A fatal, and a willing work is done) A double Dowre, two hundred foreskins brought Fit for the Cause and Hand by which they fell. Though this days coming long had seem'd and slow, On a large gentle Hill, crown'd with tall wood, Neer where the regal Gabaah proudly stood, 63 A Tent was pitcht, of green wrought Damask made, And seem'd but the fresh Forrests nat'ural shade, Various, and vast within, on pillars born. Of Shittim Wood, that usefully adorn. Hither to grace the Nuptial-Feast does Saul With shouts and Blessings tell their joy alowd. 64 All clad in liveliest colours, fresh and fair, 65 As the bright flowers that crown'd their brighter Hair, The Bride her self out-shone; and one would say Who on their dress much fruitless care had spent, )? For all mens eyes were ty'd to those before. That marcht before; and Heav'en around his head, Did the High Priest, and the Great Prophet stand. And all the Chiefs in their due order presse. 68 Then sign'd her Dow're, and in few words he pray'd, The long-wisht night did her kind shadow cast; To lead his Conquering prey in triumph home, 73 With golden Lamps, bright as the flames they bore, 74 But scarce, alas, the first sev'en days were past, 2 In which the publick Nuptial Triumphs last, Had not just God put by th' unnatural blow. You see, Sir, the true cause which brings us here; No sullen discontent, or groundless fear, No guilty Act or End calls us from home. For You who us receive, and Him who drives away. NOTES UPON THE THIRD BOOK. I. A Town not far from Jerusalem, according to S. Hieron. in his Commentary upon Isaiah, by which it seems it was re-edified, after the destruction of it by Saul; he says that Jerusalem might be seen from it. Adricomius knows not whether he should place it in the Tribe of Benjamin, or Ephraim. Abulensis sure is in an errour, placing it in the Half Tribe of Manasses beyond Jordan. I call it Nobe according to the Latin Translation; for (methinks) Nob is too unheroical a name. 2. Panes Propositionis, in the Septuagint, apтoi évéπia, from the Hebrew, in which it signifies Panes Facierum, because they were always standing before the Face of the Lord; which is meant too by the English word Shew-bread. The Law concerning them, Levit. 23. commands not only that they should be eaten by the Priests alone, but also eaten in the holy Place. For it is most holy unto him, of the offerings made unto the Lord by fire, by a perpetual statute, Verse 9. In the Holy place; that is, at the door of the Tabernacle; as appears, Lev. 8. 31. and that which remained was to be burnt, lest it should be eaten by any but the Priests. How comes it then to pass, not only that Ahimelech gave of this bread to David and his company, but that David says to him, 1 Sam. 21. 5. The bread is in a manner common? The Latine differently, Porro via hæc polluta est, sed & ipsa hodiè sanctificabitur in vasis. The words are somewhat obscure; the meaning sure must be, that seeing here are new Breads to be set upon the Table, the publique occasion (for that he pretended) and present necessity makes these as it were common. So, what more sacred than the Sabboth? yet the Maccabees ordained, that it should be lawful to fight against their enemies on that day. Seneca says very well, Necessitas magnum humanæ imbecillitatis patrocinium, quicquid cogit excusat. And we see this act of Davids approved of in the Evangelists. 3. Fatal, in regard his coming was the cause of Ahimelechs murder, and the destruction of the Town. 4. Sacred: made so by Davids placing it in the Tabernacle as a Trophee of his Victory, ȧválŋua. Thus Judith dedicated all the stuff of Holophernes his Tent as a Gift unto the Lord, Jud. 16. 19. ȧváðŋμa тŵ kupių Edwкe where the Latin commonly adds Oblivionis; in anathema oblivionis, which should be left out. Josephus of this word, τǹv poμpalav åvé0ŋke tŵ Oe. And Sulpit. Sever. Gladium posted in Templum posuit; i. In Tabernaculum Noba: where, methinks, In Templum signifies more then if he had said in Templo. The reason of this custom is, to acknowledge that God is the giver of Victory. And I think all Nations have concurred in this duty after successes, and called (as Virgil says) In prædam partémq; Jovem. So the Philistims hung up the Arms of Saul in the Temple of Ashtaroth, and carried the Ark into the Temple of Dagon. Nicol. de Lyra believes that this Sword of Goliah was not consecrated to God: for then Ahimelech in giving, and David in taking it had sinned; for it is said, Levit. 27. 28. Whatsoever is devoted is most holy unto the Lord; but that it was only laid up as a Monument of a famous victory, in a publick place. There is no need of this evasion; for not every thing consecrated to God is unalienable (at least for a time) in case of necessity, since we see the very vessels of the Temple were often given to Invaders by the Kings of Judah, to make peace with them. Pro Rep. plerumq; Templa nudantur. Sen. in Controvers. 5. This particular of Jagal and Davids going in disguise into the Land of the Philistims (which seems more probable then that he should go immediately and avowedly to Achis Court so soon after the defeat of Goliah) is added to the History by a Poetical Licence, which I take to be very harmless, and which therefore I make bold to use upon several occasions. 6. Their Goddess Dagon, a kind of Mermaid-Deity. See on the second Book. 7. Adullam, An Ancient Town in the Tribe of Judah, even in Judah's time, Gen. 38. in Joshua's it had a King, Josh. 12. 15. the Cave still remains; and was used by the Christians for their refuge upon several irruptions of the Turks, in the same manner as it served David now. 8. In this Enumeration of the chief Persons who came to assist David, I choose to name but a few. The Greek and Latin Poets being in my opinion too large upon this kind of subject, especially Homer, in enumerating the Grecian Fleet and Army; where he makes a long list of Names and Numbers, just as they would stand in the Roll of a Muster-Master, without any delightful and various descriptions of the persons; or at least very few such. Which Lucan (methinks) avoids viciously by an excess the other way. 9. 2 Sam. 2. And Asael was as swift of foot as a wild Roe. Joseph. says of him, that he would out-run ἵππον καταστάντα εἰς ἅμιλλαν, which is no such great matter. The Poets are all bolder in their expressions upon the swiftness of some persons. Virgil upon Nisus Æn. 5. Emicat & ventis, & fulminis ocyor alis. But that is Modest with them. Hear him of Camilla, Æn. 7. Vel mare per medium fluctu suspensa tumenti From whence I have the hint of my description, Oft o're the Lawns, &c. but I durst not in a Sacred Story be quite so bold as he. The walking over the waters is too much, yet he took it from Homer. 20. Iliad. Αἱ δ' ὅτε μὲν σκιρτῷεν ἐπὶ ζείδωρον ἄρουραν They ran upon the top of flowers without breaking them, and upon the back of the Sea, &c. where the Hyperbole (one would think) might have satisfied any moderate man; yet Scal. 5. de Poet. prefers Virgils from the encrease of |