vp of thine owne stock and race Such as shall take by violence thy wiues before thy face And giue them to thine enemie who shall in thy despight Misuse them to thine vtter shame yea openly in sight Thou diddest thy sinne most secretly to hide the same from me But I will do this openly that all the world shall sée Here Dauid with repentant hart his wickednes confest And prayed God to send him grace to rectifie the rest Then Nathan béeing at his hande said to him by and by The Lord hath put away thy sinne be sure thou shalt not dye Yet since by thée and thy default thy God sustayneth shame The child that now is borne to thée shall dye beare the blame And Nathan so departing home the child did sicken sore Whose paine and griefe in eury place increased more and more Then Dauid fasting for the child besought the Lord with teares To giue it health and life withall to runne his race of yeares Great mourning made he for the childe none could him intreate To rise from ground but there he lay absteining frō his meate The seuenth day came then the child did end his fatal thread But none durst signifie so much or tell that he was dead For al the while he was aliue he would not heare them speake And now to tel him of his death would cause his hart to breake But Dauid through the whispering he saw among his men Perceiued well the child was dead and asked of them then If that the child did liue or no who told him how it was How God had wrought his will in him frō life to death to pas Then from the earth he lift him vp and washed all away Annoynting him and putting on apparell fresh and gay And gat him first vnto the house of God to giue him prayse And béeing turned home to eate his seruauntes to him sayes We maruell why thou didst lamēt thy child while it was here And now that he is gone from hence to be of so good chere So long quod he as it had life I did both fast and wéepe For this I thought that God alwaies doth mercy with him kéepe And who could tell if that he would his mercy to him show And saue the child from cruell death if that his will were so But now he is departed hence it booteth not to fast Nor yet to wéepe for nothing here on earth is made to last I can not bring his life agayne but rather I shall go To him then he shall come to me no doubt the truth is so Then Dauid knowing Bethsabe to be in heauynesse Went in to her and sought the meanes her sorowes to redresse Who at her time brought forth a sonne one Salomon to name Whom God appoynted to him selfe his temple for to frame While Ioab Rabba to besiege with all his army lay He sent to Dauid messengers thus willing them to say How he had take the chiefest place of all the Citie strong Where that the pallace of the king and Condites lye along Wherfore he willed Dauid now to come and giue the fall That he might haue the prayse him selfe and Ioab none at all Then Dauid with an armie went to Ioab his true man And ioyning both the hoastes in one the Citie so he wanne When he had now the Citie got and eke the king in holde He tooke the Crowne of from his head a talent weight of golde And therwith crounde him selfe as king to thē whō he did foyle As for the riches of the lande his souldiours had the spoyle And calling to his mind the shame which to his mē they wrought By all the meanes he could deuise a iust rewarde he sought And plaged them with sundry deathes for to increase their wo With sword with saw with fire with rope many tormentes mo Now Dauid as a conquerer returned with his pray Unto Ierusalem the place where most he made his stay Now after this the Lord began to stirre his sonnes to strife And him to plague for his offence commit with Vries wife For Ammon with his sister fayre whom Thamar they did call Did fall so farre in loue that he was very sicke withall And could no maner way deuise his purpose to obtaine For that within her fathers house she alwayes did remayne Then Ionadab a friend of his and one of subtill witte Came vnto him and counsell gaue for such a purpose fit How commeth this to passe quod he that thou art wasted so With inward pensiuenes of minde and will not let me know Then Ammon said O Ionadab I am in loue so sore With Thamar as no earthly man can be with woman more Why then quod he do fayne you sicke and kepe your chāber to And when the king your father comes to sée you how you do Then aske him leaue that Thamar may on you attendāce giue And dresse good meates to nourish you if he will haue you liue This counsell his good friend did giue and he did like the same And so he lay and kept his bed vntill his father came Whom he in humble wise besought his sister might take payne To dresse him some good prety meates to get his health agayne The king did graunt and did commaunde the maiden so to do And bad her dresse such holesome meates as he had phansy to So Thamar came vnto his house and tooke a litle paste Wherwith she made him deinty meate that had a pleasant tast And came brought the same to him where he was laide alone For he of purpose order tooke that eury man was gone Then