Davideis :: :: University of Virginia Library

TWO days in Ziklag now had David stay'd,
To view the ruins which the fire had made;
But most his thoughts on Israel's camp did run,
And fear'd the worst, not knowing what was done;
When on the third, lo, one with running spent,
Earth on his head, and all his garments rent,
Came from the camp, and falling at his feet,
Did with good news, as he suppos'd, him greet.

He told, how Israel from the battle fled,
That of the soldiers multitudes were dead;
That Saul, and Jonathan his son, were slain;
At those great names, David could not refrain,
But forthwith ask'd him, by what means he knew
What he reported of Saul's death was true.
He, hoping some advantage would accrue,
Confess'd his prince, at his request, he slew,
And to confirm the truth of what he said,
Saul's crown and brac'let at his feet he laid.

As one that stooping something up to take,
Claps his unwary hand upon a snake,
Doth with a sudden fright, first backward start,
His scared blood retiring to his heart,
Then at a farther distance, trembling stands,
With fainting countenance and palsied hands;
So startled David at th'unlook'd for sight,
Of that which some would gaze on with delight,
Th'imperial crown; by which he surely knew,
That what the fellow told him was too true.
Grief seiz'd his spirit; he with garments torn,
Together with his men, for Saul did mourn;
For Saul he mourn'd, tho' Saul to him had been,
A fiercer foe than any Philistine;
For Saul he mourn'd, tho' Saul his life had sought,
And him into extremest dangers brought;
For Saul he mourn'd, tho' by the death of Saul,
He knew the kingdom unto him would fall.
Thus gen'rous minds, e'en with their enemies,
In adverse fortunes can't but sympathize.

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For Jonathan, as for an only brother,
Or as a virgin for her constant lover,
So mourned he; for 'twixt them two had past,
A friendship that beyond the grave must last;
Immortal friendship! Never two were twin'd
More close; they had two bodies, but one mind.
Patroclus to Achilles was less dear;
Hylas to Hercules not half so near;
Not Pylades did more Orestes love;
Nor Damon to his Pythias truer prove;
To Pirithous more close not Theseus
Did cleave; nor Nysus to Euryalus;
Than did to David princely Jonathan,
From the blest day their friendship first began;
Their souls were so commix'd, that none could tell,
Which lov'd most truly, either lov'd so well;
Jonathan's love to David strongly ran,
And David's flow'd as strong to Jonathan:
So that e'en yet, we in a proverb have it,
[Strong as the loves of Jonathan and David]
'Twas for his friend, for such a friend as man
Scarce had before; 'twas for his Jonathan
That David mourn'd; and who enough could moan,
The death, untimely death, of such an one.

But, from particulars, his grief did call,
To mourning for the tribes in general;
The house of Israel was wounded deep,
What Isra'lite could hear it, and not weep!
Not weep a flood! the people of the Lord,
Are fallen by th'uncircumcised's sword;

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This, to his sorrow, set the flood-gates ope,
And to his melting grief gave boundless scope.

Nor would his single sorrow serve the turn,
But all his men together with him mourn;
Saul's death and Jonathan's he did not fail,
In most pathetick language, to bewail;
But, sure, the stifling grief that fill'd his breast
For Isr'el, could not be in words exprest.

When sorrow now its force had somewhat spent,
And flowing tears to grief had given vent,
The messenger, who did the tidings bring,
Having confest that he did kill the king,
Was, self-convicted, unto death appointed,
And kill'd, for having slain the Lord's anointed.
That justice done, David from Ziklag rose,
By God's direction, and to Hebron goes.