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

CAP. IV.

[verse 1] Forsothe Hisboseth, the sone of Saul, herde that Abner hadde faln in Ebron; and the hondis of hym ben feblid, and al Irael is disturblid. [verse 2] Forsothe two men, princis of theuys, weren to the sone of Saul; name to the toon Baana, and name to the tothir Reechab, the sones of Rem|mon Berothit, of the sonys of Beniamyn; forsothe and Beroth is told into Benia|myn. [verse 3] And Berothitis flowen into Je|thaym; and thei weren there comelingis into that tyme. [verse 4] Forsothe there was to Jonathe, the sone of Saul, a sone feble in feete [fiȝt A.] ; forsothe he was fyue ȝeer oolde, whanne a messager cam fro Saul and Jonatha, of Jezrael. And so his nurish takynge hym fleiȝ; and whanne she hiede for to flee, he felle, and is maad halt; and he hadde name Myphibosech. [verse 5] Comynge thanne the sones of Remmon Berothit, Reechab and Baana, wenten in, the bren|nynge dai, the hows of Hisboseth, that

slepte vpon his bed the myddai; and the womman that kepte the doris of the hows purgynge whete, slepte fast. [verse 6] For|sothe thei wenten into the hows vnwit|yngly, takynge eeris of whete; and Reechab, and Bana, his brother, smyten hym in the sheer, and flowen [slowen ABH.] . [verse 7] Forsothe whanne thei weren goon into the hows, he slepte vpon his bed in the priue chaumbre; and smytynge thei slewen hym; and his heed taken of, thei wenten bi the weie of deseert al nyȝt. [verse 8] And thei brouȝten the heed of Hisboseth to Dauid, in Ebron, and thei seiden to the kyng, Loo! the heed of Hisboseth, the sone of Saul, thin enemye, that souȝte thi lijf; and the Lord hath ȝyuen to oure lord the kyng veniaunce to dai of Saul and of his seed. [verse 9] Forsothe Dauid answerynge to Reechab, and Bana, his brothir, sones of Remmon Berothei, seide to hem, The Lord lyueth, that hath delyuerd my soule [verse 10] fro al angwissh; for hym that toolde to me and seide, Deed is Saul, the whych wende hym self welsum thingis to telle, I heelde, and slewȝ hym in Sichelech, to whom it hadde behouid me to ȝeue mede [verse 11] for the message; miche more nowe, whanne wickid men han slayn a giltles man in his hows vpon his bed, now I shal seche his blood fro ȝoure hoond, and doo a wey ȝou fro the erthe. [verse 12] And so Dauid comaundide to his children, and thei slewen hem; and kyttynge of the hoondis and the feet of hem, thei hong|eden hem ouer the fish poond in Ebron. Forsothe the heed of Hisboseth thei token, and biryeden it in Ebron, in the sepulcre of Abner.