The Love of King David and Fair Bathsheba · chunk 16 of 30
Peele, George · published 1599 · first performed or written 1594 [1593-1594] (Annals) biblical play; history · Queen Elizabeth's Men (?) T5 Christian faith, sin and salvation typicality 0.71 · 472 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T5: god, christ, david, sin, holy, israel, lord, mercy, sins, faith.
Father I have offended Israel, I have offended David and his house, For Thamar's wrong hath Absolon misdone, But David's heart is free from sharp revenge, And Ioab hath got grace for Absalon. Depart with me you men of Israel, You that have followed Rabba with the sword, And ransack Ammon's richest treasuries, Live Absalon my son, live once in peace, Peace with thee, and with Ierusalem. David is gone, and Absolon remains, Flowering in pleasant spring time of his youth, Why liveth Absalon, and is not honoured Of Tribes and Elders, and the mightiest ones, That round about his Temples he may wear Garlands and wreaths set on with reverence, That every one that hath a cause to plead, Might come to Absolon, and call for right? Then in the gates of Zion would I sit, And publish laws in great Ierusalem, And not a man should live in all the land, But Absolon would do him reasons due, Therefore I shall address me as I may, To love the men and Tribes of Israel. Proud lust the bloodiest traitor to our souls, Whose greedy throat, nor earth, air, sea, or heaven, Can glut or satisfy with any store, Thou art the cause these torments suck my blood, Piercing with venom of thy poisoned eyes, The strength and marrow of my tainted bones: To punish Pharaoh, and his cursed host, The waters shrink at great Adonis' voice, And sandy bottom of the sea appeared, Offering his service at his servants feet, And to inflict a plague on David's sin, He makes his bowels traitors to his breast, Winding about his heart with mortal gripes. Ah Absalon the wrath of heaven inflames Thy scorched bosom with ambitious heat, And Sathan sets thee on a lusty tower, Showing thy thoughts the pride of Israel Of choice to cast thee on her ruthless stones, Weep with me then ye sons of Israel. Lie down with David, and with David mourn, Before the holy one that sees our hearts, Season this heavy soil with showers of tears, And fill the face of every flower with dew, Weep Israel, for David's soul dissolves, Lading the fountains of his drowned eyes, And powers her substance on the senseless earth. Weep Israel, O weep for David's soul, Strewing the ground with hair and garments torn, For tragic witness of your hearty woes. O would our eyes were conduits to our hearts, And that our hearts were seas of liquid blood, To power in streams upon this holy Mount, For witness we would die for David's woes. Then should this mount of Olives seem a plain, Drowned with a sea, that with our sighs should roar, And in the murmur of his mounting waves, Report our bleeding sorrows to the heavens, For witness we would die for David's woes.
seed 43: T4 · seed 44: T5 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Father I haue offended Israel, I haue offended Dauid and his house, For Thamars wrong hath Absolon misdone, But Dauids heart is free from sharpe reuenge, And Ioab hath got grace for Absalon. Depart with me you men of Israel, You that haue followed Rabba with the sword, And ransacke Ammons richest treasuries, Liue Absalon my sonne, liue once in peace, Peace with thee, and with Ierusalem. Dauid is gone, and Absolon remaines, Flowring in pleasant spring time of his youth, Why liueth Absalon, and is not honoured Of Tribes and Elders, and the mightiest ones, That round about his Temples he may weare Garlands and wreaths set on with reuerence, That euery one that hath a cause to plead, Might come to Absolon, and call for right? Then in the gates of Syon would I sit, And publish lawes in great Ierusalem, And not a man should liue in all the land, But Absolon would doe him reasons due, Therefore I shall addresse me as I may, To loue the men and Tribes of Israel. Proud lust the bloudiest traitour to our soules, Whose greedie throte, nor earth, aire, sea, or heauen, Can glut or satisfie with any store, Thou art the cause these torments sucke my bloud, Piercing with venome of thy poysoned eies, The strength and marrow of my tainted bones: To punish Pharoh, and his cursed host, The waters shrinke at great Adonaies voice, And sandie bottome of the sea appeard, Offering his seruice at his seruants feet, And to inflict a plague on Dauids sinne, He makes his bowels traitors to his breast, Winding about his heart with mortall gripes. Ah Absalon the wrath of heauen inflames Thy scorched bosome with ambitious heat, And Sathan sets thee on a lustie tower, Shewing thy thoughts the pride of Israel Of choice to cast thee on her ruthlesse stones, Weepe with me then ye sonnes of Israel. Lie downe with Dauid, and with Dauid mourne, Before the holy one that sees our hearts, Season this heauie soile with showers of teares, And fill the face of euery flower with dew, Weepe Israel, for Dauids soule dissolues, Lading the fountaines of his drowned eyes, And powres her substance on the sencelesse earth. Weepe Israel, O weepe for Dauids soule, Strewing the ground with haire and garments torne, For tragicke witnesse of your heartie woes. O would our eyes were conduits to our hearts, And that our hearts were seas of liquid bloud, To powre in streames vpon this holy Mount, For witnesse we would die for Dauids woes. Then should this mount of Oliues seeme a plaine, Drownd with a sea, that with our sighs should rore, And in the murmure of his mounting waues, Report our bleeding sorrowes to the heauens, For witnesse we would die for Dauids woes.