faire young men whose haires shine in mine eve Like golden wyers of Dauids yuorie Lute Abs. Ammon where be thy shearers and thy men That we may powre in plenty of thy vines And eat thy goats milke and reioice with thee Am. Here commeth Ammons shearers and his men Absolon sit and reioice with me Here enter a company of sheepeheards and daunce and sing Am. Drinke Absolon in praise of Israel Welcome to Ammons fields from Dauids court Abs. Die with thy draught perish and die accurst Dishonour to the honour of vs all Die for the villany to Thamar done Vnworthy thou to be Kings Dauids sonne Exit Absa Ionad. O what hath Absolon for Thamar done Murthred his brother great king Dauids sonne Adon. Run Ionadab away and make it knowne What cruelty this Absolon hath showne Ammon thy brother Adonia shall Bury thy body among the dead mens bones And we will make complaint to Israel Of Ammons death and pride of Absolon Exeunt omnes Enter Dauid with Ioab Abyssus Cusay with drum and ensigne against Rabba This is the towne of the vncircumcised The citie of the kingdome this is it Rabba where wicked Hannon sitteth king Dispoile this King this Hannon of his crowne Vnpeople Rabba and the streets thereof For in their bloud and slaughter of the slaine Lyeth the honor of King Dauids line Ioab Abyshai and the rest of you Fight ye this day for great Ierusalem Ioab And see where Hannon showes him on the wals Why then do we forbeare to giue assault That Israel may as it is promised Subdue the daughters of the Gentils Tribes All this must be performd by Dauids hand Da. Harke to me Hannon and remember well As sure as he doth liue that kept my host What time our young men by the poole of Gibeon Went forth against the strength of Isboseth And twelue to twelue did with their weapons play So sure art thou and thy men of war To feele the sword of Israel this day Because thou hast defied Iacobs God And suffered Rabba with the Philistine To raile vpon the tribe of Beniamin Hannon Harke man as sure as Saul thy maister fell And gord his sides vpon the mountaine tops And Ionathan Abinadab and Melchisua Watred the dales and deepes of Askaron With bloudy streames that from Gilboa ran In channels through the wildernesse of Ziph What time the sword of the vncirumcised Was drunken with the bloud of Israel So sure shall Dauid perish with his men Vnder the wals of Rabba Hannons towne Ioab Hannon the God of Israel hath said Dauid the King shall weare that crowne of thine That weighs a Talent of the finest gold And triumph in the spoile of Hannons towne When Israel shall hale thy people hence And turne them to the tile-kill man and child And put them vnder harrowes made of yron And hew their bones with axes and their lims With yron swords deuide and teare in twaine Hannon this shall be done to thee and thine Because thou hast defied Israel To armes to armes that Rabba feele reuenge And Hannons towne become king Dauids spoile Alarum excursions assault Exeunt omnes Then the trumpets and Dauid with Hannons crowne Dau. Now clattering armes and wrathfull storms of war Haue thundred ouer Rabbaes raced towers The wreakefull ire of great Iehouaes arme That for his people made the gates to rend And clothed the Cherubins in fierie coats To fight against the wicked Hannons towne Pay thankes ye men of Iuda to the King The God of Syon and Ierusalem That hath exhalted Israel to this And crowned Dauid with this diademe Ioab Beauteous and bright is he among the Tribes As when the sunne attird in glist'ring robe Comes dauncing from his orientall gate And bridegroom-like hurles through the gloomy aire His radiant beames such doth King Dauid shew Crownd with the honour of his enemies towne Shining in riches like the firmament The starrie vault that ouerhangs the earth So looketh Dauid King of Israel Abyshai Ioab why doth not Dauid mount his throne Whom heauen hath beautified with Hannons crowne Sound Trumpets Shalmes and Instruments of praise To Iacobs God for Dauids victory Enter Ionadab Ionadab Why doth the King of Israel reioice Why sitteth Dauid crownd with Rabbaes rule Behold there hath great heauinesse befalne In Ammons fields by Absolons misdeed And Ammons shearers and their feast of mirth Absalon hath ouerturned with his sword Nor liueth any of King Dauids sonnes To bring this bitter tidings to the King Dauid Ay me how soone are Dauids triumphs dasht How suddenly declineth Dauids pride As doth the daylight settle in the west So dim is Dauids glory and his gite Die Dauid for to thee is left no seed That may reuiue thy name in Israel Iona. In Israel is left of Dauids seed Enter Adonia with other sonnes Comfort your lord you seruants of the King Behold thy sonnes returne in mourning weeds And only Ammon Absalon hath slaine Da. Welcome my sonnes deerer to me you are Then is this golden crowne or Hannons spoile O tell me then tell me my sonnes I say How commeth it to passe that Absolon Hath slaine his brother Ammon with the sword Ado. Thy sonnes O King went vp to Ammons fields