Davideis The life of David, King of Israel. A sacred poem. In five books. By Thomas Ellwood. The fifth edition |
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| I. |
| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. | CHAP. IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
 | II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
 | CHAP. IV. Davideis |  |
CHAP. IV.
NOT fully were the princely nuptials o'er,
Not fully bride and bridegroom joy'd, before
Invidious fame by a confirm'd report,
Disturb'd the pleasures of the peaceful court.
Not fully bride and bridegroom joy'd, before
Invidious fame by a confirm'd report,
Disturb'd the pleasures of the peaceful court.
The Philistins again had took the field;
The viol now must to the clarion yield,
David to field must go; the trumpet sounds,
To bid the Philistins prepare for wounds.
Saul's hope revives, that some Philistian spear,
Will rid him both of David and his fear;
To lose a battle would not trouble Saul,
So he might lose his son-in-law withal;
But, to his trouble, David from the war
Return'd with conquest, and without a scar,
And, to torment him more, each enterprize
Rais'd David higher in the peoples eyes.
The viol now must to the clarion yield,
David to field must go; the trumpet sounds,
To bid the Philistins prepare for wounds.
Saul's hope revives, that some Philistian spear,
Will rid him both of David and his fear;
To lose a battle would not trouble Saul,
So he might lose his son-in-law withal;
But, to his trouble, David from the war
Return'd with conquest, and without a scar,
And, to torment him more, each enterprize
Rais'd David higher in the peoples eyes.
21
'Till now a secret hope restrained Saul,
That David by the Philistins would fall,
But having by repeated trials found,
That David still return'd without a wound;
Grown desperate and impatient of delay,
He bid his son and servants David slay.
That David by the Philistins would fall,
But having by repeated trials found,
That David still return'd without a wound;
Grown desperate and impatient of delay,
He bid his son and servants David slay.
Surpriz'd, the courtiers on each other gaze,
As men whom sudden horror doth amaze;
None undertakes the work, all silent stand,
Fill'd with abhorrence of the King's command.
They could not without much reluctance hear,
His death decreed, who was to them so dear;
Nor could the King a man amongst them gain,
That would with David's blood a finger stain.
As men whom sudden horror doth amaze;
None undertakes the work, all silent stand,
Fill'd with abhorrence of the King's command.
They could not without much reluctance hear,
His death decreed, who was to them so dear;
Nor could the King a man amongst them gain,
That would with David's blood a finger stain.
But Jonathan, whose deeper rooted love,
Did with a stronger spring to David move,
Was not content barely to hold his hand,
From executing that unjust command,
Unless his utmost pow'r he also bent,
His brother David's ruin to prevent.
Did with a stronger spring to David move,
Was not content barely to hold his hand,
From executing that unjust command,
Unless his utmost pow'r he also bent,
His brother David's ruin to prevent.
Leaving his father therefore, out he goes,
His father's wicked counsels to disclose
To David; but, when unto him he came
Ah! how confus'd he was 'twixt grief and shame;
He griev'd to find his friend so near death's jaws,
And blush'd to think his father was the cause;
Shame made him loth his father's fault to speak,
But friendship prompted the design to break:
Friendship prevail'd, and with a downcast eye,
He made him understand the danger nigh.
His father's wicked counsels to disclose
To David; but, when unto him he came
Ah! how confus'd he was 'twixt grief and shame;
He griev'd to find his friend so near death's jaws,
And blush'd to think his father was the cause;
Shame made him loth his father's fault to speak,
But friendship prompted the design to break:
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He made him understand the danger nigh.
Not more was David troubled when he heard,
What he before suspected not nor fear'd,
Than overjoy'd in Jonathan to find,
So true a friendship and so brave a mind;
And in the most endearing terms he shew'd,
His hearty sense thereof and gratitude.
What he before suspected not nor fear'd,
Than overjoy'd in Jonathan to find,
So true a friendship and so brave a mind;
And in the most endearing terms he shew'd,
His hearty sense thereof and gratitude.
Then sitting down together, they concert,
How they may best the impending storm avert;
It was agreed, that David should abide
In secret, until Jonathan had try'd
His father's temper, that he so might find,
How deep th'offence was rooted in his mind.
How they may best the impending storm avert;
It was agreed, that David should abide
In secret, until Jonathan had try'd
His father's temper, that he so might find,
How deep th'offence was rooted in his mind.
They part, and David doth himself withdraw,
To court goes Jonathan; with filial awe,
And humble stile he David's cause did plead,
And with his father thus doth intercede.
To court goes Jonathan; with filial awe,
And humble stile he David's cause did plead,
And with his father thus doth intercede.
‘Let not the King against his servant sin,
‘Whose works to thee-wards ever good have been,
‘His life, thou know'st, he in his hand did put,
‘And great Goliah's head he off did cut,
‘The monstrous Philistin by David fell,
‘A great salvation to all Israel,
‘The Lord by him did work; thou didst it see,
‘And didst therein rejoice as well as we.
‘Why wilt thou David slay without a cause,
‘Who is in all things subject to thy laws?
‘O draw not on thyself the heavy guilt,
‘That waits on guiltless blood unjustly spilt!
‘Pardon, most honour'd father, I beseech,
‘My boldness and the freedom of my speech;
‘It is for David that I humbly sue,
‘David who doth thine enemies subdue;
‘Let me prevail, thine anger pray withdraw,
‘From both my brother and thy son-in-law.’
