The Love of King David and Fair Bathsheba · chunk 27 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 0.63 · 537 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T5: god, christ, david, sin, holy, israel, lord, mercy, sins, faith.
Fair Bethsabe, thou mightst increase the strength, Of these thy arguments drawn from my skill, By urging thy sweet sight to my conceits, Whose virtue ever served for sacred balm To cheer my pinings past all earthly joys, But Bethsabe, the daughter of the highest, Whose beauty builds the towers of Israel, She that in chains of pearl and unicorn, Leads at her train the ancient golden world, The world that Adam held in Paradise, Whose breath refineth all infectious airs, And makes the meadows smile at her repair. she, She my dearest Bethsabe, Fair peace, the goddess of our graces here, Is fled the streets of fair Ierusalem, The fields of Israel, and the heart of David, Leading my comforts in her golden chains, Linked to the life and soul of Absalon. Then is the pleasure of my sovereign's heart, So wrapped within the bosom of that son, That Salomon, whom Israel's God affects, And gave the name unto him for his love, Should be no salve to comfort David's soul? Salomon (my love) is David's lord, Or God hath named him lord of Israel In him (for that, and since he is thy son) Must David needs be pleased at the heart, And he shall surely sit upon my throne: But Absalon the beauty of my bones, Faite Absalon the counterfeit of love, Sweet Absalon, the image of content, Must claim a portion in his father's care, And be in life and death King David's son. Yet as my lord hath said, let Salomon reign, Whom God in naming, hath anointed King. Now is he apt to learn th'eternal laws, Whose knowledge being rooted in his youth, Will beautify his age with glorious fruits, While Absalon incensed with graceless pride, Usurps and stains the kingdom with his sin, Let Salomon be made thy staff of age, Fair Israel's rest, and honour of thy race. Tell me my Salomon, wilt thou embrace Thy father's precepts graved in thy heart, And satisfy my zeal to thy renown, With practice of such sacred principles As shall concern the state of Israel? My royal father, if the heavenly zeal Which for my welfare seeds upon your soul, Were not sustained with virtue of mine own, If the sweet accents of your cheerful voice Should not each hour beat upon mine ears As sweetly as the breath of heaven to him That gaspeth scorched with the Summer's sun, I should be guilty of unpardoned sin, Fearing the plague of heaven, and shame of earth: But since I vow myself to learn the skill And holy secrets of his mighty hand Whose cunning tunes the music of my soul, It would content me (father) first to learn How th'eternal framed the firmament, Which bodies lead their influence by fire? And which are filled with hoary Winter's ice? What sign is rainy, and what star is fair? Why by the rules of true proportion The year is still divided into months, The months to days, the days to certain hours? What fruitful race shall fill the future world? Or for what time shall this round building stand? What Magistrates, what Kings shall keep in awe Men's minds with bridles of th'eternal law?
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)
Faire Bersabe, thou mightst increase the strength, Of these thy arguments drawne from my skill, By vrging thy sweet sight to my conceits, Whose vertue euer serud for sacred baulme To cheere my pinings past all earthly ioies, But Bethsabe, the daughter of the highest, Whose beautie builds the towers of Israel, Shee that in chaines of pearle and vnicorne, Leads at her traine the ancient golden world, The world that Adam held in Paradise, Whose breath refineth all infectious aires, And makes the meddowes smile at her repaire. Shee, Shee my dearest Bethsabe, Faire peace, the goddesse of our graces here, Is fled the streets of faire Ierusalem, The fields of Israel, and the heart of Dauid, Leading my comforts in her golden chaines, Linckt to the life and soule of Absalon. Then is the pleasure of my soueraignes heart, So wrapt within the bosome of that sonne, That Salomon, whom Israels God affects, And gaue the name vnto him for his loue, Should be no salue to comfort Dauids soule? Salomon (my loue) is Dauids lord, Or God hath nam'd him lord of Israel In him (for that, and since he is thy sonne) Must Dauid needs be pleased at the heart, And he shall surely sit vpon my throne: But Absalon the beautie of my bones, Faite Absalon the counterfeit of loue, Sweet Absalon, the image of content, Must claime a portion in his fathers care, And be in life and death King Dauids sonne. Yet as my lord hath said, let Salomon raigne, Whom God in naming, hath annointed King. Now is he apt to learne th'eternall lawes, Whose knowledge being rooted in his youth, Will beautifie his age with glorious fruits, While Absalon incenst with gracelesse pride, Vsurpes and staines the kingdome with his sinne, Let Salomon be made thy staffe of age, Faire Israels rest, and honour of thy race. Tell me my Salomon, wilt thou imbrace Thy fathers precepts graued in thy heart, And satisfie my zeale to thy renowne, With practise of such sacred principles As shall concerne the state of Israel? My royall father, if the heauenly zeale Which for my welfare seeds vpon your soule, Were not sustaind with vertue of mine owne, If the sweet accents of your cheerefull voice Should not each hower beat vpon mine eares As sweetly as the breath of heauen to him That gaspeth scorched with the Summers sunne, I should be guiltie of vnpardoned sinne, Fearing the plague of heauen, and shame of earth: But since I vow my selfe to learne the skill And holy secrets of his mightie hand Whose cunning tunes the musicke of my soule, It would content me (father) first to learne How th'eternall fram'd the firmament, Which bodies lead their influence by fire? And which are fild with hoarie Winters yse? What signe is raignie, and what starre is faire? Why by the rules of true proportion The yeare is still diuided into months, The months to daies, the daies to certaine howers? What fruitfull race shall fill the future world? Or for what time shall this round building stand? What Magistrates, what Kings shall keepe in awe Mens minds with bridles of th'eternall law?