vexed him full often times and did him so molest That for the time of all his wittes he was quite dispossest Which gréeued sore his men to sée wherefore they gan to say Behold how this most wicked wight doth hauÌ„t thée day by day Let there be sought a cunning man of good and perfect skill On harpe or other instrument some comfort bring it will. Prouide me then of such a one go search both â—arre and nere Where that the best is to be had and bring him to me here Then one did say that Isai had a sonne that did excell In musike and vpon the harpe he played passing well A strong and valiaunt man of warre well made of bone lim Excéeding wise in his affayres and hath the Lorde with him Then sent the king and made request that Isai would him send His yongest sonne that on his shéepe and shepefold did attend Who at the kings commaundement prepared therewithall A simple present with his sonne and sent him vnto Saul So Dauid serued now the king and in the Court remaynd Where he was well accept of Saul and gently entertaynd His harnesse bearer he became The king sent once agayne To Isai that Dauid should with him a while remayne Then Dauid great atendance gaue vpon his master Saul To be at hande if that the sprite should chaunce on him to fall As now and then it came to passe then Dauid gan to play Upon his harpe so pleasauntly that soone it went away Now after this the Philistines came with a mightie hoast To warre agaynst the Israelites pitcht in Dammims coast Then Saul the king of Israel them to resist he goes And camped in the vale of Oke in sight of all his foes The Philistines stoodâ— on an hill the Israelites were séene To stand vpon an other hill a valley them betweene And while the hoast stoode at a stay a Philistine came downe Into the bottome of the vale a strong and mighty clowne His name it hight Goly of Gath so bigge and huge a man As was in length from top to toe six cubites and a span An helmet on his head he had of hard and massy brasse A coate of male vpon his backe of passing weight it was A shield bootes of brasse likewise which he was woÌ„t to weare And scarsly could a weauers beame well couÌ„terpeise his speare Now hauing one to beare his shield and waite vpon the same Agaynst the hoast of Israel with voyce he gan proclame Why come ye out in battayle ray behold I am but one Send out a man that dare assay to fight with me alone If he do beate me in this place then we will all be yours If I preuayle with force and might then you shall all be ours This day the hoast of Israel I do it all defye Send out a man that we may fight and here the matter trye When Saul and all the Israelites had heard and séene his spite They were with feare astonished and out of courage quite Here now to Dauid Isais sonne our talke returnd shal bée An Euphratite of Bethleem a man of good degrée This Isai had vnto his sonnes in number eight in all And he himselfe well stept in yeres now in the dayes of Saul With whom thrée of his eldest sonnes into the warres did go Both Samma and Abinadab and Eliab also But Dauid went not out with Saul for he was gone before To féede his fathers shéepe agayne and came to Saul no more His father nowe an aged man and of the warres afrayd Bethought him of his sonnes with Saul and thus to Dauid said Come forth my sonne I le send thée now into the hoast of Saul To sée thy brethren how they fare and what thing iâ— befall Go carie them this parched corne these ten loaues of bread For in their hunger it perhaps may stand them in some stead And to their capteine vnder whom their lotte is for to serue Present these chéeses in my name that he may them deserue If néede haue forsoe thy brethren so that â—â—ey haue gages layde Redéeme their pledge and sée that all their creditors be payde Then Dauid early gat him vp committing all his shéepe Unto an other skilfull man to tende them and to kéepe So going forth he came vnto the hoast that lay about Where as he heard the noyse of warre people make a shout For both the hoasts were in aray and stood in others sight Ech one with weapon in his hand as ready for to fight TheÌ„ leauing al his gere with one that mo things had in charge He ran and found his brethren out saluting them at large And as he stood in talk comes forth great Goly with his vauÌ„ts Prouoking still the Israelites with spitefull bitter tauntes Whose vgly shape and mighty corps did so the people fray That they durst not abide his looke but ranne from him away Ech one to other saying thus saw you this fiend of hell His comming vp is to revile the hoast of Israel Who so can him depriue of life and master in the field To him the king his daughter deare great rewards wil yéeld And furthermore he will also his