‘Whose works to thee-wards ever good have been,
‘His life, thou know'st, he in his hand did put,
‘And great Goliah's head he off did cut,
‘The monstrous Philistin by David fell,
‘A great salvation to all Israel,
‘The Lord by him did work; thou didst it see,
‘And didst therein rejoice as well as we.
‘Why wilt thou David slay without a cause,
‘Who is in all things subject to thy laws?
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‘That waits on guiltless blood unjustly spilt!
‘Pardon, most honour'd father, I beseech,
‘My boldness and the freedom of my speech;
‘It is for David that I humbly sue,
‘David who doth thine enemies subdue;
‘Let me prevail, thine anger pray withdraw,
‘From both my brother and thy son-in-law.’
So well did Jonathan discharge his part,
So well he us'd the oratorian art,
That he prevail'd; the King revers'd his doom,
The father by the son was overcome:
And that there might no ground for fear remain,
He gave his oath, David should not be slain.
On which assurance, Jonathan did bring
David to wait again upon the king;
His place in court he takes, and for a space,
He stands as formerly in seeming grace.
So well he us'd the oratorian art,
That he prevail'd; the King revers'd his doom,
The father by the son was overcome:
And that there might no ground for fear remain,
He gave his oath, David should not be slain.
On which assurance, Jonathan did bring
David to wait again upon the king;
His place in court he takes, and for a space,
He stands as formerly in seeming grace.
But 'twas not long, before the cursed root
Of envy did again begin to shoot,
And jealous Saul a fresh occasion took,
On David with an evil eye to look.
The restless Philistins, the land again
Invaded had; whom David to restrain,
His men led forth, and with such fury flew
Upon them, that he their main body slew;
Great was the slaughter his revengeful blade,
Upon the Philistins at that time made,
That had not some secur'd themselves by flight,
The host of Philistins had perish'd quite.
Of envy did again begin to shoot,
And jealous Saul a fresh occasion took,
On David with an evil eye to look.
The restless Philistins, the land again
Invaded had; whom David to restrain,
His men led forth, and with such fury flew
Upon them, that he their main body slew;
Great was the slaughter his revengeful blade,
Upon the Philistins at that time made,
That had not some secur'd themselves by flight,
The host of Philistins had perish'd quite.
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So great a victory, 'twas thought by all,
Would have endeared David unto Saul,
And 'twas but reasonable to expect,
So good a cause should yield a good effect;
But on the other hand, he David more
Maligned now than e'er he did before;
He saw that David, daily more became
The peoples darling, and he thought his aim
Was at the crown; he let in a surmise,
That David one day would against him rise;
He recollected what the prophet said
Of his rejection; and he was afraid,
David would prove that neighbour, unto whom
The kingdom, rent from him, in time should come;
He saw that God did eminently bless,
All David's undertakings with success;
That David was unto the people dear,
He also saw, and that encreas'd his fear;
He thought withal, that David did improve,
By all the arts he could, the peoples love,
That having gain'd a pow'rful interest,
He might by force the sceptre from him wrest;
These restless workings of his troubl'd head,
Perplexing thoughts and terrors in him bred;
At length he was with apprehensions fill'd,
That he himself by David should be kill'd.
Would have endeared David unto Saul,
And 'twas but reasonable to expect,
So good a cause should yield a good effect;
But on the other hand, he David more
Maligned now than e'er he did before;
He saw that David, daily more became
The peoples darling, and he thought his aim
Was at the crown; he let in a surmise,
That David one day would against him rise;
He recollected what the prophet said
Of his rejection; and he was afraid,
David would prove that neighbour, unto whom
The kingdom, rent from him, in time should come;
He saw that God did eminently bless,
All David's undertakings with success;
That David was unto the people dear,
He also saw, and that encreas'd his fear;
He thought withal, that David did improve,
By all the arts he could, the peoples love,
That having gain'd a pow'rful interest,
He might by force the sceptre from him wrest;
These restless workings of his troubl'd head,
Perplexing thoughts and terrors in him bred;
At length he was with apprehensions fill'd,
That he himself by David should be kill'd.
How miserable is the state of those,
Whom blind suspicion doth to fear expose!
Death hath less terror in it. Who can find
A torment equal to a jealous mind?
Whom blind suspicion doth to fear expose!
25
A torment equal to a jealous mind?
When Saul this apprehension in had let,
His passions all were in a ferment set;
Fear, anger, envy, madness, vengeful hate,
Did boil together and incorporate
In his foul breast; yet so, that bloodless fear,
Did in his face predominant appear.
Those other passions ready were to invent,
New kinds of tortures David to torment;
Bur fear o'er-rul'd, insinuating he
By David's death, himself from death might free,
And that it must be by a sudden stroke,
Lest David should the peoples help invoke,
And they by force him rescue. Thus again,
Is guiltless David destin'd to be slain,
By secret sentence in the king's own heart,
Which he resolv'd he would to none impart,
For he no more would trust to friend or foe,
But his own hand should give the fatal blow.
His passions all were in a ferment set;
Fear, anger, envy, madness, vengeful hate,
Did boil together and incorporate
In his foul breast; yet so, that bloodless fear,
Did in his face predominant appear.
Those other passions ready were to invent,
New kinds of tortures David to torment;
Bur fear o'er-rul'd, insinuating he
By David's death, himself from death might free,
And that it must be by a sudden stroke,
Lest David should the peoples help invoke,
And they by force him rescue. Thus again,
Is guiltless David destin'd to be slain,
By secret sentence in the king's own heart,
Which he resolv'd he would to none impart,
For he no more would trust to friend or foe,
But his own hand should give the fatal blow.
| CHAP. IV. Davideis | |