320 THE KING'S MIRROR 



LXII 



THE SAME SUBJECT CONTINUED 



Son. Now I wish to ask you why David slew the 

 man of whom we spoke earlier, him who brought the 

 tidings that Saul had fallen, and whether he slew him 

 justly or did it from sudden anger. 



Father. When the man had told these tidings, David 

 asked how he knew them. And he said that he had lifted 

 up weapons against Saul at the king's own request. 

 ^'V'When David heard this, he spoke thus :(*' A wretched 

 j j creature you are, who dared to lay hands on the Lord's 

 \ anointed; and it is better for you to suffer a swift pun- 

 / ishment here than to have this crime pursue you into 

 everlasting hell. '3 Thereupon David ordered him to be 

 slain. But when he who had hoped to receive a joyous 

 welcome and good gifts for his tidings, saw that death 

 was to be his reward, he repented that he had falsely 

 imputed this crime to himself and would gladly have 

 withdrawn his words, if he had been permitted to do 

 so. But David spoke thus: " Your own testimony con- 

 demns you and not I; for you have charged yourself 

 with this murder of the Lord's anointed." We have 

 other and similar instances in the case of the men who 

 slew Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, hoping thereby to win 

 David's friendship; and they fared to David with the 

 news that they had slain his enemy who had planned 

 to rise up against him and his kingship. But when David 

 heard these tidings he answered in this wise;' Wretches 

 you are for this deed, having slain your lord, though you 