Ammon said come lye with me good sister I thée pray No man is here that can vs sée thou shalt not say me nay O good my brother force me not that were too foule a fact And neuer yet in Israel was heard of such an act This would be such a blot as I should neuer purge the same And thou likewise a great reproch shuldst purchase to thy name Yet rather speake vnto the king we may in wedlocke dwell And liue according to the law and then it will be well But Ammon stroue and would not cease vntill that he had got His filthy pleasure satisfied would she or would she not And after this vngodly fact all fansy gan abate His loue was not before so much but more was now his hate For when he had defiled her he made no longer stay But in a fume and chasing heate he had her packe away This spitefull vsage of thy part is very much quod she And is as ill as was thy force and worse if worse may be He gaue no eare vnto her talke but like a Bedlem brayne He turnes her out lockes the doore least she returne agayne And so poore soule away she goes as one without reliefe With ashes cast vpon her head and crying out for griefe Then said her brother Absalon hath Ammon bene with thée Well
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
two wiues the one a Iezralite The other Nabals wife that was the welthy Carmalite He tooke the men also with him that of his troubles felt Who with their housholds al within the towne of Hebron dwelt Then came the men of Iuda forth to him with one accorde And did annoynt him for to be their king and soueraigne lorde And told him of the faithfulnes of Iabes done of late In burying Saul as did become a prince of high estate Then Dauid sent Ambassadours the Iabites to commende For their great loue and kindnes shewd to Saul at his last ende The Lord quod he do blesse you all with mercy for your fact And I will do the like to you for this your godly act Therfore now let your hands be strong turne your hearts to me For Saul is dead Iuda hath me chose their king to be So Iuda onely claue to him the rest of Israel To Isboseth the sonne of Saul they stacke to him aswell Now Dauid Ioab did appoynt his generall to bée And Isboseth did Abner choose his men to ouersée The wars betwéene these houses two increased more more But Dauid had the stronger hande the other weakned sore For Abner went from Isboseth vpon displeasure take And with king Dauid secretly a faythfull bande did make And Michol he brought home agayne the kings beloued wife Whom Psaltiel did neuer touche by way of spotted life But or he could the rest all bring about effectually He was by Ioab murdered and that most Iudasly Which sore agréeued Dauids heart as one that giltles was Of Ioabs shamefull wicked act which he had brought to passe Wherfore to Ioab then he wisht that for his small regard Both blood and plagues on him his might fal for his rewarde And that he should go with the rest bring the coarse to graue In sackcloth in mourning wede he straite cōmandemēt gaue Him selfe all full of heauynes with sad and heauy chéere Came after Abner as he went euen next vnto the béere And as they layd him in the graue according in Hebron The king and people all they wept to sée the earth put on But Dauid mourned most of all since treason did him kill And knowing that by natures course he might haue liued still Now when the people came to feast as they were wont to do At burials the king to eate they could not bring vnto By that they knew that Abners death the king had neuer ment But Ioabs grudge did worke it out without the kings consent It so befell that Baana and Rechab sought the way How they their lord king Isboseth might craftely betray The meane was this they faynd thē selues gret marchants for to bée Came to the pallace of the king his corne grayne to sée Where they by chaunce found him a sléepe slue him as he lay Upon his bed brought from thence his head with them away To Hebron where king Dauid was and sayd beholde and sée Here is the head of Isboseth thy mortall enemie For through the might that god hath giuen in working of this déede Thou art auenged both of Saul also of his séede Then Dauid sayd vnto the men that brought to him the head As truely as the Lorde doth liue ye are as good as dead As you do now so one did once Sauls death to me report And made account such newes as those should please me in like sort And looked for some great reward for the good newes he brought But al the matter went awry agaynst his meane and thought For he was slayne and put to death for his most wicked prank And so he lost both life and all his labour and his thanke So shall the wickednes of you which haue the righteous slayne Upon his bed be recompencd with blood for blood agayne Then hauing féete and hands cut off for eury man to sée Were hanged ouer Hebrons poole as other felons be As for the head of Isboseth the kings good pleasure wilde It should in Hebron be entombd with Abner that was kilde Then came the Tribes of Israel to Dauid flockingly As to their king and soueraigne lord with him to liue and dye