smite Ur. Fill me my glass. And fill their circle with his conquer'd foes, For wanton bosom of a flattering wife. Dav. Urias hath a beauteous sober wife, Thén go, Urias, solace in her love; Whom God hath knit to thee, tremble to loose. Ur. The king is much too tender of my ease: The ark, and Israel, and Judah dwell In palaces and rich pavilions; But Joab and his brother in the fields, Ur. Thus shall Urias' heart be best content, [Lies down. For never will I lodge within my house, Dav. Then fetch some flagons of our purest wine, That we may welcome home our hardy friend Then will I send him back to Rabbah siege, Enter one with flagons of wine. [Rises. Dav. Absalon and Cusay both shall drink To good Urias and his happiness. Abs. We will, my lord, to please Urias' soul. Dav. I will begin, Urias, to thyself, And all the treasure of the Ammonites, [Drinks. Ur. What seemeth pleasant in my sovereign's eyes, That shall Urias do till he be dead. Dav. Fill him the cup. [URIAS drinks.] Follow, ye lords that love That loves not David, or denies his charge.- Lord Joab's brother and thy loving friend. [Drinks. Ur. I pledge Lord Absalon and Abisai's health. [Drinks. [Drinks. Cu. Here now, Urias, to the health of Joab, And to the pleasant journey we shall have When we return to mighty Rabbah siege. Ur. Cusay, I pledge thee with all my heart. Give me some drink, ye servants of the king; Give me my drink. [Drinks. Dav. Well done, my good Urias! drink thy fill, That in thy fulness David may rejoice. Ur. I will, my Lord. Abs. Now, Lord Urias, one carouse to me. Ur. No, sir, I'll drink to the king; Your father is a better man than you. Dav. Fill him his glass, Dav. Quickly, I say. Ur. Quickly, I say. Here, my lord, by your favour now I drink to you. [Drinks. [Drinks. Dav. I pledge thee, good Urias, presently. Abs. Here, then, Urias, once again for me. And to the health of David's children. [Drinks. Ur. David's children! Abs. Ay, David's children: wilt thou pledge me, man? Ur. Pledge me, man? Abs. Pledge me, I say, or else thou lov'st us not. Ur. What, do you talk? do you talk? I'll no more; I'll lie down here. Dav. Rather, Urias, go thou home and sleep. Ur. O, ho, sir! would you make me break my sentence? [Lies down.] Home, sir! no, indeed, sir: I'll sleep upon mine arm, like a soldier; sleep like a man as long as I live in Israel. Dav. [aside.] If naught will serve to save his wife's renown, I'll send him with a letter unto Joab To put him in the forefront of the wars, [Exeunt DAVID and ABSALON. Cu. Come rise, Urias; get thee in and sleep. Enter CHORUS. Chorus. O proud revolt of a presumptuous man, Laying his bridle in the neck of sin, So wretched man, displeas'd with those delights Is murdered by the hateful heathens' sword, Enter BETHSABE with her Maid. Beth. Mourn, Bethsabe, bewail thy foolishness, The tinkling cymbal, or the ivory lute; Glad David or his handmaid's countenance. Urias-wo is me to think hereon! For who is it among the sons of men In thine own house stir evil up to thee; Yea, I before thy face will take thy wives, And give them to thy neighbour to possess: That saith not to my soul, The king hath sinn'd; This shall be done to David in the day, That Israel openly may see thy shame. David hath done amiss, and Bethsabe Laid snares of death unto Urias' life?' Dav. Nathan, I have against the Lord, I have, Sinnèd; Oh, sinnèd grievously! and, lo, [Falls down. How lion-like they rage when we resist! But, Bethsabe, in humbleness attend The grace that God will to his handmaid send. [Exeunt. Dav. [aside.] The babe is sick, and sadis David's heart, To see the guiltless bear the guilty's pain. Enter NATHAN, But what saith Nathan to his lord the king? Na. Thus Nathan saith unto his lord the king. There were two men both dwellers in one town: The one was mighty, and exceeding rich In oxen, sheep, and cattle of the field; The other poor, having nor ox, nor calf, Nor other cattle, save one little lamb Which he had bought and nourish'd by the hand; And it grew up, and fed with him and his, And eat and drank as he and his were wont, And in his bosom slept, and was to him As was his daughter or his dearest child. There came a stranger to this wealthy man; And he refus'd and spar'd to take his own, Or of his store to dress or make him meat, But took the poor man's sheep, partly, poor man's store,1 His wives into thy bosom did I give, And Judah and Jerusalem withal; Na. [raising him.] David, stand up: thus saith the Lord by me: David the king shall live, for he hath seen To triumph, and blaspheme the God of Hosts, [Exit. Dav. How just is Jacob's God in all his works! But must it die that David loveth so? Oh, that the Mighty One of Israel Nill change his doom, and says the babe must die! How shall he speed that brings this tidings first, When, while the child was yet alive, we spake, And David's heart would not be comforted? Dav. Yea, David's heart will not be comforted! What murmur ye, the servants of the king? What tidings telleth Cusay to the king? Say, Cusay, lives the child, or is he dead? Cu. The child is dead, that of Urias' wife David begat. Dav. Urias' wife, say'st thou? The child is dead, then ceaseth David's shame: Fetch me to eat, and give me wine to drink; Water to wash, and oil to clear my looks; Bring down your shalms, your cymbals, and your pipes; And might, thou know'st, if this had been too Let David's harp and lute, his hand and voice, Enter ABSALON with several others. Abs. Set up your mules, and give them well to And let us meet our brothers at the feast. His sister's