One of the best examples of its use is found in Nathan's parable. He goes
to David and tells him: "There were two men in our city; the one rich, the
other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds; but the poor
man had nothing save one little ewe lamb, which he had brought and
nourished up; and it grew up together with him and with his children; and
it did eat of his own meat and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom,
and was unto him as a daughter. And there came a traveller unto the rich
man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd to dress
it for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's
lamb and dressed it for the man that was come unto him." Such an action is
so atrocious that it kindles David's wrath. He little suspects the purpose
of the wily prophet. "As the Lord liveth," he cries, "the man that hath
done this thing shall surely die! And he shall restore the lamb four-fold
because he did this thing, and because he had no pity." Beware, David,
beware! This Nestor-prophet, this Nathan of the subtle wit and keen-edged
tongue hath digged a pit for thee and thou hast fallen into it. Swiftly
the prophet smites the bewildered king with the conclusion, "_Thou art the
man!_" Could a volume of reasoning have so impressed David with the
enormity of his crime as this simple "analogy" of Nathan?
A similar instance is found in the first book of Kings. Ahab the king of
Israel had allowed the Syrian general, Ben-hadad, to escape. One of the
prophets, determined to rebuke him, disguised himself and sat by the
wayside, waiting until the king should pass by. "And as the king passed
by, he cried unto the king and said: Thy servant went out into the midst
of the battle, and behold a man turned aside and brought a man unto me and
said, Keep this man; if by any means he be missing, then shall thy life be
for his life or else thou shalt pay a talent of silver. And as thy
servant was busy here and there he was gone." Ahab does not suspect the
snare of the prophet. What would my lord, the king, decide? Shall thy
servant pay the forfeit? "And the king of Israel said unto him, So shall
thy judgment be; thyself hath decided it." And he made haste, removed his
disguise, and said to the king: "Thus saith the Lord: _Because thou hast
let go out of thine hand a man whom I had appointed to utter destruction,
therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people_."
Ahab has judged himself. No wonder he was vexed. "And the king of Israel
went to the house heavy and displeased." Nothing so disconcerts one as the
recoil of his own logic.
Let us place side by side with these illustrations one or two pieces of
the same kind of reasoning from Shakespeare. The Court Fool endeavors to
show Lear his own pitiful lack of wisdom in giving away his kingdom to his
daughters:--
"FOOL.--Nuncle, give me an egg, and I'll give thee two crowns.
"LEAR.--What two crowns shall they be?
"FOOL.--Why, after I have clove the egg i' the middle and eat up the
meat, the two crowns of the egg. When thou clovest thy crown i' the
middle and gavest away both parts, thou borest thine ass on thy back
o'er the dirt; thou hadst little wit in thy bald crown when thou
gavest thy golden one away."