like the tide And ever fall unto the stronger side Like drunken men they to and fro do reel And change as oft as Fortune turns her wheel I therefore do advise whilst thou dost stand In Grace with all the people of the Land For who is he that if thou dost but say Come to mine aid but will thy word obey Thou muster all the people in the Land From Dan even to Bersheba like the sand And that thou forth in person go to fight Thus will we come against him with such might And multitudes wee 'l set upon him all Thick as the dew upon the grasse doth fall And if he get within a walled Town We will with ropes pull all the City down Not â—uffering a stone upon a stone Of all his men we will not leave him one By these devices Hushai did refell The dangerous counsell of Achiâ—ophel Which though for best the Elders do approve Yet Hushai's more the King and people move Oh sure saith David God would thâ—s confound By weake the Counsels politicke profound He will me re-establish in my Throne And overthrow the plots of Absolon Lo Hushai shew'd himself a faithfull friend And brought to passe the thing we did intend But how did you these counsels understand Hushai saith Ionathan them out of hand Unto the Priests our fathers close convai'd Who gave us notice of them by a Maid I and Ahimaaz lay in a Well Neere to the City called En-Rogell To which a Maid as if she went for water Comes and enformeth us of all the matter Into the City durst we not adventure For no man might come out that in did enter Yet could we not this thing so closely hide But we were by a young-man both descri'd Who telling it to Absolon the King He servants sent us back again to bring But as we had before at En-Rogell So at Bahurim lay we in a Well Upon whose mouth a good old woman spred Ground Corn that so we might be covered And when the servants of King Absalom Inquir'd of her what was of us become Like that good Rahab which did hide the spies To save us she excuses did devise When therefore they had search'd and nothing found They back return'd we came out safe and sound And hasted hither thee this newes to bring That thou mightst know the danger of the King For who doth know but wise Achitophel May win thy son and men of Israel To take his counsell and thee follow fast Before that thou hadst over Iordan past Whilst Ionathan yet speakes one comes to tell Another project of Achitophel Who seeing Hushai's counsell highly priz'd And that his own though better was despis'd Rides hom on 's sadled Asse and in despight The King such Oracles profound should slight His house and family first ordered His dayes ev'n with a halter finished And was interred in his fathers grave Such end saith David wicked Traytors have Their worldly wisdom is to folly brought And with their breath their thoughts all com to nought This man that able was to rule a State His furious passions cannot moderate And he that for the publike was so wise Now like a wicked fool turns mad and dyes Thus whilst he strives for wisdomes highest roome He falls into extreamest follies doome This is the life of all and this their end That here on worldly wisdome do depend Wisdome and folly ay their life attend And them accompany even in their end They Cities can in peace and wealth maintain But let ther hearts be irreligious vain Their worldly states they like Achitophel Can order but their soules let hang in hell Vain wisdome that doth so our thoughts molest Abroad not caring what is in our brest Fond fool in order thus his house to set And both his soul and body to forget But Hushai's counsell now is followed And all the men of Israel mustered By Absolon in number like Sea-sands The foulest Treasons want no helping hands For as at first a little ball of snow By turning oft doth great and greater grow Till it unto so huge a heap doth rise There many dayes it after melting lies Ev'n so this Traitor who at first began With those two hundred men who with him ran To Hebrons sacrifice in time is grown To mighty heaps and multitudes unknown Who over Iordan now do passe with him Ev'n as the King comes to Mehanaim And now lo both these mighty armies lye In Gileads Plaines resolv'd the day to try Where Amasa by Absolon is made The Captain of the host in Ioabs stead But he that was expel'd from house and home By his own people and son Absolon Now findes abroad all duty and respect God never his doth finally neglect For as Gods Angels at Mehanaim met Good Iacob with his enemies beset Esau before his face Laban behind And ministred sweet comforts to his mind So there an host of men come to the King And earthen vessels Beds and Basins bring Beanes Barly Lentiles Flowre parcht Corn Wheat Cheese Hony Butter Sheep and Beeves to eat The son of that discourteous Ammonite That Davids Legates did so foule despight And Machir of Lodebar who was all Till lately to advance the house of Saul For there was lame Mephibosheth maintain'd Who sole of Ionathan alive remain'd With old Barzillai that rich Gileadite