Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 11.djvu/563

* KINGS. 509 KING'S COLLEGE. redaction of the sources included in Samuel and Kings appears indeed to have been made before the destruction of llie Kingdom of Judah, though after the reformation of .Josiah (li.c. 021); but the method of liistorieal eom]io.sition among the Hebrews, which was mainly compilation, left it o|)en for iater editors to make all manner of additions and insertions, wliieli, without neces- sarily effacing the work of the earlier editors, would carry the history still further down. The considerable variations between the Greek and Hebrew texts of Samuel and Kings furnish the proof for the assumption of various redactions of this compilation. Among the sources embodied in the books of Samuel and Ivings the most notable are: In Samuel, ( 1 ) a liistorj' of Saul, compiled by a Benjamite or Judean, probably in the ninth century B.C., embodied in I. Sam. ix.-xiv. ; (2) a liistory of David, containing (a) a later compila- tion (ninth century), embodied in I. Sam. xvi.- xxvi. and II. Sam. i.-v., x.xi.-xxiii., and (b) a somewhat earlier one (II. Sam. ix.-xx.) ; (3) a considerably later compilation of the history of iSaniuel and Saul, scattered through I. Sam. i.-xxvi. In Kings, ( 1 I continuation of the history of David, found in I. and II. Samuel; (2) a. biography of Solomon embodied in I. Kings iii.-xi.; (.3) stories of propliets, compiled probably in the eighth century B.C., embodied in I. Kings xvii.-xxi. and II. Kings ii.-xiii.; (4) extracts from comiiilations known as "Book of the Kings of Israel," and '"Book of the Kings of Judah," though it is quite possible that the com- piler of Kings has in mind a sinc/le work covering the annals of both the kings of Israel and Judah. Thesc as the main sources have been pieced together and the history of the period has been included in the coiupilation brought tinder a single aspect through the skill of editors who viewed the facts of the past as illustrations of their religious theory, which implied that Juda- ism arose in its perfected form in the days of Moses, and that all the disasters and misfortunes happening to Israel are punishments sent by Yahweh for disobedience to His Law as given to the people through Moses. It is therefore necessary before titilizing the valuable material emiiodied in Sanuiel and Kings to make due allowance for this theory and to distinguish care- fully between facts and the interpretation put upon them. In the second place, as in .Joshuii and .ludges, the careers of the favorite heroes — notably David (q.v.) and Solomon (q.v.) — have been embellished with legends and the characters themselves idealized l)v projecting into the past views and religious conceptions that belong to much later ages. The same element of legend, and to a certain extent myth, enters into the stories of the prophets Elijah (q.v.) and Elisha (q.v.). while the kings of Israel and .Tudah arc judged entirely from the point of view of the above- outlined pragmatic method, adopted already by the first group of editors. BifiLionti.vpnT. Consult the histories of Stade, rjuthe. Kittel, Wellliausen. Renan, Kent, and Piepcnbring, and the commentaries by Kittel and Ticnzinger. Among older commentaries, those of Thenius (2d ed., Leipzig, 1873) and Keil (2ded., Leipzig. ISTfil are still of value. KING SALMON. A name for the quinnat (q.v.). KING'S BEADSMEN. See BLrE-Gow.v.s. KING'S (or QUEEN'S) BENCH. An an- ciiiit English ccnirt of cunimon law, which suc- ceeded the (,'uria ilegis, or King's Court, in its criminal jurisdiction, and also in a few civil matters. This jurisdiction, however, it gradually extended, until it became the most important connnon-law court of the Kingdom, having juris- diction over all criminal cases on the 'Crown side,' and all civil causes between subject and subject on the 'plea side.' It also had im- jiorlant suptavisory powers over certain inferior tribunals, magistrates, and all civil corporations. It had authority to pass on the extent of the jurisdiction of inferior courts, and to remove causes to itself where they were improperly com- menced in such courts, ft consisted of a Lord Chief Justice and four puisne or associate jus- tices. By the judicature acts of 1873, it was merged in the High Court of Justice, but the name was preserved as the 'King's Bench Di- vision' of the High Court, which retains its former important jurisdiction. See CfUlA Regis; Common Ple.v.s: .tt;Mc.TrRE Acts; Coukt. KINGS'BOROrrGH, Edward Kixg, Viscount. An Irish riter on ilexican archtcologj". See King, Edward. KING'S COLLEGE, A college of Cambridge University, originally known as the College of Saint Nicholas, ll was founded by Henry VI. in 1441, along with Eton College, Windsor, as its preparatory school. The college was the first in Cambridge to be designed on a splendid aichitec- tural scale, of which the chapel, begun by Ilcnr^' VI., continued by Henry VTl., and cmnpleted by Henry VIII., is now the most striking feature and the only part of the original plan fully cai^ ricd out. The foundation consisted of a provost, 70 fellows, and scholars, chaplains, clerks, choris- ters, and servitors to the extraordinary nuniljcr. of 140. The college had, from the first, unusual privileges, like Xew College, Oxford, siu-h as exemption from the jurisdiction of the Arch- bishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of Ely, and even of the university, in matters scholastic. Till 1857, the members of King's College could taU'o a degree without passing the university examina- tions, which privilege tended to lower the schol- arship of its meml)ers. The revenues of the col- lege are said to have been reduced by Edward IV., but were increased by succeeding benefactions. The college had, in 1002. a provost. 40 fellows, and 48 scholars, with lecturers, tutors. an<l college olficers, and some 120 luidergraduatcs. It pre- sents to some 40 livings. E.xeept the chapel, the buildings are not of pronounced excellence. The chapel, however, is the finest college chapel in existence, and probably the finest cxani|)le of its style of architecture in the world in size. form, and decoration. It contains some of the liest glass and wood carving in England, .mong the worthies of King's have lieen Sir Roliert Wal- pole, the first Sir William Temple, Lord Strat- ford de RedclifTe. .rchbishop Sunmer, Bishop Pear.son. and Richard Croke. the Greek .scholar. See Eton College; and Cambridge, Unher- SITT OF. KING'S COLLEGE. A college !n London. England, ll was founded in 1829 (opened 1831) as an outgrowth of a division in opinion between the founders of the ITniversity of London, which had been established in 1825-27. King's