clothis And on the morn Saul sente spyes for dauid And it was answerd to them that he laye seke in his bedde thenne after this sente saul messagers for to see dauid said to them brynge hym to me in his bedde that he may be slayn whaÌ„ the messagers cam they fonde a symylacre or an ymage in his bedde and ghotes skynnes on the heed Thenne said Saul to mychol his doughter Why hast thou mocked me so and hast suffrid myn enemy to flee And mychol answerd to Saul and said He said to me late me goo or I shal slee the Dauid wente to samuel in Ramatha and told hym all that Saul had don to hym And it was told to saul that Dauid was with Samuel and he sente theder messagers to take hym And whan they cam they fonde hem with the companye of prophetes and they satte prophecied with them and he sente moo And they dyde also so And the thyrde tyme he sente mo messagers and they also prophecyed And thenne Saul beyng wroth askyd where Samuel and dauid were and wente to them and he prophecyed whan he cam also and toke of his clothis and was naked alle that day and nyght byfore Samuel Dauid thenne fledde from thens and cam to Ionathas and complayned to hym sayeng what haue I offended that thy fader secheth to slee me Ionathas was sory therfore For he louyd wel Dauid After this Saul euer sought for to slee dauid And on a tyme Saul wente in to a Caue for to ease hym And dauid was within the caue to whom his sauyer said ¶ Now hath god brought thyn enemye in to thyn hand now go and slee hym And dauid said god forbede that I shold leye ony honde on hym he is enoynted I shal neuer hurte ne greue hym late god doo his playsyr ¶ And he wente to Saul and cutte of a gobet of his mantel and kepte it And whan Saul was goon out Sone after yssued dauid out and cryed to Saul sayeng loo Saul god hath brought the in my handes I myght haue slayn the yf I had wolde but god forbede that I shold leye honde on the my lord enoynted of god And what haue I offended that thou sechest to slee me who art thou said Saul Arte not thou Dauid my sone Yes said dauid I am thy seruaunt And kneled doun and worshiped hym ¶ Thenne said Saul I haue synned and wepte and also saide Thou arte rightfuller than I am Thou hast don to me good And I haue don to the euylle And thou hast wel shewde me this day that god had brought me in to thyn hande and hast not slayn me God rewarde the for this that thou hast don to me Nowe I knowe wel that thou shalt regne in Israhel I praye the to be frendly to my seed and destroye not my hows and swere and promyse me that thou take not away my name fro the hows of my fader ¶ And Dauid sware and promysed to Saul And thenne Saul departed and wente home ¶ And Dauid and his peple wente in to surer places Anon after this Samuel deyde and was buryed in hys hows in Ramatha And alle Israhel bewaylled hym gretly ¶ Thenne ther was a riche man in the mounte of Carmel that on a tyme he share clypped his sheep to whom dauid sente certayn meÌ„ bad them saye that dauid grette hym wel where as afortymes his shepherdes kepte his sheep in deserte he neuer was greuoê° to theÌ„ ne they lost not as moch as a sheep as loÌ„ge as they were wyth vs that he myght aske his seruantes for they coude telle and that I wold now in their nede sende them what it pleased hym Nabal answerd to the children of Dauid Who is that Dauid ¶ Trowe ye that I shal sende the mete that I haue made redy for theÌ„ that shere my sheep and sende it to men that I knowe not The men retorned told to dauid alle that he had sayd Thenne said dauid to his men late euery man take his swerd and gyrde hym wyth alle And Dauid toke his swerd and gyrde hym And Dauid wente and iiijC men folowed hym and he â—â—fte ijC behynde hym One of the seruauÌ„tes of Nabal told to abygayl Nabals wyf how that dauid had sente messagers fro the deserte vnto his lord and how wroth and weyward he was also he said that tho men were good ynough to hem whan they were in deserte ne neuer perisshed beest of our as longe as they were there They were a wal a shelde for vs both day nyht all the tyme that we kepte our flockes there wherfor coÌ„sydere what is to be don they purpose to do harme to hym to his hous For he is the sone of belial in suche wise that noman may speke with hym TheÌ„ne abygail hyed her toke ijC loues of breed ij botellee of wyn v weders sothen and v mesures of potage C bondes of grapes dreyde ijC masses of cariacares and