[Legenda aurea sanctorum, sive, Lombardica historia] [Wyllyam Caxton]

Here foloweth how Dauid reg¦ned after Saul / & gouerned Is¦rahel / shortly taken out of the bible the most historyal maters and but litil towched

[illustration]

AFter the deth of Sa¦ul Dauid retorned fro the Iorney that he had ayenst Amalech / For whiles Dauid had ben out with Achis the kyng / they of Amalech had ben in Sychelech and takē all that was ther∣in prysoners and robbed and caryed away with hem the two wyues of Da∣uid / and had sette fyre and brente the toun / And whan Dauid cā agayn home and sawe the toun brente he put syewed after and by the conueyeng of one of them of amalech that was lefte by the waye seke / for to haue hys lyf he brought Dauid vpon the hoost of Amalech where as they satte and ete & dronke / and Dauid smote on them with his meyne and slewe doun alle that he fonde / and rescowed his wyues and all the good that they had taken and toke moche more of them / And whan he was come to Secelech / y^e thirde day after ther cam one frō the hoost of Saul & told to dauid / how that Isra∣hel had loste the batayll and how they were fledde / and how Saul the kyng and Ionathas his sone were slayn / Dauid said to the yong man that brought thyse tidynges / how knowest thou that Saul & Ionathas ben deed / and he answerd / it was so by aduen∣ture that I cam vpon the moūte of Gel∣boe / And saul rested vpon his spere And the horsmen & chares of the phy∣listeis approched to hym ward / And he looked byhynde hym and sawe me / and callyd me and said to me who art thou / And I said I am Amale∣chytes / and than he said stonde vpon me and slee me / For I am ful of an∣guysshes / and yet my sowle is in me And I thenne stondyng on hym slewe hym / knowyng wel that he myght not lyue after the ruyne / And I toke the dyademe from his heed and the ar∣mylle fro hys arme / whiche I haue brought hether to the my lord / Dauid toke and rente his vestement / and alle the men that were with hym & waylled and sorowed moche the deth of Saul & Ionathas / and of all the men of Isra∣hel and fasted that day tyl euen / And Dauid said to the yongmā Of whens art thou / And he said / I am the so¦ne of amalechites / And Dauid said to hym / why dreddest not thou to put thy hand forth to slee hym that is enoyn∣ted of god / Dauid called one of his men and bad hym / to sle hym and he smote hym and slewe hym / 〈…〉〈…〉 saide thy blood be on thy heed / Thyn owen mouth hath spoken ayenst the sayeng I haue slayn Saul which was kyng enoynted of our lord / Dauid

sorowed & bewaylled moche the deth of Saul and of Ionathas / After this Dauid counceylled with our lord and demaunded yf he shold goo in to one of the cytees of Iuda / And our lord bad hym goo / And he asked whyder / And our lord said / in to ebron / Thenne dauid toke his two wy∣ues / and all the men that were with hym euerich with his houshold and dwellyd in the townes of hebron / and theder cam the men of Iuda & enoynted Dauid kynge to regne vpon the trybe of Iuda / And Abner prynce of thoost of Saul and other seruantes of Saul toke hisboseth the sone of Saul / and ladde hym aboute / and made hym kyn∣ge ouer Israhel / exept the tribe of iu∣da / hisboseth was xl yere whan he be∣gan to regne / ¶And he regned two yere / The hows of Iuda only folowed dauid / After this it happed that Ab∣ner prynce of y^e hoost of hisboseth / with certayn men went out of the castellis And Ioab with certayn men of Dauid wente also out and ran by the piscene of gabaon / One partye was on that one side / And that other on that other And abner said to Ioab / late our yong men pleye & scarmusshe to gydre / & Ioab agreed / & ther roose xij of ben∣iamyn of the party of hysboseth / & xij of the chyldren of dauid / & whan they mette to gydre eche toke other by the heed and roof their swerdes in to eche other sydes and were alle ther slayn And ther aroose a grete batayll / And Abner and his felawship were put to flight by the men of dauid / And emōge all other ther was Asahel