DAVID'S TROUBLES REMEMBRED IN 1. Absolons Sheep-shearing 2. Ioab projecting 3. Bathsheba bathing 4. Israel rebelling 5. Ahithophel hanging 6. David returning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 PSAL. 119. 71. It is good for mee that I have been in trouble that I may learne thy Statutes LONDON Printed by Richard Hodgkinsonne and are to be sold by Daniel Frere at the signe of the Bull in Little-Britan 1638. To the Author THe Poem which shall live and oft be read With foure faire Ornaments is garnished It must describe to life fitly compare Abound with Sentences and Fictions rare All these are met in thine and doe conspire To dresse thy Lines in durable attire Thy chosen Subject of a sacred straine Is Index of thy sanctified Braine Prophaner Muses vent your idle dreames While thine discourseth of diviner Theames It shall bee written on thy mournfull Herse Hee turn'd all sacred Story into Verse RO. WILLAN Ad Authorem Quiddam ex Virgilii Eclogâ sextâ inflexum huic penso pretextum per G. H. HAs oh Laete fides tibi dant en accipe Musae Psalmicini quas ante duci quibus ille solebat Cantando sacros deducere coelitus hymnos His tibi suavifluo currit scaturigine vena Ne quis sit vates quo se plus jactet Apollo Omnis te pia Musa canit nec gratior ulla est Quam quae Davidis praescribit pagina nomen Quae canit aerumnas regis curasque sequaces Saepius obsessi latrantibus undique monstris To the worthy Author of this Divine Poem ORder and Number set the World in frame Tun'd the harmonious Spheres made memory A Cabinet to eternize Mans fame And to Record th' eternall Deity All Verses rellish not of Levitie Who saith true Poesie is not Divine Knows not the Hebrew Hymn nor hath read thine Should I beleeve a Metempsychosis Isha's sonnes soule silenc'd by his last fate I 'de sweare inform'd thy body and made this Vse of thy Peace to draw his trouble's State That others might take heed ere 't is too late Church and State Hypocrites in their owne trap To catch though maskt lul'd in fortunes lap Follow thy Prophet Poets follow thee Till they have learn'd to leave Venerian Rimes And thou hast taught religious Historie Affords the proper Sonnets of our times Best Organs Canzons true coelestiall Chimes So having penned Odes for Davids Lyre Goe helpe to chaunt them in the Angels Quire ROB. SYBTHORP Idem ad Lectorem INcestûs poenae fraterni sanguinis ultor Principis aerumnae Proditionis opus Contemptus Cleri rabies temeraria vulgi Peccantis planctus contritionis amor Si tibi sint curae pandit mysteria mira Aâ—-laetus vates alite digna Jovis R. S. DAVIDS TROUBLES The first Booke Absolons Sheep-shearing I Tell the divers tryalls of the King Who hevenly hymns did to his Maker sing Blest Spirit that infus'd on him such skill Dispose aright thine humble servants quill Now liv'd the King at home in happy peace Free from all Wars and dangerous disease Of civill broiles For all Sauls house was slaine None but the lame Mephibosheth remaine The Philistins are all brought downe so low They dare no other Lord than David know The Syrians in two battailes overthrowne Now make their peace and serve him as his own The Heralâ— violating Ammonite Is strong enough to serve but not to fight Two yeare are past since Thamars ravishment The Peeres and people free from discontent When thus becalm'd with peace and newly rose From meat newes comes thus fame by going growes That all his sonnes by Absolon were slaine Not one amongst the living did remaine This made him from his Cloth of state descend And teare his clothes and dolefull cryes out send Lye on the earth whilst all his servants cry And with their clothes all rent stand mourning by Till Ionadab begins thus to the King Take not my Lord so grievously this thing As if that all thy sonnes at once were dead Thine Amnon's onely slaine who ravished His sister Thamar Absolon this thing E're since hath vow'd and now to passe doth bring By faire pretence of making him a feast Thus hath hee slaine his Brotheâ— and his Guest By this the Watchman looking up descride Much people comming on the Mountaines side When Ionadab Lo as thy servant said The Kings sonnes come my Lord be not dismaid They all are safe scarce had hee made an end When downe the hill they saw them all descend Who as they neerer came still more lamented The King and all his servants hearts relented As when from Egypt with full sacks of graine Old Iacobs sonnes came to him home againe Because with Ioseph Simeon was left bound The Sonnes and Father make the valleys sound With plaints groans and cause at home more mourning For Simeons misse than joy at their returning So was it here King David and his Sonnes Make all the Court to sound with plaints and groanes Meane while the guiltie murtherer Absolon Not daring stay to answer what was done In hast t' avoid the Lawes revenging hand To Geshur posts his Mothers native land Geshur a Citie is in Syrias Fields On Iudahs borders where old Talmaie wields The Scepter who for some respects of state When David yet o're Hebron onely sate To him had given his Daughter from whose bed Came Absolon and Thamar ravished It was no little pleasure to the King To see his goodly Nephew but this thing Amaz'd him much great Davids Sonne to see Attended with so small a companie But his sweet Beautie and