CHAP. VI.

Joab's Device to get Abfalom recalled by means of the wife Woman of Tekoah, fucceeds. Being brought back to Jerufalem, he is not admitted to the King's Prefence, but remanded to his own Houfe. What followed thereupon.

A

BSALOM's fheep-sheering was at Baalbazor, near Ephraim; about eight miles from Jerufalem. He fled, the moment his brother was killed: and one may well believe, his accomplices fled with him; who probably were Gefburites, fome of his mother's friends; and fo were fure of the protection of Talmai, for revenging the violence done to his grand-daughter. And there is no doubt but they took their meafures fo well, that no purfuit from Jerufalem, had any been attempted, could overtake them. But David, who must be allowed to have been criminally indulgent to his children, was not of a difpofition to

revenge

revenge the death of one favourite fon, by that of another; especially when his guilt was no more, than that of revenging an action in itself worthy of death.

THE Vulgate and Septuagint inform us, that when David heard of Amnon's crime, he was much enraged, but would not grieve his fon's fpirit, because he loved him, being his eldest fon. It is true, this addition is not found in the Hebrew text; yet it is confeffedly very antient, and probably but too true. And if fo, he could but ill punish, in Abfalom, the chastisement of that guilt, which his own feasonable chastisement of Amnon's earlier enormities might have prevented. And in that case, his resentment must recoil upon himself, and acquit Absalom. And poffibly this may be the true reason, why we hear nothing of any meafures he took to bring Absalom to justice, and why he mourned fo much, and fo long, for Amnon. For we learn from 2 Sam. xiii. 37. that he mourned long and daily for him. However, at the end of three years, his affection for Abfalom got the better of a fruitlefs grief, for a loss which could not be recalled; and he was comforted (faith the text) concerning Amnon, Seeing he was dead.

AND

AND now, his concern was, to be fo long robbed of the fatisfaction of seeing another child, who was fo dear to him as if he had taken up Rebekah's complaint Why Should I be deprived alfo of them both in one day?

In this condition he pined and languished for his fon: And the foul of king David, faith the text, longed to go forth unto Absalom ; as if his foul would have rejoiced even to have quitted his body, to go out and meet him.

JOAB quickly perceived the king's condition; and thought he should pay his court to advantage, if he could contrive to deceive and surprise him into a refolution of recalling his fon from exile. To this purpose, he instructed a woman of good sense, and great addrefs, (from Tekoah, a distant city of Judah) who waited upon the king, in the air and habit of a disconfolate widow, in mourning, and deep diftrefs, on account of her fon; whom his own family were purfuing to death, for having flain his brother, in an accidental contention, in the field

*Gen. xxvii. 45.

VOL. III,

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The

The moment she appeared before the king, fhe fell upon her face, and implored his aid; Help, O king! She then told him her cafe, and added all the alleviating and distressful circumftances, that could move the king's compaffion: The brothers were alone in the field, and none to part them; poffibly he might flay his brother, either undefignedly, or in his own defence. He was her only child, the only hope and stay of her family; and if they cut him off*, they would leave her husband neither name, nor remainder, upon the earth.

THE king foon felt her distress: the cafe was too like his own, to suffer him to be unmoved. He told her, fhe might return to her house, and leave the care of her bufinefs to him; he would give proper directions about it. But she, not having yet what she wanted, took occafion, from her feeming folicitude for her fon, to continue the conversation. She added, That if she had

*The expreffion in the original is fingularly beautiful and expreffive: And fo they shall quench my coal that is left. And Heathen authors feem to have copied it from hence. So those few men who furvived the deluge are called by Plate and Lucian (ruça, live coals, who were to rekindle the vital flame, and continue the hu

man race.

preffed

pressed his majesty to any thing in itself unjuft, or any way misinformed him, or mifrepresented the ftate of the cafe, fhe wished all the guilt of that iniquity, or misreprefentation, might fall upon her own head, and upon her family: My lord, O king! the iniquity be on me, and on my father's house: and the king and his throne be guiltlefs. The king then bid her, if any body molested her any more, to bring them before him, and he would take care to stop any further proceedings against her. She then begged, that in making that promise, to stay the avenger of blood from caufing any further deftruction in her family, he would remember the LORD his GOD: that is, remember he made that promise in the prefence of GOD; drawing him thus, diftantly, and infenfibly, into the obligation of an oath. Her address had its effect: and the king, to convince her of the integrity of his intentions, immediately answered, As the Lord iveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.

HAVING gained this point, fhe then begged leave to say one word more. And having obtained permiffion, the immediately proceeded

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