fathers house to bée In all the land of Israel from tax and payments frée Now Dauid hearing all the brags the Philistine had made His heart was moued so within that he brast out and sayde What shal be done vnto the man what honour to his name That beateth yonder Philistine to saue the land from shame For what is this vncircumcisd what power is in his rod That he should thus reuile the hoast of the true liuing God The people sayd to him agayne as they had sayd before That so it should be done to him with prayse for euermore Which thing his brother Eliab tooke in such spite and hate That he offended with his talke began him all to rate What hast thou here to do quod he go home tend thy shéepe Which thou hast left in wildernes without a guyde to kéepe I know the malice of thy heart which so in thée hath wrought That it pride hath brought thée down to sée the battel fought Then Dauid saide what haue I done there is some cause certaine And so departing farther of he spake the same againe To whom the people as before assured him of all But some that noted well his words rehearsed them to Saul Who caused him for to be fet that he might sée the man And being brought immediatly to speake he thus began Let not the king dismayed be let no mans heart him fayle For yonder bragging Philistine I shall God will assayle Thou art not able quod the king to cope with him in hand So farre aboue thy power he is thou mayst him not withstand Thou art but yet a boy in age and he a man of might Brought vp traded from his youth in warre warlike fight Then Dauid to encourage Saul in Gods great
them where they light gather theÌ„ as fast The boy made hast and Ionathas shot out a shaft or two Beyond the place were Dauid lay as he did thinke to do And when the boy was at the marke where Ionathas had shot He called vnto him and sayd with heauy heart God wot Are not the shafts beyond thée now make hast stand not still The boy with spede them brought to him according to his will. Then with his bow and furniture away the boy was sent Not knowing ought of that was done or what his master meÌ„t The boy no sooner home returnd with his artillery But Dauid came and to the ground fell thrise vpon his knée With wéeping eyes ech other kist their harts did melt bléede They wept so long together both that Dauid did excéede Then Ionathas to Dauid said depart and go in peace And let the bond betwene vs two stand fast and neuer cease So Dauid to Abimelech Nobs priest his iorney tooke Whose soden sight appald him much so that for feare he shooke And for to know the cause therof demaunded by and by What is the matter thou art come and hast so few with thée The king quod he hath secret things committed to my charge That none may know wherfore I haue left all my meÌ„ at large If thou hast any bread or meate or ought vnder thy hande I pray thée giue it vnto me for here I may not stande Then he for lacke of common bread did with himselfe deuise To giue him of the holy loaues his hunger to suffise Well yet sayd Dauid one thing more I shall of thée require My harnesse haue I left behinde my weapons be not here If thou haue any better store I pray thée lend me one The king did send me in such hast that I prouided none Here is quod he great Golies sword shewd him where it lay If that may haply serue your turne then spare it not I pray 〈…〉 etter sure quod he then that and therefore made no stay But tooke it vp and to the king of Geth he went his way Whose court did know him by and by and therefore gaue it out That this was Dauid who was king of Iuda round about Whose prayse the women did set forth aboue all other men Ascribing vnto Saul but one and vnto Dauid ten Which saying Dauid noted well and put them in his brest But yet as one that stoode in feare least he should be opprest Wherfore his speach he counterfeit played such madding fits That all that saw him did beléeue that he had lost his wits From mouth to beard with lothsome sight his filthy spettle ran And scrauld about from dore to dore much like a Bedlem man. Then Achis sayd vnto his men ye sée it is of troth This man to be beside him selfe and wots not what he doth Wherfore theÌ„ haue ye brought him me as though great nede I had Of frantike felowes in my sight so foolish so mad Away with him and get him hence and trouble me no more My pleasure is such frantike men come not within my dore When Dauid had escapde the king by this deuised guyle Within Odollams hollow caues he did him selfe a while Who was no sooner there and knowen but thither did resort His brethren with his fathers house him onely to support And those that were intangled then with det or els with law And such as were disquieted all such to him did draw