To feast with him and eat his bread and oyle And Absalon vpon his mule doth come And to his men he sayth When Ammons heart Is merry and secure then strike him dead Because he forced Thamar shamefully And hated her and threw her forth his dores And this did he and they with him conspire And kill thy sonne in wreake of Thamars wrong Dauid How long shall Iuda and Ierusalem Complaine and water Syon with their teares How long shall Israel lament in vaine And not a man among the mighty ones Will heare the sorrowes of King Dauids heart Ammon thy life was pleasing to thy Lord As to mine eares the Musike of my Lute Or songs that Dauid tuneth to his Harpe And Absalon hath tane from me away The gladnesse of my sad distressed soule Exeunt omnes Manet Dauid Enter widdow of Thecoa Widdow God saue King Dauid King of Israel And blesse the gates of Syon for his sake Dau. Woman why mournest thou rise from the earth Tell me what sorrow hath befalne thy soule Widdow Thy seruants soule O King is troubled sore And greenous is the anguish of her heart And from Thecoa doth thy handmaid come Dauid Tell me and say thou woman of Thecoa What aileth thee or what is come to passe Widdow Thy seruant is a widdow in Thecoa Two sonnes thy handmaid had and they my lord Fought in the field where no man went betwixt And so the one did smite and slay the other And loe behold the kindred doth arise And crie on him that smote his brother That he therefore may be the child of death For we will follow and destroy the heire So will they quench that sparkle that is left And leaue nor name nor issue on the earth To me or to thy handmaids
with Ammons lusty armes Sinnewd with vigor of his landlesse loue Faire Thamar now dishonour hunts thy foot And followes thee through euery couert shade Discouering thy shame and nakednesse Euen from the valeyes of Iehosophat Vp to the loftie mounts of Libanon Where Caedars stird with anger of the winds Sounding in stormes the tale of thy disgrace Tremble with furie and with murmure shake Eearth with their feet and with their heads the heauens Beating the clouds into their swiftest racke To beare this wonder round about the world Exit Ammon thrusting out Thamar Am. Hence from my bed whose sight offends my soule As doth the parbreake of disgorged beares Thama. Vnkind vnprincely and vnmanly Ammon To force and then refuse thy sisters loue Adding vnto the fright of thy offence The banefull torment of my publisht shame O doe not this dishonor to thy loue Nor clog thy soule with such increasing sinne This second euill far exceeds the first Am. Iethray come thrust this woman from my sight And bolt the dore vpon hir if she striue Iethray Go madame goe away you must be gone My lord hath done with you I pray depart He shuts her out Tham. Whether alasse ah whether shall I flie With folded armes and all amased soule Cast as was Eua from that glorious soile Where al delights sat bating wingd with thoughts Ready to nestle in her naked breasts To bare and barraine vales with floods made wast To desart woods and hils with lightening scorcht With death with shame with hell with horrour sit There will I wander from my fathers face There Absolon my brother Absolon Sweet Absolon shall heare his sister mourne There will I liue with my windie sighs Night Rauens and Owles to rend my bloudie side Which with a rustie weapon I will wound And makee them passage to my panting heart Why talkst thou wretch and leaust the deed vndone Enter Absolon Rend haire and garments as thy heart is rent With inward furie of a thousand greefes And scatter them by these vnhallowed dores To figure Ammons resting crueltie And Tragicke spoile of Thamars chastitie Abs. What causeth Thamar to exclaime so much Tham. The cause that Thamar shameth to disclose Absa. Say I thy brother will reuenge that cause Tham. Ammon our fathers son hath forced me And thrusts me from him as the scorne of Israel Abs. Hath Ammon forced thee by Dauids hand And by the couenant God hath made with him Ammon shall beare his violence to hell Traitor to Heauen traitor to Dauids throne Traitor to Absolon and Israel This fact hath Iacobs ruler seene from heauen And through a cloud of smoake and tower of fire As he rides vaunting him vpon the greenes Shall teare his chariot wheeles with violent winds And throw his body in the bloudy sea At him the thunder shall discharge his bolt And his faire spouse with bright and fierie wings Sit euer burning on his hatefull bones My selfe as swift as thunder or his spouse Will hunt occasion with a secret hate To worke false Ammon an vngracious end Goe in my sister rest thee in my house And God in time shall take this shame from thee Tham. Nor God nor Time will doe that good for me Exit Tham. restat Absolon Enter Dauid with his traine Dauid My Absolon what makst thou here alone And beares such discontentment in thy browes Abs. Great cause hath Absolon to be displeasd And in his heart to shrowd the wounds of wrath Dauid Gainst whom should Absolon be thus displeased