S

BUT to proceed

WHEN David confented to recal Abfalom, and appointed Joab to conduct him home, Joab bowed himself down to the earth; and thanked him, as for the greatest obligation his majesty could confer upon him: To-day thy fervant knoweth, that I have found grace in thy fight, my lord, O king, in that the king bath fulfilled the request of his fervant: placing that obligation intirely to his own score, which, he knew, was the greatest he could lay upon his master. A refinement of flattery, and addrefs, not eafily equalled!

WHEN this was done, Joab, faith the text, arofe, and went to Gefhur, and brought Abfalom to Jerufalem: Well pleased, we may be affured, to be at once the messenger of his prince's mercy to the heir apparent of his crown, and the inftrument of their reconciliation: which could not fail to fecure him a prefent fund of favour with the father; and an equal fund, in reversion, with the fon. But however, although the king fo far forgave Abfalom, as to recal him from exile yet, when he returned, he ordered him to be taken directly to his own house; and forbad him to fee his face. And Absa

.

lom continued thus for two whole years in Jerufalem, without being once admitted into his father's prefence. A difcountenance, and a rebuke, at least, little enough, to fignify the king's abhorrence of his late cruel revenge upon his brother; and, in all appearance, not more than was neceffary, to mortify his pride, and reprefs his popularity; / which now, in all probability, began to blaze out, upon the news of his reconciliation to his father. And this I apprehend to be the reafon, why the facred historian subjoins to this account of the king's discountenance, a particular description of Abfalom's beauty; which is a natural and common foundation of popularity and then adds an account of his having three fons, and one fair daughter, (whom he named after his unhappy fifter Tamar) which was alfo another fountain of pride, popularity, and prefumption.

His beauty is thus celebrated; That in all Ifrael, there was none to be fo much praised, upon that score: and that it was without alloy, or abatement, from any imperfection: that from the fole of his foot, to the crown of his head, there was no blemish in him. There is no particular mentioned, befides

befides his hair: and the beauty of that is only implied in its quantity; which was indeed prodigious! weighing, upon the lowest computation, at least three pounds: which might be easily estimated, by weighing what was cut off, in his annual polling, (for we are told he polled it annually on account of its exceffive weight) and examining, what proportion that bore, to what remained. And although a good deal of this may be accounted for, both from the ufage of long hair, and the great quantity of oyl, then in ufe, which added both to the growth and weight; yet it is evident from the text, that there must have been fomething in it, accounted very fingular, even at that time,

ABSALO M had, it must be owned, a very fingular excellence of form; but with that, nothing truly eftimable, that we know of. His character feems nearly allied to that of Aurelia Oreftilla, mentioned by Saluft, who had nothing praiseworthy about her, befides her beauty.

THIS vain young man, weary with being fo long detained in that confinement and obfcurity, so mortifying to his pride, and so unfriendly to his popularity, fent a meffenger

to

to Joab, to defire to speak with him; in order to prevail upon him, to folicit his interceffion with the king, to be admitted to his prefence. And, on his not coming upon the first meffage, he fent a fecond. And when he found no better fuccefs from his fecond meffage, he ordered his fervants. to fet a field of barley, which Joab had contiguous to his own, on fire; and they did accordingly: which Joab refenting, went immediately to expoftulate with him, upon the injury done him-- Abfalom answered, That finding the meffages he had fent him, ineffectual, he took that method to bring him to him; and gain an opportunity of fending him to the king, to intercede for permiffion to be admitted to his prefence. For if that could not be obtained, To what purpose was it for him to return from Gefbur? He might as well have continued there in exile ftill. In fhort, he infifted with Joab, that he inuft fee the king, at any rate: Now therefore, faith he, let me fee the king's face; and if there be any iniquity in me, let him kill me. His impetuofity prevailed: Joab was once more fent to intercede with the king for him: his interceffion fucceeded; and Abfalom was admitted

admitted to the royal prefence, where he did obeifance, humbling himfelf before the king, with his face to the ground. And the king was reconciled, and kiffed him.

f

THE reader little verfed in courts, is apt to be surprised, (as at firft fight I own I was) to fee Joab fo zealous to get Abfalom recalled from exile, and to obferve him afterwards fo cold and indifferent, to have him re-established in his father's favour.

A

THE truth is, when Joab had greatly gratified the king, and gained credit with him, by bringing back Absalom to Jerusalem, he had little reafon, as a minifter, to be folicitous to bring him about the king's perfon, and reftore him to full favour; because, in that cafe, he might naturally apprehend, that Abfalom's intereft with his father might impair his own. This the young man's ambition could but ill endure; and therefore he took this extraordinary ftep, to be fet right with his father. A step, which shewed him determined to go any lengths, rather than fall fhort of his ambitious aims. He that could fet his friend's field on fire, barely to be admitted to court, would little fcruple to fet his country in a flame, (if I may be allowed