glorious victories he had won, and the services he had rendered to the
nation! David's history reveals the sorrows and burdens of all kings and
rulers. Outward grandeur and power, after all, are a poor compensation
for the incessant cares, vexations, and humiliations which even the most
favored monarchs are compelled to accept,--troubles, disappointments,
and burdens which oppress both soul and body, and induce fears,
suspicions, jealousies, and animosities. Who would envy a Tiberius or a
Louis XIV. if he were obliged to carry their load, knowing well what
that burden was?

Then again the kingdom of David was afflicted with a grievous famine,
which lasted three years, decimating the people, and giving a check to
the national prosperity; and the Philistines, too, whom he thought he
had finally subdued, renewed their ancient warfare. But these calamities
were not all that the old king had to endure. A new rebellion more
dangerous even than that of Absalom broke out under Sheba, a Benjamite,
who sounded the trumpet of defiance from the mountains of Ephraim, and
who rallied under his standard ten of the tribes. To Amasa, it seems,
was intrusted the honor and the task of defending David and the tribe of
Judah, to which he belonged,--the king being alienated from Joab for the
slaying of Absalom, although it had ended that undutiful son's
rebellion. The bloodthirsty Joab, as implacable as Achilles, who had
rendered such signal services to his sovereign, was consumed with
jealousy at this new appointment, and going up to the new
general-in-chief as if to salute him, treacherously stabbed him with his
sword,--but continued, however, to support David. He succeeded in
suppressing the rebellion by intrigue, and on the promise that the city
should be spared, the head of the rebel was thrown over the wall of the
fortress to which he had retired. Even this rebellion did not end the
trials of David, since Adonijah, the heir presumptive after the death of
Absalom, conspired to steal the royal sceptre, which David had sworn to
Bathsheba he would bequeath to her son Solomon. Joab even favored the
succession of Adonijah; but the astute monarch, amid the infirmities of
age, still possessed a large measure of the intellect and decision of
his heroic days, and secured, by a rapid movement, the transfer of his
kingdom to Solomon, who was crowned in the lifetime of his father.

In all these foul treacheries and crimes within his own household