leyde all this vpon asses said to her seruauÌ„tes goo ye to fore I shal folowe after She told herof nothyng to her husbond nabal theÌ„ne she toke an asse rode after whaÌ„ she cam to the foot of the hille dauid his meÌ„ desceÌ„ded to whoÌ„ she ran dauid said I haue for nought sauyd alle the beestis of this nabal in deserte ther perisshed nothyng of his that perteyned to hym hath yelded euyl for good by the lyuyng god I shal not leue as moche of his alyue as shal pisse ayenst a walle as sone as abigail sawe dauid she desceÌ„ded fro her asse fill doun to fore dauid vpon her visage worshipped hym on therthe fylle douÌ„ to his feet said In me said she my lord be this wickednes I beseche that I thyn handmayde may speke to thyn eeris that thou wilt here the wordes of me thy seruaunte I praye requyre the my lord late not thy herte be sette ayeÌ„st this wicked man nabal For acordyng to his name he is a fool And folye is with hym I thyn handmayde sawe not thy chyldren that thou sendest Now therfor my lord for the loue of god of thy soule suffre not thy hond to shede no blood I beseche god that thyn enemyes may be lyke nabal they that wold the harme and I beseche the to resseyue this blessyng presente whiche I thyn handmayde haue brought to the my lord gyue it to thy men that folowe the my lord Take away the wyckednes fro me thy seruaunt And I beseche god to make to the my lord a hous of trouthe For thou my lord shal fight the bataillis of our lord god And late no malyce be fouÌ„de in the neuer in alle the dayes of thy lyf yf euer ony man aryse ayenst the or wold pursiewe or wold hurte the I beseche god to kepe the And whan our lord god hath accoÌ„plisshid
toke other by the heed and roof their swerdes in to eche other sydes and were alle ther slayn And ther aroose a grete batayll And Abner and his felawship were put to flight by the men of dauid And emōge all other ther was Asahel one of the brothern of Ioab was the swiftest rennar that myght be and pursiewed abner and abner loked behynde hym And bad hym declyne on the right side or on the lyft side and take one of the yong men his harnoys and come not at me Asahel wold not leue hym yet abner said to hym Goo fro me and folowe not me lest I be cōpellyd to slee the and thenne I may not make my pees with Ioab thy brother whiche wold not here Abner but despysed hym And Abner thenne torned and slewe hym in the same place And anon the sonne wente doun and they withdrewe ther were slayn of the chyldren of Dauid xix men of thē of beniamyn iijClx were slayn And thus ther was longe stryf and contenciō bytwene the hows of dauid and the hous of Isboseth After this Abner toke a concubyne of Saul and helde her wherfor hisboseth repreuyd hym of it And abner was wroth gretly therof and cā to dauid and made frendship with hym Ioab was not there whan abner made his pees with dauid but whan he knewe it he cam to abner with a fayr semblaunt and spack fayr to hym by dissimylacion and slew hym for to auenge the deth of asahel his brother and whan dauid herde how Ioab had slayn abner he cursed hym and bewaylled gretly the deth of abner and dyde do burye hym honourably and dauid folowid the bere hym self And whan hisboseth the sone of Saul herde that abner was deed he was alle abasshed and alle Israhel sore trobled ther were two pryncee of theues with hisboseth named Banaa and Rechab whiche cam on a day in to hisboseth where he laye and slepte and ther they slewe hym and toke pryuely his heed and brought it to dauid in to hebron and said lo here is the heed of thyn enemye Isboseth that sought to sle the this day god hath gyuen to the my lord vengeaunce of Saul and of his seed dauid answerd to them By the lyuyng god that hath delyuerd me fro all anguysshe hym that told me that he had slayn Saul and had thought to haue had a reward of me I dyde doo slee how moche more ye that be so wicked to slee hym that is not gylty in his hows vpon his bedde shal I not aske his blood of your hondes and throwe you out of this world yes certaynly and Dauid comaunded to his seruantes to slee them and so they were slayn and cutte of their handes and feet henge them on the pyscene in ebron and toke the heed of hysboseth and buryed it in the sepulcre of abner and thenne cam all the tribus of Israhel to dauid in ebron sayeng we ben thy mouth thy flesshe whan Saul lyued and was kynge on vs and regned thou were comyng and goynge and