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
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
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
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
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