How lovely, oh, how pleasant, when They lived with men! Than eagles swifter; stronger far Than lions are; Whom love in life so strangely tied, Sad Israel's daughters, weep for Saul; Who fed you with the earth's increase, With robes of Tyrian purple deckt, How are Thy worthies by the sword Of war devoured! O Jonathan! the better part Of my torn heart! The savage rocks have drunk thy blood; GEORGE SANDYS 48 THE PARABLE OF NATHAN AND DAVID II Samuel xii. 1-14 NATHAN. king: "Thus Nathan saith unto his lord, the There were two men, both dwellers in one town; Which he had bought, and nourished by his hand; What, tell me, shall be done to him for this?" DAVID. "Now, as the Lord doth live, this wicked man Is judged, and shall become the child of death; Fourfold to the poor man he shall restore That without mercy took his lamb away." NATHAN. "Thou art the man, and thou hast judged thyself. 'David,' thus saith the Lord, thy God, by me, 'I thee anointed king in Israel, And saved thee from the tyranny of Saul; Thy master's house I gave thee to possess, And might, thou know'st, had this been too small, Wherefore, then, hast thou gone so far astray Thou hast him slain; wherefore, from this day forth, 66 The sword shall never go from thee and thine.' DAVID. Nathan, I know against the Lord I have Sinned, O sinned grievously, and lo! 'Fore Heaven's throne doth David throw him self." NATHAN. "David, stand up; thus saith the Lord by me: 'David, the king, shall live,' for He hath seen The true repentant sorrow of thy heart. But for thou hast in this misdeed of thine Stirred up the enemies of Israel To triumph, and blaspheme the Lord of Hosts, The child shall surely die that erst was born." DAVID. "How just is Jacob's God in all His works! But must it die that David loveth so?— Mourn, Israel; weep in Sion's gates; Wither, ye cedar trees of Lebanon." GEORGE PEELE 49 DAVID'S GRIEF FOR HIS CHILD II Samuel xii. 15-23 'Twas daybreak, and the fingers of the dawn With a pervading murmur, and the fount And each one, waking, blessed it unaware. The fragrant strife of sunshine with the morn Sweetened the air to ecstasy; and now The king's wont was to lie upon his couch Beneath the sky-roof of the inner court, And, shut in from the world, but not from Heaven, Play with his loved son by the fountain's lip; To the rapt wires of his reproofless harp, Pleading to come to him. They brought the boy, To hover with that motion upon wings, And marvellously beautiful! His brow But his ripe mouth was of the ravishing mould Gave out its light as twilight shows a star, David's lips Moved with unuttered blessings, and awhile |