attend The grace that God will to his handmaid send Exit Beth. Dauid in his gowne walking sadly To him Nathan The babe is sicke and sad is Dauids heart To see the guiltlesse beare the guilties paine Dauid hang vp thy Harpe hang downe thy head And dash thy yuorie Lute against the stones The dew that on the hill of Hermon fals Raines not on Syons tops and loftie towers And Dauids thoughts are spent in pensiuenesse The plaines of Gath and Askaron reioice The babe is sicke sweet babe that Bethsabe With womans paine brought forth to Israel Enter Nathan But what saith Nathan to his lord the king Nathan to Dauid Nathan Thus Nathan saith vnto his Lord the King There were two men both dwellers in one towne The one was mighty and exceeding rich In Oxen sheepe and cattell of the field The other poore hauing nor Oxe nor Calfe Nor other cattell saue one little Lambe Which he had bought and nourisht by the hand And it grew vp and fed with him and his And eat and dranke as he and his were wont And in his bosome slept and was to liue As was his daughter or his deerest child There came a stranger to this wealthy man And he refus'd and spar'd to take his owne Or of his store to dresse or make him meat But tooke the poore mans sheepe partly poore mans store And drest it for this strangar in his house What tell me shall be done to him for this Dau. Now as the lord doth liue this wicked man Is iudgd and shall become the child of death Foure fold to the poore man shall he restore That without mercy tooke his lambe away Nath. Thou art the man and thou hast iudgd thy selfe Dauid thus sayth the Lord thy God by me I thee annointed King in Israel And sau'd thee from the tyranny of Saul Thy maisters house I gaue thee to possesse His Wiues into thy bosome did I giue And Iuda aud Ierusalem withall And might thou knowest if this had ben too small Haue giuen thee more Wherefore then hast thou gone so far astray And hast done euill and sinned in my sight Vrias thou hast killed with the sword Yea with the sword of the vncircumcised Thou hast him slaine wherefore from this day forth The sword shall neuer goe from thee and thine For thou hast tane this Hethites wife to thee Wherefore behold I wil saith Iacobs God In thine owne house stir euill vp to thee Yea I before thy face will take thy Wiues And giue them to thy neighbour to possesse This shall be done to Dauid in the day That Israel openly may see thy shame Dauid Nathan I haue against the Lord I haue Sinned O sinned greeuously and loe From heauens throne doth Dauid throw himselfe And grone and grouell to the gates of hell He fals downe Nath. Dauid stand vp Thus saith the Lord by me Dauid the King shall liue for he hath seene The true repentant sorrow of thy heart But for thou hast in this misdeed of thine Stird vp the enemies of Israel To triumph and blaspheme the God of hosts And say He set a wicked man to reigne Ouer his loued people and his Tribes The child shall surely die that erst was borne His mothers sin his kingly fathers scorne Exit Nathan Da. How iust is Iacobs God in all his workes But must it die that Dauid loueth so O that the mighty one of Israel Nill change his dome and sayes the babe must die Mourne Israel and weepe in Syon gates Wither ye Caedar trees of Libanon Ye sprouting Almons with your flowring tops Droope drowne and drench in Hebrons fearefull streames The babe must die that was to Dauid borne His mothers sin his kingly fathers scorne Dauid sits sadly Enter Cusay to Dauid and his traine Seruus What tidings bringeth Cusay to the King Cusay To thee the seruant of King Dauids court This bringeth Cusay as the Prophet spake The Lord hath surely striken to the death The child new borne by that Vrias wife That by the sonnes of Ammon erst was slaine Seruus Cusay be still the King is vexed sore How shal he speed that brings this tidings first When while the child was yet aliue we spake And Dauids heart would not be comforted Da. Yea Dauids heart will not be comforted What murmure ye the seruants of the King What tidings telleth Cusay to the King Say Cusay liues the child or is he dead Cusay The child is dead that of Vrias wife Dauid begat Da. Vrias wife saiest thou The child is dead then ceaseth Dauids shame Fetch me to eat and giue me Wine to drinke Water to wash and Oyle to cleere my lookes Bring downe your Shalmes your Cymbals and your Pipes Let Dauids Harpe and Lute his hand and voice Giue laud to him that loueth Israel And sing his praise that shendeth Dauids fame That put away his sinne from out his sight And sent his shame into the streets of Gath Bring ye to me the mother of the babe That I may wipe the teares from off her face And giue her comfort with this hand of mine And decke faire Bethsabe with ornaments That she may beare to me another sonne That may be loued of the Lord of hosts For where he is of force must Dauid goe But neuer may he come where Dauid is They bring in water wine and oyle Musike and a banquet Faire Bethsabe sit thou and sigh no more And sing and play you seruants of the King Now sleepeth Dauids sorrow with the dead And Bethsabe liueth to Israel They vse all solemnities together and sing c. Dauid Now armes and warlike engins for assault Prepare at once ye men of Israel Ye men of Iuda and Ierusalem That Rabba may be taken by the King Least it be called after Ioabs name Nor Dauids glory shine in Syon streets To Rabba marcheth Dauid with his men To chastise Ammon and the wicked ones Exeunt omnes Enter Absolon with two or three Abs. Set vp your mules and giue them well to ear And let vs meet our brothers at the feast Accursed is the maister of this feast Dishonour of the house of Israel His sisters slander and his mothers shame Shame be his share that could such ill contriue To rauish Thamar and without a pause To driue her shamefully from out his house But may his wickednesse find iust reward Therefore doth Absolon conspire with you That Ammon die what time he sits to eat For in the holy Temple haue I sworne Wreake of his villany in Thamars rape And here he comes bespeake him gently all Whose death is deepely graued in my heart Enter Ammon with Adonia and Ionadab to Absolon and his companie Am. Our shearers are not far from hence I wot And Ammon to you all his brethren Giueth such welcome as our fathers erst Were wont in Iuda and Ierusalem But specially Lord Absolon to thee The honour of thy house and progenie Sit downe and dine with me King Dauids sonne Thou
and tast thy ease with easing me Beth. One medicine cannot heale our different harmes But rather make both ranckle at the bone Then let the King be cunning in his cure Least flattering both both perish in his hand Dauid Leaue it to me my deerest Bethsabe Whose skill is conuersant in deeper cures And Cusay hast thou to my seruant Ioab Commanding him to send Vrias home With all the speed can possibly be vsed Cusay Cusay will flie about the Kings desire Exeunt Ioab Abisay Vrias and others with drum and ensigne Ioab Courage ye mightie men of Israel And charge your fatall instruments of war Vpon the bosomes of prowd Ammons sonnes That haue disguisd your Kings Embassadors Cut halfe their beards and halfe their garments off In spight of Israel and his daughters sonnes Ye fight the holy battels of Iehoua King Dauids God and ours and Iacobs God That guides your weapons to their conquering strokes Orders your footsteps and directs your thoughts To stratagems that harbor victorie He casts his sacred eiesight from on high And sees your foes run seeking for their deaths Laughing their labours and their hopes to scorne While twixt your bodies and their blunted swords He puts on armor of his honors proofe And makes their weapons wound the sencelesse winds Abis. Before this citie Rabath we will lie And shoot forth shafts as thicke and dangerous As was the haile that Moises mixt with fire And threw with furie round about the fields Deuouring Pharoes friends and Egypts fruits Vrias First mighty captaines Ioab and Abisay Let vs assault and scale this kingly Tower Where all their conduits and their fountaines are Then we may easily take the citie too Ioab Well hath Vrias counseld our attempts And as he spake vs so assault the Tower Let Hanon now the king of Ammons sonne Repulse our conquering passage if he dare Hanon with King Machaas and others vpon the wals Hanon What would the shepheards dogs of Israel Snatch from the mighty issue of King Ammon The valiant Amonnes and haughty Syrians T is not your late successiue victories Can make vs yeeld or quaile our courages But if ye dare assay to scale this Tower Our angrie swords shall smite ye to the ground And venge our losses on your hatefull liues Ioab Hanon thy father Nahas gaue releefe To holy Dauid in his haplesse exile Liued his fixed date and died in peace But thou in steed of reaping his reward Hast trod it vnderfoot and scornd our King Therefore thy