An Abridgeme[n]t of all the Canonical books of the olde Testament ::

A man two wiues had wedded tho,
the one no children had:
She had suche wo she praid to God,
who sent to her a lad.
Elkanah was her husbands name,
and Hannah was shee hight:
And Samuel did shee call her sonne
whom shee to God had plight.

The ii. chapiter.

Begin did Hannah for to sing,
and sang a goodly song:
The sonnes of Ely were vnthriftes
and did the people wrong.
Ely them did rebukte but small,
for whiche God did him chide:
He sent a man to tel him plain
his house should be destroyd.

The iii. chapiter.

Consumde was Elies sight away,
and as he lay and slept:

Samuel thrise the Lord did call,
who vnto Ely stept.
I call thee not it is the Lord,
doo thou to him obay:
And so hee did, and Ely knew,
on him what God did say.

The iiii. chapiter.

Doughtely fought the Israelites
yet were they put to flight:
The Philistian hoste twise bet thē down
and took their Ark by might.
The sonnes of Ely they were kild,
whiche when their father hard:
He fel out of his seat for wo,
and burst his neck backward.

The v. chapiter.

Early arose the Asdodits,
their Dagon for to see:
The Ark of God twise thrue him down,
and bated his degree.
Stricken they were with Emerodes
the Ark made them ful wo:
From whence it came they did decree,
thither to let it go.

The vj. chapiter.

Fully and whole they did consent,
that home the Ark should wend:
With mise and arses made of golde,
so home they did it send
Two kine new milche did cary it
the right way home they went
The Bethsanites they it receiude,
for whiche they were all shent.

The vii. chapiter.

God willed Israel that they should,
their Idols quite destroy:
By Samuels mouth and they confest
their sinnes to him on hie.
They willed Samuel for to pray,
the enemies they did fear:
They were destroyd & fought no more
the space of many a yeer.

The viii. chapiter.

How Samuels sonnes did wickedly
the people did it ming:
And not content of Samuel,
they did desire a king.
He them denide and axt the Lord
who did to them consent:
And bad him tel what he would doo,
when he one to them sent.

The ix. chapiter.

It came to passe that Saule Cis sonne,
his Asses went to finde:
The Sear fondee he did inquire,
who tolde him all his minde.
Thy Asses they are found, and thou
the Israelites must guide:
He feasted him and on the morn,
he took him sole on side.

The x. chapiter.

Kisse did Samuel and anoint,
then Saul to be their King:
And told him things which came to passe
as he afore did ming.
So Prophecy he did and tolde,
his vnckle halfe his hap:
The lot did fall to Saule as King,
And vnthriftes grudgd therat.

The xi. chapiter.

Lay siege to Iabes Nahas did,
whiche was an Ammonite:
They did submit he sent them woord,
their eyes to thrust out quite.
Then seuen dayes respite they did take
then ayd lesse they would yeeld.

So Saule did win the peoples hartes
in winning of the feeld.

The xii. chapiter.

Mark my woords said Samuel then,
your willes I haue obayed:
If I did wrong or taken bribe,
it shall again be paide.
How God had doon in time afore,
and would doo he them tolde:
With thunder and raine he feard all,
and sharply them controlde.

The xiii. chapiter.

Now Saule being king, he got him men
against his foes to fight:
And when the hoste drue neer to Saule,
he did that was not right.
He offended God in dooing the thing
that Samuel should haue doon,
A Smith to make them tooles to fight,
in Israel had they none.

The xiiii. chapiter.

Ouer with one then Ionathas went,
his signe was true they fled
When Saule it knew with all his men,
he folowd vpon the dead.

If any did eat ere night were come
then die he should said Saule:
Ionathas eat and should haue dide,
the hoste denide it all.

The xv. chapiter.

Pointed was Saule of Gods owne, mouth
the Amalakites to kil:
He disobayd the almightie Lord,
and folowd his foolishe wil.
Then Samuel shewd him how that God,
was sory he made him king:
Obedience more he looks to haue,
then any burnt offering.

Halfe Samuels first book ye haue had,
some say the first of Kings:
VVherin is shewd the meruaylous woorks,
of God in his dooings.
Of Dauids calling to be King,
Samuel did him noint:
It shalbe shewd you afterward,
the Chapters shall it point.

The xvi. Chapiter.

A point did God that Samuel should
chuse Dauid to be King:
For fear of Saule he went in close,
and faind an offering.

