338 THE KING'S MIRROR 



more like them David spoke that day, and thus he 

 lamented their death rather than rejoiced in the fact 

 that the realm had fallen to him and into his keeping. 

 From this you will observe how upright he was, how 

 honest and free from faults. But whenever human na- 

 ture caused him to fall into sin, he forthwith showed 

 keen repentance, imploring God's mercy and com- 

 passion; and God gave heed at once to his honest regret. 

 Earlier in our conversation we have told how Ab- 

 salom, King David's son, raised the whole land in re- 

 volt against his father. But when David's captains 

 happened to meet Absalom in battle and David learned 

 of his death, he cried out in these words: " What shall 

 it profit me to live, an aged man who grows weaker day 

 by day, now that you, my son Absalom, are dead in the 

 flowertime of youth ? Would to God that I could die 

 now and that you my son might live! " * David was 

 never so bitter against other men but that he would 

 rather suffer death himself than see another's death, 

 except where he saw that punishment was inflicted on 

 the demand of justice. This was shown again at one 

 time when David's entire kingdom incurred the wrath 

 of God, and a pestilence came upon the realm, so violent 

 that people perished by thousands. When the plague 

 approached the city of Jerusalem, David beheld the 

 angel, who was smiting the people, standing between 

 heaven and earth with a blazing sword. And when he 

 saw the angel with the sword lifted as if ready to strike, 

 he placed his neck under the edge and said: "I beg 

 thee, O Lord, that this sword be rather turned against 



* Cf . 77 Samuel, xviii, 33. 



