s

engaging countenance); “ for, not long ago, as I kept my father's flock, as hungry lion rushed from a thicket, and carried off a lamb. Although unarmed, I inftantly pursued him, and rescued the bleating animal from his favage gripe: upon which he turned to attack me, when I seized him by the beard, and, having overpowered him by dint of strength and refolution, flew him. A bear, likewise, upon another day, feized one of my flock, and I vanquifhed him with the fame ease. Thy fervant, O king! flew both the lion and the bear; and God, in whofe ftrength I go to meet this uncircumcifed Philiftine, will, I trust, enable me to vanquish him with the fame facility I did the two wild beasts. He who delivered me out of their power, can likewife deliver me out of his.'

David appearing thus refolute, Saul armed him with his own warlike accoutrements, and permitted him to meet the Philistine: but the armour proving cumberfome to the young hero, he laid it afide; and taking his ftaff in his hand, went to a neighbouring brook, from whence he chofe five smooth ftones, which he put into his fcrip; and with these and his fling only, advanced towards his gigantic adverfary.

Goliath feeing David approach with fuch trivial weapons, and the bearer of them fuch a ftripling, he condemned and ridiculed him, faying, "Am I a dog, that thou comest against me with ftaves?" After which he curfed him by his gods. But the fon of Jeffe, not in the leaft intimidated, marched boldly on, and, as he came near him, thus faid: "Thou comeft towards me with a sword, a spear, and a fhield; but I meet thee in the name of the Lord of Hofts, the God of the armies of Ifrael, whom thou haft defied; and this day will he most affuredly deliver thee into my hands, and the whole of the army to which thou belongest also into the hands of my countrymen; and we will give your carcafes to the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the world might know there is a God in Ifrael, who faveth not with the fword and the fpear, but by his mighty power."

Having faid this, David moved on; and taking one of the pebbles from his fcrip, flung it with so much strength and dexterity, that it entered the forehead of the vaunting Philiftine, and, finking deep into his skull, brought his gigantic body to the ground, As foon as he fell, his conqueror took the fword

fword which belonged to him, having brought none of his own, and with it fevered the head from the body.

The Philiftines no fooner faw that their champion, whom they thought invincible, was overcome, than they were ftruck with a sudden panic, and fled with great precipitation. The Ifraelitish army, taking advantage of their difmay, fell inftantly upon them, and having totally overthrown them, pursued them, with very great flaughter, into their own dominions. Thus, by the unexpected, but providential, interference of this young fhepherd, was Saul delivered from the adverfaries he had lately fo much dreaded.

From that moment, a friendship, founded on a fimilarity of temper and manners, took place between David and Jonathan the fon of king Saul, a young man of the most amiable difpofition and virtuous fentiments. "The foul of Jonathan," as emphatically expreffed in Sacred Writ, was knit with the foul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own foul." And fo rapid was the progrefs of this intellectual union, that the very day after the battle, they entered into a folemn covenant with each other, as a confirmation

of his fincerity, in which Jonathan presented his new friend with the robe he then wore, together with all his habiliments, even to his fword, his bow, and his girdle;-gifts esteemed the fureft token of cordial affection.

The friendship of Nyfus and Euryalus, which the pen of Virgil has immortalized, does not appear to have been more fincere or more fervent than that which now fubfifted between Jonathan and David. And on every occasion, where the former could promote the interest of the latter, or foften the refentment which was foon after generated in the bofom of his father against him, he did it with the utmost alacrity, and with unabated perfeverance.

The war being thus happily concluded, Saul would not permit the conqueror of Goliath to return to his paftoral employment, but took him with him; and having conferred many favours upon him, appointed him to a poft of confiderable importance in his armies.

But the unhappy difpofition of the king did not fuffer this pleafing reverfe of David's fortune to remain long undisturbed: for, even while the army marched back from the over

throw

throw of the Philiftines, Saul became exafperated against him, through an incident which arofe from his merit, and the esteem he was held in by the people.

According to the cuftom of thofe times, the women came out of the cities and towns near which the troops paffed, to welcome their victorious defenders. Upon these occafions they fung refponfively the martial deeds of thofe whom they thus honoured, accompanying their voices with their cymbals, tabrets, and other inftruments of mufic. Unfortunately for David, they afcribed to him, in their fongs, the greatest degree of merit, faying, "Saul has flain his thousands, and David his ten thoufands."

This partiality in favour of David, excited in the breast of Saul a jealousy, which was never after eradicated. From thence forward he beheld him with an envious eye; and he took every step in his power, without drawing on himself the cenfure of the people, to bring about his deftruction. Instead of beftowing his eldest daughter Merab upon him, agreeable to a proclamation he had caused to be iffued out when the gigantic Philistine daily infulted him, she was given to another;