So Dauid being chosen king,
an euil sprite came on Saule:
When Dauid came and plaid on harp,
the sprite went out of Saule.

The xvij. chapiter.

Boldly bragged Goliah then
on his great might and strengthe
None durst go out to cope with him,
til Dauid came at length,
Proffer he did to fight with him,
yet harnes had he none.
A sling he had and out he went,
and kild him with a stone.

The xviii. chapiter.

Come out did women and did sing
in ioy of enemies fall:
They sang, ten thousand Dauid slue,
a thousand slain of Saule.
Then Saule deuised Dauids death,
yet scapte he with his life:
To haue his death, Michol he gaue,
to be his spoused wife.

The xix. chapiter.

Deuise did Saul stil Dauids death,
for all the othe he sware:

And when he plaid to void the sprite
he thrue at him a spear:
Then in his house he had been slain,
but Michol causd him flee:
And they him sought, Saule and his men
began to prophecy.

The xx. chapiter.

Eftsoones Dauid and Ionathas,
compact their faiths in one:
If Saule him mist and were displeasd
he should knowe how to gon.
Then Saule fel out with Ionathas,
that void was Dauids place:
Then by a signe he gaue him woord,
to flee in any cace.

The xxi. chapiter.

Flee from Saule then Dauid did,
to Ahimelech he came:
The sew bread suttely he obtaind,
but by was Sauls herdman.
The Philistians swoord he got also,
to Achis king he went:
He was afraid he faind him mad,
the King was not content.

The xxii. chapiter.

Go foorth dooth Dauid on his way,
th' opprest to him did come:
He left his kinred with a King,
and went a way with some.
Doeg tolde of Abimelech,
for whom Saule sent and slue:
And all the house and Town also,
saue one that fled the crue.

The xxiii. chapiter.

Help did Dauid a Cittie bessegd
Reylah it was calld:
And Saule wel hopte to kil him there
it was a Cittie walld.
In a thicket he was betraid,
Saule thought him to haue spoild:
The streight was great Dauid was in
but Saule then home recoild.

The xxiiij. chapiter.

In daunger great was Saule the king
in caue so it did hap:
If Dauid would he had been slain,
he cut but his cote lap.
Then Dauid cride to Saule and said,
see what I might haue doon:
So Saule sware Dauid to be good,
to him in his kingdome.

The xxv. chapiter.

Knowe ye may of Samuels death,
and Naball his sheep shearing:
Who angred Dauid very muche,
his churlishe part once hearing.
If Abigail had him not met,
they had then lost their life:
Immediatly the fool did die,
and Dauid had his wife.

The xxvi. chapiter.

Liyng a sleep in Abners tent,
Saule lost his spear and cruse:
Whiche Dauid had and cride aloud,
and tolde it them as newes.
When Saule had heard all Dauids minde,
his fault he did confesse:
And knowledge Dauids reign as king,
and last he did him blesse.

The xxvii. chapiter.

Muche a doo had Dauid with Saule,
therfore he fled the land:
And went to Achis King of Geth,
in the Philistian land.
He slue of them in rouing wise,
and left not one a liue:

And tolde the king another tale,
who did his woords beleeue.

The xxviii. chapiter.

Now battaile begins between them bothe
and Saule to God did speak:
He had no woord of God again,
when he his minde did break.
A woman him raisd as he beleeued,
Samuel that then was dead:
Who tolde him plain he should be slain,
and Dauid set in his stede.

The xxix. chapiter.

Out went the heathen by their ranks,
the Lords did Dauid spie:
They axt of Achis what he was,
who him extolde on hie.
But they were fumde and said plainly
he would doo them some lack:
And Achis tolde to Dauid all,
who early sent him back.

The xxx. chapiter.

Perished was the town with fire,
where Dauids wiues did dwel:
And men and women led away,
then Dauid axt councel.

Followe he did and them destroid
and home returnd again:
The spoiles was delt and presentes sent
the riches of the slain.

The xxxi. chapiter.

Quickly fled the Israelites,
and gaue their foes the feeld:
Saules sonnes were slain at the same time
and Saule him self there kild.
His harnes and his body bothe
they hung them vp on hie:
His body and his sonnes were burnt
their bones layd at a tree.

This book the first is doon and past
at Saules death it dooth end:
The second next while it dooth last,
ye shall haue we intend.

University of Virginia Library

The first book of Samuel other wise called the first of the Kinges.

The first Chapiter.