Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

Which by the leather to it, and the string,
They easily might discern to be a sling.
Suiting to these he wore a shepherd's scrip,
Which from his side hung down upon his hip.
Those for a champion that did him disdain,
Cast with themselves what such a thing should

mean;

Some seeing him so wonderously fair,

(As in their eyes he stood beyond compare,)
Their verdict gave that they had sent him sure
As a choice bait their champion to allure;
Others again, of judgment more precise,
Said they had sent him for a sacrifice.
And though he seemed thus to be very young,
Yet was he well proportioned and strong,
And with a comely and undaunted grace,
Holding a steady and most even pace,
This way, nor that way, never stood to gaze;
But like a man that death could not amaze,
Came close up to Goliah, and so near
As he might easily reach him with his spear.
Which when Goliah saw, "Why, boy," quoth he,
"Thou desperate youth, thou tak'st me sure to be
Some dog, I think, and under thy command,
That thus art come to beat me with a wand:
The kites and ravens are not far away,
Nor beasts of ravine, that shall make a prey
Of a poor corpse, which they from me shall have,
And their foul bowels shall be all thy grave.”

[ocr errors]

Uncircumcised slave," quoth David then, "That for thy shape, the monster art of men; Thou thus in brass comest arm'd into the field, And thy huge spear of brass, of brass thy shield : I in the name of Israel's God alone,

That more than mighty, that eternal One,

Am come to meet thee, who bids not to fear,
Nor once respect the arms that thou dost bear.
Slave, mark the earth whereon thou now dost
stand,

I'll make thy length to measure so much land,
As thou liest grov'ling, and within this hour
The birds and beasts thy carcass shall devour."
In meantime David looking in his face,
Between his temples, saw how large a space
He was to hit, steps back a yard or two;
The giant wond'ring what the youth would do;
Whose nimble hand out of his scrip doth bring
A pebble-stone and puts it in his sling;
At which the giant openly doth jeer,

And as in scorn, stands leaning on his spear,
Which gives young David much content to see,
And to himself thus secretly saith he:

"Stand but one minute still, stand but so fast,
And have at all Philistia at a cast."

Then with such sleight the shot away he sent,
That from his sling as 't had been lightning went;
And him so full upon the forehead smit,
Which gave a crack, when his thick scalp it hit,
As't had been thrown against some rock or post,
That the shrill clap was heard through either host.
Staggering awhile upon his spear he leant,
Till on a sudden he began to faint;

When down he came, like an old o'ergrown oak,
His huge root hewn up by the labourers' stroke,
That with his very weight he shook the ground;
His brazen armour gave a jarring sound
Like a crack'd bell, or vessel chanced to fall
From some high place, which did like death appal
The proud Philistines, (hopeless that remain,)

To see their champion, great Goliah, slain :

When such a shout the host of Israel gave,
As cleft the clouds; and like to men that rave,
(O'ercome with comfort) cry, "The boy, the boy!
O the brave David, Israel's only joy!

God's chosen champion! O most wond'rous thing!
The great Goliah slain with a poor sling!"
Themselves encompass, nor can they contain;
Now are they silent, then they shout again.
Of which no notice David seems to take,
But towards the body of the dead doth make,
With a fair comely gait; nor doth he run,
As though he gloried in what he had done;
But treading on the uncircumcised dead,
With his foot strikes the helmet from his head;
Which with the sword ta'en from the giant's side,
He from the body quickly doth divide.

Now the Philistines, at this fearful sight
Leaving their arms, betake themselves to flight,
Quitting their tents, nor dare a minute stay;
Time wants to carry any thing away,
Being strongly routed with a general fear;
Yet in pursuit Saul's army strikes the rear
To Ekron walls, and slew them as they fled,
That Sharam's plains lay covered with the dead :
And having put the Philistines to foil,

Back to the tents retire and take the spoil

Of what they left; and ransacking, they cry, "A David, David, and the victory!"

When straightways Saul his general, Abner,

sent

For valiant David, that incontinent

He should repair to court; at whose command
He comes along, and beareth in his hand
The giant's head, by the long hair of his crown,
Which by his active knee hung dangling down.

And through the army as he comes along,
To gaze upon him the glad soldiers throng:
Some do instile him Israel's only light,
And other some the valiant Bethlemite.
With congees all salute him as he past,
And upon him their gracious glances cast:
He was thought base of him that did not boast,
Nothing but David, David, through the host.
The virgins to their timbrels frame their lays
Of him; till Saul grew jealous of his praise.

PRAYER.

Now live by prayer, on heaven fix all thy thought,
And surely find whate'er by zeal is sought:
For each good motion that the soul awakes,
A heavenly figure sees, from whence it takes
That sweet resemblance, which by power of kind
Forms (like itself) an image in the mind;
And in our faith the operations be,

Of that divineness which through that we see;
Which never errs, but accidentally,
By our frail flesh's imbecility;

By each temptation over-apt to slide,
Except our spirit becomes our body's guide:
For as these towers our bodies do inclose,
So our souls' prisons verily are those:
Our bodies stopping that celestial light,
As these do hinder our exterior sight;
Whereon death seizing, doth discharge the debt,
And us at blessed liberty doth set.

Then draw thy forces all up to thy heart,
The strongest fortress of this earthly part,
And on these three let thy assurance lie,
On faith, repentance, and humility,
By which, to heaven ascending by degrees,
Persist in prayer upon your bended knees :
Whereon if you assuredly be stayed,

You need in peril not to be dismayed,

Which still shall keep you that you shall not fall,
For any peril that can you appal :

The key of heav'n thus with you you shall bear,
And grace you guiding, get your entrance there;
And you of those celestial joys possess,
Which mortal tongue's unable to express.

VIRTUE NOT HEREDITARY.

THAT height and god-like purity of mind,
Resteth not still where titles most adorn,
With any, nor peculiarly confined

To names, and to be limited doth scorn:
Man doth the most degenerate from kind,
Richest and poorest both alike are born;

And to be always pertinently good,
Follows not still the greatness of our blood.

Pity it is, that to one virtuous man
That mark him lent, to gentry to advance,
Which first by noble industry he wan,

His baser issue after should enhance,

And the rude slave, not any good that can,

Such should thrust down by what is his by chance:

« ZurückWeiter »