Beth. Too near, my lord, was your unarmed heart, When furthest off my hapless beauty pierced; And would this dreary day had turn'd to night, Or that some pitchy cloud had cloak'd the sun, Before their lights had caus'd my lord to see His name disparag'd and my chastity! Dav. My love, if want of love have left thy soul A sharper sense of honour than thy king (For love leads princes sometimes from their seats), As erst my heart was hurt, displeasing thee, Beth. One medicine cannot heal our different harms, But rather make both rankle at the bone; Dar. Leave it to me, my dearest Bethsabe, Joab. Courage, ye mighty men of Israel, And charge your fatal instruments of war Upon the bosoms of proud Ammon's sons, That hath disguis'd your king's ambassadors, Cut half their beards and half their garments off, In spite of Israel and his daughters' sons! Ye fight the holy battles of Jehovah, King David's God, and ours, and Jacob's God, That guides your weapons to their conquering strokes, Orders you footsteps, and directs your thoughts He casts his sacred eyesight from on high, swords He puts on armour of his honour's proof, And makes their weapons wound the senseless winds. Abis. Before this city Rabbah we will lie, And shoot forth shafts as thick and dangerous As was the hail that Moses mix'd with fire, And threw with fury round about the fields, Devouring Pharaoh's friends and Egypt's fruits. Ur. First, mighty captains, Joab and Abisai, Let us assault and scale this kingly tower, Where all their conduits and their fountains are; Then we may easily take the city too. Joab. Well hath Urias counsell'd our attempts; And as he spake us, so assault the tower: Let Hanon now, the king of Ammon's son, Repulse our conquering passage if he dare. Enter HANON, MACHAAS, and others, upon the walls. Ha. What would the shepherd's-dogs of Israel Snatch from the mighty issue of King Ammon, The valiant Ammonites and haughty Syrians? "Tis not your late successive victories Can make us yield, or quail our courages; But if ye dare assay to scale this tower, Our angry swords shall smite ye to the ground, And venge' our losses on your hateful lives. Joab. Hanon, thy father Nahas gave relief To holy David in his hapless exile, Lived his fixed date, and died in peace; The proud lieutenant of that base-born king, And pull the weesels' from your greedy throats. phemies? Ur. My soul repines at this disparagement. Joab. Assault, ye Valiant men of David's host, And beat these railing dastards from their doors. Assault, and they win the tower; and then JOAB speaks above. Thus have we won the tower, which we will keep, Maugre the sons of Ammon and of Syria. Enter CUSAY, below. Cu. Where is Lord Joab, leader of the host? Joab. Here is Lord Joab, leader of the host. Cusay, come up, for we have won the hold.3 Cu. In happy hour, then, is Cusay come. CUSAY goes up. Joab. What news, then, brings Lord Cusay from the king? Cu. His Majesty commands thee out of hand To send him home Urias from the wars, For matter of some service he should do. Ur. 'Tis for no choler hath surprised the king, I hope, Lord Cusay, 'gainst his servant's truth? Cu. No; rather to prefer Urias' truth. Joab. Here, take him with thee, then, and go in peace; And tell my lord the king that I have fought Cu. We will, Lord Joab; and great Israel's Bless in thy hands the battles of our king! Joab. Farewell, Urias; haste away the king. Ur. As sure as Joab breathes a victor here, Urias will haste him and his own return. [Exeunt CUSAY and URIAS. Abis. Let us descend, and ope the palace gate, Taking our soldiers in to keep the hold. Joab. Let us, Abisai:-and, ye sons of Judah, Be valiant, and maintain your victory. [Exeunt. Enter THAMAR. Tha. Whither, alas, ah! whither shall I fly, With folded arms and all-amazèd soul? Cast as was Eva from that glorious soil (Where all delights sat bating, wing'd with thoughts, Ready to nestle in her naked breasts), To bare and barren vales with floods made waste, To desert woods, and hills with lightning scorch'd, 1 weesels-weasands, i.e. windpipes. 2 Maugre-in spite of. French malgré. 3 hold-stronghold, or keep With death, with shame, with hell, with horror sit; There will I wander from my father's face; Rend hair and garments, as thy heart is rent Enter ABSALON. Abs. What causeth Thamar to exclaim so much? Tha. The cause that Thamar shameth to disclose. Abs. Say; I thy brother will revenge that cause. Hath Amnon forced thee? by David's hand, This fact hath Jacob's ruler seen from heaven, To work false Amuon an ungracious end. Go in, my sister; rest thee in my house; me. Enter DAVID with his train. [Exit. Dav. My Absalon, what mak'st thou here alone, And bear'st such discontentment in thy brows? Abs. Great cause hath Absalon to be displeas'd, And in his heart to shroud the wounds of wrath. Dav. 'Gainst whom should Absalon be thus displeas'd? Abs. Gainst wicked Amnon, thy ungracious son, My brother and fair Thamar's by the king, Dav. Hath Amnon brought this evil on my house, And suffer'd sin to smite his father's bones? 