Where Ishbosheth so long maintain'd his right Did all these things abundantly supply To Princely David and his company For they were weary in the wildernesse Faint hungry thirsty and in great distresse Oh who doth know the happinesse of Rest And Peace but they whom civill warres infest Where beating of the Drums and Trumpets sounds Are like the dreadfull callings of the hounds When in the morning they the fearefull heare In open field do summon to appeare Who thinks each bush she sees stands to belay her And every one she meets comes to betray her Most direfull are th' effects of civill warres Where son of his own loynes no father spares Brother embrewes his hands in bloud of Brother And dearest friends do butcher one another One by an Engine bullets casts and stones Wherewith he breaks his wives and childrens bones Whilst they cast stones down from the City wall Which on their husbands head or parents fall Here servants for the duty which they owe Their masters pay them with a mortall blow And they are paid for wages from their master With broken pates which never need a plaster Here Kings whom duty bindeth to defend Their subjects seek their ruine and their end And subjects count it honour law and right Against their Soveraigns dreaded face to fight All is with horrible confusion fill'd Farmes uninhabited their Lands untill'd Their Kine whose Milk doth yeeld abundant food Suckle the hungry Souldiers with their bloud And Shepheards that the plaines all over stock Are glad to save their lives and lose their flock All Lawes are silent Armes do all in all And strongest put the weakest to the wall
liking to their will For what is so enforced on us then We fall into dislike of growing men And being free and at full liberty More pleasing wayes unto our natures try Acquaint their growing minds with pleasing Stories Of vertues sweet rewards and highest glories But never vices in their presence name Without eternall infamy and blame Nor let them know how commonly they reigne Lest they to them a liking entertaine This will their minds to vertue elevate And make them vices loath detest and hate And if you finde their Natures do intend To any errours them to th' adverse bend As oft we bow young twigs clean opposite Of purpose onely for to set them right When you have sweetend thus their inclination Nothing improves it more than emulation Be it at Schoole or play they exercise Allure them with the glory of the prize Best minds have all this inbred quality To set their chief delight on victory Thus Prophets should good rules and precepts give By which they after do intend to live For so did Nathan with his blessed charge Who now conceiving he was set at large Removed from his awfull parents eye And freely left to his owne liberty Begins like Colt to run his full careare But Nathan him restraines with modest feare Yet not abridging him those sweet delights To which his tender pupillage invites He by the gentlest meanes him first inclin'd To sports that better Body might and mind And told and taught him all brave martiall Story To fill his limbs with strength and heart with glory An errour 't is in those that youth up train Them from sweet lively pleasures to restrain Licentious loosenesse is a foule extreme Between these two doth lye the golden mean They that our best and noblest horses breed Do let them run at liberty and feed Till they unto their height of strength be grown Then gently tam'd for services and shown Who to their Books too hardly youths constraine The heat draw from their stomack to the brain Them making heavie lumpish dull and slow And dry that moysture up should make them grow As Colts which at the first be over-toil'd Turn jades and are in every journey foil'd As fruit ripe in the morning rots ere noon Such is the fate of all that ripe too soon But such is not the fate of Solomon Though all his equalls are by him out-gone In learning riding any recreation He all transcends beyond all emulation These soon are past and now he sets his mind The highest wisdome only out to find Which Nathan finding shewes his utmost Art To season with Gods holy feare his heart The holiest heavenly precepts to instill Both to his understanding and his will Wherein this child not only doth outgo His equals but ev'n his great Master too So do we often see great God imparts To his Vice-gerents large and ample hearts By which they may more able be to lead And guide the people in their Makers stead You great ones that do subtilely project By meanes unjust and cruell to effect The things you aime at and oft-times in blood Of friends and allyes make your actions good That make no conscience by dissimulations To ruine Cities Families and Nations Though oft you passe unseen by mortall eyes He sits in heav'n that all your works descryes Conducing all your projects to those ends His goodnesse not your malice here intends Yea those pure spirits which are waiting still On earth his heav'nly pleasure to fulfill See all your