The Love of King David and Fair Bathsheba · chunk 19 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 0.66 · 500 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T5: god, christ, david, sin, holy, israel, lord, mercy, sins, faith.
Let not my lord the King of Israel Be angry with a silly woman's threats, But with the pleasure he hath erst enjoyed, Turn them into their cabinets again, Till David's conquest be their overthrow. Into your bowers ye daughters of Disdain, Gotten by fury of unbridled lust, And wash your couches with your mourning tears, For grief that David's kingdom is decayed. No Absalon, his kingdom is enchained Fast to the finger of great Iacobs God, Which will not lose it for a rebel's love. If I might give advise unto the King, These concubines should buy their taunts with blood. Amasa no, but let thy martial sword Empty the pains of David's armed men, And let these foolish women scape our hands To recompense the shame they have sustained. First Absolon was by the trumpet's sound Proclaimed through Hebron King of Israel, And now is set in fair Ierusalem With complete state, and glory of a crown. fifty fair footmen by my chariot run, And to the air whose rupture rings my fame, Where ere I ride they offer reverence. Why should not Absolon, that in his face Carries the final purpose of his God, That is, to work him grace in Israel, Endeavour to achieve with all his strength, The state that most may satisfy his joy, Keeping his statutes and his covenants pure, His thunder is entangled in my hair, And with my beauty is his lightning quenched, I am the man he made to glory in, When by the errors of my father's sin, He lost the path that led into the land, Wherewith our chosen ancestors were blessed. Long may the beauteous King of Israel live, To whom the people do by thousands swarm. What meaneth Cusay so to greet his foe, In this the love thou show'dst to David's soul, To whose assistance thou hast vowed thy life, Why leavest thou him in this extremity. Because the Lord and Israel chooseth thee, And as before I served thy father's turn, With counsel acceptable in his sight, So likewise will I now obey his son. Then welcome Cusay to king Absalon, And now my lords and loving counsellors, I think it time to exercise our arms Against forsaken David and his host, Give counsel first my good Achitophel, What times and orders we may best observe, For prosperous manage of these high exploits. Let me choose out twelve thousand valiant men, And (while the night hides with her sable mists The close endeavours cunning soldiers use) I will assault thy discontented fire, And while with weakness of their weary arms, Surcharged with toil to shun thy sudden power, The people fly in huge disordered troops To save their lives, and leave the King alone, Then will I smite him with his latest wound, And bring the people to thy feet in peace. Well hath Achitophel given his advise, Yet let us hear what Cusay counsel us, Whose great experience is well worth the ear.
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)
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. 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. No Absalon, his kingdome is enchaind Fast to the finger of great Iacobs God, Which will not lose it for a rebels loue. If I might giue aduise vnto the King, These concubines should buy their taunts with bloud. 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 infaire 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. Long may the beautious King of Israel liue, To whom the people doe by thousands swarme. 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. 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. 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. 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. Well hath Achitophel giuen his aduise, Yet let vs heare what Cusay counsels vs, Whose great experience is well worth the eare.