78 THE KING'S MIRROR 



enemy, but rather with the fear of love, as the Son of 

 God taught the man who asked him what the substance 

 of the law was. For the Son of God referred him to the 

 Scripture that reads as follows: Thou shalt love God 

 with all thy heart and with all thy strength and with all 

 thy might.* Now one should love God above everything 

 else and fear Him at all times when evil desires arise; 

 he should banish evil longings for God's sake, though he 

 were bold enough to cherish them for men's sake. Now 

 if you wish to know what are the beginnings and the 

 first steps in the pursuit of wisdom, this is the true be- 

 ""' C ginning, and there is none other. Cfnd whoever learns 

 ~ / T~* ***#/ this and observes it shall not be wanting in true knowl- 



/, kr*/ V -> 



edge or in any form of goodness, j 



Son. This is indeed loving counsel, such as one might 

 expect from you; besides, it is good and easily learned 



f 



by every one whom fortune follows. Stilljjf one is to be 

 reputed a wise man, it will surely be necessary to take 

 up many things that pertain to the various crafts .J 



Father. This is the beginning and the alphabet of 

 every good thing. But through the alphabet one learns 

 to read books, and in the same way it is always better 

 the more crafts are added to this art. For through the 

 crafts a man gains wisdom whatever the calling that 

 he intends to follow, whether that ofCkingsman,t yeo- 

 man, or merchant// 



* St. Luke, x, 27. 



t A " kingsman " (konungsma&r) was any one who had formally entered into 

 the king's personal service, whether he was actually employed at court or not. 

 See below, cc. xxiv S. 



c 



