THE KING'S MIRROR 281 



that I have now related is one of those in which the 

 greater share in the decision was assigned to Peace and 

 Mercy, though Truth and Justice also consented to the 

 doom; for the bishops would have suffered death for 

 this offence, if Mercy had not been more lenient with 

 them than they deserved. The following event is like 

 this but happened much later : King David fell into this 

 great sin, that he committed adultery with Uriah's wife 

 and afterwards brought about the death of Uriah him- 

 self. After Uriah's death David took his wife and had 

 her for his own, and surely he deserved death for these 

 sins. But he repented his misdeeds so deeply before God 

 and begged forgiveness so humbly for the sins con- 

 fessed, that God heard his prayer and did not take 

 away his kingship, but even confirmed him in it, though 

 he had committed these crimes.* 



The following events occurred much later at the time 

 when our Lord Jesus Christ was on earth among men. 

 The bishops of the Jews and all their other learned men 

 became very hostile toward him and were constantly 

 striving to find something for which they might re- 

 proach him. So they took a woman who had openly 

 committed adultery and was worthy of death according 

 to the law of Moses; this woman they brought before 

 Jesus and told him of her crimes. They also said that 

 the law condemned her to die and asked what sentence 

 he would pass in this case. Jesus replied that he who 

 had never committed a sin should cast the first stone 

 upon her. Then they turned away quickly, not daring 

 to question him further, for they all knew themselves 



* II Samuel, xii. 



