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But we mould thee for the root Of man's promised healing Fruit, And we mould thee hence to rise As our brother in the skies.

JOHN HENRY NEWMAN (1801-1890).

DAVID.

It is not always to the strong
Victorious battle shall belong.
This found Goliath huge and tall:
Mightiest giant of them all,
Who in the proud Philistine host
Defied Israel with boast.

With loud voice Goliath said:
"Here, armed Israel, gathered,
And in array against us set:
Ye shall alone by me be met.
For am not I a Philistine?

What strength may be compared to mine?

"Choose ye a man of mightiest might:
And if he conquer me in fight,
Then we will all servants be,
King of Israel, unto thee.
But if I the victor, then

Shall Saul and all his armed men
Bend low beneath Philistine yoke."

Day by day these words he spoke,
Singly traversing the ground.
But not an Israelite was found
To combat man to man with him,
Who such prodigious force of limb
Displayed. Like to a weaver's beam
The ponderous spear he held did seem.
In height six cubits he did pass,
And he was armed all o'er in brass.

Him we will leave awhile, and speak
Of one, the soft down of whose cheek
Of tender youth the tokens bare.
Ruddy he was and very fair.
David, the son of Jesse he,
Small sized, yet beautiful to see.
Three brothers had he in the band
Of warriors under Saul's command;
Himself at home did private keep
In Bethlem's plains his father's sheep.

Jesse said to this his son: "David, to thy brothers run, Where in the camp they now abide,

And learn what of them may betide.
These presents for their captains take,
And of their fare inquiries make."
With joy the youth his sire obeyed.—
David was no whit dismaved
When he arrived at the place
Where he beheld the strength and face
Of dread Goliath, and could hear
The challenge. Of the people near
Unmoved he asked, what should be done
To him who slew that boasting one,
Whose words such mischiefs did fore-
bode

To the armies of the living God?
"The king," they unto David say,
"Most amply will that man repay;
He and his father's house shall be
Evermore in Israel free.

With mighty wealth Saul will endow
That man and he has made a vow,
Whoever takes Goliath's life,
Shall have Saul's daughter for his wife."

His eldest brother, who had heard
His question, was to anger stirred
Against the youth: for (as he thought)
Things out of his young reach he sought.
Said he, "What moved thee to come
here,

To question warlike men? say, where
And in whose care are those few sheep,
That in the wilderness you keep?

I know thy thoughts, how proud thou

art:

In the haughtiness of thy heart,
Hoping a battle thou mayst see,
Thou comest hither down to me."

Then answered Jesse's youngest son
In these words: "What have I done?
Is there not cause?" Some there which
heard,

And at the manner of his word
Admired, report this to the king.
By his command they David bring
Into his presence. Fearless, then,
Before the king and his chief men,
He shows his confident design
To combat with the Philistine.
Saul with wonder heard the youth,
And thus addressed him: "Of a truth,
No power thy untried sinew hath
To cope with this great man of Gath."

Lowly David bowed his head,

And with firm voice the stripling said:

"Thy servant kept his father's sheep;
Rushing from a mountain steep
There came a lion, and a bear,
The firstlings of my flock to tear.
Thy servant hath that lion killed,

And killed that bear, when from the field

Two young lambs by force they seized.
The Lord was mercifully pleased
Me to deliver from the paw

Of the fierce bear, and cruel jaw
Of the strong lion. I shall slay
The unrighteous Philistine this day,
If God deliver him also

To me." He ceased. The king said, "Go!

Thy God, the God of Israel, be

In the battle still with thee."

Davd departs unarmed, save

A staff in hand he chanced to have.
Nothing to the fight he took,

Save five smooth stones from out a brook;

These in his shepherd's scrip he placed,
That was fastened round his waist.
With staff and sling alone he meets
The armed giant, who him greets
With nought but scorn. Looking

askance

On the fair ruddy countenance
Of his young enemy-"Am I

A dog, that thou comest here to try
Thy strength upon me with a staff?"
Goliath said with scornful laugh.

"Thou comest with sword, with spear, with shield,

Yet thou to me this day must yield. The Lord of Hosts is on my side, Whose armies boastful thou'st defied. All nations of the earth shall hear He saveth not with shield and spear."

Thus David spake, and nigher went,
Then choosing from his scrip, he sent
Out of his slender sling a stone.-
The giant uttered fearful moan.
The stone though small had pierced deep
Into his forehead, endless sleep
Giving Goliath-and thus died
Of Philistines the strength and pride.
CHARLES AND MARY LAMB.
(1775-1834) (1765-1847)

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wand:

The kites and ravens are not far away, Nor beasts of ravine, that shall make a prey

Of a poor corpse, which they from me shall have,

And their foul bowels shall be all thy grave."

"Uncircumcised slave," quoth David then,

"That for thy shape, the monster art of men;

Thou thus in brass comest arm'd into the field,

And thy huge spear of brass, of brass thy shield:

I in the name of Israel's God alone, That more than mighty, that eternal

One,

Am come to meet thee, who bids not to fear,

Nor once respect the arms that thou dost stand,

I'll make thy length to measure so much land,

As thou liest grov'ling, and within this hour

The birds and beasts thy carcass shall devour."