one of the brothern of Ioab / & was the swiftest rennar that myght be / and pursiewed abner / and abner loked behynde hym / And bad hym declyne on the right side or on the lyft side / and take one of the yong men & his harnoys / and come not at me Asahel wold not leue hym / yet abner said to hym / Goo fro me and folowe not me lest I be cōpellyd to slee the / and thenne I may not make my pees with Ioab thy brother / whiche wold not here Abner / but despysed hym And Abner thenne torned and slewe hym in the same place / And anon the sonne wente doun / and they withdrewe / ther were slayn of the chyl¦dren of Dauid xix men / & of thē of ben¦iamyn iijClx were slayn / And thus ther was longe stryf and contenciō by∣twene the hows of dauid and the hous of Isboseth / After this Abner toke a concubyne of Saul and helde her wher∣for hisboseth repreuyd hym of it / And abner was wroth gretly therof and cā to dauid and made frendship with hym Ioab was not there whan abner ma∣de his pees with dauid / but whan he knewe it he cam to abner with a fayr semblaunt and spack fayr to hym by dissimylacion / and slew hym for to auenge the deth of asahel his brother / and whan dauid herde how Ioab had slayn abner / he cursed hym / and be∣waylled gretly the deth of abner and dyde do burye hym honourably and da∣uid folowid the bere hym self / And whan hisboseth the sone of Saul herde that abner was deed / he was alle abas∣shed and alle Israhel sore trobled / ther were two pryncee of theues with hisbo¦seth named Banaa and Rechab whiche cam on a day in to hisboseth where he laye and slepte / and ther they slewe hym / and toke pryuely his heed and brought it to dauid in to hebron / and said lo here is the heed of thyn enemye Isboseth that sought to sle the / this day god hath gyuen to the my lord venge∣aunce of Saul and of his seed / dauid answerd to them / By the lyuyng god that hath delyuerd me fro all anguys∣she / hym that told me that he had slayn Saul and had thought to haue had a reward of me / I dyde doo slee / how moche more ye that be so wicked to slee hym that is not gylty in his hows & vpon his bedde / shal I not aske his blood of your hondes / and throwe you out of this world / yes certaynly / and Dauid comaunded to his seruantes to slee them / and so they were slayn / and cutte of their handes and feet & henge them on the pyscene in ebron / and toke the heed of hysboseth and buryed it in the sepulcre of abner / and thenne cam all the tribus of Israhel to dauid in ebron sayeng / we ben thy mouth & thy flesshe / whan Saul lyued and was kynge on vs and regned / thou were comyng and goynge / and by cause

god hath said thou shalt regne vpon my peple / and be theyr gouernour / ther∣fore we shal obeye the / And alle the senyors of Israhel cam and dyde homa¦ge to dauid in hebron & enoytend hym kynge ouer them / Dauid was xxx yere old whan he began to regne ¶ And he regned xl yere / He regned in hebron vpon Iuda vij yer and vj monethis / And in Iherusalem he regned xxxiij yere vpon all Israhel & Iuda / Dauid thenne made hym a dwellyng place in the hylle of syon in Iherusalem / And after this the philisteis made warre a∣gayn hym / but he ofte ouerthrewe hem and slewe many of them / and made them trybutarye to hym / And after brought the arke of god in Iherusalem and sette it in his hows / After this yet the phylisteis made warre agayn vnto hym / and other kynges were ay∣dyng and helpyng them ayenst Dauid whom dauid ouercome and slewe and put vnder / and on a tyme whan Ioab was out with his men of warre lyeng at a syege to fore a cyte / dauid was at home and walkid in his chambre and as he looked out at a wyndow / he sawe a fair woman wasshe her & bayne her in her chambre whiche stode ayenst his hows / and demanded of his seruan¦tes / who she was / and they said she was vries wyf / he sente for her / and laye by her and gate her with chylde / and whan Dauid vnderstode that she was with chyld / he sente lettres to Io∣ab / and bad hym to sende home to hym vrye / and