by cause god hath said thou shalt regne vpon my peple and be theyr gouernour therfore we shal obeye the And alle the senyors of Israhel cam and dyde homage to dauid in hebron enoytend hym kynge ouer them Dauid was xxx yere old whan he began to regne ¶ And he regned xl yere He regned in hebron vpon Iuda vij yer and vj monethis And in Iherusalem he regned xxxiij yere vpon all Israhel Iuda Dauid thenne made hym a dwellyng place in the hylle of syon in Iherusalem And after this the philisteis made warre agayn hym but he ofte ouerthrewe hem and slewe many of them and made them trybutarye to hym And after brought the arke of god in Iherusalem and sette it in his hows After this yet the phylisteis made warre agayn vnto hym and other kynges were aydyng and helpyng them ayenst Dauid whom dauid ouercome and slewe and put vnder and on a tyme whan Ioab was out with his men of warre lyeng at a syege to fore a cyte dauid was at home and walkid in his chambre and as he looked out at a wyndow he sawe a fair woman wasshe her bayne her in her chambre whiche stode ayenst his hows and demanded of his seruantes who she was and they said she was vries wyf he sente for her and laye by her and gate her with chylde and whan Dauid vnderstode that she was with chyld he sente lettres to Ioab and bad hym to sende home to hym vrye and Ioab sente vrye to Dauid and dauid demaunded how the hoost was rewlid and after bad hym goo home to his hows wasshe his feet and vrye wente thens and the kynge sente to hym his disshe with mete vrye wold not goo home but laye to fore the yate of the kynges hous with other seruauntes of the kynges and hit was told to the kynge that vryas wente not home and thenne dauid said to vrye thou comest fro a farre waye why goste not home and vrye said to dauid the arke of god and Israhel and Iuda ben in the pauylions my lord Ioab and the seruauntes of the my lord lye on the ground and wold ye that I shold goo to my hous and ete and drynke and slepe with my wyf By thy helthe and by the helthe of my sowle I shal not doo soo thenne Dauid said to vrye abyde here thenne this nyght and to morow I shal delyure the vrye abode there that day and the next and dauid made hym ete to fore hym made hym dronke yet for alle that he wold not goo home but laye wyth the seruauntes of dauid Thenne on the morn dauid wrote a lettre to Ioab that he shold sette vrye in the weykest place of the batayl and where most Ieopardye was and that he shold be lefte there that he myght be slayn and vrye bare this lettre to Ioab and it was so don as Dauid had wreton and vrye was so slayn in the batayll And Ioab sente worde to dauid how they had foughten and how vrye was slayn deed whan vryes wyf herd that her husbond was deed she morned waylled hym and after the mornyng Dauid sente for her and wedded her And she bare hym a sone and this that Dauid had commysed in vrye displeysyd gretly our lord Thenne our lord sente Nathan the prophete vnto Dauid whiche whan he cam said to hym Ther were two men dwellyng in a cyte that one Ryche the other poure The Ryche man hadde sheep oxen right many the poure mā hadde but one lytyl sheep whiche he bought nourisshid grewe with his chyldren etyng of hye brede and drynkyng of his cuppe and slepte in his bosom She was to hym as a doughter and on a tyme whan a certayn pylgryme cam to the riche man he sparyng his owen sheep and oxen to make a feste to the pylgrym that was comen to hym
to the my lord all that he hath spoken good of the hath constytued the duke vpon Israhel late this not be in thy thought ne scropule in thy herte that thou sholdest shede blood not gylty ne be thou not now auengid And whan our lord god hath don wel to the my lord haue thou ramembrauÌ„ce on me thy handmayde doo wel to me And dauid said to abygayl Blessid be god of Israhel that sente the this day to mete me And blessyd be thy speche And blessid be thou that hast withdraweÌ„ me fro blood shedyng that I auengyd me not on myn enemye with my hande Elles by the lyuyng lord god of Israhel yf thou haddest not comen vnto me ther shold not haue blyuen vnto nabal to morn in the mornyng one pyssyng ayenst a walle Thenne dauid receyuyd alle that she brouht and said to her Goo pesibly in to thy hous Loo I haue herde thy voys I haue honoured thy visage and so abygail cam vnto nabal dauid retorned in to the place he caÌ„ fro Nabal made a grete feste in his hows lyke the