windings and with grief behold Proud mortalls here so desperately bold Upon these fraile and brittle habitations To perpetrate so foule abhominations In sight of God of Angels and the Devill Who takes delight to see them work all evill Oh doe but make a true just estimation Of them that use such close dissimulation Survey their lives and you shall plainly see The best men have been open faire and free Deep Politicks faire vertues formes commend As most conducing to their aimes and end But hold the practice is an hinderance To all that great affayers would advance They Grace and Holinesse it self would seem Not to be so in deed but in esteem By false pretence of Goodnesse to do evill A Principle for Lucifer the Devill THE THIRD BOOKE Bathsheba bathing OH what a happy thing 't is to be bred Of godly Parents and well tutored Especially for Kings whose education Brings happinesse or ruine to a Nation Yea Subjects children bred too tenderly Infect a City Town or Family With lewd examples quickly followed By Prâ—cepts wee are dragg'd by Patterâ—s led Now David by too good experience Had prov'd what mischief comes by indulgence In breeding children Amnon grown so bold He might not by his Father be control'd For foulest incest Maachas Absolon Hath kill'd the Prince his brother and is gone Faire Thamar now remains more desolate By Amnons murther than his rape or hate Revenge that 's private lawlesse shedding bloud Without the Magistrate doth no man good The Murtherer in exile must remain Till Ioab comes to bring him home againe Who taking for 's Companion Abishai Lo thus begins discoursing on the way Many that are indeed or would seem wise And by the past of things to come surmise Do hold that in all bodies politick Diseases are as men are well or sick That rising Kingdomes periods have which past They like our bodies here decline and waste Till their last ruine and as bodies states Beginnings risings fallings have and dutes And sure 't is no hard matter to observe How states are healthfull thrive decline and sterve But he 's the Statist profitably wise That knows their sicknesses and remedies Be their disease in body feet or head By Prudence they may be recovered But he indeed is Master of his Art That keeps th' infection from the head and heart The King and Army for by these lo all Monarchs and Kingdomes flourish rise and fall And sure we seldome see a remedy Of such infection but Phlebotomy Nought more saith Abishai foments the rude Seditions of the giddy multitude Than those our wandring Levites discontent At Churches or the Kingdomes government Their reason why they are so disaffected Is that they think their gifts too much neglected That they are not assum'd yet able are The weight of government alone to beare And therefore new Church Orders will devise To make the people all the old despise And thus would bring into the peoples hate All ancient governours of Church and State Lo this disease now good experience finds Like plague of Leprosie infects the minds Of people and instilling close dislike Of Governours at Church and State does strike These seeme at first low on the ground to creep But soon they into Counsell Chambers peep Where though they dare not reach up at the Crown They all that are above them would pull down And if our Rulers negligence give way Whereby they may but seem to beare the sway They such strange Church-disorders will
Thence flies he to Ahimelech the Priest Who paid too deare for such a Royall Guest For spitefull Doeg did to Saul complain And neere a hundred Priests by him were slain From thence to Achish Prince of Gath where he Pretendeth madnesse and simplicity From thence he hunted to Adullams Cave Like to a Partridge flies his life to save To Ziph Eugaddy Maons Desarts where He cut off Sauls coat-lap but 's life did spare And after took his Sreare from 's sleeping head Then he the second time to Achish fled Of whom he was most kindly entertain'd For hate of Saul and Ziglags Town obtain'd Whence he to warre on Iudahs Coasts pretended But so 'gainst Amalek his forces bended And other foes of ours that to complain He never let one man alive remain By which he faln now into th' indignation As Achish thought of his own King and Nation Was brought to field 'gainst Saul his King to fight But these Philistine Lords that knew his might And fearing he to th' other side should turn Made him again to Ziglag back return Which burnt he found their women captive led With all their children that him followed For which all were so grieved and offended His Souldiers there to stone him had intended Amid all troubles God did him sustain And helpt to win his own and more again For he so close pursu'd th' Amalekite And them unwares so furiously did smite He all the Host left dead upon the plain And losses all recovered again Inriching them with spoiles that with him went And many presents to our Elders sent In all his troubles which of you can say He did me wrong or made of mine a prey