And long shall the chieftains of Gilead deplore them, And mourn the dark fate of the high and the brave; The song of the minstrel will oft be breathed o'er them, And holy the tear that shall fall on their grave. DAVID AND JONATHAN On the brow of Gilboa is war's bloody stain, O mount of Gilboa, no dew shalt thou see, O how are the mighty fallen! Weep, daughters of Israel, weep o'er his grave! What breast will now pity, what arm will now save? O my brother! my brother! this heart bleeds for thee, For thou wert a friend and a brother to me! Ah, how are the mighty fallen! 47 THE LAMENTATION OF DAVID OVER SAUL AND JONATHAN II Samuel i. 19-27 Thy beauty, Israel, is fled, Sunk to the dead; How are the valiant fallen! The slain Thy mountains stain. Oh, let it not in Gath be known, Nor in the streets of Askelon! Lest that sad story should excite Lest in the torrent of our woe Their pleasure flow; Lest their triumphant daughters ring You hills of Gilboa, never may No morning dew nor fruitful showers Saul and his arms there made a spoil, The bow of noble Jonathan Great battles won; His arrows on the mighty fed With slaughter red; Saul never raised his arm in vain, His sword still glutted with the slain. How lovely, oh, how pleasant, when They lived with men! Than eagles swifter; stronger far Whom love in life so strangely tied, Sad Israel's daughters, weep for Saul; Who fed you with the earth's increase, With robes of Tyrian purple deckt, How are Thy worthies by the sword O Jonathan! the better part Of my torn heart! The savage rocks have drunk thy blood; GEORGE SANDYS There were two men, both dwellers in one town; Which he had bought, and nourished by his hand; What, tell me, shall be done to him for this?" DAVID. "Now, as the Lord doth live, this wicked man Is judged, and shall become the child of death; That without mercy took his lamb away.” 66 NATHAN. "Thou art the man, and thou hast judged thyself. David,' thus saith the Lord, thy God, by me, 'I thee anointed king in Israel, And saved thee from the tyranny of Saul; Thy master's house I gave thee to possess, And might, thou know'st, had this been too small, Wherefore, then, hast thou gone so far astray Thou hast him slain; wherefore, from this day forth, The sword shall never go from thee and thine.' DAVID. "Nathan, I know against the Lord I have Sinned, O sinned grievously, and lo! 'Fore Heaven's throne doth David throw himself." NATHAN. "David, stand up; thus saith the Lord by me: 'David, the king, shall live,' for He hath seen The true repentant sorrow of thy heart. But for thou hast in this misdeed of thine Stirred up the enemies of Israel To triumph, and blaspheme the Lord of Hosts, The child shall surely die that erst was born." DAVID. "How just is Jacob's God in all His works! But must it die that David loveth so? Mourn, Israel; weep in Sion's gates; Wither, ye cedar trees of Lebanon." GEORGE PEELE |