Abs. Gainst wicked Ammon thy vngracious sonne My brother and faire Thamars by the King My stepbrother by mother and by kind He hath dishonoured Dauids holinesse And fixt a blot of lightnesse on his throne Forcing my sister Thamar when he faind A sickenesse sprung from root of heinous lust Dauid Hath Ammon brought this euill on my house And suffered sinne to smite his fathers bones Smite Dauid deadlier then the voice of heauen And let hates fire be kindled in thy heart Frame in the arches of thy angrie browes Making thy forehead like a comet shine To force false Ammon tremble at thy lookes Sin with his seuenfold crowne and purple robe Begins his triumphs in my guiltie throne There sits he watching with his hundred eyes Our idle minuts and our wanton thoughts And with his baits made of our fraile desires Giues vs the hooke that hales our soules to hell But with the spirit of my kingdomes God I le thrust the flattering Tyran from his throne And scourge his bondslaues from my hallowed court With rods of yron and thornes of sharpened steele Then Absolon reuenge not thou this sin Leaue it to me and I will chasten him Abs. I am content then graunt my lord the king Himselfe with all his other lords would come Vp to my sheepe feast on the plaine of Hazor Da. Nay my faire sonne my selfe with all my lords Will bring thee too much charge yet some shall goe Abs. But let my lord the king himselfe take paines The time of yeare is pleasant for your grace And gladsome Summer in her shadie robes Crowned with Roses and with planted flowers With all her nimphs shall enterteine my lord That from the thicket of my verdant groues Will sprinckle hony dewes about his brest And cast sweet balme vpon his kingly head Then grant thy seruants boone and goe my lord Dau. Let it content my sweet sonne Absolon That I may stay and take my other lords Abs. But shall thy best beloued Ammon goe Dau. What needeth it that Ammon goe with thee Abs. Yet doe thy sonne and seruant so much grace Dau. Ammon shall goe and all my other lords Because I will giue grace to Absolon Enter Cusay and Vrias with others Cusay Pleaseth my lord the king his seruant Ioab Hath sent Vrias from the Syrian wars Dau. Welcome Vrias from the Syrian wars Welcome to Dauid as his deerest lord Vrias Thankes be to Israels God and Dauids grace Vrias finds such greeting with the king Dau. No other greeting shall Vrias find As long as Dauids swaies the elected seat And consecrated throne of Israel Tell me Vrias of my seruant Ioab Fights he with truth the battels of our God And for the honor of the Lords annointed Vrias Thy seruant Ioab fights the chosen wars With truth with honour and with high successe And gainst the wicked King of Ammons sonnes Hath by the finger of our souereines God Besieg'd the citie Rabath and atchieu'd The court of waters where the conduits run And all the Ammonites delight some springs Therefore he wisheth Dauids mightinesse Should number out the host of Israel And come in person to the citie Rabath That so her conquest may be made the kings And Ioab fight as his inferior Dauid This hath dot God and Ioabs prowesse done Without Vrias valours I am sure Who since his true conuersion from a Hethite To an adopted sonne of Israel Hath sought like one whose armes were lift by heauen And whose bright
in life and death Da. Then gentle Ithay be thou still with vs A ioy to Dauid and a grace to Israel Goe Sadoc now and beare the arke of God Into the great Ierusalem againe If I find fauour in his gratious eyes Then will he lay his hand vpon my heart Yet once againe before I visit death Giuing it strength and vertue to mine eies To tast the comforts and behold the forme Of his faire arke and holy tabernacle But if he say my wonted loue is worne And I haue no delight in Dauid now Here lie I armed with an humble heart T' imbrace the paines that anger shall impose And kisse the sword my lord shall kill me with Then Sadoc take Ahimaas thy sonne With Ionathan sonne to Abiathar And in these fields will I repose my selfe Till they returne from you some certaine newes Sadoc Thy seruants will with ioy obey the King And hope to cheere his heart with happy newes Exit Sadoc Ahimaas and Ionathan Ith. Now that it be no greefe vnto the King Let me for good enforme his maiestie That with vnkind and gracelesse Absalon Achitophel your auncient counsellor Directs the state of this rebellion Dauid Then doth it aime with danger at my crowne O thou that holdst his raging bloudy bound Within the circle of the siluer moone That girds earths center with his watrie scarfe Limit the counsell of Achitophel No bounds extending to my soules distresse But turne his wisdome into foolishnesse Enter Cusay with his coat turnd and head couered Cusay Happinesse and honour to my lord the King Dauid What happinesse or honor may betide His state that toiles in my extremities Cus. O let my gracious soueraine cease these greefes Vnlesse he wish his seruaut Cusayes death Whose life depends vpon my lords releefe