feste of a kynge And the herte of Nabal was Iocunde he was dronken And Abygail his wyf told to hym no worde tyl on the morn lytyl ne moche On the morn whan Nabal had dygestid the wyn his wyf told hym alle thyse wordes And his herte was mortefyed wythin hym and he was deed lyke a stone For the tenthe day after our lord smote hym and he deyde And whan Dauid herde that he was deed he said Blessyd be the good lord that hath Iuged the cause of myn obprobrye fro the hand of Nabal and hath kepte me his seruaunt from harme And our lord hath yolden the malyce of Nabal on his owen heed Thenne Dauid sente to Abygayl for to haue her to his wyf And she humbled her self and said she his handmayde was redy to wasshe the feet of his seruauntes And she aroos and toke with her fyue maydens whiche wente a foote by her and she rood vpon an asse and folowed the messagers and was made wyf to dauid and Dauid also toke another wyf called Achynoem of Iesrahel And bothe two were hys wyues After this Saul alway sought Dauid for to slee hym And the peple called Zyphei told to Saul that Dauid was hyd in the hille of Achylle whiche was on the after part of the wyldernes ¶ And Saul toke with hym thre thousand chosen men and folowed and sought Dauid Dauid whan he herde of the comyng of Saul wente in to the place where as Saul was And whan he was a slepe he toke one with hym and wente in to the tente where Saul slepte and Abner with hym and alle his peple ¶ Thenne said Abysay to Dauid God hath put thyn enemye this day in thy handes Now I shal goo and smyte hym thurgh with my spere and thenne after that we shal haue no nede to drede hym And Dauid said to Abysay Slee hym not who may extende his hande in to the enoynted kyng of god and be InnoceÌ„t dauid said yet more by the lyuyng god but yf god smyte hym or the dayes come that he shal deye or perisshe in batayl god be mercyful to me as I shal not leye my hond on hym that is enoynted of our lord Now take the spere that stondeth at his heed and the cuppe of watir and late vs goo ¶ Dauid toke the spere and the cuppe and departed thens and ther was not one that sawe them ne awaked For they slepte alle Thenne whan Dauid was on the hylle fer from hem Dauid cryed to the peple and to abner saieng Abner shal not thou answere And abner answerd who art thou that cryest and wakest the kynge And Dauid said to abner Art not thou a man and ther is none lyke the in Israhel why hast not thou therfor kepte thy lord the kynge Ther is one of the peple goon in to slee the kynge thy lord by the lyuyng lord it is not good that ye doo but ye be worthy to dye by cause ye haue not kepte your lord enoynted of our lord Now loke see where the kynges spere is and the cuppe of water that stodâ— at his heed Saul knewe the voys of Dauid and said Is not this thy voys my sone Dauid and Dauid said it is my voys my lord kynge For what cause doost thou my lord pursyewe me thy seruaunt what thyng haue I don and what euyl haue I coÌ„mysed with my hand Thou seest wel I myght haue slayn the yf I wold god Iuge bytwene the and me And Saul saide I haue synned Retorne my sone I shalle neuer herafter doo the harme ne euyl For thy soule is precious in my sight this day hit apâ—perith Now that I haue don folily and am IgnourauÌ„t in many thynges thenne said dauid lo here is the spere of the kynge late a chyld come fetche it Our lord shal reward to euery man after his Iustice and faith Our lord hath this day brought the in to my handes And yet I wold not leye myn honde on hym that is enoynted of our lord And lyke as thy sowle is magnyfyed this day in my syght So be my sowle magnefyed in the sight of god and delyuer me from all anguysse Saul said thenne to dauid Blessyd be thou my sone dauid dauid wente thenne his waye and Saul retorned home agayn dauid said in his herte SoÌ„tyme it myght happe me to falle come in to the haÌ„des of saul it is better I flee fro hym and saue me in the londe of the phylysteis And wente thens with vjC men and cam to Achis kynge of geth and dwellyd there ¶ And whan Saul vnderstode that he was with Achis he cessed to seche hym And Achis delyueryd to dauid a toun to dwelle in named Sychelech ¶ After this the philisteis gadred and assembled moche peple ayenst Israhel And Saul assemblid alle Israhel and cam vnto gelboe And whan Saul sawe alle thoost of the phylysteis his herte dredde and faynted sore he cryed for to haue couÌ„seylle