1 Kind-nature. And scourge his bondslaves from my hallow'd court With rods of iron and thorns of sharpen'd steel. Then, Absalon, revenge not thou this sin; Leave it to me, and I will chasten him. Abs. I am content: then grant, my lord the king, Himself with all his other lords would come Dav. Nay, my fair son, myself with all my lords Will bring thee too much charge; yet some shall go. Abs. But let my lord the king himself take The time of year is pleasant for your grace, Abs. But shall thy best-belovèd Amnon go? Abs. Yet do thy son and servant so much grace. Dav. Amnon shall go, and all my other lords, Because I will give grace to Absalon. Enter CUSAY and URIAS, with others. Cu. Pleaseth my lord the king, his servant Joab Hath sent Urias from the Syrian wars Dav. Welcome, Urias, from the Syrian wars, Welcome to David as his dearest lord. Ur. Thanks be to Israel's God and David's grace, Urias finds such greeting with the king. Dav. No other greeting shall Urias find Ur. Thy servant Joab fights the chosen wars Dav. This hath not God and Joab's prowess done Without Urias' valour, I am sure, Who, since his true conversion from a Hethite Hath fought like one whose arms were lift by heaven, And whose bright sword was edg'd with Israel's wrath. Go therefore home, Urias, take thy rest; Ur. Thy servant's bones are yet not half so craz'd, Nor constitute on such a sickly mould, 1 achiev'd-won, or reached. That for so little service he should faint, To stay the arms with which the Lord would smite And fill their circle with his conquer'd foes, Dan. Cris hath a beauteous sober wife, But Joab and his brother in the fields, Dar. Then be it with Urias' mauly heart Cr. Thus shall Urias' heart be best content, Till thou dismiss me back to Joab's bands: This ground before the king my master's doors Shall be my couch, and this unwearied arm The proper pillow of a soldier's head; [Lies down. For never will I lodge within my house, That we may welcome home our hardy friend Enter one with flagons of wine. Arise, Crias; come and pledge the king. [Rises. Dav. Absalon and Cusay both shall drink To good Urias and his happiness. Abs. We will, my lord, to please Urias' soul. Dac. will begin, Urias, to thyself, And all the treasure of the Ammonites, Which here I promise to impart to thee, And bind that promise with a full carouse. [Drinks. Ur. What seemeth pleasant in my sovereign's eyes, That shall Urias do till he be dead. Dae. Fill him the cup. [URIAS drinks.]— Your sovereign's health, and do as he hath done. [Drinks. Ur. I pledge Lord Absalon and Abisai's health. [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. [Drinks. Ur. Cusay, I pledge thee with all my heart.Give me some drink, ye servants of the king; Give me my drink. [Drinks. Dar. Well done, my good Urias! drink thy fill, Abs. Now, Lord Urias, one carouse to me. 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 [Exeunt DAVID and ABSALON. Enter CHORUS. Chorus. O proud revolt of a presumptuous man, Her pleasant gardens and delightsome parks, So wretched man, displeas'd with those delights Enter BETHSABE with her Maid. Enter DAVID in his gown, walking sadly; Servants attending. Dar. [aside.] The babe is sick, and sad is David's heart, To see the guiltless bear the guilty's pain. But what saith Nathan to his lord the king? Na. Thus Nathan saith unto his lord the king. And dress'd it for this stranger in his house. Dav. Now, as the Lord doth live, this wicked man Na. Thou art the man; and thou hast judg'd thyself. David, thus saith the Lord thy God by me: And sav'd thee from the tyranny of Saul; Thy master's house I gave thee to possess; His wives into thy bosom did I give, And might, thou know'st, if this had been too small, Have given thee more: Wherefore, then, hast thou gone so far astray, The sword shall never go from thee and thine; 1 But took the poor man's sheep, partly, poor man's store. Some corruption or omission here. In thine own house stir evil up to thee; Dav. Nathan, I have against the Lord, I have, [Falls down. 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 Host3, [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! Mourn, Israel, and weep in Sion-gates; Ye sprouting almonds, with your flowering tops, 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: Let David's harp and lute, his hand and voice, And sing his praise that shendeth David's fame, That she may bear to me another son, They bring in water, wine, and oil. Music and a banquet; and enter BETHSABE. Fair Bethsabe, sit thou, and sigh no more :- They use all solemnities together, and sing, &c. [Exeunt. Enter ABSALON with several others. Abs. Set up your mules, and give them well to eat, And let us meet our brothers at the feast. His sister's slander, and his mother's shame: Enter AMNON, ADONIA, and JONADAB. Am. Our shearers are not far from hence, I wot; And Amnon to you all his brethren eye Like golden wires of David's ivory lute. Bury thy body 'mong the dead men's bones; [Exeunt. Enter DAVID, JOAB, ABISAI, CUSAY, and others, Enter HANON and others on the walls. Joab. And see where Hanon shows him on the walls; Why, then, do we forbear to give assault, Dav. Hark to me, Hanon, and remember well: play; So sure art thou and thy men of war Ha. Hark, man: as sure as Saul thy master fell, And gor'd his sides upon the mountain-tops, 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, And eat thy goats'-milk, and rejoice with thee? Am. Here cometh Amnon's shearers and his men: Absalon, sit and rejoice with me. Enter a company of Shepherds, who dance and sing. Dishonour to the honour of us all; [Exit with others. Jonad. Oh, what hath Absalon for Thamar done, Murder'd his brother, great King David's son! 1 Wreak-vengeance. And put them under harrows made of iron, And hew their bones with axes, and their limbs With iron swords divide and tear in twain. Hanon, this shall be done to thee and thine, Because thou hast defièd Israel. To arms, to arms, that Rabbah feel revenge, And Hanon's town become King David's spoil! Alarum, excursions, assault; exeunt. Then the trumpets sound, and re-enter DAVID with HANON'S crown, JOAB, etc. Dav. Now clattering arms and wrathful storms of war Have thunder'd over Rabbah's razèd towers; 1 wreakful-vengeful. E |