THE KING'S MIRROR 



247 



which the one who commits it must suffer great penance 

 and much trouble before Christian people will again ad- 

 mit him to fellowship. And again, you told me in an 

 earlier speech to shun manslaughter; but you added 



that all manslaughter committed by royal command or 

 in battle I need shun no more than any other deed which 

 is counted good. Now if the king has received such great 

 authority from God that all slaughter done by his com- 

 mand is without guilt, I should imagine that he must 

 need to be very wise, cautious, and upright in all his 

 doings; and therefore I wish to have you explain fully 

 the things that I have now asked about, unless you feel 

 that my questions are stupid, or that I am presuming 

 too much in showing curiosity about the doings of such 

 great men. 



Father. Your questions are not stupid, for we may 

 just as well talk about how the king has to order his 

 government or his conduct as about other men. It surely 

 is his bounden duty to seek knowledge and understand- 

 ing, and he ought indeed to be well informed as to what 

 has occurred in the past, for in that way he will gain 

 insight for all the business that pertains to his kingship. 

 You have stated that he is highly honored and exalted 

 on earth and that all bow before him as before God; 

 and the reason for this is that/Ee king represents divinex/ /*''/ "*'/ * 

 lordship: for he bears God's own name and sits upon c 

 the highest judgment seat upon eartSJ wherefore it \ 

 should be regarded as giving honor to God Himself, 

 when one honors the king, because of the name which 

 he has from God. The son of God himself, when he was 



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on earth, taught by his own example that all should 