of our lord And our lord answerd hym not ne by sweuenes ne by preestis ne by prophetes Thenne said Saul to his seruantes Fetche to me a woman hauyng a phiton other wyse callyd a phytonesse or witche And they said that ther was suche a woman in end or Saul thenne changed his habyte and clothyng and dyde on other clothyng and wente and two men with hem and cam to the woman by nyght and made her by her crafte to reyse Samuel And Samuel said to Saul why hast thou put me fro my reste for to aryse And Saul said I am coarted therto For the phylysteis fighte ayenst me and god is goon fro me and wyl not here me neyther by prophetes ne by sweuenes And Samuel said what axest thou of me whan god is gon fro the and goon vnto dauid God shal doo to the as he hath said
toke the only sheep of the poure man and made mete therof to his gheest dauid was wroth said to nathan by the lâ—uyng god the maÌ„ that hath so doo is the childe of deth the man that hath so doo shal yelde therfore iiij double Thenne said NathaÌ„ to Dauid thou art the same maÌ„ that hath don this thynge This said the lord god of Israhel I haue enoynted the kynge vpon Israhel and I haue kept the fro the hande of Saul and I haue gyuen to the an hows to kepe in thy houshold and wyues in thy bosom I haue gyuen to the the hous of Israhel and the hous of Iuda And yf thyse be smale thynges I shal adde and gyue to the moche more and gretter why hast thou therfor despysed the word of god and hast don euyl in the sight of our lord Thou hast slayn vrye with a swerd And his wyf hast thou taken vnto thy wif And thou hast slayn hym with the swerd of the sones of Ammon Therfor the swerd shal not goo fro thy hows world withoute ende For as moche as thou hast despysed and hast taken vryes wyf vnto thy wyf This said our lord I shal reyse euyl ayenst the And shal take thy wyues in thy sight and gyue them to thy neyghbour and shal lye wyth thy wyuys to fore thyn eyen Thou hast don it pryuely but I shal make this to be don and open in the sight of alle Israhel And thenne said dauid to Nathan peccaui I haue synned ayenst our lord Nathan said Our lord hath taken away thy synne thou shalt not dye but for as moche as thou hast made the enemyes to blaspheme the name of god Therfor the sone that is born to the shal dye by deth And nathan retorned home to his hous And for this synne dauid made this psalme Miserere mei deus whiche is a psalme of mercy For Dauid dide grete penauÌ„ce for thyse synnes of aduoultrye and also of homycyde For as I ones was by yonde the see Rydyng in the companye of a noble knyght named Syr IohÌ„n Capons and was also doctour in bothe lawes was born in malyorke and had ben viceroye and gouernour of Aragon and Catelone that tyme CouÌ„ceyllour vnto the duc of bourgonye Charloys It happend we comened of the hystorye of Dauid and this said noble man told me that he had redde that dauid dyde this penauÌ„ce folowyng for thyse said synnes that he dalf hym in the ground standyng nakyd vnto the heed so longe that the wormes began to crepe in his flesshe and made a verse of this psalme Miserere and theÌ„ne cam out and whan he was hole therof he wente in agayn and stode so agayn as longe as afore is said and made the second verse and so as many tymes he was doluen in the erth as ben verse in the said psalme of Miserere mei deus and euery tyme was abydyng therin tyl he felte the wormes crepe in his flesshe This was a grete penaunce and a token of grete repentaunce For ther ben in the psalme xx verses And xx tymes he was dolueÌ„ Thus thys noble man told me rydyng bytwene the toun of Gaunt in Flaundres and the toun of Bruxellis in Braband Therfor god toke away this synne and forgaue it hym but the sone that she brought forth deyed and after this bersabee that had ben vryes wyf conceyuyd and brought forth another sone named SalomoÌ„ whiche was welbyloued of god and after Dauid Salomon was kynge After this Dauid had moche warre and trouble and angre in so moche that on a tyme Ammon oldest sone of Dauid louyd thamar his suster This thamar was Absalons suster by the moder syde and Ammon forced and laye by her and whan he had don his pleasir he hated her and threwe her out of his chambre and she complayned her vnto Absalon Dauid knewe herof and was right sory for it but he wold not rebuke his sone Ammon for it For he louyd hym by cause he was his first begoten sone Absalon hated Ammon euer after