Was he not rather unto you for all Your Goods against your enemies a wall Aske foolish Nabals servants they will say He was a wall to us by night and day No sheep were lost no Lambs of ours were slain Whilst David neer to Carmel did remaâ—n And though the churle did evill him requite Yet God who is the Iudge of wrong and right Reveng'd his churlishnesse with losse of life Rewarding Davids goodnesse with his wife By this Saul and his sons were overthrown At Gilboa which soon as it was known To David how did he compassionate Their deaths and those afflictions of the State Which were so great they over Iordan fled And many of their Townes abandoned So as by this so great an overthrow Were Israel and Iudah brought so low They to the son of Ishai presents bring And him acknowledge their annointed King For what was closely done by Samuel Was known to all the Tribes of Israel Had he not been a valiant man of warre The Philistins prevailed had so farre We surely had long since their servants been And not these dayes of liberty have seen Abner long at Mehanaim maintain'd The son of Saul whilst he at Hebron raign'd Till Traytors did his head to David bring Then all the Tribes acknowledge him their King Oh with what wondrous joy and acclamation Was he accepted then of all this Nation He went before us in and out in all The warres in times of Samuel and Saul He saved us from all our enemies And honour'd us with glorious victories Oh! then he was of our own flesh and bone And fit to govern all the Tribes alone Sure his deserts were infinite before But hath he not to these still added more Witnesse this place where now Gods Arke is pight In th' heart of Iudah which the Iebusite 'Gainst Iosuab Iudges Samuel Saul maintain'd By Davids might and prowesse now obtain'd This holy place where now you meet to pray And offer sacrifices night and day For Sions Mount your Kings brave habitation Worlds wonder and the Glory of this Nation Whilome of theeves and murtherers a den Whence they did steal your goods and spoil your men And sacrifice to Rimnon morn and even And worship'd daily all the host of Heaven Yea often to appease th' infernall Ire Did drive your sons and daughters through the fire This fort defended by the blind and lame He builded and Hierusalem did name Did not all Palestine their forces bring 'Gainst David soon as he was crowned King Whom all to weak his valour to withstand God twice delivered into Davids hand Yea ev'n the God of Hosts to shew his right Led him forth from the Mulberry trees to fight Soon as his enemies subdued are He wholly on Religion sets his care Gods Ark into your City home to bring That God might dwell with you as did the King Why should I here sad Vzzahs breach recite Whom God for his presumption dead did smite For staying but the Arke up with his hand Medling with sacred thing 'gainst Gods command For which it was to Obeâ— Edoms led Where whilst it staid all things well prospered But ah how did our Prophet dance and sing More like a holy Levite than a King When th' Ark was brought up hither to be rear'd And set up in the place for it prepar'd Who though he then was scorn'd in Michâ—ls sight God never did in him take more delight What hath he not for this your City done Besides his many Royall workes begun And finished whereby he chang'd this hold Of earth and stone to streets of brasse and gold 'T was in his mind a Temple here to raise To Gods eternall Worship laud and praise Till God by Nathan otherwise declared Yet he for it materialls hath prepared The which his son that Prince of peace shall raise And blesse with peace and honour all his dayes For all such as have had their hands in bloud As David though their warres are just and good From medling with Gods Altar ought abstain The stones whereof should all in peace be lain For what are all our Rites and offerings Arke Incense and all other holy things But figures of eternall peace and rest No bloudied hands may minister this feast Irregularity for second wives Is vain as you shall see by both their lives And therefore David leavs it to his son He after all his former battails won Hath taken Gath the key of all your Land The Bridle thus wringing out of the hand Of Philistins who now 〈◊〉 brought so low They all their knees to Iudahs Monarch bow Ittai one of their Lords of greatest might Serv'd under David in this civill fight Moab you know with lines was measured Two lines to save alive another dead And Hadadezar Syrians King of Kings With all his Vice-Roys presents to us brings Now Aram and Damascus ours remain Twenty two thousand of them being slain He hither all the Shields of gold did bring Which he had taken from the Syrian King We quite through Edom all our Armies led And of them eighteen thousand slaughtered So as in all these Cities and wall'd Townes The King hath put strong men in Garrisons Yea ev'n Damascus though as Queen she reigns Above the rest a Garrison maintains What Presents did the son of Tohu bring Of Gold