  The second hypothetical case immediately follows. Now the king is asked whether he would be obligated to obey the ruler of India, if he were to be visited by his messenger, who brought with him gifts typical of India and specifically of its royal palaces, a message signed by the king himself, as well as medicines to cure his illnesses and preserve his health, and poisons by which to prevail over his enemies. The king's reply is unqualifiedly affirmative, and he immediately explains why. His previous doubt about whether India really had a king would have been dispelled, and he would believe that both his dominion and his order extend to include him. When the sage then asks the king how he would then describe the Indian king he has never met, he responds in a way that clearly recalls his earlier remarks about natural scientists confronted by unexplained phenomena. He says that he would describe him, first, in terms of attributes based on direct observation, and then in terms of other attributes that are both generally accepted and plainly applicable because of those based on observation.