slander, and his mother's shame: Enter AMNON, ADONIA, and JONADAB. Bury thy body 'mong the dead men's bones; [Exeunt. Enter HANON and others on the walls. Why, then, do we forbear to give assault, Dav. Hark to me, Hanon, and remember well: And gor'd his sides upon the mountain-tops, Am. Our shearers are not far from hence, I With bloody streams, that from Gilboa ran And Amnon to you all his brethren eye Like golden wires of David's ivory lute. In channels through the wilderness of Ziph, Joab. Hanon, the God of Israel hath said, Abs. Amnon, where be thy shearers and thy And turn them to the tile-kiln, man and child, men, That we may pour in plenty of thy wines, Am. Here cometh Amnon's shearers and his And put them under harrows made of iron, To arms, to arms, that Rabbah feel revenge, Alarum, excursions, assault; exeunt. Then the Dav. Now clattering arms and wrathful storms Have thunder'd over Rabbah's razèd towers; And crownèd David with this diadem. 1 wreakful-vengeful. E Joab. Beauteous and bright is he among the Or songs that David tuneth to his harp; tribes; As when the sun,1 attir'd in glistering robe, And bridegroom-like hurls through the gloomy Jonad. Why doth the king of Israel rejoice? Why sitteth David crown'd with Rabbah's rule? Behold, there hath great heaviness befall'n In Amnon's fields by Absalon's misdeed; And Amnon's shearers and their feast of mirth, Absalon hath o'erturned with his sword; Nor liveth any of King David's sons To bring this bitter tidings to the king. Dav. Ay me, how soon are David's triumphs dash'd! How suddenly declineth David's pride! Jonad. In Israel is left of David's seed. Comfort your lord, you servants of the king.Behold, thy sons return in mourning weeds, And only Amnon Absalon hath slain. Enter ADONIA with other SONS of DAVID. Dav. Welcome, my sons; dearer to me you are Than is this golden crown or Hanon's spoil. Oh, tell me, then, tell me, my sons, I say, How cometh it to pass that Absalon Hath slain his brother Amnon with the sword? Ad. Thy sons, O king, went up to Amnon's fields, To feast with him and eat his bread and oil; And hated her, and threw her forth his doors.' Dav. How long shall Judah and Jerusalem 1 As when the sun, &c. Hawkins, who (Preface to The Origin of the English Drama, vol. i. p. 11) justly praises this simile, had forgotten the following lines of Spenser: 'At last, the golden orientall gate, And Phœbus, fresh as brydegrol'e to his mate, -DYCE. 2 gite-a gown; used here metaphorically for splenHour, brightness. And Absalon hath ta'en from me away [Exeunt JOAB and some others. Enter Woman of Thecoa. Wo. of T. [kneeling.] God save King David, king of Israel, And bless the gates of Sion for his sake! Dav. Woman, why mournest thou? rise from the earth; Tell me what sorrow hath befall'n thy soul. Wo. of T. [rising.] Thy servant's soul, O king, is troubled sore, And grievous is the anguish of her heart; Wo. of T. Thy servant is a widow in Thecoa. I will take order that thy son be safe. But wherefore, then, hast thou determinèd Dav. Thou woman of Thecoa, answer me, Wo. of T. It is, my lord; his hand is in this work: 1 Whenas-when. That twines about his bright and ivory neck; Joab brings in ABSALON. Dav. Hast thou slain [Amnon] in the fields of Ah, Absalon, my son! ah, my son, Absalon! What boots it to be bitter to thy soul? Dav. Depart with me, you men of Israel, [Exeunt all except ABSALON. Abs. David is gone, and Absalon remains, Flowering in pleasant springtime of his youth: Why liveth Absalon, and is not honour'd Of tribes and elders and the mightiest ones, That round about his temples he may wear Garlands and wreaths set on with reverence; That every one that hath a cause to plead Might come to Absalon and call for right? Then in the gates of Sion would I sit, And publish laws in great Jerusalem; And not a man should live in all the land But Absalon would do him reason's due: Therefore I shall address me, as I may, To love the men and tribes of Israel. [Exit. Enter DAVID, ITHAY, SADOC, AHIMAAS, JONATHAN, and others; DAVID barefoot, with some loose covering over his head; and all mourning. Dav. Proud lust, the bloodiest traitor to our souls, Whose greedy throat nor earth, air, sea, or heaven, Can glut or satisfy with any store, [Lies down, and all the rest after him. Then weep, you heavens, and, all you clouds, dissolve, That piteous stars may see our miseries, And mourn not as a faithless man would do; Dav. Sadoc, high priest, preserver of the ark, And that these hairs shall greet my grave in peace: But that my son should wrong his tender'd1 soul, Ith. Think of it, David, as a fatal plague Dav. Methinks the voice of Ithay fills mine ears. Ith. Let not the voice of Ithay loathe thine ears, Whose heart would balm thy bosom with his tears. Dav. But wherefore go'st thou to the wars with us? Thou art a stranger here in Israel, Ith. As sure as Israel's God gives David life, What place or peril shall contain the king, The same will Ithay share in life and death. Dav. Then, gentle Ithay, be thou still with us, A joy to David, and a grace to Israel.Go, Sadoc, now, and bear the ark of God Into the great Jerusalem again: If I find favour in his gracious eyes, Then will He lay his hand upon my heart Yet once again before I visit death; Giving it strength, and virtue to mine eyes, To taste the comforts and behold the form Of his fair ark and holy tabernacle: But if He say, 'My wonted love is worn, And I have no delight in David now,' Here lie I armed with an humble heart 1 lofty-'lustie' is another reading. 1 tender'd-loved. |