die die with his people?  Wilt thou be a man of eternity (i.e. wilt thou live for ever?) Behold, are not these things evils, namely, the balance that leaneth side-ways, the pointer of the balance that doth not show the correct weight, and an upright and just man who departeth from his path of integrity?  Observe! the truth goeth badly with thee, being driven out of her proper place, and the officials commit acts of injustice.  He who ought to estimate a case correctly giveth a wrong decision.  He who ought to keep himself from stealing committeth an act of robbery.  He who should be strenuous to arrest the man who breaketh the word (i.e. Law) in its smallest point, is himself guilty of departing therefrom.  He who should give breath stifleth him that could breathe.  The land that ought to give repose driveth repose away.  He who should divide in fairness hath become a robber.  He who should blot out the oppressor giveth him the command to turn the town into a waste of water.  He who should drive away evil himself committeth acts of injustice.”

Then Rensi, the son of Meru, the steward, said [to the peasant], “Doth thy case appear in thy heart so serious that I must have my servant [Tchutinekht] seized on thy account?” This peasant said, “He who measureth the heaps of corn filcheth from them for himself, and he who filleth [the measure] for others robbeth his neighbours.  Since he who should carry out the behests of the Law giveth the order to rob, who is to repress crime?  He who should do away with offences against the Law himself committeth them.  He who should act with integrity behaveth crookedly.  He who doeth acts of injustice is applauded.  When wilt thou find thyself able to resist and to