The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal books,

CAP. XVIII.

[verse 1] And it is doon, whanne he hadde endid to speke to Saul, the soule of Jonathas is glewid to gidre to the soul of Dauid, and Jonathas louyde hym as his owne lijf. [verse 2] And Saul took hym in that day, and grauntide not to hym, that he turne aȝen into the hows of his fadre. [verse 3] Forsothe Jonathas and Dauid wenten into the [Om. BCEFH.] couenaunt of pees; forsothe he louyde [verse 4] hym as his lijf; forwhi Jonathas spuylide hym self the coote, that he was clothid, and ȝaf it to Dauid, and his other clothis, vnto [into A.] his `bowe and swerd [swerd and his bowe E pr. m.] , and vnto the knyȝtis girdil. [verse 5] Forsothe Dauyd wente out to alle thingis, what euere Saul sente

him, and wiseli he gouernde [dide E pr. m.] hym self [sel E sec. m.] ; and Saul putte hym vpon men of batayl, and he was acceptid in the eyen of al the puple, and moost in the siȝt of the ser|uauntis of Saul. [verse 6] Forsothe whanne Dauid turnede aȝen, the Philistee smyten, and beer the heed of hym into Jerusalem, the wymmen wenten out fro alle the cytees of Yrael, syngynge, and dauncis ledynge, into aȝencomynge of Saul the kyng, in tymbers of gladnes, and in trumpis. [verse 7] And the wymmen songen before, pleiynge, and seyynge, Saul hath smyten a thousand, and Dauyd ten thowsandis. [verse 8] And Saul is wrooth ful mych, and this word dis|pleside in the eyen of hym; and seide, Thei han ȝouun to Dauid ten thousandis, and to me a thousand thei han ȝouun; what to hym is more ouere but oneli the rewme? [verse 9] Thanne not with riȝt eyen Saul bihelde Dauid, fro that day and therafter. [verse 10] Forsothe after the tother day the yuel spiryt of God aseilide Saul, and he straungeli spak in the myddis of his hows. Forsothe Dauid harpide with his hoond, as bi eche days; and Saul heelde [verse 11] a speer, and kest it, wenynge that he myȝt pitche to gidre Dauid with the wal; and Dauyd bowide a side fro the face of hym the secounde tyme. [verse 12] And Saul dredde Dauid, forthi that the Lord was with hym, and fro hym goon awey. [verse 13] Thanne Saul moued hym a wey fro hym, and made hym a leder vpon a thousand men; and he wente out and cam yn in the siȝt of the puple. [verse 14] Forsothe in alle his weyes Dauid wiseli dide, and the [verse 15] Lord was with hym; and so Saul sawȝ that he was wel mych wiys, and began to shunne hym. [verse 16] Forsothe al Yrael and Juda louyde Dauyd; forsothe he ȝede

yn and ȝede out before hem. [verse 17] And Saul seide to Dauid, Loo! my more douȝter Merob, hir Y shal ȝeue to thee a wijf; oneli be a strong man, and fiȝt the bateils of the Lord. Forsothe Saul trowide, sei|ynge, Be not myn hoond in hym, but be vpon hym the hoond of Philisteis. [verse 18] For|sothe Dauyd seide to Saul, Who am Y, or what is my lijf, or the kynrede of my fadre in Irael, that Y be maad the sone in lawe of the kyng? [verse 19] It is doon forsothe the tyme whanne Merob, the douȝter of Saul, shulde be ȝeuen to Dauid, ȝeuen is Hadriel Molatite wijf. [verse 20] Forsothe Dauyd louyd Mychol, the tother douȝter of Saul; and it is toold to Saul, and it pleside to hym. [verse 21] And Saul seide, Y shal ȝyue hir to hym, that it be maad to hym into sclaundre, and be vpon hym the hoond of Philisteis. Thanne seide Saul to Dauyd, In two thingis thow shalt be my sone in lawe to day. [verse 22] And Saul co|maundide to his seruauntis, Spek ȝe to Dauith [day A.] pryuely fro me, seiynge, Loo! thou plesist to the kyng, and alle the seruauntis of hym louen thee; now thanne be thow the sone in lawe of the kyng. [verse 23] And the seruauntis of Saul speken in the eeris of Dauid alle thes wordis. And Dauid seith, Whether litil it seme to ȝow to be the [Om. B.] sone in lawe of the kyng? Forsothe Y am a pore man, and a thinne. [verse 24] And the seruauntis of Saul toolden aȝen, seiynge, Sich maner wordis spak Dauid. [verse 25] Forsothe Saul seide, Thus spekith to Dauid, The kyng nedith no [not E sup. ras.] sposeilis, but oonli an hundrid tersis of Philisteis, that veniaunce be doon of the enemyes of the kyng. Forsothe Saul thouȝte to betray Dauid into the hoondis of Philisteis. [verse 26] And whanne his seruauntis hadden aȝen toold to Dauid the wordis that Saul hadde seid, the word pleside

in the eyen of Dauyd, that he were maad the sone in lawe of the kyng. [verse 27] And after a fewe days Dauyd rysynge wente into Acharon, with the men that with hym weren, and smoot of the Philisteis two hundrid men; and brouȝte the ȝerdis of hem, and noumbride hem to the kyng, that he were the sone in lawe of the kyng. And so Saul ȝaf to hym Mychol, his douȝter, wijf. [verse 28] And Saul sawȝ, and vndurstood, that the Lord was with Dauid. [verse 29] Forsothe Mychol, the douȝter of Saul, louid hym, and Saul began more to drede Dauyd; and Saul is maad the ene|mye of Dauyd alle days. [verse 30] And the princis of Philisteis wenten out; forsothe fro the bigynnynge of the goynge out of hem Dauyd wiselyer beer hym self than alle the men of Saul; and solempne is maad the name of hym ful myche.