THE KING'S MIRROR 75 



ought, with his court and all his servants, to observe the 

 most proper customs, so that in them his subjects may 

 see good examples of proper conduct, uprightness, and 

 all other courtly virtues. Besides, every king should look 

 frequently into this mirror and observe first his own con- 

 duct and next that of the men who are subject to him. 



~" - *. (? o \-< ^>\ 



He should reward all whose conduct is good, but should 



discipline and compel those to observe good morals who => r \v 



cannot learn without threats. Although the book is first 

 and foremost a king's mirror, yet it is intended for every 

 one as a common possession; since whoever wishes is 

 free to look into it and to seek information, as he may 

 desire, about his own conduct, or any other type of 

 manners which he may find discussed in the book. And 

 I believe that no man will be considered unwise or un- 

 mannerly who carefully observes everything that he 

 finds in this work which is suited to his mode of living, 

 no matter what his rank or title may be. 



If any one desires or is curious to hear or study this 

 book, he need not inquire about the name or the stand- 

 ing of the man who composed and wrote it, lest per- 

 chance he should reject what may be found useful in it 

 because of contempt, envy, or hostile feeling of some 

 sort for the author.* 



* It seems probable that the form in which the author of the Speculum ex- 

 presses his desire to remain anonymous shows the influence of the Old Norse 

 version of the Elucidarium, a theological discussion in dialog form, which 

 dates from the twelfth century and is ascribed to Honor ius of Autun. The 

 author of the Elucidarium writes as follows in his preface: " My name, how- 

 ever, I have purposely withheld, lest wicked men should be prompted by a 

 feeling of envy to cast aside a useful work." For the original Latin preface 

 to the Elucidarium see Migne, Patrohgia Latina, CLXXII, 1110; the Old 

 Norse version is given in Annaler for nordisk Oldkyndighed, 1857, p. 240, 

 1858, p. 24. 