daies shall end with violence And to our swords thy vitall bloud shall cleaue Mach. Hence thou that bearst poor Israels shepherds hook The prowd lieutenant of that base borne King And kep within the compasse of his fold For if ye seeke to feed on Ammons fruits And stray into the Syrians fruitfull Medes The mastiues of our land shall werry ye And pull the weesels from your greedy throtes Abis. Who can indure these Pagans blasphemies Vrias My soule repines at this disparagement Ioab Assault ye valiant men of Dauids host And beat these railing dastards from their dores Assault and they win the Tower and Ioab speakes aboue Thus haue we won the Tower which we will keepe Maugre the sonnes of Ammon and of Syria Enter Cusay beneath Cus. Where is lord Ioab leader of the host Ioab Here is lord Ioab leader of the host Cusay come vp for we haue won the hold He comes Cusay In happie hower then is Cusay come Ioab What news then brings lord Cusay from the king Cusay His maiestie commands thee out of hand To send him home Vrias from the wars For matter of some seruice he should doe Vrias T is for no choler hath surpris'd the King I hope lord Cusay gainst his seruants truth Cusay No rather to prefer Vrias truth Ioab Here take him with thee then and goe in peace And tell my lord the King that I haue fought Against the citie Rabath with successe And skaled where the royall pallace is The conduit heads and all their sweetest springs Then let him come in person to these wals With all the souldiers he can bring besides And take the city as his owne exploit Least I surprise it and the people giue The glory of the conquest to my name Cus. We will Lord Ioab and great Israels God Blesse in thy hands the battels of our King Ioab Farewell Vrias hast away the King Vrias As sure as Ioab breaths a victor here Vrias will hast him and his owne returne Exeunt Abisa. Let vs descend and ope the pallace gate Taking our souldiors in to keepe the hold Ioab Let vs Abisay and ye sonnes of Iuda Be valiant and mainteine your victory Exeunt Ammon Ionadab Iethray and Ammons page Ionad. What meanes my lord the Kings beloued son That weares vpon his right triumphant arme The power of Israel for a royall fauor That holds vpon the Tables of his hands Banquets of honor and all thoughts content To suffer pale and grisely abstinence To sit and feed vpon his fainting cheekes And sucke away the bloud that cheeres his lookes Ammo. Ah Ionadab it is my sisters lookes On whose sweet beutie I bestow my bloud That makes me looke so amorously leane Her beautie hauing seasd vpon my heart So merrily consecrate to her content Sets now such guard about his vitall bloud And viewes the passage with such piercing eyes That none can scape to cheare my pining cheekes But all is thought too little for her loue Iona. Then from her heart thy lookes shall be releeued And thou shalt ioy her as thy soule desires Ammon How can it be my sweet friend Ionadab Since Thamar is a virgine and my sister Iona. Thus it shall be lie downe vpon thy bed Faining thee feuer sicke and ill at ease And when the king shall come to visit thee Desire thy sister Thamar may be sent To dresse some deinties for thy maladie Then when thou hast her solely with thy selfe Enforce some fauour to thy manly loue See where she comes intreat her in with thee Enter Thamar Thamar What aileth Ammon with such sickly lookes To daunt the fauour of his louely face Am. Sweet Thamar sick wish some wholesome cates Drest with the cunning of thy daintie hands Tham. That hath the King commanded at my hands Then come and rest thee while I make thee readie Some dainties easefull to thy crased soule Am. I goe sweet sister eased with thy sight Exeunt Restet Ionadab Ion. Why should a Prince whose power may command Obey the rebell passions of his loue When they contend but gainst his conscience And may be gouernd or supprest by will Now Ammon lose those louing knots of bloud That sokte the courage from thy kingly heart And giue it passage to thy withered cheekes Now Thamar ripened are the holy fruits That grew on plants of thy virginitie And rotten is thy name in Israel Poore Thamar little did thy louely hands Foretell an action of such violence As to contend
sword was edgd with Israels wrath Goe therefore home Vrias take thy rest Visit thy wife and houshold with the ioies A victor and a fauorite of the Kings Should exercise with honor after armes Vrias Thy seruants bones are yet not halfe so crasde Nor constitute on such a sickly mould That for so little seruice he should faine And seeke as cowards refuge of his home Not are his thoughts so sensually stird To stay the armes with which the lord would smite And fill their circle with his conquered foes For wanton bosome of a flattering wife Da. Vrias hath a beauteous sober wife Yet yong and framd of tempting flesh and bloud Then when the King hath summond thee from armes If thou vnkindly shouldst refraine her bed Sinne might be laid vpon Vrias soule If Bethsabe by frailtie hurt her fame Then goe Vrias folliee in her loue Whom God hath knit to thee tremble to lose Vrias The King is much too tender of my ease The arke and Israel and Iuda dwell In pallaces and rich pauillions But Ioab and his brother in the fields Suffering the wrath of Winter and the Sun And shall Vrias of more shame then they Banquet and loiter in the worke of heauen As sure as thy soule doth liue my lord Mine eares shall neuer leane to such delight When holy labour cals me forth to fight Dauid Then be it with Vrias manly heart As best his fame may shine in Israel Vrias Thus shall Vrias heart be best content Till thou dismisse me backe to Ioabs hands This ground before the king my masters dores He lies downe Shall be my couch and this vnwearied arme The proper pillow of a souldiours head For neuer will I lodge within my house Till Ioab triumph in my secret vowes Dauid Then fetch some flagons of our purest Wine That we may welcome home our hardie friend With full carouses to his fortunes past And to the honours of his future armes Then will I send him backe to Rabath siege And follow with the strength of Israel Enter one with the flagons of Wine Arise Vrias come and pledge the King He riseth Vrias If Dauid thinke me worthy such a grace I will be bold and pledge my lord the king Dau. Absolon and Cusay both shall drinke To good Vrias and his happinesse Abs. We will my lord to please Vrias soule Dau. I will begin Vrias to thy selfe And all the treasure of the Ammonites Which here I promise to impart to thee And bind that promise with a full carous Vrias What seemeth pleasant in my souereines eyes That shall Vrias doe till he be dead Dau. Fill him the cup follow ye lords that loue Your souereines health and doe as he hath done Abs. Ill may he thriue or liue in Israel That loues not Dauid or denies his charge Vrias Here is to Abisais health lord Ioabs brother thy louing friend Vrias I pledge lord Absolon and Abisais health He drinkes Cus. Here now Vrias to the health of Ioab And to the pleasant iourny we shall haue When we returne to mightie Rabath siege Vrias Cusay I pledge thee all with all my heart Giue me some drinke ye seruants of the king Giue me my drinke He drinkes Da. Well done my good Vrias drinke thy fill That in thy fulnesse Dauid may reioice Vrias I will my lord Abs. Now lord Vrias one carouse to me Vrias No sir I le drinke to the King Your father is a better man then you Dau. Doe so Vrias I will pledge thee straight Vrias I will indeed my lord and souereine I once in my daies be so bold Dauid Fill him his glasse Vrias Fill me my glasse He giues him the glasse Dau. Quickly I say Vrias Quickly I say Vrias Here my lord by your fauour now I drinke to you Dau. I pledge thee good Vrias presently He drinkes Abs. Here then Vrias once againe for me And to the health of Dauids children Vrias Dauids children Abs. I Dauids children wilt thou pledge me man Vrias Pledge me man Abs. Pledge me I say or else thou louest vs not Vrias What doe you talke doe you talke I le no more I le lie downe here Dauid Rather Vrias goe thou home and sleepe Vrias O ho sir would you make me break my sentence He lies downe Home sir no indeed sir I le sleepe vpon mine arme Like a souldiour sleepe like a man as long as I liue in Israel Dauid If nought will serue to saue his wiues renowne I le send him with a letter vnto Ioab To put him in the forefront of the wars That so my purposes may take effect Helpe him in sirs Exit Dauid and Absolon Cusay Come rise Vrias get thee in and sleepe Vrias I will not goe home sir that 's flat Cusay Then come and rest thee vpon Dauids bed Vrias On afore my lords on afore Exeunt Chorus O prowd reuolt of a presumptious man Laying his bridle in the necke of sin Ready to beare him past his graue to hell Like as the fatall Rauen that in his voice Carries the dreadfull summons of our deaths Flies by the faire Arabian