Intheveryoldentimetherelivedasemi—barbaricking，whoseideas，thoughsomewhatpolishedandsharpenedbytheprogressivenessofdistantLatinneighbors，werestilllarge，florid，anduntrammeled，asbecamethehalfofhimwhichwasbarbaric。Hewasamanofexuberantfancy，and，withal，ofanauthoritysoirresistiblethat，athiswill，heturnedhisvariedfanciesintofacts。Hewasgreatlygiventoself—communing，and，whenheandhimselfagreeduponanything，thethingwasdone。
Wheneverymemberofhisdomesticandpoliticalsystemsmovedsmoothlyinitsappointedcourse，hisnaturewasblandandgenial；
but，whenevertherewasalittlehitch，andsomeofhisorbsgotoutoftheirorbits，hewasblanderandmoregenialstill，fornothingpleasedhimsomuchastomakethecrookedstraightandcrushdownunevenplaces。
Amongtheborrowednotionsbywhichhisbarbarismhadbecomesemifiedwasthatofthepublicarena，inwhich，byexhibitionsofmanlyandbeastlyvalor，themindsofhissubjectswererefinedandcultured。
ButevenheretheexuberantandbarbaricfancyasserteditselfThearenaofthekingwasbuilt，nottogivethepeopleanopportunityofhearingtherhapsodiesofdyinggladiators，nortoenablethemtoviewtheinevitableconclusionofaconflictbetweenreligiousopinionsandhungryjaws，butforpurposesfarbetteradaptedtowidenanddevelopthementalenergiesofthepeople。Thisvastamphitheater，withitsencirclinggalleries，itsmysteriousvaults，anditsunseenpassages，wasanagentofpoeticjustice，inwhichcrimewaspunished，orvirtuerewarded，bythedecreesofanimpartialandincorruptiblechance。
Whenasubjectwasaccusedofacrimeofsufficientimportancetointeresttheking，publicnoticewasgiventhatonanappointeddaythefateoftheaccusedpersonwouldbedecidedintheking\'sarena，astructurewhichwelldeserveditsname，for，althoughitsformandplanwereborrowedfromafar，itspurposeemanatedsolelyfromthebrainofthisman，who，everybarleycornaking，knewnotraditiontowhichheowedmoreallegiancethanpleasedhisfancy，andwhoingraftedoneveryadoptedformofhumanthoughtandactiontherichgrowthofhisbarbaricidealism。
Whenallthepeoplehadassembledinthegalleries，andtheking，surroundedbyhiscourt，sathighuponhisthroneofroyalstateononesideofthearena，hegaveasignal，adoorbeneathhimopened，andtheaccusedsubjectsteppedoutintotheamphitheater。Directlyoppositehim，ontheothersideoftheinclosedspace，weretwodoors，exactlyalikeandsidebyside。Itwasthedutyandtheprivilegeofthepersonontrialtowalkdirectlytothesedoorsandopenoneofthem。Hecouldopeneitherdoorhepleased；hewassubjecttonoguidanceorinfluencebutthatoftheaforementionedimpartialandincorruptiblechance。Ifheopenedtheone，therecameoutofitahungrytiger，thefiercestandmostcruelthatcouldbeprocured，whichimmediatelyspranguponhimandtorehimtopiecesasapunishmentforhisguilt。Themomentthatthecaseofthecriminalwasthusdecided，dolefulironbellswereclanged，greatwailswentupfromthehiredmournerspostedontheouterrimof*thearena，andthevastaudience，withbowedheadsanddowncasthearts，wendedslowlytheirhomewardway，mourninggreatlythatonesoyoungandfair，orsooldandrespected，shouldhavemeritedsodireafate。
But，iftheaccusedpersonopenedtheotherdoor，therecameforthfromitalady，themostsuitabletohisyearsandstationthathismajestycouldselectamonghisfairsubjects，andtothisladyhewasimmediatelymarried，asarewardofhisinnocence。Itmatterednotthathemightalreadypossessawifeandfamily，orthathisaffectionsmightbeengageduponanobjectofhisownselection；thekingallowednosuchsubordinatearrangementstointerferewithhisgreatschemeofretributionandreward。Theexercises，asintheotherinstance，tookplaceimmediately，andinthearena。Anotherdooropenedbeneaththeking，andapriest，followedbyabandofchoristers，anddancingmaidensblowingjoyousairsongoldenhornsandtreadinganepithalamicmeasure，advancedtowherethepairstood，sidebyside，andtheweddingwaspromptlyandcheerilysolemnized。Thenthegaybrassbellsrangforththeirmerrypeals，thepeopleshoutedgladhurrahs，andtheinnocentman，precededbychildrenstrewingflowersonhispath，ledhisbridetohishome。
Thiswastheking\'ssemi—barbaricmethodofadministeringjustice。Itsperfectfairnessisobvious。Thecriminalcouldnotknowoutofwhichdoorwouldcomethelady；heopenedeitherhepleased，withouthavingtheslightestideawhether，inthenextinstant，hewastobedevouredormarried。Onsomeoccasionsthetigercameoutofonedoor，andonsomeoutoftheother。Thedecisionsofthistribunalwerenotonlyfair，theywerepositivelydeterminate：theaccusedpersonwasinstantlypunishedifhefoundhimselfguilty，and，ifinnocent，hewasrewardedonthespot，whetherhelikeditornot。Therewasnoescapefromthejudgmentsoftheking\'sarena。