brave personage Commended by the flower of his age So takes the good old King his salutation Was all compos'd of joy and admiration The hidden vigour of his lightning eye His rosie cheeks his fronts sweet Majestie His Nose like Gnomon of a Diall faire His Lippes pure scarlet Ribbands whereon haire Arose like finest Downe his Mouth not wide But open'd did discover on each side An Ivorie range of Teeth as even and sound As twinned Lambs which on the Mountaines bound His Locks were like to twist of burnishâ— Gold Which did out-weigh so oft as hee was pol'd The Ramm's faire Fleece and to the Sun-beames turn'd Did seeme a flaming Bush that never burn'd In all the Kingdomes of the East not one Was found for Beauty like to Absolon From his foots sole up to his curled crowne No blemish could in Absolon be showne This made th' idolatrous vaine Syrian Thinke him a God in likenesse of a man Beleeving Sol had left his Chariot bright In Geshurs Court one night to take delight Or warlike Mars resign'd his Sphere above To solace there in pleasing armes of Love The Priests themselves that were or should be wise Were ready even to offer Sacrifice When Talmai thus my fairest Absolon Art thou my Nephew royall Davids Sonne Or dost thou from amongst the Gods descend Mee to admonish of my latter end Worship there 's due unto a power divine And not Embracements If that thou
Like savage beasts their fellowes each assaile Where strength and fury 'gainst all right prevaile Like Pikes in pond the most of might and power Do all the other underlings devoure Here heapes of bodies lye unburied Here Infants slain and Virgins ravished Nor is the perill of the enemy More dangerous than privie treachery Where great ones seem to take their Soveraigns parts Yet cleave unto the Rebels with their hearts And therefore him unfaithfully advise Disclosing's secrets to his Enemies Amongst such Traytors good and loyall held More perill is at home than in the field These and a thousand more calamities Of civill warres now th' Hebrewes miseries And bred at first on this side Iordanes floud Are forded over now to Ephraims wood Which though ambition them at first begins God sends for scourges of the peoples sins But Absolon that might no longer raign Than he the peoples madnesse could maintain Besides he many of their hearts did find From him unto the better part inclin'd March'd on till both the Armies were in sight On purpose to provoke the King to fight And David who was stronger now become By many friends that to his aid were come It thinking foule dishonour for a Crown To be besieged in a walled Town Caus'd Ioab draw his men out of the gate That he might view them all there as he sate Where he appoints some Captaines over ten Someover hundreds some a thousand men For all or most part of his old Commanders To follow Absolon had left his standards When Ittai Davids prudent faithfull friend Begins my Lord stay here thy servants send Against these Rebels for our King to fight Why should we hazard putting out our light What though ten thousand of thy people fall Thy life is of more value than us all True-hearted Subjects more will every day Turn after thee and fall from him away With which we 'l battail after battail try Till God and our good cause give victory When thus the King Ioab and Abishai And Ittai you are men on whom this day My life my Kingdom and my State relies And therefore I will do as you advise The Army order as you shall think fit To each of you a third part I commit Let Ioabs might for our main â—attail stand Iâ—tai and Abishai the wings command But good my friends remember Absolon Forget not that he is your Soveraigns son Intreat the young-man gently for my sake On 's youth and my gray haires some pitty take This charge he in the gate with many teares Gave all the Captaines in the peoples eares But Absolon who found the people totter And waver like the Seas unstable water And that the Tribeson this side Iordans floud Who for the King more than the Rebels stood Resolv'd to dye all in the Kings defence Against his sons rebellious insolence Rais'd on his Mule and arm'd in war-like fashion To all his Army utters this Oration My friends and fellow-souldiers not mine own Content or private coveting the Crown Me caus'd these Armes and Weapons up to take But for the publike profit and your sake Alas you know how braâ—e and plenteously I might have liv'd in all prosperity Grace honour credit glory and renown Nought wanting but the dangers of a Crown Of which succession made me not so sure As all your votes and wishes did secure But this your favour to the rising Sun Which by my love and care of you I won Was made high treason by these to the King Who of the State have all the managing Whose tirannous oppressions should I name I should laâ— ope mine own and Fathers shame For such do rule the King that are not able To rule themselves a thing intollerable This must be righted I you hither bring To fight against these Tyrants not the King 'T is yours and not my cause for which we fight I only lend my counsell strength and might My friends and kinsmen I you all leave free Go on which side you most desire to be Some tyranny account a benefit So they at home in peace may quiet sit And rather had the heaviest burthens beare Than noise of Drums and Trumpets