And those that so had flockt to him foure hundred were in all And he as capteyne ruled them they ready at his call And from that place with all his men he gat him to Mizpa A place among the Moabites where he with fauour lay And made request vnto the king his good will to obteine That vnder his protection his parents might remayne A while with him for their solace till he did sée and know What God would do for him and his in theyr distresse and wo. The king was well content and glad that Dauid was so bold And kept them all the while he lay within the fence and hold Where he was warned of the Lorde euen by the Prophet Gad That into Iuda he should go with all the men he had TheÌ„ marching forth came to the wood of Hareth where he â—â—eâ—d At whose approching Saul began as one somewhat dismaid Some meanes to séeke as he might best his state honour saue And leaning to his speare forthwith began such talke to haue O heare ye sonnes of Iemini what haue ye take in hande Thinke you the sonne of Isai will giue you house and lande Will he in office you promote great Capteins for to be That ye haue thus with him conspirde none doth tell it me And where as Ionathas my sonne with him hath made a bonde Yet none of you will mourne with me nor let me vnderstonde Then Doeg start him vp and sayd Abimelech the priest Had holpen Dauid in his néede agaynst the king most hiest Wherfore the king put him to death with all the priests ech one Saue only that Abiathar to Dauid fled alone Declaring how that wicked Saul his fathers blood had shed For that he had sustayned him and in his hunger fed I thought no lesse quod Dauid then but such a thing would fall That Doeg would in time accuse thy father vnto Saul I am the cause of all this death and great destruction Thy fathers house by me are brought to their confusion Abide by me and feare thée not where euer that I go For he that séeketh for my life shall séeke for thine also It so befell the Philistines their force and might had bent Agaynst the towne of Keilah whose vtter spoyle they ment Which thing when Dauid knew he sought the Lords good wil to know Who wild him with good corage fight giue the ouerthrow Then sayd his men be we not all afrayde in Iuda héere How much the more shall we to sée the Philistines appéere He asked then the Lord agayne who did him vnderstand He should go downe for he would giue them all into his hand So Dauid with his crue of men made hast vnto the towne And fought agaynst the Philistines till he had bet them downe And spoyled them of all their goods and eury thing they had And saued the inhabitants and made the people glad Of this the king was certified and farther to him tolde How Dauid with his bond of men tooke Keilah for his holde Whereat the king did much reioyce and made his reckning so That God had now deliuerd vp to him his mortall fo For that he was within a towne that was of such a strength To hold him fast so that he might dispatch him at the length And so prepared him an hoast of warlike men and stoute To take his way to Keilah the towne to siege about Now Dauid béeing ware of all the mischiefe Saul had wrought Began to
masters sonne I giue both vineyard fieldes and all Therfore thou the men with thée do husband wel the ground That foode for Micahs maintenance with plentie may be found For now thy lord Miphiboseth shall eate his bread with me As though he were one of my sonnes and be no charge to thée Now after this it so befell king Ammon for to dye A friend of Dauids in distresse that shewd him curtesye Wherfore he thought it reason good to recompence his sonne In this respect for that he had his raigne but new begonne And therevpon an Embassy to this yong king he sent To comfort him in heauynes and for no worse intent His Lords and his Nobilitie suspected Dauids men And therfore came vnto the king and said vnto him then What dost thou thinke that Dauid doth intend to thée none ill Or to thy father that he doth this honour of good will His meaning is thy land strength to search with priuy spies And thervpon with might and maine thy kingdome to surprise The king gaue credite to their talke and thought it verely And therevpon deuised how to worke them villany And so for spite and open shame to Dauid and his land The one halfe of their beards he shaues lets the other stand And did their garments all to cut accordingly with tooles Hard to the buttocks of the men and sent them home like fooles When Dauid heard this misdemeane he willed some to go And méete his mē who were ashamd that any should thē know So they abode at Iericho vntill their beards were growen And then returning home agayne it was no farther knowen This spite could Dauid not digest for ought that