312 THE KING'S MIRROR 



one that was now being considered. So Lawrence and 

 Justin went in haste to the queen and, falling at her 

 feet, begged her to request this favor, that the verdict 

 be modified so that Stephen might be allowed to do 

 penance in the place where he had offended. When the 

 queen interceded for Stephen, her request was granted. 

 Thereupon he was brought back to Athens, and he arose 

 at the moment when his body was to be carried to the 

 grave. He lived three winters after that and did penance 

 for his guilt according to the instruction of the bishop 

 who was in charge of that city. 



There are many such examples that could be brought up 

 in this talk, if it were thought necessary; and you should 

 now conclude from what I set forth in my last speech 

 that the judgments passed here must be carefully scru- 

 tinized, and that it is very important for those who are 

 appointed to be judges to make sure whether the de- 

 cisions are properly stated and the findings correct. For 

 you heard how precisely the decrees were weighed be- 

 fore the king's son, when the scales were held up before 

 him but would never balance; and how he was threat- 

 ened with death, if he should pronounce a different 

 judgment from the one that would balance the scales. 

 You also heard how God punished the king and the 

 city of Themar, because the king had distorted a just 

 decision. Though the people did not hold the true faith 

 about God, He punished the deed nevertheless, because 

 they believed that a wrong decision could never come 

 from Themar. And in the last example you heard how 

 Stephen was held to account for all the dooms that he 

 had pronounced, and suffered a reprimand for having 



