them, and Samuel said
there was not he that he would have. Then he said that there was no
more, save one which was youngest and yet a child, and kept sheep in the
field. And Samuel said: Send for him, for I shall eat no bread till he
come. And so he was sent for and brought. He was ruddy and fair of
visage and well favored, and Samuel arose, and took an horn with oil and
anointed him in the middle of his brethren. And forthwith the spirit of
our Lord came directly in him that same day and ever after. Then Samuel
departed and came into Ramah. And the spirit of our Lord went away from
Saul and an evil spirit oft vexed him. Then his servants said to him:
Thou oft art vexed with an evil spirit, it were good to have one that
could harp, to be with thee when the spirit vexeth thee, thou shalt bear
it the lighter. And he said to his servants: Provide ye to me such one.
And then one said: I saw one of Jesse's sons play on a harp, a fair
child and strong, wise in his talking and our Lord is with him. Then
Saul sent messages to Jesse for David, and Jesse sent David his son
with a present of bread, wine, and a kid, to Saul. And always when the
evil spirit vexed Saul, David harped tofore him and anon he was eased,
and the evil spirit went his way.

After this the Philistines gathered them into great hosts to make war
against Saul and the children of Israel, and Saul gathered the children
of Israel together and came against them in the vale of Terebinthe. The
Philistines stood upon the hill on that other part, and the valley was
between them. And there came out of the host of the Philistines a great
giant named Goliath of Gath; he was six cubits high and a palm, and a
helmet of brass on his head, and was clad in a habergeon. The weight of
his habergeon was of five thousand shekels of weight of metal. He had
boots of brass on his calves, and his shoulders were covered with plates
of brass. His glaive was as a great colestaff, and there was thereon six
shekels of iron, and his squire went tofore him and cried against them
of Israel, and said they should choose a man to fight a singular battle
against Goliath, and if he were overcome the Philistines should be
servants to Israel, and if he prevailed and overcame his enemy, they of
Israel should serve the Philistines, and thus he did cry forty days
long. Saul and the children of Israel were sore afraid. David was at
this time in Bethlehem with his father, and kept sheep, and three of his