276 THE KING'S MIRROR 



that he wrote in the Psalter. In like manner they have 

 proceeded, who have interpreted the words of the Evan- 

 gelists, and they have brought out much that the Evan- 

 gelists have left unsaid. Thus they have shown that 

 their comments are on the words of thought which the 

 lips had left unspoken. And if one has received the 

 God-given spirit of a perfect understanding, he has a 

 gift of such a nature that, when he hears a few spoken 

 words, he perceives many words of thought. But David 

 did not himself gloss the Psalter for the reason that he 

 wished to leave to others the task of expressing all those 

 thoughts which came up in his mind, while he continued 

 writing the Psalms as originally planned. Thus all do 

 who have a speech on the tongue which ought to be in- 

 terpreted: they proceed with the discourse as planned 

 and begun, and leave to others the task of expressing 

 in words what is in their thoughts. Still, you should 

 know that no one has glossed the sayings of David who 

 sat by him, while he was composing the Psalter, and 

 asked what was in his mind at the time. And from this 

 you will perceive that it is the grace of the spirit of in- 

 sight which guides such men to examine the foundations 

 of the sermons that they hear. Next they investigate 

 how widely the roots ramify which lie beneath the 

 speech; they consider carefully how many limbs grow 

 out of it; and finally they make a count of the branches 

 that sprout from each limb. They also note precisely 

 what bough they take for themselves, that they may be 

 able to trace it correctly back to the roots from which it 

 originally grew. Now if you understand this thoroughly 

 and if you investigate with care and precision every- 



