ÆäÀÌÁö À̹ÌÁö
PDF
ePub

"Saul and the men of Ifrael were ga"thered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and fet the battle in array, against the Philiftines. And the Philif"tines ftood on a mountain on the one

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

fide, and Ifrael stood on a mountain on "the other, and there was a valley between

them." Fancy herself could not have imagined any thing more picturesque; nor could any martial fkill have made a more aweful arrangement. The next circumftance is as interefting as unexpected :: "And there went out a champion out of "the camp of the Philiftines, named Go"liah of Gath." The defcription of this man is every way fuited to alarm; and I will be bold to fay, far tranfcends in equipment the heroes of Homer himfelf. I fub. mit it to all the poetical enthufiafts.

[ocr errors]

His

height was fix cubits and a span: he had "an helmet of brafs upon his head, and

[ocr errors]

was five thousand

was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat "fheckles of brafs." rupt the narrative, to

I must here interobferve, with what

skill we are told of the ftrength of Goliah. It is not mentioned in the ordinary way, by a recital of his former atchievments, but it is implied by the prodigious burthen. he was able to bear upon his back; for, befides that," the head of his fpear weigh"ed fix hundred fhekles of iron," "the weight of his coat was five thousand "fhekles of brass." But to go on.

[ocr errors]

"And he had greaves of brafs of brass upon his "legs, and a target of brafs between his "shoulders: and the staff of his fpear was "like a weaver's beam; and his fpear's "head weighed fix hundred fhekles of "iron; and one bearing a fhield, went "before him." The terror and confternation with which this gigantic appearance muft ftrike the fpectators, is much easier conceived than it can be defcribed. All must have been fufpenfe, and filent agitation-the Ifraelites must look at the man of Gath, with difmay; and the Philistines. must have viewed their warrior as the tremendous tower of their strength. His addrefs

drefs to the armies of the adverfe party, could only ferve to heighten their apprehenfions, for he defied the whole force of Ifrael, and thirfted for war, as if it were an appetite in him: "Give me a man (faid "he), give me a man, that we may fight "together." What a fanguinary fentence ! it fmacks of blood and of dispatch: it fhews at once, an eagerness to destroy, and to feize a fecond victim. Even Saul was daunted at the challenge, and in all the tribes of embattled Ifrael (amongst which were the brothers of David) there could not be found a man to accept it. The unrivalled Philiftine, in all the arrogance of fuperiority and triumph, repeated the challenge, morning and evening, for forty days. About this time, young David was dispatched by his father Jeffe to carry provifions to his brethren in the camp; for this office he was called up from the paftoral employment of tendence on the flocks. These, he left to the care of another keep. er, and went, as he had been commanded; "And he came to the trench as the armies

" of

"of the hoft were going forth to the fight, "and were fhouting for the battle: for "Ifrael and the Philistines had put the bat"tle in array, army against army."

The ftripling could not have arrived in a more critical time, nor at any more likely to awake in him the fparks of glory, efpecially as his brethren were all engaged in the caufe. He had fcarce finished the first falutations with his brethren, before another matter fell out wonderfully well calculated to kindle the flame of honour; for, while he was converfing with his brethren, there came up the Philiftine of Gath again, and, with additional infolence, announced his defiance. The Ifraelites were fore afraid and ingloriously fled. David's brethren, then, related to him, the former menace of Goliah, and the promises of reward which the king offered to any man who should kill him that the houfe of the conqueror's father was to be free, and the victor himfelf, to have great riches, and the hand of the king's daughter. How finely is the

nature

nature of envy and warlike ambition touched in the conduct of David's brother, when the lad firft fhewed the dawnings of his fpirit and this is carried ftill higher, when Saul himself expreffes, afterwards, the jealoufy of his heart, at his being called only the Slayer of Thousands, while to David's arm the women afcribed victory over Tens of Thoufands. But of this in its place. Some strokes of emulation there were in David's difcourfe, which foon reached the ear of the general, and which procured him an immediate interview. Courage is no respecter of perfons: the young man is reprefented as speaking to Saul, with even more intrepidity than he fpake to his brethren. In the first part of his conversation he addreffes him upon the fubject, with all the ardour of a glowing and independent fpirit. He said: "Let no man's heart "fail him, because of this Goliah; thy "fervant, will go and fight with the Phi"liftine." Modeft, but glorious: thy fervant will, at least, go and fight with this prefumptuous boafter. It was natural for

Saul

« ÀÌÀü°è¼Ó »