92 THE KING'S MIRROR 



fresh and the summer is warm. There is a little creeping 

 thing called the ant, which can teach thoughtful men 

 much practical wisdom, whether they be merchants or 

 husbandmen, kings or lesser men. It teaches kings how 

 to build castles and fortresses; in the same way it teaches 

 the merchants and the husbandmen with what industry 

 and at what seasons they ought to pursue their callings; 

 for he who has proper insight and observes carefully the 

 activities of the ant will note many things and derive 

 much profit from them. All other creatures, too, whether 

 clean or unclean, rejoice in this season, and with vigilant 

 eyes seek their food in the warm summer time so as to 

 be able to endure more confidently the perils of a desti- 

 f tute winter season. fNow it is this covenant between 

 \ these eight winds that calls forth all the delights of 

 I earth and sky and the calm stirring of the sea accord- 

 ** ing to the commandjand mysterious skill of Him Who 

 ordained in the beginning that thus should all nature 

 remain until He should change the order of things. Now 

 if you feel that some of these matters have not yet been 

 fully cleared up, you may continue your inquiries and 

 ask what questions you like. 



VI 



THE TIDES AND THE CHANGES IN THE COURSE OF THE SUN 



Son. It was a wise thought, it seems to me, to ask 

 those questions to which I have just received such fair 

 replies; and I am encouraged to inquire into certain 

 other matters, namely the waxing of thefsun, the moon, 1 

 and the streams or tides of the ocean, how much and / 

 how rapidly these things wax and wane. Now these \ 