So béeing now the lorde and king of all the Israelites He gat him to Ierusalem and to the Iebusites Who bragging much vpon their hold of Sion where they dwelt By force of armes he wanne the same as many of them felt The Philistines now hearing tell of Dauids power and might Came to the vale of Raphaim agaynst him for to fight Who then demaunded of the Lorde to know his will therein And whether that the Philistins or he should honour win Go vp sayd God and linger not while they be in thy lande For I assuredly will giue them all into thy hande So Dauid went him forth and came to Baal Perazim Where that he smote the Philistines as God had said to him Then gan he say O Lorde my God thou hast mine enemies all Deuided them as waters do deuide them when they fall The Philistines for hast do leaue their Idols all behinde And Dauid and his men do burne as many as they finde Yet once agayne the Philistines came forth to fight with him And brought their armie whole into the vale of Raphaim Now compasse thē behinde said God watch thē well when They come against the Mulbery trées the onset giue you then So Dauid then obeying God a conquest did obteine From Geba vnto Gazer towne the Philistines were slayne Soone after this the king prepard to fet the Arke of God With thirty thousand chosen men of Israel and od And so out of Ierusalem he went his men with him To set and bring away the Arke from Kiriath Iarim And that he set with carefull héede vpon a Charret new And from Abinadab his house he decently it drew Two of his sonnes draue forth the same Vza and Ahio The one before thother behinde the Chariot did go The king and all the Israelites made melody and played Triumphantly before the Lorde as they the Arke conuayed But when the king did sée the hande of God on Vza light And strike him dead because he toucht the Arke that wēt not right He was aferd and durst not séeme to driue it as before But left it Edom for to kéepe till he had learned more Where it remaynd about thrée months wherby both him his The Lord of hoasts with great increase abundantly did blis Then was it tolde to Dauid how the Lord had Edom blest And all his house since that the Arke of God had bene his gest Then Dauid went and brought the Arke of God frō him away With all the triumph and the ioy that could be had that day For as the Leuites bare the Arke and had sixe paces gone An Oxe and eke a fatted beast was offred vp alone And Dauid daunst before the Arke as it was driuen there And had a linnen Ephod
fight within the wood of Ephraim Where Dauids hoast a slaughter made of twenty thousand meÌ„ That tooke the part of Absalon agaynst his father then And by the wood and such mishaps as in the wood did light As many did miscary as did perish in the fight And Absalon when that he could not make his party good With Dauids men was put to shifts and fled into the wood Where he was hanged by the heare vpon an Oken bow His horse was gone and to vnloose him selfe he knew not how A man of Dauids riding by and chauncing him to sée Tolde Ioab how that Absalon was hanging on a trée And why quod Ioab didst not thou dispatche him at a blow Ten sicles should be thy reward if thou hadst done but so I do quod he much more the kings commaundement regarde Then all the sicles which thou wouldst giue me for my reward For if to me were giuen so much as any house could fill Yet would I not stretch out my hand king Dauids sonne to kill For I did heare vnto his men when he did say thus much Beware ye hurt not Absalon nor yet the yong man tutch â—nd if I had I know full well it would haue cost my life Yea thou thy self wouldst first of al haue slayne me with thy knife Then Ioab saide I may not here with thée thus trifling stande â—nd so he gat him forth apace with thrée dartes in his hande â—nd thrust them into Absalon as he came vnderneath â—nd other ten did lay him on as long as he did breath Then Ioab blew his trompet vp the people for to spare â—nd pitied them for that he saw how they seduced were The bloody corps of Absalon they threw into a pit â—nd layde thereon an heape of stones to be a marke for it To Ioab came Ahimaaz he knowing of this thing â—et me quod he I pray thée go with newes vnto the king Thou art no man quod he agayne this tidings now to beare Thou shalt therby displeasure get as I do greatly feare But Ioab said to Chusai go thou and tell the king Of this conflict and make report of this and eury thing He thanked him with reuerence and as a ioyfull man Departed thence with his dispatche and vnto Dauid ran Ahimaaz to Ioab said I pray thée hartely That I may at this time also runne after Chusai And why quod Ioab wilt thou run it is not worth thy payne For neither thanks nor yet reward thou shalt receiue agayne Well what so ere befall quod he yet let me go I pray If thou quod he wilt néedes be gone I will not say thée nay Ahimaaz a nearer way had found and ranne so fast That he gat ground of Chusai although he came out last Now as the king sate in the gate euen of Mahanaim With other mo such as he had appoynted