spiceries Her pleasant gardens and delightsome parkes Seeming to curse them with his hoarse exclaimes And yet doth stoope with hungrie violence Vpon a peece of hatefull carrion So wretched man displeasd with those delights Would yeeld a quickning sauor to his Soule Pursues with eagre and vnstanched thirst The greedie longings of his lothsome flesh If holy Dauid so shoke hands with sinne What shall our baser spirits glorie in This kingly giuing lust her raigne Pursues the sequell with a greater ill Vrias in the forefront of the wars Is murthered by the hateful Heathens sword And Dauid ioies his too deere Bethsabe Suppose this past and that the child is borne Whose death the Prophet solemnly doth mourne Enter Bethsabe with her handmaid Beth. Mourne Bethsabe bewaile thy foolishnesse Thy sinne thy shame the sorrow of thy soule Sinne shame and sorrow swarme about thy soule And in the gates and entrance of my heart Sadnesse with wreathed armes hangs her complaint No comfort from the ten string'd instrument The twinckling Cymball or the Yuorie Lute Nor doth the sound of Dauids kingly Harpe Make glad the broken heart of Bethsabe Ierusalem is fild with thy complaint And in the streets of Syon fits thy greefe The babe in sicke sicke to the death I feare The fruit that sprung from thee to Dauids house Nor may the pot of Honny and of Oyle Glad Dauid or his handmaids countenance Vrias woe is me to thinke hereon For who is it among the sonnes of men That sayth not to my soule the King hath sind Dauid hath done amisse and Bethsabe Laid snares of death vnto Vrias life My sweet Vrias falne into the pit Art thou and gone euen to the gates of hell For Bethsabe that wouldst not shrowd her shame O what is it to serue the lust of Kings How Lyonlike thy rage when we resist But Bethsabe in humblenesse
faire young men whose haires shine in mine eve Like golden wyers of Dauids yuorie Lute Abs. Ammon where be thy shearers and thy men That we may powre in plenty of thy vines And eat thy goats milke and reioice with thee Am. Here commeth Ammons shearers and his men Absolon sit and reioice with me Here enter a company of sheepeheards and daunce and sing Am. Drinke Absolon in praise of Israel Welcome to Ammons fields from Dauids court Abs. Die with thy draught perish and die accurst Dishonour to the honour of vs all Die for the villany to Thamar done Vnworthy thou to be Kings Dauids sonne Exit Absa Ionad. O what hath Absolon for Thamar done Murthred his brother great king Dauids sonne Adon. Run Ionadab away and make it knowne What cruelty this Absolon hath showne Ammon thy brother Adonia shall Bury thy body among the dead mens bones And we will make complaint to Israel Of Ammons death and pride of Absolon Exeunt omnes Enter Dauid with Ioab Abyssus Cusay with drum and ensigne against Rabba This is the towne of the vncircumcised The citie of the kingdome this is it Rabba where wicked Hannon sitteth king Dispoile this King this Hannon of his crowne Vnpeople Rabba and the streets thereof For in their bloud and slaughter of the slaine Lyeth the honor of King Dauids line Ioab Abyshai and the rest of you Fight ye this day for great Ierusalem Ioab And see where Hannon showes him on the wals Why then do we forbeare to giue assault That Israel may as it is promised Subdue the daughters of the Gentils Tribes All this must be performd by Dauids hand Da. Harke to me Hannon and remember well As sure as he doth liue that kept my host What time our young men by the poole of Gibeon Went forth against the strength of Isboseth And twelue to twelue did with their weapons play So sure art thou and thy men of war To feele the sword of Israel this day Because thou hast defied Iacobs God And suffered Rabba with the Philistine To raile vpon the tribe of Beniamin Hannon Harke man as sure as Saul thy maister fell And gord his sides vpon the mountaine tops And Ionathan Abinadab and Melchisua Watred the dales and deepes of Askaron With bloudy streames that from Gilboa ran In channels through the wildernesse of Ziph What time the sword of the vncirumcised Was drunken with the bloud of Israel So sure shall Dauid perish with his men Vnder the wals of Rabba Hannons towne Ioab Hannon the God of Israel hath said Dauid the King shall weare that crowne of thine That weighs a Talent of the finest gold And triumph in the spoile of Hannons towne When Israel shall hale thy people hence And turne them to the tile-kill man and child And put them vnder harrowes made of yron And hew their bones with axes and their lims With yron swords deuide and teare in twaine Hannon this shall be done to thee and thine Because thou hast defied Israel To armes to armes that Rabba feele reuenge And Hannons towne become king Dauids spoile Alarum excursions assault Exeunt omnes Then the trumpets and Dauid with Hannons crowne Dau. Now clattering armes and wrathfull storms of war Haue thundred ouer Rabbaes raced towers The wreakefull ire of great Iehouaes arme That for his people made the gates to rend And clothed the Cherubins in fierie coats To fight against the wicked Hannons towne Pay thankes ye men of Iuda to the King The God of Syon and Ierusalem That hath exhalted Israel to this And crowned Dauid with this diademe Ioab Beauteous and bright is he among the Tribes As when the sunne attird in glist'ring robe Comes dauncing from his orientall gate And bridegroom-like hurles through the gloomy aire His radiant beames such doth King Dauid shew Crownd with the honour of his enemies towne Shining in riches like the firmament The starrie vault that ouerhangs the earth So looketh Dauid King of Israel Abyshai Ioab why doth not Dauid mount his throne Whom heauen hath beautified with Hannons crowne Sound Trumpets Shalmes and Instruments of praise To Iacobs God for Dauids victory Enter Ionadab Ionadab Why doth the King of Israel reioice Why sitteth Dauid crownd with Rabbaes rule Behold there hath great heauinesse befalne In Ammons fields by Absolons misdeed And Ammons shearers and their feast of mirth Absalon hath ouerturned with his sword Nor liueth any of King Dauids sonnes To bring this bitter tidings to the King Dauid Ay me how soone are Dauids triumphs dasht How suddenly declineth Dauids pride As doth the daylight settle in the west So dim is Dauids glory and his gite Die Dauid for to thee is left no seed That may reuiue thy name in Israel Iona. In Israel is left of Dauids seed Enter Adonia with other sonnes Comfort your lord you seruants of the King Behold thy sonnes returne in mourning weeds And only Ammon Absalon hath slaine Da. Welcome my sonnes deerer to me you are Then is this golden crowne or Hannons spoile O tell me then tell me my sonnes I say How commeth it to passe that Absolon Hath slaine his brother Ammon with the sword Ado. Thy sonnes O King went vp to Ammons fields To feast with him and eat his bread and oyle And Absalon vpon his mule doth come And to his men he sayth When Ammons heart Is merry and secure then strike him dead Because he forced Thamar shamefully And hated her and threw her forth his dores And this did he and they with him conspire And kill thy sonne in wreake of Thamars wrong Dauid How long shall Iuda and Ierusalem Complaine and water Syon with their teares How long shall Israel lament in vaine And not a man among the mighty ones Will heare the sorrowes of King Dauids heart Ammon thy life was pleasing to thy Lord As to mine eares the Musike of my Lute Or songs that Dauid tuneth to his Harpe And Absalon hath tane from me away The gladnesse of my sad distressed soule Exeunt omnes Manet Dauid Enter widdow of Thecoa Widdow God saue King Dauid King of Israel And blesse the gates of Syon for his sake Dau. Woman why mournest thou rise from the earth Tell me what sorrow hath befalne thy soule Widdow Thy seruants soule O King is troubled sore And greenous is the anguish of her heart And from Thecoa doth thy handmaid come Dauid Tell me and say thou woman of Thecoa What aileth thee or what is come to passe Widdow Thy seruant is a widdow in Thecoa Two sonnes thy handmaid had and they my lord Fought in the field where no man went betwixt And so the one did smite and slay the other And loe behold the kindred doth arise And crie on him that smote his brother That he therefore may be the child of death For we will follow and destroy the heire So will they quench that sparkle that is left And leaue nor name nor issue on the earth To me or to thy handmaids
