ABSALOM

What causeth Thamar to exclaim so much? Hath Ammon forced thee? by David's hand, And by the covenant God hath made with him, Ammon shall bear his violence to hell, Traitor to Heaven, traitor to David's throne, Traitor to Absolon and Israel. This fact hath Jacob's ruler seen from heaven, And through a cloud of smoke, and tower of fire (As he rides vaunting him upon the greens) Shall tear his chariot wheels with violent winds, And throw his body in the bloody sea, At him the thunder shall discharge his bolt, And his fair spouse, with bright and fiery wings Fit ever burning on his hateful bones, My self as swift as thunder, or his spouse, Will hunt occasion with a secret hate, To work false Ammon and ungracious end: Go in my sister, rest thee in my house, And God in time shall take this shame from thee. Great cause hath Absolon to be displeased, And in his heart to shroud the wounds of wrath. Gainst wicked Ammon thy ungracious son, My brother and fair Thamars by the King, My stepbrother, by mother, and by kind, He hath dishonoured David's holiness, And fixed a blot of lightness on his throne, Forcing my sister Thamar when he feigned A sickness, sprung from root of hemous lust. I am content, then grant my lord the king Himself with all his other lords would come Up to my sheep feast on the plain of Hazor. But let my lord the king himself take pains, The time of year is pleasant for your grace, And gladsome Summer in her shady robes, Crowned with Roses and with planted flowers, With all her nymphs shall entertain my lord That from the thicket of my verdant groves, Will sprinkle honey dews about his breast, And cast sweet balm upon his kingly head, Then grant thy servants boon, and go my lord. But shall thy best beloved Ammon go? Yet do thy son and servant so much grace. We will my lord to please Uria's soul. Ill may he thrive or live in Israel, That loves not David, or denies his charge. Uria's, Here is to Abisais health, lord Joab's brother, & thy lo ving friend. Now lord Uria's, one carouse to me. Here then Uria's, once again for me, And to the health of David's children. I David's children, wilt thou pledge me man? Pledge me I say, or else thou love us not. Set up your mules, and give them well to ear, And let us meet our brother's at the feast, Accursed is the master of this feast, Dishonour of the house of Israel, His sisters slander, and his mother's shame. Shame be his share that could such ill contrive, To ravish Thamar, and without a pause To driven her shamefully from out his house, But may his wickedness find joust reward. Therefore does Absolon conspire with you, That Ammon die what time he sits to eat, For in the holy Temple have I sworn Wreak of his villainy in Thamars rape. And here he comes, bespeak him gently all, Whose death is deeply graved in my heart. Ammon, where be thy shearers and thy men, That we may pour in plenty of thy vines, And eat thy goats milk, and rejoice with thee. Die with thy draught perish and die accursed, Dishonour to the honour of us all, Die for the villainy to Thamar done, Unworthy thou to be Kings David's son. Exit Absa. Father I have offended Israel, I have offended David and his house, For Thamars wrong hath Absolon misdone, But David's heart is free from sharp revenge, And Joab hath God grace for Absalon. David is gone, and Absolon remains, Flowering in pleasant spring time of his youth, Why lives Absalon, and is not honoured Of Tribes and Elders, and the mightiest ones, That round about his Temples he may wear Garlands and wreaths set on with reverence, That every one that hath a cause to plead, Might come to Absolon, and call for right? Then in the gates of Zion would I fit, And publish laws in great Jerusalem, And not a man should live in all the land, But Absolon would do him reasons endue, Therefore I shall address me as I may, To love the men and Tribes of Israel. Now you that were my father's concubines, Liquour to his enchased and lustful fire, Have seen his honour shaken in his house, Which I possess in sighed of all the world. I bring you forth for soils to my renown, And to eclipse the glory of your King, Whose life is with his honour fast enclosed Within the entrails of a Ieatie cloud, Whose dissolution shall pour down in showers The substance of his life and swelling pride: Then shall the stars light earth with rich aspects, And heaven shall burn in love with Absalon, Whose beauty will suffice to chased all mists, And cloth the suns sphere with a triple fire, Sooner then his clear eyes should suffer stain, Or be offended with a lowering day. Into your bowers you daughters of Disdain, Got by fury of unbridled lust, And wash your couches with your mourning tears, For grief that David's kingdom is decayed. Amasa no, but let thy martial sword Empty the pains of David's armed men, And let these foolish women escape our hands To recompense the shame they have sustained. First Absolon was by the Trumpets found Proclaimed through Hebron King of Israel, And now is set infaire Jerusalem With complete state, and glory of a crown. Fifty fair footmen by my