there with him The watchman watching ore the gate at last he spied one Where he came forth apace apace and running al alone With that the watchman cryed downe and tolde it to the king Who said it was some person sent him tidings for to bring The watchman sawe one other come and thereof gaue a signe Who said it is some messenger with newes of me and mine The watch againe said to his grace me thinke the formost man Doth séeme to me as though it were Ahimaaz that ran The king which had experience of his fidelitie Gan say he is a godly man and wisheth good to me Then came Ahimaaz and said to thée O king be peace That many dayes and yeres thy life in honour may increase And falling downe vnto the earth he saith the God of might Be blessed now and euermore which puts thy foes to flight And shuts them vp into thy hande as birds within a net That now I trust my lord the king securitie shall get But is the yong man Absalon quod he all safe and well Ahimaaz said somewhat then but would not playnly tell When Ioab bad thy seruaunts come both Chusai and me I can no more but thus much say a tumult did I sée Well quod the king then stand aside turning him he stayde And therevpon came Chusai and thus to him he sayde Good newes my lord good newes I bring the rebels of thy land Which rose agaynst my lord the king are fallen into thy hand But is the yong man Absalon quod he all safe and sounde Both he and his confederates lye dead vpon the grounde Then was the king so much agréeud that vp on foote he stept Into his chamber where alone for Absalon he wept And béeing but vpon the steppes his teares for griefe burst out O Absalon my sonne my sonne resounding round about Would God quod he with sobbing voyce for thée I might haue dyed O Absalon my sonne my sonne still blubbering he cryed Then was it vnto Ioab tolde how Dauid much bewaylde The death of Absalon his sonne which nothing him auaylde Whereby the day of victorie when they intended most To haue reioyced did become a mourning to the hoast The people went and stole away as men in daungers déepe Do flye in battell and bethinke where they may safely créepe The king by this time hid his face and cryed out amayne As one that would giue vp the goast because his sonne was slaine Then Ioab standing in some feare his men would all away He boldly prest vnto the king and thus to him did say Thou shamest all thy men of warre and makest them to muse Whose faythfull harts for thy defence no daungers did refuse Thou liuest thy sons do liue we do liue thy men Thy daughters wiues concubines what meanes this mourning theÌ„ It séemeth that thou louest them who sought thine ouerthrow And wayest not thy friends a whit that stucke vnto thée so For this thy mourning doth declare that thou regardest not Thy princes neither yet the men that honour haue thée got If Absalon had scaped death I do perceiue and sée And we thy men our liues had lost that had well pleased thée Up get thée forth abrode in sight and do thy seruaunts cheare With gentle and with louing words or else by God I sweare Thou wilt not haue a man this night for they will thée forsake And be agaynst thée eury where with all that they can make Which will be worse then all the harmes that yet vpon thée fel Euen from thy youth or since thou wast first king of Israel Then Dauid gat him downe to shew him selfe among his men And they that stept before aside came flocking to him then For all the Tribes of Israel among them did contende Who first should bring king Dauid home vnto his iorneys end Then such as by the crafty meanes of Absalons aspire Seduced were by simplenesse and knew not his desire Gan thus to reason with them selues full well we vnderstand That Dauid hath preserued vs our wiues our goods and land And that he hath in
counsell in this thing Ye might haue made vs priuie of restoring home the king Thus they debated to and fro this quarrell of some grudge But Iuda did preuayle therein as eury man might iudge But now a man of Belial one Seba cald by name Had got to him all Israel and gan it to proclaime How they no part in Dauid had the sonne of Isai Nor yet inheritaunce in him and spake it scornefully So when as Seba blew his trumpe ech man gat to his tent All ready for to follow him which way so ere he went. But Iuda stucke to Dauid fast and not a man did mis From Iordan to Ierusalem were full and wholly his Now while this geare a working was with them of Israel King Dauid in his house at home not finding all things well Among his women Concubines who had offence commit With Absalon while he was out gan now to punish it Yet not with death as was the law but shut them all vp fast In prison close allowing foode so long as life did last Then hearing of these mutinies and stirres in eury place Sent out all Iuda to prepare and that in thrée dayes space And gaue that charge to Amasa but when he brake his day He grew in feare of some mishap and thus began to say Now Seba in this faction shall hurt and harme vs more Then did my deare sonne Absalon in his attempts before Take thou