in life and death Da. Then gentle Ithay be thou still with vs A ioy to Dauid and a grace to Israel Goe Sadoc now and beare the arke of God Into the great Ierusalem againe If I find fauour in his gratious eyes Then will he lay his hand vpon my heart Yet once againe before I visit death Giuing it strength and vertue to mine eies To tast the comforts and behold the forme Of his faire arke and holy tabernacle But if he say my wonted loue is worne And I haue no delight in Dauid now Here lie I armed with an humble heart T' imbrace the paines that anger shall impose And kisse the sword my lord shall kill me with Then Sadoc take Ahimaas thy sonne With Ionathan sonne to Abiathar And in these fields will I repose my selfe Till they returne from you some certaine newes Sadoc Thy seruants will with ioy obey the King And hope to cheere his heart with happy newes Exit Sadoc Ahimaas and Ionathan Ith. Now that it be no greefe vnto the King Let me for good enforme his maiestie That with vnkind and gracelesse Absalon Achitophel your auncient counsellor Directs the state of this rebellion Dauid Then doth it aime with danger at my crowne O thou that holdst his raging bloudy bound Within the circle of the siluer moone That girds earths center with his watrie scarfe Limit the counsell of Achitophel No bounds extending to my soules distresse But turne his wisdome into foolishnesse Enter Cusay with his coat turnd and head couered Cusay Happinesse and honour to my lord the King Dauid What happinesse or honor may betide His state that toiles in my extremities Cus. O let my gracious soueraine cease these greefes Vnlesse he wish his seruaut Cusayes death Whose life depends vpon my lords releefe Then let my presence with my sighs persume The pleasant closet of my soueraignes soule Da. No Cusay no thy presence vnto me Will be a burthen since I tender thee And cannot breake thy sighs for Dauids sake But if thou turne to faire Ierusalem And say to Absalon as thou hast been A trusty friend vnto his fathers seat So thou wilt be to him and call him King Achitophels counsell may be brought to naught Then hauing Sadoc and Abiathar All three may learne the secrets of my sonne Sending the message by Ahimaas And friendly Ionathan who both are there Then rise referring the successe to heauen Da. Cusay I rise though with vnweldie bones I carrie armes against my Absalon Exeunt Absalon Amasa Achitophel with the concubines of Dauid and others in great state Absalon crowned Abs. Now you that were my fathers concubines Liquor to his inchast and lustfull fire Haue seene his honour shaken in his house Which I possesse in sight of all the world I bring ye forth for soiles to my renowne And to eclipse the glorie of your King Whose life is with his honour fast inclosd Within the entrailes of a Ieatie cloud Whose dissolution shall powre downe in showers The substance of his life and swelling pride Then shall the stars light earth with rich aspects And heauen shall burne in loue with Absalon Whose beautie will suffice to chast all mists And cloth the suns spheare with a triple fire Sooner then his cleare eyes should suffer staine Or be offended with a lowring day Concub. Thy fathers honour gracelesse Absalon And ours thus beaten with thy violent armes Will crie for vengeance to the host of heauen Whose power is euer armed against the prowd And will dart plagues at thy aspiring head For doing this disgrace to Dauids throne 2. To Dauids throne to Dauids holy throne Whose scepter angels guard with swords of fire And sit as Eagles on his conquering fist Ready to prey vpon his enemies Then thinke not thou the captaine of his foes Wert thou much swifter then Azahell was That could out-pace the nimble footed Roe To scape the furie of their thumping beakes Or dreadfull scope of their commanding wings Achip. Let not my lord the King of Israel Be angrie with a sillie womans threats But with the pleasure he hath erst enioied Turne them into their cabinets againe Till Dauids conquest be their ouerthrow Abs. Into your bowers ye daughters of Disdaine Gotten by furie of vnbridled lust And wash your couches with your mourning teares For greefe that Dauids kingdome is decaied 1. No Absalon his kingdome is enchaind Fast to the finger of great Iacobs God Which will not lose it for a rebels loue Exeunt Amasa If I might giue aduise vnto the King These concubines should buy their taunts with bloud Abs. Amasa no but let thy martiall sword Empty the paines of Dauids armed men And let these foolish women scape our hands To recompence the shame they haue sustaind First Absolon was by the Trumpets sound Proclaimd through Hebron King of Israel And now is set in faire Ierusalem With complete state and glorie of a crowne Fiftie faire footmen by my chariot run And to the aire whose rupture rings my fame Where ere I ride they offer reuerence Why should not Absolon that in his face Carries the finall purpose of his God That is to worke him grace in Israel Endeuour to atchieue with all his strength The state that most may satisfie his ioy Keeping his statutes and his couenants pure His thunder is intangled in my haire And with my beautie is his lightning quencht I am the man he made to glorie in When by the errors of my fathers sinne He lost the path that led into the land Wherewith our chosen ancestors were blest Enter Cusay Cus. Long may the beautious King of Israel liue To whom the people doe by thousands swarme Abs. What meaneth Cusay so to greet his foe In this the loue thou shewdst to Dauids soule To whose assistance thou hast vowed thy life Why leauest thou him in this extremitie Cus. Because the Lord and Israel chuseth thee And as before I serud thy fathers turne With counsell acceptable in his sight So likewise will I now obey his sonne Abs. Then welcome Cusay to king Absalon And now my lords and louing counsellors I thinke it time to exercise our armes Against forsaken Dauid and his host Giue counsell first my good Achitophel What times and orders we may best obserue For prosperous manage of these high exploits Achi. Let me chuse out twelue thousand valiant men And while the night hides with her sable mists The close endeuors cunning souldiers vse I will assault thy discontented fire And while with weakenesse of their wearie armes Surchargd with toile to shun thy suddaine power The people flie in huge disordred troupes To saue their liues and leaue the King alone Then will I smite him with his latest wound And bring the people to thy feet in peace Abs. Well hath Achitophel giuen his aduise Yet let vs heare what Cusay counsels vs Whose great experience is well worth the eare Cus. Though wise Achitophel be much more meet To purchase hearing with my
here For wise Achitophel hath counseld Absalon To take aduantage of your wearie armes And come this night vpon you in the fields But yet the Lord hath made his counsell skorne And Cusaies pollicie with praise preferd Which was to number euery Israelite And so assault you in their pride of strength Ionat. Abiathar besides intreats the King To send his men of warre against his sonne And hazard not his person in the field Dauid Thankes to Abiathar and to you both And to my Cusay whom the Lord requite But tenne times treble thankes to his soft hand Whose pleasant touch hath made my heart to dance And play him praises in my zealous breast That turnd the counsell of Achitophel After the praiers of his seruants lips Now will we passe the riuer all this night And in the morning sound the voice of warre The voice of bloudie and vnkindly warre Ioab Then tell vs how thou wilt deuide thy men And who shall haue the speciall charge herein Dau. Ioab thy selfe shall for thy charge conduct The first third part of all my valiant men The second shall Abisaies valour lead The third faire Ithay which I most should grace For comfort he hath done to Dauids woes And I my selfe will follow in the midst Ith. That let not Dauid for though we should flie Tenne thousand of vs were not halfe so much Esteemd with Dauids enemies as himselfe Thy people louing thee denie thee this Da. What seemes them best then that will Dauid doe But now my lords and captaines heare his voice That neuer yet pierst pittious heauen in vaine Then let it not slip lightly through your eares For my sake spare the young man Absalon Ioab thy selfe didst once vse friendly words To reconcile my heart incenst to him If then thy loue be to thy kinsman sound And thou wilt proue a perfit Israelite Friend him with deeds and touch no haire of him Not that fair haire with which the wanton winds Delight to play and loues to make in curle Wherein the Nightingales would build their nests And make sweet bowers in euery golden tresse To sing their louer euery night asleepe O spoile not Ioab Ioues faire ornaments Which he hath sent to solace Dauids soule The best ye see my lords are swift to sinne To sinne our feet are washt with milke of Roes And dried againe with coales of lightening O Lord thou seest the prowdest sinnes poore slaue And with his bridle pulst him to the graue For my sake then spare louely Absalon Ith. Wee will my lord for thy sake fauour him Exeunt Achitophel solus with a halter Achi. Now hath Achitophel orderd his house And taken leaue of euery pleasure there Hereon depends Achitophels delights And in this circle must his