And whan Absalon on a tyme dyde do shere his sheep he prayd alle his brethern to come ete with hym And made hem a feste lyke a kynges feste At whiche feste he dyde do slee his brother Ammon And anon it was told to the kynge dauid that Absalon had slayn all the kynges sones wherfor the kynge was in grete heuynes and sorowe But anon after it was told hym that ther was nomo slayn but Ammon And the other sones cam home And Absalon fledd in to gessur and was there thre yere durst not come home And after by the moyen of Ioab he was sente for and cam in to Iherusalem but yet he myght not come in his fader the kynges presence and dwellyd there two yere myght not see the kynge his fader This Absalon was the fayrest man that euer was For fro the sole of his foot vnto his heed ther was not a spotte he had so moche heere on his heed that it greuyd hym to bere wherfore hit was shorn of ones a yere it weyed two hondred cycles of good weight Thenne whan he abode so longe that he myght not come to his faders presence he sente for Ioab to come speke with hym and he wold not come he sente agayn for hym and he cam not Thenne Absalon said to his seruauÌ„tes knowe ye Ioabs felde that lyeth by my felde They said ye Goo ye sayde he And sette fyre in the barle that is ther in and brenne it And Ioabs seruauÌ„tes cam and told to Ioab that AbsaloÌ„ had sette fyre on his corn Thenne Ioab cam to Absalon said why hast thou sette fyre on my corn And he said I haue sente tweys to the prayeng the to come to me that I myght sente the to the kyng and that thou sholdest saye to hym why I cam fro gessur It had be better to me for to haue abyden there I praye the that I may come to his presence and see hys vysage And yf he remembre my wickednes late hym slee me Ioab wente in to the kynge and told to hym all thyse wordes Thenne was Absalon callyd and entred in to the kynge he fylle doun and worshipped the kynge And the kyng kyssyd hym Aftir this absalon dyde doo make for hym self Chares and horsmen and fyfty men to goo byfore hym And walked emong the tribus of Israhel and grette and salued them takyng them by the hond and kyssed hem by whiche he gate to hym the hertes of the peple and said to hys fader that he had auowed to make sacrefise to god in hebron and hys fader gaf hym leue And whan he was there he gadred peple to hym and made hym self kynge And dyde doo crye that all men shold obeye wayte on hym as kynge of Israhel whan Dauid herd this he was sore abasshed and was fayn to flee out of Iherusalem And Absalon cam wyth hys
peple and entrid in to Iherusalem in to his faders hows and laye by his fadres concubynes And after pursyewid his fader to depose hym and dauid ordeyned his peple and batayll ayenst hym and sente Ioab prynce of his hoost ayenst Absalon and deuyded hys hoost in to thre partyes and wold haue gooÌ„ with them but Ioab counceyllid that he shold not goo to the batayll what someuer happid And thenne dauid badde them to saue his sone Absalon And they wente forth and fought And AbsaloÌ„ with his hoost was ouer throwen and put to flyght And as Absalon fledde vpon his mule he cam vnder an Ooke and his heere flewe aboute a bowhe of the tre and helde so fast that absalon henge by his heer and the mule ran forth ther cam one to Ioab and told hym how that Absalon henge by his heer on a bowhe of an oke And Ioab said why hast thou not slayn hym The man said god forbede that I shold sette hoÌ„de on the kynges sone I herde the kynge saye kepe my sone Absalon a lyue and slee hym not Thenne Ioab wente and toke thre speres and fyxed them in the herte of absalon as he heÌ„ge on the tree by his heer And yet after this x yong men squyes of Ioab ranne and slewe hym theÌ„ne Ioab tromped and blewe the retrayt And reteyned the peple that they shold not pursyewe the peple fleyng And they toke the body of absalon and caste it in a grete pytte And leyde on hym a grete stone And whan dauid knewe that his sone was slayn he made grete sorow said O my sone absalon my sone Absalon who shal graunte to me that I may dye for the my sone absalon Absalon my sone It was told to Ioab that the kynge wepte sorowed the deth of his sone Absalon and all their vyctorye was torned in to sorowe and wayllyng in so moche that the peple eschewed to entre in to the cyte thenne Ioab entrid to the kynge said thou hast this day discoraged the chere of alle thy seruauntes by cause they haue