Davideis :: :: University of Virginia Library

JOY now abounding in his thankful heart,
Jesse's fair son doth from the camp depart,
And towards Ziklag, with a nimble pace
Marches, his loyal consorts to embrace;
But ere the sun thrice set, his joy was check'd,
By a disaster he did least expect.

Approaching near the place where stood the town,
To his surprize he found it levell'd down,
Burnt to the ground, and in its ashes laid,
And all that was therein away convey'd;
No living soul was left that might inform,
Who were the authors of this dismal storm.

Who can conceive the horror that possess'd,
On that afflicting sight, poor David's breast!
Amaz'd he stood, like one that's struck with thunder,
Fill'd with astonishment and silent wonder;
His blood retiring to his trembling heart,
Left a cold sweat upon each outward part;
Heart-rending sorrows did, without controul,
Imprison all the powers of his soul;

Grief forc'd a vent at last, and out did pour,
Through his fainting eyes, an easing show'r;
Tears flow'd amain; he wept until the store,
Of tears was spent, and he could weep no more.

When sighs did passage to his grief afford,
And speech was to his falt'ring tongue restor'd,
He more obdurate must have been than stone,
Whose heart had not been tend'red with his moan;
The loss of Ziklag something was, much more
That of the people with their wealthy store;
But with the deepest groans he did bewail,
His lost Ahinoam and Abigail;
His sorrows to complete, his little host,
For there was no man but had something lost,
Were on the point to mutiny, and fall
With stones upon their guiltless general.

His reason now did to return begin,
Out of that stupor grief had plung'd it in,
And calling back with nimble diligence,
His spirits and his intellect'al sense,
His piety did first itself exert,
Sure token of a right religious heart.

Fear, bane of noble actions, off he shakes,
And in the Lord his God fresh courage takes,
His blood enkindles, and his spirits boil,
With strong desire to regain the spoil,
The living spoil, if life did yet remain,
In his two consorts and their youthful train;

His flaming eye sparkles an angry threat,
And just revenge his active pulses beat.

Yet would he not on this adventure move,
'Till he had try'd, how God would it approve.

How happy should we be! How would success
Crown all our actions! how would heav'n bless
Our essays, if in all we undertake,
We first the Lord our counsellor would make.

The priest is called; the sacred ephod brought;
God's counsel, in his own direction sought;
The answer is propitious. Out he went,
With his six hundred men; two hundred spent
With their hard march, were by the rest forsook,
Not able to get over Besor-brook.

Not far had David with the rest advanc'd,
When an Egyptian in the field they chanc'd
To find, who being sick, and hunger pin'd,
Was by those sacking rovers left behind;
Him they refreshed with long-wanted food,
And by him, when recover'd, understood,
That their old enemy, th'Amalekite,
It was had done them this so great despite;
By him too, oath of safety first be'ng giv'n,
(Oaths then were lawful, by the God of heav'n)
Was David guided to the place where they,
In jovial merriment securely lay;

Of Ziklag's dainties they a feast had made,
And with their plunder drove a merry trade;
From eating, they to dancing fell and drinking,
How soon they must the reck'ning pay, not thinking;
When on a sudden, David in doth pour
His men upon them, like a thunder-show'r.

Could you observe, in what a furious way,
A lion leaps upon his trembling prey;
So on the Amalekites the Hebrews flew,
Than lions fiercer, having in their view
Their captiv'd wives and children, and the fire,
Of smoking Ziklag to inflame their ire.

The slaughter 'till the next day's ev'ning held,
The earth with slain was cover'd, rivers swell'd
With blood of Amalek that thither ran,
For of them all escaped not a man,
Except four hundred who, perhaps, by night,
On camels mounted, sav'd themselves by flight.

During the time this bloody work did last,
The captive dames, with hands and eyes up-cast,
Implor'd the God of Israel to bless,
The arms of their deliv'rers with success;
But when destroy'd they saw their enemies,
Their thankful joy brake through their sparkling eyes;
And, as Andromeda, when from her chain
Releas'd, she saw the frightful monster slain,
So look'd Ahinoam, so Abigail,
When they their dearest David saw prevail.

The slaughter over, and the field now clear'd,
So that no living enemy appear'd,
The victors and their new redeemed dames,
(Those love, these love and gratitude inflames)
Together run with nimble-footed paces,
And clasp each other in most sweet embraces.
When they had paid the debt long due to love,
The Hebrew captain did from thence remove,
And toward Ziklag took again his way,
With his recover'd spoil, and with the prey
Of Amalek. To Besor-brook they bend,
Where his recruited men did him attend;
To them, as to the rest, he doth divide,
Their share o' th'booty, and to Ziklag hy'd;
From whence he, of the spoil, unto his friends,
In all the coasts about, rich presents sends.