sounding heare Such wish I to their Cities soon return But you brave friends whose hearts do inly burn With zeal and hate 'gainst publike tyrannies And seek to vindicate these injuries Whom by your faces brave alacrity I easely from base Cowards can descry As with brave courage you with me remain With me as victors you shall ever raign Whilst they whose harts them fail for cowardise Shall lye and groan still under tyrannies As Moses led you by a mighty hand From bondage of a cruell Lord and Land So come I up resolv'd to set you free From all oppressions wrongs and tyranny The justnesse of our cause shall us acquite But you that are so miserably light Again for Aegypts flesh-pots to return Though you their Brick and Lime for ever burn Return I say and live in your own City Your lightnesse merits not such blame as pitty Since I return'd from Geshur to this Câ—urt I view'd your grievances of every sort Tell me to which of all your causes here I have not lent an understanding eare Your suits were good but either none there were Deputed of the King your plaints to heare Or else the Iudges wanted time and leasure All must attend from Term to Term their pleasure Oh! there is no more gainfull occupation Than Law in practise with the Iewish Nation Clerks Patrons Proctors Lictors more abound Than Merchants Farmours Souldiers can be found And whence live these but on the injuries Of you my people and your miseries As Winds by Conjurers are oft up blown That Conjurers again may get them down So do these Lawyers suits and questions raise Not for their Clyents profit but their praise Nor will they them dismisse with little gain For many suits eternally remain With so great costs as they that overcome Had better been condemn'd when they begun And ev'n as Souldiers by continuall jarres Grow senselesse of the cruelty of warres So Lawyers us'd to wrongs and injuries Compassionate no Clyents miseries I cannot finde that all the civill broiles So much oppresse the subject as the toiles Men take when they for justice sue and right More safe in field than at the bar to fight Have not some Courts yet in your memories Doubled against all equitie their fees As if they had no table law nor taske But you were bound to pay what they will aske Which th' unlearn'd deskmen to such states doth raise And leaves Professors onely place and praise These and more grievances I will redresse And make the number of your Lawyers lesse Which when they have no place to act their parts Will study other profitable Arts I will appoint for pleadings certain dayes And Iudges to do right without delayes Yea many other wrongs I will reform The Levites which your consciences inform Shall take the tenths of all the soules they
art mine Declare the cause that doth thee hither bring Then Absolon My Parent and my King I duely here doe give upon my knee The worship which thou offerest to mee I am thy sonne and servant But the King Lets him not kneel but whilst from 's eyes doe spring Teares mixt with joy to 's chaire of State doth guide Who thus begins downe sitting by his side It hath too oft been prov'd to be deny'd That all things which on earth to men betide By heavenly Powers are guided to their end What ever Mortalls vainly may intend So as Church Policies and Rules of State Are alwayes subject to eternall Fate When thou thy Daughter borne of Royall Seed To David gav'st hee of thine aide had need Against Sauls house his Hebron to maintaine And other parts of Israels Land to gaine Who thought then that thy Daughters Progeny Should be subjected to strange soveraignty This baser Israelite to beare a Sonne To disinherit Maachas Absolon But when I found my Fathers mind and fate In this agree contented with my state My life I in a Countrie Village led And like a Farmer Sheep and Bullocks fed In Court I saw no safety to remaine Where Envie and Ambition ever reigne With divers jealousies and strains of state To thrust downe vertue not to emulate Yet feeling Royall Blood boile in a veine Which mee assur'd that I was borne to reigne And that to bee commanded was too base For one descended of so Royall Race I rather chose to be the first in place Than second in the highest Monarchs grace My Sheep-hooke therefore I a Scepter feigne My Garland greene a Crowne and that small traine Of Gallants that did on my person tend I call'd my Peeres The Iudges I did send To judge my subjects which were flocks of sheep Were shepheards who them did protect and keep And not as now wee see some Iudges doe Their Fleeces pull and take their Bodies too The Law I rul'd by was my will and word A frowning looke my executing sword Nor did I lesse esteeme my fragrant Bowers Then Kings their high guilt princely costly Towers My fields and flocks did yeeld as wholsome meat I ay a better stomacke had to eate And when I pleas'd to hunt the little Hare More pleasure yeelded than Roe Bucke or Beare I often walking in my shady Groves Heard more sweet dainty Lays of heavenly Loves Than could be tun'd by Davids choisest Quire What more than I enjoy'd could one desire A Country life is too too full of blesse If country men knew their owne happinesse But ah poore wretches all admire gay showes Of Court and Citie but alas who knowes Their base dissemblings jealousies and cares Forswearing lying