THE KING'S MIRROR 51 



HM 



But on this point too the author urges moderation. "When \ 

 you hear things in the speech of other men which offend \ 

 you much, be sure to investigate with reasonable care \ 

 whether the tales be true or false; but if they prove to 

 be true and it is proper for you to seek revenge, take / 

 it with reason and moderation and never when heated / 

 or irritated." * 



The theology of the King's Mirror, as far as it can be 

 discerned, is also medieval, though it is remarkable that 

 the Virgin and the saints find only incidental mention in 

 the work. No doubt if the author had been able to com- 

 plete his treatise as outlined in his introduction, he 

 would have discussed the forms and institutions of the 

 church at greater length and we should be able to know 

 to what extent his theological notions were in agreement 

 with the religious thought of the age. 



In this connection his t.hf nr y 



a^ crime . is of peculiar interest. He makes con- 

 siderable use of Biblical narratives to illustrate his 

 teachings and refers at length to some of the less worthy 

 characters of Holy Writ, including certain men who 

 suffered death for criminal offenses. Almost invariably 

 he justifies the punishment by arguing that it was betten. 

 for the criminal to suffer a swift punishment in death. 

 than to suffer eternally in hell. Apparently his theory is 

 that a criminal can cleanse himself in his own blood, 

 that a temporal death can save him from eternal punish- 

 ment^ The idolaters who were slain by Moses and the 

 Levites f " were cleansed in their penance and in the 

 pangs which they suffered when they died; and it was 



* C. xli. t Exodus, xxxii. 