Ioab sente vrye to Dauid and dauid demaunded how the hoost was rewlid / and after bad hym goo home to his hows & wasshe his feet / and vrye wente thens / and the kynge sente to hym his disshe with mete / vrye wold not goo home / but laye to fore the yate of the kynges hous with other seruauntes of the kynges / and hit was told to the kynge that vryas wen¦te not home / and thenne dauid said to vrye / thou comest fro a farre waye why goste not home / and vrye said to dauid the arke of god / and Israhel and Iuda ben in the pauylions / & my lord Ioab / and the seruauntes of the my lord lye on the ground and wold ye that I shold goo to my hous and ete and drynke and slepe with my wyf / By thy helthe and by the helthe of my sowle / I shal not doo soo / thenne Da∣uid said to vrye abyde here thenne this nyght and to morow I shal delyure the vrye abode there that day and the next and dauid made hym ete to fore hym & made hym dronke / yet for alle that he wold not goo home but laye wyth the seruauntes of dauid / Thenne on the morn dauid wrote a lettre to Ioab that he shold sette vrye in the weykest place of the batayl and where most Ieopardye was / and that he shold be lefte there that he myght be slayn / and vrye bare this lettre to Ioab / and it was so don as Dauid had wreton and vrye was so slayn in the batayll / And Ioab sen∣te worde to dauid how they had fough∣ten / and how vrye was slayn & deed whan vryes wyf herd that her husbond was deed she morned & waylled hym / and after the mornyng Dauid sente for her and wedded her / And she bare hym a sone / and this that Dauid had com¦mysed in vrye displeysyd gretly our lord / Thenne our lord sente Nathan the prophete vnto Dauid / whiche whan he cam said to hym / Ther were two men dwellyng in a cyte that one Ryche & y^e other poure / The Ryche man hadde sheep & oxen right many & y^e poure mā hadde but one lytyl sheep whiche he bought & nourisshid & grewe with his chyldren etyng of hye brede and drynkyng of his cuppe and slepte in his bosom / She was to hym as a doughter / and on a tyme whan a certayn pylgryme cam to the riche man / he sparyng his owen sheep and oxen to make a feste to the pylgrym that was comen to hym / toke the only sheep of the poure man and ma¦de mete therof to his gheest / dauid was wroth & said to nathan / by the l••uyng god the mā that hath so doo / is y^e childe of deth the man that hath so doo shal yelde therfore iiij double / Thenne said Nathā to Dauid / thou art the same mā that hath don this thynge This said the lord god of Israhel / I haue enoynted the kynge vpon Israhel / and I haue kept the fro the hande of Saul / and I haue gyuen to the an hows to kepe in thy houshold and wyues in thy bosom I haue gyuen to the the hous of Israhel

and the hous of Iuda / And yf thyse be smale thynges I shal adde and gyue to the moche more and gretter / why hast thou therfor despysed the word of god / and hast don euyl in the sight of our lord / Thou hast slayn vrye with a swerd / And his wyf hast thou ta∣ken vnto thy wif / And thou hast slayn hym with the swerd of the sones of Ammon / Therfor the swerd shal not goo fro thy hows world withoute en∣de / For as moche as thou hast despysed and hast taken vryes wyf vnto thy wyf / This said our lord / I shal rey∣se euyl ayenst the / And shal take thy wyues in thy sight and gyue them to thy neyghbour / and shal lye wyth thy wyuys to fore thyn eyen / Thou hast don it pryuely / but I shal make this to be don and open in the sight of alle Israhel / And thenne said dauid to Nathan / peccaui / I haue synned ayenst our lord / Nathan said / Our lord hath taken away thy synne / thou shalt not dye / but for as moche as thou hast made the enemyes to blaspheme the na¦me of god / Therfor the sone that is born to the shal dye by deth / And na∣than retorned home to his hous / And for this synne dauid made this psalme Miserere mei deus / whiche is a psalme of mercy / For Dauid dide grete penaū∣ce for thyse synnes of aduoultrye and also of homycyde / For as I