David and Bathsheba; or, Innocency Betrayd:
SHEWING
How King David was wounded with the Charms of fair Bath-
sheba, the Wife of Uriah, as she was bathing herself in the Garden.
|
WHEN David in Jerusalem,
|
As Royal King did rule and reign;
|
Behold what happend unto him
|
That afterwards procurd his Pain:
|
On the Top of all his Palace,
|
A gallant Prospect there had he,
|
From whence he might, as pleasd his Grace,
|
Many a gallant Prospect see.
|
It chanced so upon a Day,
|
The King went forth to take the Air,
|
All in the pleasant Month of May,
|
Whereas he spyd a Lady fair:
|
Her Beauty was most excellent,
|
And brighter then the Morning Sun,
|
By which the King incontinent,
|
Was to her Favour quickly won.
|
She stood within a pleasant Bower,
|
All naked for to wash her their,
|
Her Body like a Lilly-flower,
|
Was coverd with her silken Hair:
|
The King was wounded with her Love,
|
And what she was he did require;
|
He could not his Affections move,
|
He had to her such great Desire.
|
She is Uriahs Wife, quoth they,
|
A Captain of your Princely Train,
|
That in your Wars is now away,
|
And she doth all alone remain.
|
Then said the King, Bring her to me,
|
For with her Love my Heart is slain;
|
The Princess of Beauty sure is she,
|
For whom I do great Grief sustain.
|
The Servants they do soon prepare,
|
To do the Message of the King,
|
And Bathsheba, that Lady fair,
|
Unto the Court did quickly bring:
|
The King rejoiced at her Sight,
|
And won her Love, and laid her by,
|
When they in Sport had spent that Night,
|
And that the Sun was rising high.
|
The King his Leave most kindly took,
|
Till that three Months were gone and past
|
And then again he did return,
|
With all his wondrous Speed and Haste:
|
And then in Bathsheba so fair,
|
She found her former Health exild,
|
By certain Tokens that she saw,
|
The King had gotten her with Child.
|
Then to the King she made her Moan,
|
And told him how the Case did stand,
|
The King sent for her Husband home,
|
To cloak the Matter out of Hand.
|
When from the Camp Uriah came,
|
The King receivd him courteously,
|
Demanding how all Things did frame,
|
Concerning of the Enemy.
|
Uriah shewd his Highness all
|
The Accidents of Warlike strife,
|
Then said the King, This Night you shall
|
Keep Company with your own Wife.
|
The Ark of God, Uriah said,
|
With Judahs Host and Israel,
|
Keep in the Field, and not a Man
|
Within the House where they do dwell.
|
Then should I take my Ease, quoth he,
|
In Bed of Down with my fair Wife:
|
O King, he said, that may not be,
|
So long as I enjoy my Life.
|
Then did the King a Letter write,
|
To Joab General of the Hoast,
|
And by Uriah sent the same,
|
But certainly his Life it cost.
|
And when the King for certain knew,
|
Uriah thus had murdred been,
|
Fair Bathsheba to the Court he drew,
|
And made of her his Royal Queen.
|
Then God that saw this wicked Deed,
|
Was angry at King Davids Sin;
|
The Prophet Nathan then with Speed,
|
Came thus complaining unto him.
|
O David ponder what I say,
|
A great Abuse I shall thee tell,
|
For thou that rulst in Equity
|
Should see thy People ruled well.
|
Two Men within the City dwell.
|
The one is Rich the other Poor,
|
The Rich in Cattle doth excell,
|
The other nothing hath in Store.
|
Saving one little silly Sheep,
|
When young he did with Money buy
|
With his own Bread he did it feed,
|
Amongst his Children tenderly:
|
The rich Man had a Stranger came
|
Unto his House, that lovd dear,
|
The poor Mans Sheep therefore he took,
|
And thereof made his Friend good Chear.
|
Because that he his own would save,
|
He usd the Man most cruelly.
|
Then by the Lord the King did swear,
|
The rich Man for the Fault should die.
|
Thou art the Man, the Prophet said,
|
The Princely Crown God gave to thee,
|
The Lords Wife thou thy own hast made,
|
And many more of fair Beauty.
|
Why hast thou so defild thy Life,
|
And slain Uriah by the Sword,
|
And taken home is wedded Wife,
|
Regarding not Gods holy Word:
|
Therefore behold, thus said the Lord,
|
Great Wars upon thy House shall be,
|
Because thou hast my Laws abhord
|
Much Ill be sure Ill cast on thee.
|
Ill take thy Wives before thy Face,
|
And give them to thy Neighbours Use,
|
And thou thereby shall reap Disgrace,
|
For Men shall laugh at thy Abuse.
|
Then David cryd out piteously,
|
Sore have I sinnd against the Lord,
|
In Mercy therefore look on me,
|
Let not my Prayers be abhord.
|
But as the Prophet told to him,
|
So did it after chance indeed,
|
For God did greatly plague his Sin,
|
As in the Bible you may read:
|
The Scourge of Sin thus you may see,
|
For Murder and Adultery,
|
And grant that we may warned be,
|
Such crying Sins to shun and flie.
|
|
|
|
|
|