THE KING'S MIRROR 239 



man was passing so near, and consequently did not 

 rise to bow before him. But when Haman saw that an 

 alien thrall neglected to bow the knee before him, he 

 became so wrathful that as soon as he came home he 

 ordered a high gallows to be raised near his house, on 

 which he intended to hang Mordecai. He also caused 

 letters to be sent throughout the realm permitting every 

 man to deal with the people of Israel as he liked: who- 

 ever wished to do so might plunder them, or force them 

 into bondage and servitude, or even slay them. 



When the news of this came to Mordecai, necessity 

 compelled him to deal more boldly with the queen than 

 before: he came to wait upon her, and, throwing him- 

 self at her feet, he told these tidings with much sorrow. 

 When the queen heard that the entire nation from which 

 she had sprung was condemned, she called upon God 

 with all her soul; next she sought the king's presence, 

 robed in the stately apparel of a queen, and fell humbly 

 at his feet. But when the queen had entered and the 

 king saw that she came in such deep humility and 

 with troubled countenance, he perceived that she had 

 a matter of such great importance to bring before him 

 that she would have to find the courage in his favor to 

 state what concerned her. Taking her hand he raised 

 her up, spoke gently to her, seated her beside him, and 

 bade her state clearly all the details of her errand. Queen 

 Esther did as the king commanded and related the whole 

 event just as it had occurred; and then she begged him 

 /to take action according to royal mercy rather thann 

 according to Haman's excessive anger. When the king/ 

 saw Haman's boundless ambition and arrogant wrath, I 