chariot run, And to the air whose rupture rings my fame, Where ere I ride they offer reverence. Why should not Absolon, that in his face Carries the final purpose of his God, That is, to work him grace in Israel, Endeavour to achieve with all his strength, The state that most may satisfy his joy, Keeping his statutes and his covenants pure, His thunder is entangled in my hair, And with my beauty is his lightning quenched, I am the man he made to glory in, When by the errors of my father's sin, He lost the path that led into the land, Wherewith our chosen ancestors were blessed. What means Cusay so to greet his foe, In this the love thou shewdst to David's soul, To whose assistance thou hast vowed thy life, Why leavest thou him in this extremity. Then welcome Cusay to king Absalon, And now my lords and loving counsellors, I think it time to exercise our arms Against forsaken David and his host, Give counsel first my good Achitophel, What times and order we may best observe, For prosperous manage of these high exploits. Well hath Achitophel given his advise, Yet let us hear what Cusay counsels us, Whose great experience is well worth the ear. What says my lord to Cusaies counsel now? Then march we after Cusaies counsel all, Found trumpets through the bounds of Israel, And muster all the men will serve the King, That Absalon may glut his longing soul With sole fruition of his father's crown. Exeunt. Now for the crown and throne of Israel, To be confirmed with virtue of my sword, And writ with David's blood upon the blade, Now Jove let forth the golden firmament, And look on him with all thy fiery eyes, Which thou hast made to give their glories light, To show thou love the virtue of thy hand, Let fallen a wreathe of stars upon my head, Whose influence may govern Israel, With state exceeding all her other Kings. Fight lords and captains, that your sovereigns face May shine in honour brighter then the sun, And with the virtue of my beauteous rays, Make this fair land as fruitful as the fields, That with sweet milk and honey overflowed. God in the whissing of a pleasant wind, Shall march upon the tops of Mulberry trees, To cool all breasts that burn with any griefs, As whilom he was good to Moses men. By day the Lord shall fit within a cloud, To guide your footsteps to the fields of joy, And in the night a pillar bright as fire Shall go before you Like a second sun, Wherein the essence of his godhead is, That day and night you may be brought to peace, And never swerve from that delightsome path, That leads your souls to perfect happiness. This shall he do for joy when I am King: Then fight brave captains that these joys may fly Into your bosoms with sweet victory. Exeunt. What angry angel sitting in these shades, Hath laid his cruel hands upon my hair, And holds my body thus betwixt heaven and earth? Hath Absalon no soldier near his hand, That may untwine me this unpleasant curl, Or wound this tree that ravisheth his lord? Oh God behold the glory of thy hand, And choicest fruit of Nature's workmanship, Hang Like a rotten branch upon this tree, Fit for the axe, and ready for the fire. Since thou withholdst all ordinary help To loose my body from this bound of death, Oh let my beauty fill these senseless plam S, With sense and power to loose me from this plague, And work some wonder to prevent his death, Whose life thou madest a special miracle. Help Joab, help, Oh help thy Absalon, Let not thy angry thoughts be laid in blood, In blood of him, that sometime nourished thee, And softened thy sweet heart with friendly love, Oh give me once again my father's sighed, My dearest father, and my princely sovereign, That shedding tears of blood before his face, The ground may witness, and the heavens record, My last submission found and full of ruth. Oh Joab, Joab, cruel ruthless Joab, Herewith thou woundest thy Kingly sovereigns heart, Whose heavenly temper hates his children's blood, And will be sick I know for Absalon. Oh my deer father, that thy melting eyes Might pierce this thicket to behold thy son, Thy dearest son gor'de with a mortal dart Yet Joab pity me, pity my father, Joab, Pity his souls distress that mourns my life, And will be dead I know to hear my death. Such love, such pity Israel's God send thee, And for his love to David pity me, Ah my deer father, see thy bowels bleed, See death assault thy dearest Absalon, See, pity, pardon, pray for Absalon. See where the rebel in his glory hangs, Where is the virtue of thy beauty Absalon, Will any of us here now fear thy looks? Or be in love with that thy golden hair, Wherein was wrapped rebellion gainst thy sire, And cords prepared to stop thy father's breath? Our captain Joab hath begun to us, And heres and end to thee, and all thy sins. Come let us take the beauteous rebel down, And in some ditch amids this darksome wood, Bury his bulk beneath a heap of stones, Whose stony heart did hunt his father's death. What boots it Absalon, unhappy Absalon, Sighing I say what boots it Absalon, To have disclosed a far more worthy womb Say, I thy brother will revenge that cause.