they could doo But sought reuenge by open warre and did performe it too The next yere Zibba to besiege he sent his souldiours prest But he within Ierusalem abode and tooke his rest It chaunced so that on a time with some delightfull sightes He walkt vpon his house aboue to recreate his sprites Where he a passing goodly wight espied from aboue As she was bathing of her selfe with whom he fell in loue And thervpon he sent his man and bad him word to bring What was her name whose wife she was eury other thing Word was returnde t was Bethsabe and one Vrias wife Who in the warfares of his grace was ventring of his life He sent for her and when she came his heart was so inflamd With her to ioyne in filthynes he nothing was ashamd And she returning to her house by Dauid thus defilde Did send him word of certentie howe that she was with childe Then Dauid to auoyde the crime which he apparant saw Deuised meanes her to defende from rigour of the law To Ioab straight he did dispatche a post and bad him tell That he should send Vrias home to make the matter well And when Vrias came before the presence of the king And had discoursed of the warres and eury other thing The king did will him to go home and with his wife to rest To washe his féete and recreate him selfe as he thought best Vrias tooke his leaue and home as Dauid thought he went Who for his seruice in the warres a recompence him sent But yet in déede Vrias did not moue one foote away But for that night before his gates vpon the grounde did stay Which thing when Dauid knew he askt what was the cause why He went not home vnto the house with his wife did ly And rest him there a while with her and eke his friends among Untill he had refresht him selfe vpon his iourney long Vrias said our soueraigne Lord the Arke of Israel The tribes of Iuda they also in tentes and boothes do dwell My Capteine Ioab with his men in open fieldes they lye Abiding hard aduentures there in wether wet and drye And shall I now go to my house there for to eate and drinke And haue the pleasure of my wife I did it neuer thinke I make an oth euen by thy life and by thy soule O king So long the Arke doth lye abrode I will not do this thing Then Dauid wild he should remayne and tary one day mo And on the morow should haue leaue for to depart and go That night he made Vrias dronke him to prouoke thereby To haue a minde vnto his wife and with her for to ly But as before so now agayne vpon the grounde he lay And would not go vnto his house what euer he did say Upon the morow Dauid wrote to Ioab his intent Which lettor sealed surely vp he by Vrias sent The summe wherof was onely this he should Vrias trayne Unto some péece of seruice there where that he might be slayne Which thing of Ioab béeing done and Dauid thereof tolde He thought him selfe now safe inough that he might be bolde Then sent he for the woman home and she became his wife But God was very sore displeasd with this his sinfull life Now Dauid béeing wrapt in sinne the Lord his Prophet sent Who did propose this parable to make him to repent Two men quod he vpon a time within one towne did dwell The one but poore the other God had blessed very well The rich man had excéeding store of cattell oxe and shéepe The poore man had in all the world but one poore lamb to kéepe Which he had fostred brought vp with him from day to day Till it grew vp and with his babes gan pleasantly to play It eate and dranke with him at home and in his bosome slept And as a daughter deare to him he causde it to be kept Unto the rich mans house there came a straunger as a gest Of all his shéepe he would not let so much as one be drest But tooke the poore mans lambe away who had no mo but one And so prepard it for his gest and let his owne alone The king was moued with this talke and grew in choler than And thought no payne or punishment to much for suche a man. And made an oth that vnreuengd that man should neuer go But should fourefold repay to him whom he had wronged so Thou art said he the very man euen thou thy selfe art he The Lord therfore hath bid me come and say thus much to thée He made thée king of Israel and of his people all And did also deliuer thée out of the hand of Saul And gaue to thée thy masters house and eke his wiues also And gaue thée Iuda Israel and might haue giuen thée mo Why hast thou thē so soone forgot the Lord his power might And fearing not what great offence thou dost before his sight Thou hast Vrias murdered and spoild him of his wife And thinkest now by marying her to cloke thy sinnefull life From thée therfore from thy house the sword shall not depart And thou shalt sée féele those plagues rue thē with thy hart And furthermore he will stirre