flattering and feares Whereas their clothes they seeke to change the bed And to account the stolne for sweetest bread That dying few doe know for whom they toild If for their owne or for anothers child The while the Country-man at home alone Enjoyes his wife his own deare flesh and bone And sees even in his sons and Nephewes faces Their parents native features looks and graces And though such shows they make not on their table Yet is their chear as good and acceptable Yea even their Offerings and Sacrifice Assoone to Heaven may from these Cells arise As those that Kings on statelie â— Altars lay And send their Hecatombs up night and day Thus as a King I liv'd amongst my Peeres And wanted nothing but their cares and fâ—ares Free from the envie of the Prince and Court Who never did regard my meaner port Untill the Heavens or some malicious fate Who better knew than they my happy state Even in the swimming fulnesse of my gladnesse Me interrupted with this cause of sadnesse Besides her sonne thy servant Absolon Maacha had a daughter and but one By David of such comely modest grace She was the light and glory of our race Surmounting common beauties of the Court As Suns bright beames the Starrs of meaner sort With which some Courtiers playing as the Flyes With flaming Lamps burnt both their wings and eyes Of which was Amnon whom experience try'd That he indeed was not true Eagle-ey'd For dazled with her beames most pure and bright Against Gods Lawes and Natures common light He lusted after his owne Sisters bed A wickednesse not to be uttered But as the more conceal'd the more the fire Consumes so this unnaturall desire Most fearing it should be to morâ—alls showne Nere dreading God to whom it all was knowne Consumes his marrow and his body dryes So as on bed all languishing he lyes No meanes he saw his lawlesse lust to gain For she a Virgin liv'd pure free from stain When Ionadab my fathers brothers son As subtile ones who fairest rising Sun Ay worship and think nothing vil'e or base That may possesse them of a Princes grace Observing Amnons pulse doth plainly finde His sicknesse not of body but of minde And saith my Lord Art thou not Davids son The kingdoms heire thou knowst their breaths not one From Sihors Floud to great Euphrates sands That cheerfully observes not thy commands Thou art the life and comfort of our State Why dost thy self and us then macerate Let but thy servants know what thou desir'st And they will more effect than thou requir'st Ah! Cosin Ionadab saith Amnon I Think better my desires with me should dye To make them known it is as bootlesse vain As wicked to affect I will not feign Nor hide the secrets of my heart from thee I love my Sister Thamar but what hee Advis'd the lustfull Prince was never known Till thus the cause was by the issue shown One Summers evening walking when Sols light was giving way unto the Queen of night I on a Mule by Moon-light did descry A Lady with small train who comming nigh Falls to the ground and with a piteous groan With sighs and sobs doth testifie her moan Her hand alas she laid upon her head Which was with ashes all besprinkeled Her partie-colour'd garments all were rent That I her piteous case did even lament Before I her discover'd by the face To be our Thamar Ah! saith she alas Most miserable wight yet why should I Make known my grief and see no remedy Had any soe done me this foule despight I could have over-past my grief more light But my neere friend hath me dishonoured My elder Brother Amnon ravished You can but wonder noble Absolon How he a Virgin Maid could finde alone Ah! dearest Brother by a subtill wile Me and my Father both he did beguile Himself he feigning sick upon his bed Soon as he by the King was visited Most humbly of him doth intreat the grace That I ah me might come before his face And in his Chamber make some dainty meat Which of my hand it might be he could eat The King commanded I forthwith was sent Without the least suspecting his intent Me to dishonour and my family And violate my chaste virginity But
silenc'd as his due At Court soon for his restitution sue Where want of years and indiscretion blame Thou of a zealous Prince shalt get the name It skils not if his cause be good or bad His sufferings will to his credit adde For all the people after him will run Commending highly all that thou hast done And say O had our Prince the Iudges place None but such zealous men should be in grace As when a Company desire to bring Renown and credit to some new-found Spring They give it our the water is most sure And medecineable for every cure Then women children men and all that heare To drink that water travell far and neere In some it such a strong conceit doth breed They of Diseases cured are indeed And as when we erect an Image new Of any Deity lo all the crew We speak of with their offerings thither flock And do their homage to a stone or stock Till daily use satiety doth bring To men both of the Image and the Spring So when the parents and neer kinsfolk bring A Levite that at th' Altar scarce can sing With wondrous wit and gravity to preach Oh then they all admire to heare him teach Yea giddy people run from far and nigh Whilst other neighbour Temples empty lye And by their violence and strong conceit Sublime his spirits to the very height