life be closde The wise Achitophel whose counsell prou'd Euer as sound for fortunate successe As if men askt the Oracle of God Is now vsde like the foole of Israel Then set thy angrie soule vpon her wings And let her flie into the shade of death And for my death let heauen for euer weepe Making huge flouds vpon the land I leaue To rauish them and all their fairest fruits Let all the sighs I breath'd for this disgrace Hang on my hedges like eternall mists As mourning garments for their maisters death Ope earth and take thy miserable sonne Into the bowels of thy cursed wombe Once in a surfet thou diddest spue him forth Now for fell hunger sucke him in againe And be his bodie poyson to thy vaines And now thou hellish instrument of heauen Once execute th' arrest of Ioues iust doome And stop his breast that curseth Israel Exit Absalon Amasa with all his traine Abs. Now for the crowne and throne of Israel To be confirmd with vertue of my sword And writ with Dauids bloud vpon the blade Now Ioue let forth the golden firmament And looke on him with all thy fierie eyes Which thou hast made to giue their glories light To shew thou louest the vertue of thy hand Let fall a wreath of starres vpon my head Whose influence may gouerne Israel With state exceeding all her other Kings Fight lords and captaines that your soueraignes face May shine in honour brighter then the sunne And with the vertue of my beautious raies Make this faire land as fruitfull as the fields That with sweet milke and hony ouerflow'd God in the whiffing of a pleasant wind Shall march vpon the tops of Mulberie trees To coole all breasts that burne with any greefes As whylome he was good to Moyses men By day the Lord shall sit within a cloud To guide your footsteps to the fields of ioy And in the night a piller bright as fire Shall goe before you like a second sunne Wherein the essence of his godhead is That day and night you may be brought to peace And neuer swarue from that delightsome path That leads your soules to perfect happinesse This shall he doe for ioy when I am King Then fight braue captaines that these ioies may flie Into your bosomes with sweet victorie Exeunt The battell and Absalon hangs by the haire What angrie angel sitting in these shades Hath laid his cruell hands vpon my haire And holds my body thus twixt heauen and earth Hath Absalon no souldier neere his hand That may vntwine me this vnpleasant curle Or wound this tree that rauisheth his lord O God behold the glorie of thy hand And choisest fruit of Natures workemanship Hang like a rotten branch vpon this tree Fit for the axe and ready for the fire Since thou withholdst all ordinarie helpe To lose my bodie from this bond of death O let my beautie fill these sencelesse places With sence and power to lose me from this plague And worke some wonder to preuent his death Whose life thou madst a speciall miracle Ioab with another souldier Sould. My lord I saw the young prince Absalon Hang by the haire vpon a shadie oke And could by no meanes get himselfe vnlosde Ioab Why slewst thou not the wicked Absalon That rebell to his father and to heauen That so I might haue giuen thee for thy paines Tenne siluer sickles and a golden wast Sould. Not for a thousand sickles would I slay The sonne of Dauid whom his father chargd Nor thou Abisay nor the sonne of Gath Should touch with stroke of deadly violence The charge was giuen in hearing of vs all And had I done it then I know thy selfe Before thou wouldst abide the Kings rebuke Wouldst haue accus'd me as a man of death Ioab I must not now stand trifling here with thee Abs. Helpe Ioab helpe O helpe thy Absalon Let not thy angrie thoughts be laid in bloud In bloud of him that sometimes nourisht thee And softned thy sweet heart with friendly loue O giue me once againe my fathers sight My deerest father and my princely soueraigne That shedding teares of bloud before his face The ground may witnesse and the heauens record My last submission sound and full
husband dead Dauid Woman returne goe home vnto thy house I will take order that thy sonne be safe If any man say otherwise then well Bring him to me and I shall chastise him For as the Lord doth liue shall not a haire Shed from thy sonne or fall vpon the earth Woman to God alone belongs reuenge Shall then the kindred slay him for his sinne Widdow Well hath King Dauid to his handmaid spoke But wherefore then hast thou determined So hard a part against the righteous Tribes To follow and pursue the banished When as to God alone belongs reuenge Assuredly thou saist against thy selfe Therefore call home againe the banished Call home the banished that he may liue And raise to thee some fruit in Israel Da. Thou woman of Thecoa answere me Answere me one thing I shall aske of thee Is not the hand of Ioab in this worke Tell me is not his finger in this fact Wid. It is my lord his hand is in this worke Assure thee Ioab captaine of thy host Hath put these words into thy handmaids mouth And thou art as an angel from on high To vnderstand the meaning of my heart Lo where he commeth to his lord the King Enter Ioab Dauid Say Ioab didst thou send this woman in To put this parable for Absalon Ioab Ioab my lord did bid this woman speake And she hath said and thou hast vnderstood Dauid I haue and am content to do the thing Goe fetch my sonne that he may liue with me Ioab kneeles Ioab Now God be blessed for King Dauids life Thy seruant Ioab hath found grace with thee In that thou sparest Absolon thy child A beautifull and faire young man is he In all his bodie is no blemish seene His haire is like the wyer of Dauids Harpe That twines about his bright and yuorie necke In Israel is not such a goodly man And here I bring him to entreat for grace Enter Absolon with Ioab Dauid Hast thou slaine in the fields of Hazor Ah Absalon my sonne ah my sonne Absolon But wherefore doe I vexe thy spirit so Liue and returne from Gesur to thy house Returne from Gesur to Ierusalem What boots it to be bitter to thy soule Ammon is dead and Absolon suruiues Abs. Father I haue offended Israel I haue offended Dauid and his house For Thamars wrong hath Absolon misdone But Dauids heart is free from sharpe reuenge And Ioab hath got grace for Absalon Dauid Depart with me you men of Israel You that haue followed Rabba with the sword And ransacke Ammons richest treasuries Liue Absalon my sonne liue once in peace Peace with thee and with Ierusalem Exeunt omnes Manet Absolon Abs. Dauid is gone and Absolon remaines Flowring in pleasant spring time of his youth Why liueth Absalon and is not honoured Of Tribes and Elders and the mightiest ones That round about his Temples he may weare Garlands and wreaths set on with reuerence That euery one that hath a cause to plead Might come to Absolon and call for right Then in the gates of Syon would I sit And publish lawes in great Ierusalem And not a man should liue in all the land But Absolon would doe him reasons due Therefore I shall addresse me as I may To loue the men and Tribes of Israel Exit Enter Dauid Ithay Sadoc Ahimaas Ionathan with others Dauid barefoot with some lose couering ouer his head and all mourning Dau. Proud lust the bloudiest traitour to our soules Whose greedie throte nor earth aire sea or heauen Can glut or satisfie with any store Thou art the cause these torments sucke my bloud Piercing with venome of thy poysoned eies The strength and marrow of my tainted bones To punish Pharoh and his cursed host The waters shrinke at great Adonaies voice And sandie bottome of the sea appeard Offering his seruice at his seruants feet And to inflict a plague on Dauids sinne He makes his bowels traitors to his breast Winding about his heart with mortall gripes Ah Absalon the wrath of heauen inflames Thy scorched bosome with ambitious heat And Sathan sets thee on a lustie tower Shewing thy thoughts the pride of Israel Of choice to cast thee on her ruthlesse stones Weepe with me then ye sonnes of Israel He lies downe and all the rest after him Lie downe with Dauid and with Dauid mourne Before the holy one that sees our hearts Season this heauie soile with showers of teares And fill the face of euery flower with dew Weepe Israel for Dauids soule dissolues Lading the fountaines of his drowned eyes And powres her substance on the sencelesse earth Sadoc Weepe Israel O weepe for Dauids soule Strewing the ground with haire and garments torne For tragicke witnesse of your heartie woes Ahimaas O would our eyes were conduits to our hearts And that our hearts were seas of liquid bloud To powre in streames vpon this holy Mount For witnesse we would die for Dauids woes Iona. Then should this mount of Oliues seeme a plaine Drownd with a sea that with our sighs should rore And in the murmure of his mounting waues Report our bleeding sorrowes to the heauens For witnesse we would die for Dauids woes Ith. Earth cannot