ones was by yonde the see Rydyng in the compa∣nye of a noble knyght named Syr Ioh̄n Capons and was also doctour in bothe lawes / & was born in malyorke and had ben viceroye and gouernour of Aragon and Catelone / & that tyme Coūceyllour vnto the duc of bourgonye Charloys / It happend we comened of the hystorye of Dauid / and this said noble man told me that he had redde that dauid dyde this penaūce folowyng for thyse said synnes / that he dalf hym in the ground standyng nakyd vnto the heed so longe that the wormes be∣gan to crepe in his flesshe / and made a verse of this psalme Miserere / and thēne cam out / and whan he was hole therof / he wente in agayn / and stode so agayn as longe as afore is said and made the second verse / and so as ma∣ny tymes he was doluen in the erth as ben verse in the said psalme of Misere∣re mei deus / and euery tyme was a∣bydyng therin tyl he felte the wormes crepe in his flesshe / This was a grete penaunce and a token of grete repen∣taunce / For ther ben in the psalme xx. verses / And xx tymes he was doluē Thus thys noble man told me rydyng bytwene the toun of Gaunt in Flaun¦dres and the toun of Bruxellis in Braband / Therfor god toke away this synne and forgaue it hym / but the sone that she brought forth deyed / and after this bersabee that had ben vryes wyf conceyuyd and brought forth ano∣ther sone named Salomō / whiche was welbyloued of god / and after Da∣uid Salomon was kynge / After this Dauid had moche warre and trouble / and angre / in so moche that on a tyme Ammon oldest sone of Dauid louyd thamar his suster / This thamar was Absalons suster by the moder syde / and Ammon forced and laye by her / and whan he had don his pleasir / he hated her and threwe her out of his chambre and she complayned her vnto Absalon Dauid knewe herof / and was right sory for it / but he wold not rebuke his sone Ammon for it / For he louyd hym by cause he was his first begoten sone / Absalon hated Ammon euer after / And whan Absalon on a tyme dyde do shere his sheep / he prayd alle his brethern to come ete with hym / And made hem a feste lyke a kynges feste / At whiche feste he dyde do slee his bro∣ther Ammon / And anon it was told to the kynge dauid that Absalon had slayn all the kynges sones / wherfor the kynge was in grete heuynes and so∣rowe / But anon after it was told hym that ther was nomo slayn but Ammon / And the other sones cam home / And Absalon fledd in to ges∣sur and was there thre yere / & durst not come home / And after by the mo∣yen of Ioab he was sente for and cam in to Iherusalem / but yet he myght not come in his fader the kynges presence / and dwellyd there two yere & myght not see the kynge his fader / This Ab¦salon was the fayrest man that euer was / For fro the sole of his foot vn∣to his heed ther was not a spotte / he

had so moche heere on his heed that it greuyd hym to bere / wherfore hit was shorn of ones a yere / it weyed two hondred cycles of good weight / Thenne whan he abode so longe that he myght not come to his faders presence / he sente for Ioab to come speke with hym / and he wold not come / he sen∣te agayn for hym / and he cam not / Thenne Absalon said to his seruaūtes / knowe ye Ioabs felde that lyeth by my felde / They said ye / Goo ye sayde he / And sette fyre in the barle that is ther in and brenne it / And Ioabs seruaū∣tes cam and told to Ioab that Absalō had sette fyre on his corn / Thenne Ioab cam to Absalon & said why hast thou sette fyre on my corn / And he said I haue sente tweys to the pray∣eng the to come to me / that I myght sente the to the kyng / and that thou sholdest saye to hym / why I cam fro gessur / It had be better to me for to haue abyden there / I praye the that I may come to his presence and see hys vysage / And yf he remembre my wic∣kednes / late hym slee me / Ioab wen∣te in to the kynge and told to hym all thyse wordes / Thenne was Absalon callyd and entred in to the kynge / & he fylle doun and worshipped the kyn¦ge / And the kyng kyssyd hym / Af∣tir this absalon