Where he no longer can retain that grace Than till a new one like him comes in place Then doth their famous Prophets honour fall And like the spring and Idol is in all Let a great man run riot swagger sweare And for his lust and pleasure nothing spare If he familiarly himself acquaint With such they 'l publish him to be a Saint These are good meanes but I advise that thou Invent unto thy self some new-found vow Be it the vainest thing thou canst devise They 'l follow thee by droves to sacrifice As now you see them run most greedily To fasts maintain'd without authority Or t' heare a ratling shallow Lâ—vite prate Whose tongue is interdicted by the State Do but disgrace old rules and fashion new Thou shalt their heartsâ—o thee for ever glew For nothing doth the people so possesse As humouring their spirituall wantonnesse Nor can a Prince a project better cloke Than underneath a Sacrifice of smoke But now one tells the King that Ioab staid For Absolon and therefore humbly prai'd Him haste to horse So Talmai with a kisse And many blessings doth his son dismisse To David who consin'd him to his place Nor might he come at Court to see his face And now that private life which wont him bring Delight and solace fitting for a King Is ev'n of discontent become the nest His head can onely on Court pillowes rest His three years sojourning in Geshurs Courts Have made him loath all wonted Country sports He therefore sends for Ioab him to bring Unto the Court and presence of the King But David knowing well that men in place Encourage vice if they offenders grace For twice twelve months would not endure to heare That Absolon should in his sight appeare 'T is well the mutherer may save his head And not be countenanc'd though pardoned In this so strict was David to his son That Ioab dares not visit Absolon Untill he set on fire his field of graine So what love could not anger did constraine And now was Ioab more for feare than love Compel'd thus for his son the King to move Thou knowst two years are past since I O King Thy son unto Hierusalem did bring When thou consind'st him to his wonted place Nor ever since wouldst let him see thy face I well perceiving 't was against thy mind He should be grac'd and honour'd in this kind All visits have forborn though oft required Till now lo he my Barly field hath fired Lo thus your Gracâ— may see I am compel'd By fire unto his just requests to yeeld And yet indeed I finde thy sons desire To see his Father hotter than the fire When I approacht his solitary gate I found him walking all disconsolate But soon as unto him my face appears His heart powres from his eyes a floud of tears And he begins when thou me home didst bring I surely thought it would have pleas'd the King To have accepted me to former grace And that I should have serv'd before his face Else why should I from Geshurs Court have gone To live here solitary all alone Alas what do I by my comming gaine If in this prison I confin'd remaine The Sun hath full five times fulfil'd his race Since I beheld my fathers cheerfull face O bring me once again into his sight And let him heare my cause and judge upright Then if I seem unrighteous in his eye I willing am for my offence to dye Lo banishment and death is much more light Than live disgrac'd out of my Fathers sight Thus Ioab â—ubtly warms the melting heart Of lonâ—ing David whilst he doth impart This fiâ—all affection of his son And finds this parly hath the fortresse won As when an enemy besiegeth round A Castle which the Captain knows unsound Though at the first he valiantly pretend To hold the Fort out to the sieges end Yet if his foe him good conditions tenders He them accep's and soon the Fort up renders So here the King although for president He would not shew his heart once to relent For Absolon yet thinking he did find By Ioab how the young-man was inclin'd Lo his affections yeeld and grow more strong Because he them dissembled had so long And therefore for him sends and with a kisse His pardon seales for all that was amisse And now is Absolon as great as faire In hope now Israels apparent heire But as we evermore proud mortalls see In greater danger in prosperity Then when adversity their sailes do scant And prudence more appears in store than want So is 't with Absolon more surfetting Of Grace than with displeasure of a King Or of his former forraign banishment Great spirits loath all moderate content For though in humane judgement none indeed So likely was his Father to succeed If his ambition could it self contain Till age a period gave to Davids raign And that the Crown had fall'n to him by course Which now he sought to seize upon by force Yet his aspiring mind impatient That time should thrust 'twixt him and his content Begins ev'n now to travell with ambition That never finds lest stay or intermission Of pains and throws till like the vipers seed In comming forth it leaves the mother dead And now the rules of State old Talmai read By him in Iudahs Court are practised And like lusts stinking flame that all perverts He first takes peoples eyes and next their hearts Unwonted pompe and shews of splendour bright That us'd to take the peoples favour light Are with all State-magnificence prepar'd Lo fifty foot attend him for his Guard His Charrets thunder and his horses