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THE KING'S MIRROR 



at a royal court differ, I shall now explain that to you, 

 and also show why some return thence rude and un- 

 polished. When a dull man fares to court, it is as when 

 an ignorant fellow travels to Jerusalem, or a simpleton 

 enters a good school. An ignorant man who has been 

 to Jerusalem believes himself well informed and tells 

 many things about his journey, though chiefly what 

 Aeems worthless to a knowing man, or mere sport and 

 I foolery. In the same way the simpleton who comes from 

 ( school believes himself to be perfectly educated; he 

 V struts about and shows great disdain whenever he meets 

 \one who knows nothing. But when he meets one who 

 is a real scholar, he himself knows naught. So it is, 

 too, when stupid men come to the king's court: they 

 promptly seek out men of their own kind and learn 

 from them such things as are most easily grasped and 

 into which they had gotten some insight earlier; but 

 this is mere folly and unwisdom. And when they return 

 from court, they will display such manners and courtesy 

 as they learned there. And yet, many who come from 

 strange places, whether from other lands or courts, will 

 behave in this way; but when those who have remained 

 at home find that these men bring great tidings, they 

 come to regard them at once as thoroughly informed, 

 both as to customs and happenings, seeing that they 



^ have visited alien peoples and foreign lands; and this 



is most often the case with dull men. Now if you aim 

 at good breeding, beware lest you fall into such un- 

 wisdom. We may now take up the question how the 

 duties of the men at court differ and what belongs to 

 each service. 