dyde doo make for hym self Chares and horsmen / and fyfty men to goo byfore hym / And walked emong the tribus of Israhel and gret∣te and salued them / takyng them by the hond and kyssed hem / by whiche he gate to hym the hertes of the peple / and said to hys fader that he had auo∣wed to make sacrefise to god in hebron and hys fader gaf hym leue / And whan he was there he gadred peple to hym and made hym self kynge / And dyde doo crye that all men shold obeye & wayte on hym as kynge of Israhel / whan Dauid herd this he was sore abasshed and was fayn to flee out of Iherusalem / And Absalon cam wyth hys peple and entrid in to Iherusalem in to his faders hows and laye by his fadres concubynes And after pursye∣wid his fader to depose hym / and dauid ordeyned his peple and batayll ayenst hym and sente Ioab prynce of his hoost ayenst Absalon / and deuyded hys hoost in to thre partyes and wold haue goō with them / but Ioab counceyllid that he shold not goo to the batayll what someuer happid / And thenne dauid badde them to saue his sone Absalon / And they wente forth and fought / And Absalō with his hoost was ouer throwen and put to flyght / And as Absalon fledde vpon his mule he cam vnder an Ooke and his heere flewe aboute a bowhe of the tre and helde so fast that absalon henge by his heer / and the mule ran forth / ther cam one to Io∣ab and told hym how that Absalon henge by his heer on a bowhe of an oke And Ioab said why hast thou not slayn hym / The man said god forbe∣de that I shold sette hōde on the kynges sone / I herde the kynge saye / kepe my sone Absalon a lyue and slee hym not Thenne Ioab wente and toke thre spe∣res and fyxed them in the herte of ab∣salon as he hēge on the tree / by his heer And yet after this x yong men squy∣es of Ioab ranne and slewe hym thēne Ioab tromped and blewe the retrayt / And reteyned the peple that they shold not pursyewe the peple fleyng / And they toke the body of absalon and caste it in a grete pytte / And leyde on hym a grete stone / And whan dauid kne∣we that his sone was slayn he made grete sorow & said / O my sone absalon / my sone Absalon / who shal graunte to me that I may dye for the my sone absalon / Absalon my sone / It was told to Ioab that the kynge wepte & sorowed the deth of his sone Absalon and all their vyctorye was torned in to sorowe and wayllyng in so moche that the peple eschewed to entre in to the cy∣te / thenne Ioab entrid to the kynge & said thou hast this day discoraged the chere of alle thy seruauntes / by cause they haue sauyd thy lyf and the lyues of thy sones and doughtres of thy wy∣ues and of thy cancubynes / thou louest them that hate the / And hatest them that loue the / And shewyst wel thys day that thou settyst lityl by thy dukes and seruauntes / and truly I knowe now wel that yf Absalon had lyu••d and alle we thy seruauntes had ben slayn thou haddest ben plesyd / Therfor

aryse now and come forth and satisfye the peple / or ellis I swere to the by the good lord that ther shal not one of thy seruauntes abyde with the tyl to morow And that shal be worse to the than all the harmes and euylles that euer yet fylle to the / Thenne dauid the kynge aroos and satte in the yate / And anō it was shewd to all the peple that the kyng satte in the yate / And thenne all the peple cam in to fore the kyng / And they of Israhel that had ben with Absalon fledde in to their tabernacles / And after cam agayn vnto dauid whā they knewe that Absalon was deed / And after one Siba a cursid man re∣bellyd and gadred peple ayenst dauid Ayenst whom Ioab with the hoost of Dauid pursyewed and drof hym vn∣to a cyte / whiche he byseged / and by the meane of a woman of the same cy∣te / Sibas heed was smeton of and de∣lyured to Ioab / ouer the walle / And so the cyte was saued and Ioab ple∣sid / After this dauid callid Ioab & bad hym nombre the peple of Israhel / And so Ioab walked thurgh alle the tribus of Israhel fro dan to bersabee / And ouer Iordan and all the contre / And ther were founden in Israhel