therfore Abisai of Ioabs men a band And presse on Seba least he get some succour out of hand And Ioab tooke with him also his men the Corethites With many from Ierusalem beside the Philethites And as he marched on his way this Seba for to get Euen at the stone of Gibeon with Abasa he met Who brotherly saluted him as nothing were amisse And made as though he would him take about the necke to kisse But sodenly he smote him in the bely with his knife That all his bowels gushed out so ended he his life Then Ioab and Abisai who were together met To follow Seba at the backe away apace they get And came to Abel where he was got in with all his route Which Citie Ioab with his hoast besieged round about And thrusting at a certayne place to ouerthrow the wall A prudent woman came and gan aloude to crye and call Unto the people praying them they would it not deferre Their Capteine Ioab so desire to come and speake with her Who béeing come she him beheld and askt him if t were he I am quod he good wife the same say what thou wilt to me Then heare thine hādmaide what she saith He said I heare thée wel And wil giue good attētiue eare to that that thou shalt tel It was the vse of olde quod she and Marshall law I know Before a peace be offered no towne to ouerthrow The Citie here that I am in which called is Abel Hath alwayes kept fidelitie with kings of Israel And yet thou goest about with power a Citie to subuert Who as a faythfull mother peace doth nourish in her heart O Ioab this thy tyrannie with right doth not accorde So to destroy the heritage perteining to the Lorde God shield quod he I should attempt this Cities ouerthrow It neuer came into my thought that crueltie to show But this it is there is a man one of mount Ephraim One Seba who remaynes with you our quarrell is to him Who doth rebell agaynst my lord king Dauid forceably Deliuer him and we will then depart hence quietly Then let my lorde but stay a while and I will forthwithall Prouide quod she ye shall receyue his head cast ore the wall Then she with wisdome of her words among them in the towne Did cause his head be smitten off and hurld to Ioab downe A trompet then he made to blow and from the Citie went With all the hoast he brought with him ech mā home to his tēt And Ioab to Ierusalem returned to the king And told him of his good successe and eury other thing Now after these seditions the king new order takes Among his chiefest officers and first of all he makes Ioab the sonne of Zaruia chiefe capteine of the hoast Among the men of Israel to leade in eury coast Banaia a warlike man and one of perfect skill The Corethites and Phelethites to guyde it was his will. The tribute which he had among the nations won with fame He did commit to Aduram to gather vp the same Now Iosaphat Recorder was to note vp eury thing And Seua Scribe to write all that perteined to the king But Sadoch and Abiathar were priestes of high degrée And Ira was chiefe counsellor and great in dignitie Now after this an hunger great the people fell among Which dured in king Dauids time the space of thrée yeres long The king enquired what the cause of this great plague should be The Lord made answere t was for Saul and his great crueltie Which he had shewd the Gibeonites with whō duke Iosua made A couenaunt both of peace and life and bound them to a trade Which trade they did obserue yet he sought their ouerthrow Both Iuda and the Israelites he sought to pleasure so None of the séede of Israel were now the Gibeonites But were a certayne remnant left of all the Amorites Of whom then Dauid did demaund what he for them should do Or what attonement shall I make that ye will grée vnto We will quod they no siluer haue nor gold of thée at all Nor any man to dye for vs but of the house of Saul Looke what ye will quod Dauid then haue me for you to do Disclose your minde and you shall haue me ready therevnto We do request that of the line and kinred of king Saul In Gibeah before the Lord seuen may be hangd for all The king had great compassion on Ionathas and his And would not for his oth of olde his sonne should do amis And was excéeding glad because they did no mo request That he might saue Miphiboseth from hanging with the rest Frō Rizpa her two sonnes he tooke which she did beare to Saul Miphiboseth and Armoni these two and they were all From Merob other fiue he tooke which she by Adriel Had in her life and after were by Michol brought vp well Thus plaged were the sonnes of Saul euen for their fathers sin Who did destroy the Gibeonites and had delite therein But Rizpa that was wife to Saul made spéede without delay To pitche her tent vpon the hill to kéepe the beates away And would not suffer beast nor foule to touch her sonnes at all Frō haruest time till God did make his rayne frō heauē to fall The king when he did vnderstand her motherly intent Their bodies to remoue away he caused one be sent The bones of Saul and Ionathas he likewise brought away From Iabes who did stealingly from Bethlem them conuay Where they had by the Philistines