es saw that their
champion was dead, they fled. And the men of Israel and of Judah
arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, to the gates of
Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way. And
the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines,
and they plundered their camp. And David took the head of the
Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armor in his
tent.

And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto
Abner, the captain of the host, "Abner, whose son is this youth?"

And Abner said, "As thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell."

And the king said, "Inquire thou whose son the stripling is."

And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took
him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in
his hand. And Saul said to him, "Whose son art thou, young man?"

And David answered, "I am the son of thy servant Jesse the
Beth-lehemite."

And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul,
that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and
Jonathan loved him as his own soul.

And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his
father's house. Then Jonathan and {394} David made a covenant, because
he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the
robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his apparel, even to
his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle. And David went out
whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set
him over the men of war, and it was good in the sight of all the
people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants.

{395}

SAUL AND DAVID

Deep was the furrow in the royal brow,
When David's hand, lightly as vernal gales
Rippling the brook of Kedron, skimm'd the lyre:
He sung of Jacob's youngest born,--the child
Of his old age,--sold to the Ishmaelite;
His exaltation to the second power
In Pharaoh's realm; his brethren thither sent;
Suppliant they stood before his face, well known,
Unknowing,--till Joseph fell upon the neck
Of Benjamin, his mother's son, and wept.
Unconsciously the warlike shepherd paused;
But when he saw, down the yet quivering string,
The tear-drop trembling glide, abash'd, he check'd,
Indignant at himself, the bursting flood,
And, with a sweep impetuous, struck the chords:
From side to side his hands transversely glance,
Like lightn