weepe ynough for Dauids woes Then weepe you heauens and all you clouds dissolue That pittious stars may see our miseries And drop their golden teares vpon the ground For witnesse how they weepe for Dauids woes Sadoc Now let my soueraigne raise his prostrate bones And mourne not as a faithlesse man would doe But be assurd that Iacobs righteous God That promist neuer to forsake your throne Will still be iust and pure in his vowes Da. Sadoc high priest preseruer of the arke Whose sacred vertue keepes the chosen crowne I know my God is spotlesse in his vowes And that these haires shall greet my graue in peace But that my sonne should wrong his tendred soule And fight against his fathers happinesse Turnes all my hopes into despaire of him And that despaire feeds all my veines with greefe Ithay Thinke of it Dauid as a fatall plague Which greefe preserueth but preuenteth not And turne thy drooping eyes vpon the troupes That of affection to thy worthinesse Doe swarme about the person of the King Cherish their valours and their zealous loues With pleasant lookes and sweet encouragements Da. Me thinkes the voice of Ithay fils mine eares Ith. Let not the voice of Ithay loth thine eares Whose heart would baulme thy bosome with his teares Dauid But wherefore goest thou to the wars with vs Thou art a stranger here in Israel And sonne to Achis mightie king of Gath Therefore returne and with thy father stay Thou camst but yesterday and should I now Let thee partake these troubles here with vs Keepe both thy selfe and all thy souldiors safe Let me abide the hazards of these armes And God requite the friendship thou hast shewd Ith. As sure as Israels God giues Dauid life What place or perill shall containe the King The same will Ithay share
lord the King For all his former counsels then my selfe Yet not offending Absolon or him This time it is not good nor worth pursute For well thou knowest thy fathers men are strong Chafing as shee beares robbed of their whelpes Besides the King himselfe a valiant man Traind vp in feats and stratagems of warre And will not for preuention of the worst Lodge with the common souldiers in the field But now I know his wonted policies Haue taught him lurke within some secret caue Guarded with all his stoutest souldiers Which if the forefront of his battell faint Will yet giue out that Absalon doth flie And so thy souldiers be discouraged Dauid himselfe withall whose angry heart Is as a Lyons letted of his walke Will fight himselfe and all his men to one Before a few shall vanquish him by feare My counsell therefore is with Trumpets sound To gather men from Dan to Bersabe That they may march in number like sea sands That nestle close in anothers necke So shall we come vpon him in our strength Like to the dew that fals in showers from heauen And leaue him not a man to march withall Besides if any citie succour him The numbers of our men shall fetch vs ropes And we will pull it downe the riuers streame That not a stone be left to keepe vs out Abs. What saies my lord to Cusaies counsell now Ama. I fancie Cusaies counsell better farre Then that is giuen vs from Achitophel And so I thinke doth euery souldier here All Cusaies counsell is better then Achitophels Abs. Then march we after Cusaies counsell all Sound trumpets through the bounds of Israel And muster all the men will serue the King That Absalon may glut his longing soule With sole fruition of his fathers crowne Exeunt Ach. Ill shall they fare that follow thy attempts That skornes the counsell of Achitophel Restat Cusay Cusay Thus hath the power of Iacobs iealous God Fulfild his seruant Dauids drifts by me And brought Achitophels aduise to scorne Enter Sadoc Abiathar Ahimaas and Ionathan Sadoc God saue lord Cusay and direct his zeale To purchase Dauids conquest gainst his sonne Abia. What secrets hast thou gleande from Absalon Cusay These sacred priests that beare the arke of God Achitophel aduisd him in the night To let him chuse twelue thousand fighting men And he would come on Dauid at vnwares While he was wearie with his violent toile But I aduisd to get a greater host And gather men from Dan to Bersabe To come vpon him strongly in the fields Then send Ahimaas and Ionathan To signifie these secrets to the King And will him not to stay this night abroad But get him ouer Iordane presently Least he and all his people kisse the sword Sadoc Then goe Ahimaas and Ionathan And straight conuey this message to the King Ahim. Father we will if Absalons cheefe spies Preuent not this deuise and stay vs here Exeunt Semei solus Semei The man of Israel that hath rul'd as King Or rather as the Tyrant of the land Bolstering his hatefull head vpon the throne That God vnworthily hath blest him with Shall now I hope lay it as low as hell And be depos'd from his detested chaire O that my bosome could by nature beare A sea of poyson to be powr'de vpon His cursed head that sacred baulme hath grac'd And consecrated King of Israel Or would my breath were made the smoke of hell Infected with the sighs of damned soules Or with the reeking of that serpents gorge That feeds on adders toads and venomous roots That as I opened my reuenging lips To curse the sheepeheard for his Tyrannie My words might cast rancke poyson to his pores And make his swolne and ranckling sinewes cracke Like to the combat blowes that breake the clouds When Ioues stout champions fight with fire See where he commeth that my soule abhors I haue prepard my pocket full of stones To cast at him mingled with earth and dust Which bursting with disdaine I greet him with Dauid Ioab Abyshai Ithay with others Semei Come forth thou murtherer and wicked man The Lord hath brought vpon thy cursed head The guiltlesse bloud of Saule and all his sonnes Whose royall throne thy basenesse hath vsurpt And to reuenge it deepely on thy soule The Lord hath giuen the kingdome to thy sonne And he shall wreake the traitrous wrongs of Saule Euen as thy sinne hath still importund heauen So shall thy murthers and adulterie Be punisht in the sight of Israel As thou deserust with bloud with death and hell Hence murtherer hence he threw at him Abis. Why doth his dead dog curse my lord the King Let me alone to take away his head Da. Why medleth thus the son of Zeruia To interrupt the action of our God Semei vseth me with this reproch Because the Lord hath sent him to reproue The sinnes of Dauid printed in his browes With bloud that blusheth for his conscience guilt Who dares then aske him why he curseth me Semei If then thy conscience tell thee thou hast sind And that thy life is odious to the world Command thy followers to shun thy face And by thy selfe here make away thy soule That I may stand and glorie in thy shame Da. I am not desperate Semei like thy selfe But trust vnto the couenant of my God Founded on mercie with repentance built And finisht with the glorie of my soule Semei A murtherer and hope for mercie in thy end Hate and destruction sit vpon thy browes To watch the issue of thy damned ghost Which with thy latest gaspe thei le take and teare Hurling in euery paine of hell a peece Hence murtherer thou shame to Israel Foule letcher drunkard plague to heauen and earth He throwes at him Ioab What is it pietie in Dauids thoughts So to abhorre from lawes of pollicie In this extremitie of his distresse To giue his subiects cause of carelesnesse Send hence the dog with sorrow to his graue Dauid Why should the sons of Zeruia seeke to checke His spirit which the Lord hath thus inspir'd Behold my sonne which issued from my flesh With equall furie seekes to take my life How much more then the sonne of Iemini Cheefely since he doth nought but Gods command It may be he will looke on me this day With gracious eyes and for his cursing blesse The heart of Dauid in his bitternesse Semei What doest thou fret my soule with sufferance O that the soules of Isboseth and Abner Which thou sentst swimming to their graues in bloud With wounds fresh bleeding gasping for reuenge Were here to execute my burning hate But I will hunt thy font with curses still Hence Monster Murtherer Mirror of Contempt He throwes dust againe Enter Ahimanas and Ionathan Ahim. Long life to Dauid to his enemies death Da. Welcome Ahimaas and Ionathan What newes sends Cusay to thy lord the King Ahim. Cusay would wish my lord the King To passe the riuer Iordane presently Least he and all his people perish
