THE KING'S MIKROR 357 



a gift has obtained it through falsehood and deceitful 

 pretence, that gift is also to be withdrawn, even though 

 it has been granted; and in this case the man's own frn.ur) 

 and deceit take the ffif t from him and not the fickleness 

 of him who promised and gave it. But a prince who 

 means to be cautious in making gifts must consider 

 carefully what is requested, and what sort of man has 

 made the request. And since all do not deserve equally 

 great gifts, one must consider how great a gift each 

 one deserves and on what occasion a gift may be given. 

 Then it shall be said but very seldom that he who gave 

 has withdrawn his gift or that he has been found to be 

 fickle-minded. 



LXIX 



CONCERNING THE KINGSHIP AND THE CHURCH AND 

 THE KING'S RESPONSIBILITY TO GOD 



Son. Now I wish to ask what good reasons there are 

 which would justify King Solomon's act hi causing Joab 

 to be slain in God's holy tabernacle while he was cling- 

 ing to God's sacred altar. Why did he not order him to 

 be brought away first and slain afterwards ? 



Father. The matter about which you have now in- 

 quired cannot be made clear without a lengthy expla- 

 nation, which will seem more like a comment than a 

 proper continuation of the conversation in which we 

 are now engaged. When Solomon concluded that it was 

 better to slay Joab where he then was than to bring 

 him away, he was not without good grounds for his 

 decision; for he did not wish to fall into such a sin as 

 King Saul fell into when he brought sacrifices to God's 



