y Censorinus remembereth one Asclepius, a physician, who practised the curing of the phrensy by the like music, and tempted thereby those diseases which grew from passion. That Pythagoras did also the like by such a kind of harmony, Seneca, in his third book of anger, witnesseth. But the madness of Saul came from the Cause of causes, and was thereby incurable, howsoever it sometimes left him, and yielded unto that music which God had ordained to be a mean of more good to the musician than to the king.

Saul, having failed in such open attempts, gave unto David the commandment of 1000 soldiers, to confront the Philistines withal. For he durst not trust him, as before, about his person, fearing his revenge. Now the better to cover his hatred towards him, he promised him his daughter Merab to wife; but having married her to Adriel, he gave to David his younger daughter Michol, but with a condition to present him with an hundred foreskins of the Philistines; hoping rather (in respect of the valour of that nation) that the Philistines would take David's head, than he their foreskins. This hope failing, when as now David's victories begat new fears and jealousies in Saul, he practised with Jonathan, and afterwards with his own hands attempted his life; but his purposes were still frustrated. After all this, he sought to murder him in his own house, but Michol his wife delivered him2. So David sought Samuel at Ramah, and being pursued by Saul, fled thence unto Nob in Benjamin to Abimelech, then to Achis the Philistine, prince of Gatha; where to obscure himself, he was forced to counterfeit both simplicity and distraction. But being ill assured among the Philistines, he covered himself in the cave of Adullam; and after conveying such of his kinsfolks as were not fit to follow him, into Moab, he hid himself in the deserts of b Ziph, Maon, and the hills of Engaddi, where he cut off the lap of Saul's garments, and spared his life; as he did a second time in the desert of cZiph, after

y Cens. c. 12. et 14.

21 Sam. xix.

a I Sam. xxi.

b

I Sam. xxiv.

1 Sam. xxvi.

his passage with Nabal and Abigail. After which he repaired to Achis of Gath the second time, and was kindly entertained in regard of the hatred with which his master Saul was known to prosecute him.

Of Achis David obtained a Siklag in Simeon, pretending to invade Judæa; but he bent his forces another way, and struck the Amalekites, with other enemies of Israel, letting none live to complain upon him. Achis, supposing that David had drawn blood of his own nation, thought himself assured of him; and therefore preparing to invade Israel, summoneth David to assist him, who dissembling his intent, seemeth very willing thereto. But the rest of the Philistine princes, knowing his valour, and doubting his disposition, liked not his company, and therefore he withdrew himself to Siklag. At his return he found the town burnt, his two wives, with the wives and children of his people, taken by the Amalekites: hereupon his fellows mutinied, but God gave him comfort and assurance to recover all again; which he did.

This army of the Philistines, commanded by Achis, encountered Saul at Gilboa, in which he and his three sons were slain. The news with Saul's crown and bracelets were brought to David, at Siklag, in his return from being victorious over Amalek, by a man of the same nation, who e avowed (though falsely) that himself, at Saul's request, had slain him. David, because he had accused himself, made no scruple to cause him to be slain at the instant; and the sooner, because the probabilities gave strong evidence withal. Otherwise it followeth not that every man ought to be believed of himself to his own prejudice. For it is held in the law, f Confessio reorum non habenda est pro explorato crimine, nisi approbatio alia instruit religionem cognoscentis; "The prisoner's confession must not "be taken for an evidence of the crime, unless some other "proof inform the conscience of the judge." For a man of Juda unto this day.

d It seemeth that Simeon never obtained Siklag till this time, for it is said in the 1st of Sam. xxvii. 6. therefore Siklag pertaineth unto the king

e 2 Sam. i.

f In F. de Quæst. 1. prim.

may confess those things of himself, that the judge by examination may know to be impossible. But because it is otherwise determined in the title de Custodia Reorum l. si confessus, et in cap. de Pœnis l. qui sententiam, therefore doth the gloss reconcile these two places in this sort: Si quis in judicio sponte de seipso confiteatur, et postea maneat in confessione, id est satis; "If any man in judgment do "confess of himself, of his own accord, and after doth per"severe in his confession, it is enough." That David greatly bewailed Saul, it is not improbable; for death cutteth asunder all competition; and the lamentable end that befell him, being a king, with whom, in effect, the strength of Israel also fell, could not but stir up sorrow and move compassion in the heart of David.

