Artemas—the second book / concerning men, and the things that men did do, at the time when there was war

A scribe offers episodic, pseudo-scriptural accounts composed during wartime, recounting journeys, overheard conversations, and public proclamations. He records portraits of rulers, soldiers, officials, and merchants, detailing ambition, envy, secret vices, and the rivalries that drive political decisions. Scenes move between crowded conveyances, public assemblies, and private disclosures, where mendacity, confession, and moral judgment surface. The work alternates narrative sketches and reflective commentary, emphasizing themes of secrecy, the performative nature of public speech, and the tension between communal duty and personal interest in a society strained by conflict.