Then let my presence with my sighs persume The pleasant closet of my soueraignes soule Da. No Cusay no thy presence vnto me Will be a burthen since I tender thee And cannot breake thy sighs for Dauids sake But if thou turne to faire Ierusalem And say to Absalon as thou hast been A trusty friend vnto his fathers seat So thou wilt be to him and call him King Achitophels counsell may be brought to naught Then hauing Sadoc and Abiathar All three may learne the secrets of my sonne Sending the message by Ahimaas And friendly Ionathan who both are there Then rise referring the successe to heauen Da. Cusay I rise though with vnweldie bones I carrie armes against my Absalon Exeunt Absalon Amasa Achitophel with the concubines of Dauid and others in great state Absalon crowned Abs. Now you that were my fathers concubines Liquor to his inchast and lustfull fire Haue seene his honour shaken in his house Which I possesse in sight of all the world I bring ye forth for soiles to my renowne And to eclipse the glorie of your King Whose life is with his honour fast inclosd Within the entrailes of a Ieatie cloud Whose dissolution shall powre downe in showers The substance of his life and swelling pride Then shall the stars light earth with rich aspects And heauen shall burne in loue with Absalon Whose beautie will suffice to chast all mists And cloth the suns spheare with a triple fire Sooner then his cleare eyes should suffer staine Or be offended with a lowring day Concub. Thy fathers honour gracelesse Absalon And ours thus beaten with thy violent armes Will crie for vengeance to the host of heauen Whose power is euer armed against the prowd And will dart plagues at thy aspiring head For doing this disgrace to Dauids throne 2. To Dauids throne to Dauids holy throne Whose scepter angels guard with swords of fire And sit as Eagles on his conquering fist Ready to prey vpon his enemies Then thinke not thou the captaine of his foes Wert thou much swifter then Azahell was That could out-pace the nimble footed Roe To scape the furie of their thumping beakes Or dreadfull scope of their commanding wings Achip. Let not my lord the King of Israel Be angrie with a sillie womans threats But with the pleasure he hath erst enioied Turne them into their cabinets againe Till Dauids conquest be their ouerthrow Abs. Into your bowers ye daughters of Disdaine Gotten by furie of vnbridled lust And wash your couches with your mourning teares For greefe that Dauids kingdome is decaied 1. No Absalon his kingdome is enchaind Fast to the finger of great Iacobs God Which will not lose it for a rebels loue Exeunt Amasa If I might giue aduise vnto the King These concubines should buy their taunts with bloud Abs. Amasa no but let thy martiall sword Empty the paines of Dauids armed men And let these foolish women scape our hands To recompence the shame they haue sustaind First Absolon was by the Trumpets sound Proclaimd through Hebron King of Israel And now is set in faire Ierusalem With complete state and glorie of a crowne Fiftie faire footmen by my chariot run And to the aire whose rupture rings my fame Where ere I ride they offer reuerence Why should not Absolon that in his face Carries the finall purpose of his God That is to worke him grace in Israel Endeuour to atchieue with all his strength The state that most may satisfie his ioy Keeping his statutes and his couenants pure His thunder is intangled in my haire And with my beautie is his lightning quencht I am the man he made to glorie in When by the errors of my fathers sinne He lost the path that led into the land Wherewith our chosen ancestors were blest Enter Cusay Cus. Long may the beautious King of Israel liue To whom the people doe by thousands swarme Abs. What meaneth Cusay so to greet his foe In this the loue thou shewdst to Dauids soule To whose assistance thou hast vowed thy life Why leauest thou him in this extremitie Cus. Because the Lord and Israel chuseth thee And as before I serud thy fathers turne With counsell acceptable in his sight So likewise will I now obey his sonne Abs. Then welcome Cusay to king Absalon And now my lords and louing counsellors I thinke it time to exercise our armes Against forsaken Dauid and his host Giue counsell first my good Achitophel What times and orders we may best obserue For prosperous manage of these high exploits Achi. Let me chuse out twelue thousand valiant men And while the night hides with her sable mists The close endeuors cunning souldiers vse I will assault thy discontented fire And while with weakenesse of their wearie armes Surchargd with toile to shun thy suddaine power The people flie in huge disordred troupes To saue their liues and leaue the King alone Then will I smite him with his latest wound And bring the people to thy feet in peace Abs. Well hath Achitophel giuen his aduise Yet let vs heare what Cusay counsels vs Whose great experience is well worth the eare Cus. Though wise Achitophel be much more meet To purchase hearing with my