6 And he shall be clothed with scarlet, and drink of golden vessels, and sleep on gold, and ride in a chariot with horses bridled with gold, and wear a linen bandage on his head, and a necklace around his neck,

7 And he shall sit second after Darius because of his wisdom, and shall be called a kinsman of Darius.

8 And straightway, having written every man his own word, they sealed it, and laid it under the head of king Darius, and said,

9 And when the king arises, they shall give him this scripture, and to whomsoever the king and the three nobles of Persia acknowledge that his word is wiser, he shall be given precedence, as it is written.

10 One wrote, "Wine is the mightiest of all."

11 Another wrote, "The king is stronger."

12 A third wrote, "Stronger than a woman, but the truth triumphs over everything."

13 And behold, when the king arose, they gave him this scripture, and he read it.

14 And having sent, he called all the nobles of Persia and Media, and the satraps, and the captains of the army, and the governors of the provinces, and the counsellors,

15 And he sat down in the deliberative chamber, and the Scripture was read before them.

16 And he said, 'Call these young men, let them explain their words.' And they were called and went in.

17 And he said to them, 'Explain to us what is written.' And the first one began, speaking of the power of wine, and spoke thus:

E-18 O men! How strong the wine! It darkens the minds of all people who drink it;

19 It makes the mind of the king and the fatherless, the slave and the free, the poor and the rich, one mind.

20 And every understanding maketh into gladness and joy, so that a man remembers no sorrow, nor any duty,

21 And it makes all hearts rich, so that no one thinks of king or satrap, but makes every one speak of his talents.

22 And when they are drunk, they do not remember their affection for friends and brothers, and soon draw their swords,

23 And when they are sober from wine, they do not remember what they did.

E-24 O men! Is not wine the strongest when it compels you to do so? And having said this, he fell silent.

Chapter 4

1 And the second began to speak, speaking of the king's power.