of ruth Ioab Rebell to nature hate to heauen and earth Shall I giue helpe to him that thirsts the soule Of his deere father and my soueraigne lord Now see the Lord hath tangled in a tree The health and glorie of thy stubborne heart And made thy pride curbd with a sencelesse plant Now Absalon how doth the Lord regard The beautie wherevpon thy hope was built And which thou thoughtst his grace did glorie in Findst thou not now with feare of instant death That God affects not any painted shape Or goodly personage when the vertuous soule Is stuft with naught but pride and stubbornnesse But preach I to thee while I should reuenge Thy cursed sinne that staineth Israel And makes her fields blush with her childrens bloud Take that as part of thy deserued plague Which worthily no torment can inflict Abs. O Ioab Ioab cruell ruthlesse Ioab Herewith thou woundst thy Kingly soueraignes heart Whose heauenly temper hates his childrens bloud And will be sicke I know for Absalon O my deere father that thy melting eyes Might pierce this thicket to behold thy sonne Thy deerest sonne gor'de with a mortall dart Yet Ioab pittie me pittie my father Ioab Pittie his soules distresse that mournes my life And will be dead I know to heare my death Ioab If he were so remorsefull of thy state Why sent he me against thee with the sword All Ioab meanes to pleasure thee withall Is to dispatch thee quickly of thy paine Hold Absalon Ioabs pittie is in this In this prowd Absalon is Ioabs loue He goes out Abs. Such loue such pittie Israels God send thee And for his loue to Dauid pittie me Ah my deere father see thy bowels bleed See death assault thy deerest Absalon See pittie pardon pray for Absalon Enter fiue or sixe souldiers See where the rebell in his glorie hangs Where is the vertue of thy beautie Absalon Will any of vs here now feare thy lookes Or be in loue with that thy golden haire Wherein was wrapt rebellion gainst thy sire And cords prepar'd to stop thy fathers breath Our captaine Ioab hath begun to vs And here 's an end to thee and all thy sinnes Come let vs take the beauteous rebell downe And in some ditch amids this darkesome wood Burie his bulke beneath a heape of stones Whose stonie heart did hunt his fathers death Enter in triumph with drum and ensigne Ioab Abyshai and souldiers to Absalon Ioab Well done tall souldiers take the Traitor downe And in this myerie ditch interre his bones Couering his hatefull breast with heapes of stones This shadie thicket of darke Ephrami Shall euer lower on his cursed graue Night Rauens and Owles shall ring his fatall knell And sit exclaiming on his damned soule There shall they heape their preyes of Carrion Till all his graue be clad with stinking bones That it may loth the sence of euery man So shall his end breed horror to his name And to his traitrous fact eternall shame Exit 5. Chorus Oh dreadfull president of his iust doome Whose holy heart is neuer toucht with ruth Of fickle beautie or of glorious shapes But with the vertue of an vpright soule Humble and zealous in his inward thoughts Though in his person loathsome and deform'd Now since this storie lends vs other store To make a third discourse of Dauids life Adding thereto his most renowmed death And all their deaths that at his death he iudgd Here end we this and what here wants to please We will supplie with treble willingnesse Absalon with three or foure of his seruants or gentlemen Abs. What boots it Absalon vnhappie Absalon Sighing I say what boots it Absalon To haue disclos'd a farre more worthy wombe Trumpets sound enter Ioab Ahimaas Cusay Amasa with all the rest Ioab Souldiers of Israel and ye sonnes of Iuda That haue contended in these irkesome broiles And ript old Israels bowels with your swords The godlesse generall of your stubborne armes Is brought by Israels helper to the graue A graue of shame and skorne of all the Tribes Now then to saue your honours from the dust And keepe your blouds in temper by your bones Let Ioabs ensigne shroud your manly heads Direct your eies your weapons and your hearts To guard the life of Dauid from his foes Error hath maskt your much too forward minds And you haue sind against the chosen state Against his life for whom your liues are blest And followed an vsurper to the field In whose iust death your deaths are threatened But Ioab pitties your disordered soules And therefore offers pardon peace and loue To all that will be friendly reconcil'de To Israels weale to Dauid and to heauen Amasa thou art leader of the host That vnder Absalon haue raisde their armes Then be a captaine wise and polliticke Carefull and louing for thy souldiers liues And lead them to this honourable league Amasa I will at least I le doe my best And for the gracious offer thou hast made I giue thee thankes as much as for my head Then you deceiu'd poore soules of Israel Since now ye see the errors you incurd With thankes and due submission be appeasde And as ye see your captaines president Here cast me then our swords at Ioabs feet Submitting with all zeale and residence Our goods and bodies to his gracious hands All stand vp Ioab Stand vp and take ye all your swords againe Dauid and Ioab shall be blest herein Iona. Now let me goe enforme my lord the King How God hath freed him from his enemies Ioab Another time Ahimaas not now But Cusay goe thy selfe and tell the King The happie message of our good successe Cus. I will my lord and thanke thee for thy grace Exit Cusay Iona. What if thy seruant should goe to my lord Ioab What newes hast thou to bring since he is gone Iona. Yet doe Ahimaas so much content That he may run about so sweet a charge Exit Ioab Run if thou wilt and peace be with thy steps Now follow that you may salute the King With humble hearts and reconciled soules Ama. We follow Ioab to our gracious King And him our swords shall honour to our deaths Exeunt Dauid Bethsabe Salomon Nathan Adonia Chileab with their traine Beth. What meanes my lord the lampe of Israel From whose bright eyes all eyes receiue their light To dim the glory of his sweet aspects And paint his countenance with his hearts distresse Why should his thoughts retaine a sad conceit When euery pleasure kneeles before his throne And sues for sweet acceptance with his grace Take but your Lute and make the mountaines dance Retriue the sunnes sphere and restraine the clouds Giue eares to trees make sauage Lyons tame Impose still silence to the loudest winds And fill the fairest day with foulest stormes Then why should passions of much meaner power Beare head against the heart of Israel Da. Faire Bethsabe thou mightst increase the strength Of these thy arguments drawne from my skill By vrging
thy sweet sight to my conceits Whose vertue euer serud for sacred baulme To cheere my pinings past all earthly ioies But Bethsabe the daughter of the highest Whose beautie builds the towers of Israel Shee that in chaines of pearle and vnicorne Leads at her traine the ancient golden world The world that Adam held in Paradise Whose breath refineth all infectious aires And makes the meddowes smile at her repaire Shee Shee my dearest Bethsabe Faire peace the goddesse of our graces here Is fled the streets of faire Ierusalem The fields of Israel and the heart of Dauid Leading my comforts in her golden chaines Linckt to the life and soule of Absalon Beth. Then is the pleasure of my soueraignes heart So wrapt within the bosome of that sonne That Salomon whom Israels God affects And gaue the name vnto him for his loue Should be no salue to comfort Dauids soule Dau. Salomon my loue is Dauids lord Or God hath nam'd him lord of Israel In him for that and since he is thy sonne Must Dauid needs be pleased at the heart And he shall surely sit vpon my throne But Absalon the beautie of my bones Faite Absalon the counterfeit of loue Sweet Absalon the image of content Must claime a portion in his fathers care And be in life and death King Dauids sonne Nat. Yet as my lord hath said let Salomon raigne Whom God in naming hath annointed King Now is he apt to learne th' eternall lawes Whose knowledge being rooted in his youth Will beautifie his age with glorious fruits While Absalon incenst with gracelesse pride Vsurpes and staines the kingdome with his sinne Let Salomon be made thy staffe of age Faire Israels rest and honour of thy race Da. Tell me my Salomon wilt thou imbrace Thy fathers precepts graued in thy heart And satisfie my zeale to thy renowne With practise of such sacred principles As shall concerne the state of Israel Sal. My royall father if the heauenly zeale Which for my welfare seeds vpon your soule Were not sustaind with vertue of mine owne If the sweet accents of your cheerefull voice Should not each hower beat vpon mine eares As sweetly as the breath of heauen to him That gaspeth scorched with the Summers sunne I should be guiltie of vnpardoned sinne Fearing the plague of heauen and shame of earth But since I vow my selfe to learne the skill And holy secrets of his mightie hand Whose cunning tunes the musicke of my soule It would content me father first to learne How th' eternall fram'd the firmament Which bodies lead their influence by fire And which are fild with hoarie Winters yse What signe is raignie and what starre is faire Why by the rules of true proportion The yeare is still diuided into months The months to daies