viijCM. strong men that were able to fight and to drawe swerd / And of the tribe of Iuda fyfty thousand fygh∣tyng men / And after that the peple was nombred / the herte of dauid was smeton by our lord and was heuy & said / I haue synned gretly in this dede / but I praye the lord to take away the wickednes of thy seruaūt for I ha∣ue don folyly / Dauid was on the morn erly and the word of our lord cam to Gad the prophete sayeng that he shold goo to Dauid / and bidde hym 〈◊〉〈◊〉 one of thre thyngis that he shold 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to hym / Whan god cam to dauid / ••e said that he shold c••se whether he wold haue vij yere hungre / in his londe / or thre monthes he shold flee his aduersa¦ryes & enemyes / or to haue thre dayes pestylence / Of this thre god biddeth the chese whiche thou wylt / Now auyse the and conclude what I shal answere to our lord / Dauid said to Gad / I am constrayned to a grete thyng / but it is better for me to put me in y^e hādes of our lord / for his mercy is moche more than in men / And so he chees pestylence / Thenne our lord sente pe∣stylence the tyme constytute / And ther deyed of the peple fro dan to bersabee lxxM. men / And whan the angele extended his hond vpon Iherusalem for to destroye it / Our lord was mer∣cyful vpon thaffliction and said to the Angele so smytyng It suffiseth nowe withdrawe thyn hand / Dauid said to our lord whan he sawe thangele smy∣tyng the peple / I am he that haue synned and don wickedly / what haue thyse sheep don / I beseche the that thy hand torne vpon me / and vpon the hows of my fader / Thenne cam god to dauid and bad hym make an awter in the same place where he sawe thaungel and bought the place and made the aulter / And offred sacrefises vnto our lord / And our lord was mercy∣ful / and the plaghe cessed in Israhel Dauid was old and feble / and sa∣we that his deth approched and ordey∣ned that his sone Salomon shold reg∣ne and be kynge after hym / how be it that Adonyas hys sone toke on hym to be kynge duryng dauids lyf / For whiche cause bersabee and Nathan cam to dauid / and to fore them he said that Salomon shold be kynge / and ordeyned that he shold be sette on his mule by hys prophetes Nathan / Sa∣doch the preest and Banayas and brought in to Syon / And ther sadoch the preest and Nathan the prophete en∣oynted hym in kynge vpon Israhel / & blewe in a trompe / and saide lyue the kynge Salomon / And fro thens they brought hym in to Iherusalem and set∣te hym vpon his faders sete in his fa∣dres trone / And dauid worshipped hym in his bedde / and said / Blessid be the lord god of Israhel / that hath suffred me to see my sone in my trone & sete / And thēne Adonyas and all they that were with hym were aferd and dredyng Salomon ran away / and so cessed Adonyas / The dayes of dauid approched faste that he shold deye / and dyde do calle Salomon to fore hym / & ther he comanded hym to kepe the comā¦dementis of our lord & walke in his wayes / & to obserue his cerymonyes

his preceptes and his Iugementis as it is wreton in the lawe of Moyses / And said our lord conferme the in thy Regne / And sende to the wysedom to Rewle it wel / And whan dauid had thus counceyllyd and comanded hym to do Iustise and kepe goddes lawe / he blessid hym / and deyde and was buryed with his fadres / This dauid was an holy man and made the holy psawter / whiche is an holy booke and is conteyned therin the olde lawe and newe lawe / he was a grete prophete for he prophecyed the comyng of cryst his Natyuyte his Passyon and resur∣rection and also his ascencion / and was grete with god yet god wold not suffre hym to bylde a temple for hym / For he had shedde mans blood / but god said to hym his sone that shold regne after hym shold be a man pesyble and he shold bylde the temple to god / And whan Dauid had reg∣ned xl yere kynge of Iherusalem ouer Iuda and Israhel he deyed in good mynde and was buryed with his fa∣ders in the cyte of dauid /

Thus endeth the lyf of Dauid seconde kynge of Israhel