In meantime David, looking in his face, Between his temples, saw how large a

space

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or post,

That the shrill clap was heard through either host.

Staggering awhile upon his spear he leant,

Till on a sudden he began to faint; When down he came, like an old o'ergrown oak,

His huge root hewn up by the labourers' stroke,

That with his very weight he shook the ground;

His brazen armour gave a jarring sound Like a crack'd bell, or vessel chanced to fall

From some high place, which did like death appal

The proud Philistines (hopeless that remain),

To see their champion, great Goliah, slain:

When such a shout the host of Israel gave,

As cleft the clouds; and like to men that

rave

(O'ercome with comfort) cry, "The boy, the boy!

O the brave David, Israel's only joy! God's chosen champion! O most wondrous thing!

The great Goliah slain with a poor sling!

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To Ekron's walls, and slew them as they fled,

That Sharam's plains lay cover'd with the dead;

And having put the Philistines to foil, Back to the tents retire, and take the spoil

Of what they left; and ransacking, they cry,

"A David, David, and the victory!" When straightway Saul his general, Abner, sent

For valiant David, that incontinent He should repair to court; at whose command

He comes along, and beareth in his hand The giant's head, by the long hair of his crown,

Which by his active knee hung dangling down.

And through the army as he comes along,

To gaze upon him the glad soldiers throng:

Some do instyle him Israel's only light, And other some the valiant Bethlemite, With congees all salute him as he past,

And upon him their gracious glances

cast:

He was thought base of him that did not boast,

Nothing but David, David, through the host.

The virgins to their timbrels frame their lays

Of him; till Saul grew jealous of his praise.

MICHAEL DRAYTON (1563-1631).

SONG OF TRIUMPH.
PREPARE! your festal rites prepare!
Let your triumphs rend the air!
Idol gods shall reign no more;
We the living God adore!

Let heathen hosts on human helps repose,

Since Israel's God has routed Israel's foes.

Let remotest nations know
Proud Goliath's overthrow.
Fallen, Philistia, is thy trust;
Dagon mingles with the dust!
Who fears the Lord of glory, need not
fear

The brazen armor or the lifted spear.
See, the routed squadrons fly!
Hark! their clamors rend the sky!
Blood and carnage stain the field!
See, the vanquished nations yield!
Dismay and terror fill the frightened
land,

While conquering David routs the trembling band.

Lo, upon the tented field

Royal Saul has thousands killed!
Lo, upon the ensanguined plain
David has ten thousand slain!
Let mighty Saul his vanquished thou-
sands tell,

While tenfold triumphs David's victories swell!

HANNAH MORE (1745-1833).

[KING DAVID.]

OF Israel's sweetest singer now I sing, His holy style and happy victories; Whose muse was dipt in that inspiring dew,

Archangels 'stillèd from the breath of Jove,

TJ

Decking her temples with the glorious flowers

Heaven rained on tops of Sion and Mount Sinai.

Upon the bosom of his ivory lute The cherubim and angels laid their breasts;

And when his consecrated fingers struck The golden wires of his ravishing harp, He gave alarum to the host of heaven, That, wing'd with lightning, brake the clouds, and cast

Their crystal armour at his conquering feet.

Of this sweet poet, Jove's musician, And of his beauteous son, I press to sing;

Then help, divine Adonai, to conduct Upon the wings of my well-temper'd verse,

The hearers' minds above the towers of heaven

And guide them so in this thrice haughty flight,

Their mounting feathers scorch not with the fire That none hand:

can temper but thy holy

To thee for succour flies

muse,

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And at thy feet her iron pen doth use. GEORGE PEELE [1553 (?)-1598 (?)]

THE SONG OF DAVID..

He sang of God, the mighty source
Of all things, that stupendous force,
On which all strength depends;
From whose right arm, beneath whose
eyes,

All period, power, and enterprise
Commences, reigns, and ends.

The world, the clustering spheres he made,

The glorious light, the soothing shade,
Dale, champaign, grove, and hill;
The multitudinous abyss,
Where secrecy remains in bliss;
And wisdom hides her skill.

Tell them I am, Jehovah said

To Moses, while earth heard in dread, And smitten to the heart,

At once, above, beneath, around,

All Nature, without voice or sound, Replied, "O Lord, Thou art."

CHRISTOPHER SHARP (1722-1771)

SAUL.

ABSTRACTED and alone sat Saul the king, The mighty king of warlike Israel; Dark shadows o'er his spirit went and

came,

And fearful thoughts of dread futurity. His lofty eye scowled indignation round, And furious passion wrinkled up his

brow;

Anon a gleam of peace shot through his soul,

And he was calm; but soon more solemn thoughts,

Like thunder-laden clouds, enshroud his mind,

And troubled looks denote no love of God.

The minstrel now is called-a fairhaired boy,

Who oft had soothed, by his entrancing notes,

The soul of mighty Saul. A noble boy In look and mien, whom God had early blessed,

And brought from Bethlem's plains, a shepherd-boy,

To reign, the future king of Israel.
At bidding of proud Saul he struck his

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