David and Bersheba.
To a pleasant new Tune.
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WHen David in Jerusalem
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as Royal King did rule and reign,
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Behold what happened unto him,
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that afterwards procur'd his pain:
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On the top of all his Princely Palace,
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a gallant prospect there had he,
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From whence he might, when't pleas'd his Grace,
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many a gallant garden see:
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It chanced so upon a day,
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the King went forth to take the air,
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All in the pleasant month of May,
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whereas he spy'd a Lady fair,
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Her beauty was more excellent,
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and brighter than the Morning-sun,
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By which the King incontinent,
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was to her favour quickly won.
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She stood within a pleasant bower,
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all naked for to wash her there,
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Her body like a lilly flower,
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was covered with her golden hair:
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The King was wounded with her love,
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and what she was he did require,
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He could not his affections move,
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he had in her such great desire:
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She is Uriahs Wife, quoth they,
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a Captain of your Princely Train,
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That in your wars is now away,
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and she doth all alone remain.
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Then said the King, Bring her to me,
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for with her love my heart is slain,
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The Princess of Beauty sure is she,
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for whom I do great grief sustain.
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The Servants they do soon prepare,
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to do the Message of the King;
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And Bersheba, the Lady fair,
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unto the Court did quickly bring.
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The King rejoyced at her sight,
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and won her love, and lay'd her by,
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They spent the night in fond delight,
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until the sun was risen high;
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The King his leave most kindly took,
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till that three months were gone and past,
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And then again he did return,
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with wondrous speed and haste.
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And then the Lady Bersheba,
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she found her former health exil'd,
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By certain tokens that she saw,
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the King had gotten her with child:
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Then to the King she made her moan,
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and told him how the case did stand;
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The King sent for her Husband home,
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to cloak the matter out of hand.
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When from the Camp Uriah came,
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the King receiv'd him courteously,
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Demanding how all things did frame,
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concerning of the Enemy:
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Uriah shew'd his Highness all
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the accidents of warlike strife;
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Then said the King, This night you shall
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keep company with your own Wife.
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The Ark of God, Uriah said,
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with Judahs Hoast, and Israel,
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Keep in the field, and not a Man
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within the house where they do dwell;
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Then should I take my ease, (quoth he)
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in bed of down with my fair Wife;
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O King, he said, that may not be,
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so long as I enjoy my life.
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Then did the King a letter frame,
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to Joab, General of the Host,
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And by Uriah sent the same,
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but certainly his life it cost.
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And when the King for certain knew
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Uriah thus had murdered been,
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Fair Bersheba to the Court he drew,
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and made of her his Royal Queen:
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Then God that saw this wicked deed,
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was angry at King Davids sin,
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The Prophet Nathan then with speed,
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came thus complaining unto him,
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O David, ponder what I say,
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a great abuse I shall the tell,
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For thou that rul'st in equity,
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should see the People govern'd well;
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Two Men within the City dwell,
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the one is rich the other poor,
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The rich in cattel doth excel,
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the other nothing hath in store,
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Saving one little silly sheep,
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which young he did with mony buy,
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With his own bread he did it feed,
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amongst his Children tenderly:
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The rich Man had a Stranger came
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unto his house that lov'd him dear,
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The poor Man's sheep therefore he took
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and thereof made his Friend good chear,
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Because that he his own would spare,
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he us'd the Man most cruelly.
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Then by the Lord, the King did swear,
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the rich Man for that fault should dye.
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Thou art the Man, the Prophet said,
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the Princely Crown God gave to thee,
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The Lord's Wife, thou thy own hast made,
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and many more of fair beauty:
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Why hast thou so defil'd thy life,
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and slain Uriah with the sword,
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And taken home his wedded Wife,
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regarding not God's holy Word?
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Therefore behold, thus saith the Lord,
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Great wars upon thy house shall be;
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Because thou hast my Laws abhor'd,
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much ill be sure i'll cast on thee.
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I'll take thy Wives before thy face,
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and give them to their Neighbours use,
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And thou thereby shall reap disgrace,
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for Man shall laugh at thy abuse.
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Then David cryed out piteously,
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Sore have I sinned against the Lord,
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In mercy therefore look on me,
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let not my prayers be abhor'd.
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But as the Prophet told to him,
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so did it after chance indeed,
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For God did greatly plague his sin,
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as in the Bible you may read;
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The scourge of sin thus you may see,
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for murder and adultery;
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And grant that we may warned be,
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such crying sins to shun and flye.
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