Scans_Daily

If the King is seen to flout his own law because it inconveniences him, then there goes his much of his authority, and he's no better than any despot. ("Well, I didn't vote for him")

So... therefore he should burn his wife because *not* burning his wife inconveniences him in the sense of undermining his authority? That decision would seem to be based on pragmatics, not morality--unless he was operating under a sort of Kohlberg law-and-order morality.

I personally think that if you don't burn women alive then you are a lot better than despots who do. And a lot worse than an unfaithful wife, for that matter.