the daies to certaine howers What fruitfull race shall fill the future world Or for what time shall this round building stand What Magistrates what Kings shall keepe in awe Mens minds with bridles of th' eternall law Da. Wade not too farre my boy in waues too deepe The feeble eyes of our aspiring thoughts Behold things present and record things past But things to come exceed our humane reach And are not painted yet in angels eyes For those submit thy sence and say Thou power That now art framing of the future world Knowest all to come not by the course of heauen By fraile coniectures of inferiour signes By monstrous flouds by flights and flockes of birds By bowels of a sacrificed beast Or by the figures of some hidden art But by a true and naturall presage Laying the ground and perfect architect Of all our actions now before thine eyes From Adam to the end of Adams seed O heauen protect my weakenesse with thy strength So looke on me that I may view thy face And see these secrets written in thy browes O sun come dart thy raies vpon my moone That now mine eyes eclipsed to the earth May brightly be refin'd and shine to heauen Transforme me from this flesh that I may liue Before my death regenerate with thee O thou great God rauish my earthly sprite That for the time a more then humane skill May feed the Organons of all my sence That when I thinke thy thoughts may be my guide And when I speake I may be made by choice The perfect eccho of thy heauenly voice Thus say my sonne and thou shalt learne them all Salo. A secret fury rauisheth my soule Lifting my mind aboue her humane bounds And as the Eagle roused from her stand With violent hunger cowring in the aire Seaseth her feathered prey and thinkes to feed But seeing then a cloud beneath her feet Lets fall the foule and is emboldened With eies intentiue to bedare the sun And stieth close vnto his stately sphere So Salomon mounted on the burning wings Of zeale deuine lets fall his mortall food And cheeres his sences with celestiall aire Treads in the golden starrie Labyrinth And holds his eyes fixt on Iehouaes browes Good father teach me further what to doe Nath. See Dauid how his haughtie spirit mounts Euen now of heigth to wield a diademe Then make him promise that he may succeed And rest old Israels bones from broiles of warre Dauid Nathan thou Prophet sprung from Iesses root I promise thee and louely Bethsabe My Salomon shall gouerne after me Beth. He that hath toucht thee with this righteous thought Preserue the harbour of thy thoughts in peace Enter Mess. Mess. My lord thy seruants of thy watch haue seene One running hitherward from forth the warres Dauid If hee bee come alone he bringeth newes Mess. Another hath thy seruant seene my lord Whose running much resembles Sadocs sonne Da. He is a good man and good tidings brings Enter Ahimaas Ahim. Peace and content be with my lord the King Whom Israels God hath blest with victory Da. Tell me Ahimaas liues my Absalon Ahim. I saw a troupe of souldiours gathered But know not what the tumult might import Dau. Stand by vntill some other may informe The heart of Dauid with a happie truth Enter Cusay Cusay Happinesse and honour liue with Dauids soule Whom God hath blest with conquest of his foes Dauid But Cusay liues the yong man Absalon Cus. The stubborne enemies to Dauids peace And all that cast their darts against his crowne Fare euer like the young man Absalon For as he rid the woods of Ephraim Which fought for thee as much as all thy men His haire was tangled in a shadie oake And hanging there by Ioab and his men Sustaind the stroke of well deserued death Dauid Hath Absalon sustaind the stroke of death Die Dauid for the death of Absalon And make these cursed newes the bloudy darts That through his bowels rip thy wretched breast Hence Dauid walke the solitarie woods And in some Caedars shade the thunder slew And fire from heauen hath made his branches blacke Sit mourning the decease of Absalon Against the body of that blasted plant In thousand
shiuers breake thy yuorie Lute Hanging thy stringlesse harpe vpon his boughs And through the hollow saplesse sounding truncke Bellow the torments that perplexe thy soule There let the winds sit sighing till they burst Let tempest mufled with a cloud of pitch Threaten the forrests with her hellish face And mounted fiercely on her yron wings Rend vp the wretched engine by the roots That held my dearest Absalon to death Then let them tosse my broken Lute to heauen Euen to his hands that beats me with the strings To shew how sadly his poore sheepeheard sings He goes to his pauillion and sits close a while Beth. Die Bethsabe to see thy Dauid mourne To heare his tunes of anguish and of hell O helpe my Dauid helpe thy Bethsabe She kneeles downe Whose heart is pierced with thy breathie swords And bursts with burthen of tenne thousand greefes Now sits thy sorrowes sucking of my bloud O that it might be poison to their powers And that their lips might draw my bosome drie So Dauids loue might ease him though she die Nat. These violent passions come not from aboue Dauid and Bethsabe offend the highest To mourne in this immeasurable sort Dau. O Absalon Absalon O my sonne my sonne Would God that I had died for Absalon But he is dead ah dead Absalon is dead And Dauid liues to die for Absalon He lookes forth and at the end sits close againe Enter Ioab Abisay Ithay with their traine Ioab Why lies the Queene so prostrate on the ground Why is this companie so Tragicke hew'd Why is the King now absent from his men And marcheth not in triumph through the gates He vnfolds the pauillion Dauid awake if sleepe haue shut thine eies Sleepe of affection that thou canst not see The honour offerd to the victors head Ioab brings conquest pierced on his speare And ioy from all the Tribes of Israel Dauid Thou man of bloud thou sepulchre of death Whose marble breast intombe my bowels quicke Did I not charge thee nay intreat thy hand Euen for my sake to spare my Absalon And hast thou now in spight of Dauids health And skorne to doe my heart some happinesse Giuen him the sword and spilt his purple soule Ioab What irkes it Dauid that he victor breaths That Iuda and the fields of Israel Should cleanse their faces from their childrens bloud What art thou wearie of thy royall rule Is Israels throne a Serpent in thine eyes And he that set thee there so farre from thankes That thou must curse his seruant for his sake Hast thou not said that as the morning light The cloudlesse morning so should be thine house And not as flowers by the brightest raine Which growes vp quickly and as quickly fades Hast thou not said the wicked are as thornes That cannot be preserued with the hand And that the man shall touch them must be armd With coats of yron and garments made of steele Or with the shaft of a defenced speare And art thou angrie he is now cut off That lead the guiltlesse swarming to their deaths And was more wicked then an host of men Aduance thee from thy melancholy denne And decke thy bodie with thy blisfull robes Or by the Lord that swaies the heauen I sweare I le lead thine armies to another King Shall cheere them for their princely chiualrie And not sit daunted frowning in the darke When his faire lookes with Oyle and Wine refresht Should dart into their bosomes gladsome beames And fill their stomackes with triumphant feasts That when elsewhere sterne warre shall sound his trumpe And call another battaile to the field Fame still may bring thy valiant souldiers home And for their seruice happily confesse She wanted worthy trumpes to sound their prowesse Take thou this course and liue refuse and die Abisay Come brother let him sit there till he sincke Some other shall aduance the name of Ioab Offers to goe out Beth. O stay my lords stay Dauid mournes no more But riseth to giue honour to your acts Stay He riseth vp Dauid Then happie art thou Dauids fairest sonne That freed from the yoke of earthly toiles And sequestred from sence of humane sinnes Thy soule shall ioy the sacred cabinet Of those deuine Ideas that present Thy changed spirit with a heauen of blisse Then thou art gone ah thou art gone my sonne To heauen I hope my Absalon is gone Thy soule there plac'd in honour of the Saints Or angels clad with immortalitie Shall reape a seuenfold grace for all thy greefes Thy eyes now no more eyes but shining stars Shall decke the flaming heauens with nouell lampes There shalt thou tast the drinke of Seraphins And cheere thy feelings with archangels food Thy day of rest thy holy Sabboth day Shall be eternall and the curtaine drawne Thou shalt behold thy soueraigne face to face With wonder knit in triple vnitie Vnitie infinite and innumerable Courage braue captaines Ioab tale hath stird And made the suit of Israel preferd Ioab Brauely resolud and spoken like a King Now may old Israel and his daughters sing Exeunt FINIS