sauyd thy lyf and the lyues of thy sones and doughtres of thy wyues and of thy cancubynes thou louest them that hate the And hatest them that loue the And shewyst wel thys day that thou settyst lityl by thy dukes and seruauntes and truly I knowe now wel that yf Absalon had lyuâ—d and alle we thy seruauntes had ben slayn thou haddest ben plesyd Therfor aryse now and come forth and satisfye the peple or ellis I swere to the by the good lord that ther shal not one of thy seruauntes abyde with the tyl to morow And that shal be worse to the than all the harmes and euylles that euer yet fylle to the Thenne dauid the kynge aroos and satte in the yate And anoÌ„ it was shewd to all the peple that the kyng satte in the yate And thenne all the peple cam in to fore the kyng And they of Israhel that had ben with Absalon fledde in to their tabernacles And after cam agayn vnto dauid whaÌ„ they knewe that Absalon was deed And after one Siba a cursid man rebellyd and gadred peple ayenst dauid Ayenst whom Ioab with the hoost of Dauid pursyewed and drof hym vnto a cyte whiche he byseged and by the meane of a woman of the same cyte Sibas heed was smeton of and delyured to Ioab ouer the walle And so the cyte was saued and Ioab plesid After this dauid callid Ioab bad hym nombre the peple of Israhel And so Ioab walked thurgh alle the tribus of Israhel fro dan to bersabee And ouer Iordan and all the contre And ther were founden in Israhel viijCM strong men that were able to fight and to drawe swerd And of the tribe of Iuda fyfty thousand fyghtyng men And after that the peple was nombred the herte of dauid was smeton by our lord and was heuy said I haue synned gretly in this dede but I praye the lord to take away the wickednes of thy seruauÌ„t for I haue don folyly Dauid was on the morn erly and the word of our lord cam to Gad the prophete sayeng that he shold goo to Dauid and bidde hym 〈◊〉 one of thre thyngis that he shold 〈◊〉 to hym Whan god cam to dauid â—e said that he shold câ—se whether he wold haue vij yere hungre in his londe or thre monthes he shold flee his aduersaryes enemyes or to haue thre dayes pestylence Of this thre god biddeth the chese whiche thou wylt Now auyse the and conclude what I shal answere to our lord Dauid said to Gad I am constrayned to a grete thyng but it is better for me to put me in the haÌ„des of our lord for his mercy is moche more than in men And so he chees pestylence Thenne our lord sente pestylence the tyme constytute And ther deyed of the peple fro dan to bersabee lxxM men And whan the angele extended his hond vpon Iherusalem for to destroye it Our lord was mercyful vpon thaffliction and said to the Angele so smytyng It suffiseth nowe withdrawe thyn hand Dauid said to our lord whan he sawe thangele smytyng the peple I am he that haue synned and don wickedly what haue thyse sheep don I beseche the that thy hand torne vpon me and vpon the hows of my fader Thenne cam god to dauid and bad hym make an awter in the same place where he sawe thaungel and bought the place and made the aulter And offred sacrefises vnto our lord And our lord was mercyful and the plaghe cessed in Israhel Dauid was old and feble and sawe that his deth approched and ordeyned that his sone Salomon shold regne and be kynge after hym how be it that Adonyas hys sone toke on hym to be kynge duryng dauids lyf For whiche cause bersabee and Nathan cam to dauid and to fore them he said that Salomon shold be kynge and ordeyned that he shold be sette on his mule by hys prophetes Nathan Sadoch the preest and Banayas and brought in to Syon And ther sadoch the preest and Nathan the prophete enoynted hym in kynge vpon Israhel blewe in a trompe and saide lyue the kynge Salomon And fro thens they brought hym in to Iherusalem and sette hym vpon his faders sete in his fadres trone And dauid worshipped hym in his bedde and said Blessid be the lord god of Israhel that hath suffred me to see my sone in my trone sete And theÌ„ne Adonyas and all they that were with hym were aferd and dredyng Salomon ran away and so cessed Adonyas The dayes of dauid approched faste that he shold deye and dyde do calle Salomon to fore hym ther he comanded hym to kepe the comaÌ„dementis of our lord walke in his wayes to obserue his cerymonyes his preceptes and his Iugementis as it is wreton in the lawe of Moyses And said our lord conferme the in thy Regne And sende to the wysedom to