The victory which the Philistines had gotten was so great, that some towns of the Israelites, even beyond the river of Jordan, were abandoned by the inhabitants, and left unto the enemy, who took possession of them without any resistance made. Wherefore it may seem strange, that a nation so warlike and ambitious as were the Philistines, did not follow their fortune with all diligence, and seek to make the conquest entire. Most like it seems, that the civil war immediately breaking out between David and the house of Saul, wherein Juda was divided from the rest of Israel, gave them hope of an easy victory over both; and thereby caused them to attempt nothing at the present, lest by so doing they should enforce their disagreeing enemies to a necessary reconciliation; but rather to permit that the one part should consume the other, by which means both the victors and the vanquished would become a prey to the violence of such as had beaten them when their forces were united.

SECT. II.

Of the beginning of David's reign, and the war made by Abner for Ishbosheth.

AFTER the death of Saul, Abner, who commanded for Saul in the war, sought to advance Ishbosheth, (or Jebostus, according to Josephus,) though he had no right to the

kingdom of Israel; for Mephibosheth, the first son of Jonathan, lived. Against this Abner and Ishbosheth David made a defensive war, till Abner passed Jordan, and entered the border of Juda; at which time he sent Joab with such forces as he had, to resist Abner; Ishbosheth remaining in Gilead, and David in Hebron. The armies encountered each other near Gibeon, where it seemeth that Abner made the offer to try the quarrel by the hands of a few; like to that combat between the Lacedæmonians and the Argives, remembered by Herodotus, 300 being chosen of each nation; of which number three persons were only left unslain. The like trial by a far less number was performed by the Horatii and Curiatii for the Romans and Latins. The same challenge Goliath the Philistine made, whom David slew; a custom very ancient. Edward the Third offered the like trial in his own person to the French king; and Francis the French king to Charles the emperor. There were twelve chosen of each part, in this war of David with the house of Saul, to wit, so many of Benjamin, and as many of Juda; whose force and valour was so equal, as there survived not any one to challenge the victory. But the quarrel stayed not here; for the army of Juda pressed Abner in gross, and brake him. Three hundred and sixty men of Abner's companions were slain, and but twenty of Juda; whereof Asahel, the brother of Joab, was one; who when he would needs pursue & Abner, and by Abner's persuasions could not be moved to quit him, he was forced to turn upon him, wounding him to death with the stroke of his spear. For though Asahel were an excellent footman, and as it is written in the text, as light as a wild roe, and as Josephus reporteth, contended not only with men but with horses, and hoped to have gotten great fame, if he could have mastered Abner, (who, as Asahel persuaded himself, had by being overthrown, and flying away, lost his courage,) yet here it fell out true, h that the race is not to the swift.

g

That this civil war lasted two years, we find it written in

2 Sam. ii. 10. though in the beginning of the third it is again made probable, that this contention dured longer; and therefore the matter resteth still in dispute, and some of the rabbins conceive, that Ishbosheth had then reigned two years when this was written, the war as yet continuing a longer time. For Abner held for the party of Ishbosheth after this, and till such time as there grew jealousy between him and Ishbosheth for Saul's concubine: neither did the death of Ishbosheth instantly follow; but how long after the murder of Abner it happened, the same doth not certainly appear.

SECT. III.

Of the death of Abner slain by Joab, and of Ishbosheth by Rechab and Baanah.

ABNER, reconciled to David, was anon by Joab murdered; for Joab could not endure a companion in David's favour, and in the commandment of his forces, by which he was grown so powerful, as David forbare to call him to account for thus much he confesseth of himself: k I am this day weak; and these men the sons of Zeruiah be too hard for me. In this sort David complained after Abner's death; and to make it clear that he hated this fact of Joab, he followed him with this public imprecation; Let the blood fall on the head of Joab, and on all his father's house; and let them be subject to ulcers, to the leprosy, to lameness, to the sword, and to poverty, &c. For could any thing have withstood the ordinance of God, this murder committed by Joab might greatly have endangered David's estate, Abner being the mouth and trust of all the rest of the tribes not yet reconciled. This mischance therefore David openly bewailed, so that all Israel perceived him to be innocent of that fact. The place which Abner held, being general of the men of war, was of such importance, that the kings themselves were fain to give them great respect, as hath been already shewed more at large. This office Joab held in the army of Juda, and thought himself worthy to hold the place entire, if once his lord might obtain the whole 2 Sam. iii. 39.

i 2 Sam. iii. 27.

k

Verse 29.