the antiquities of the jews-1-第95章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


woman　would　force　him　to　eat；　begging　this　of　him　as　a　favor　on
account　of　her　concern　in　that　dangerous　instance　of
fortune…telling；　which　it　was　not　lawful　for　her　to　have　done；
because　of　the　fear　she　was　under　of　the　king；　while　she　knew　not
who　he　was；　yet　did　she　undertake　it；　and　go　through　with　it；　on
which　account　she　entreated　him　to　admit　that　a　table　and　food
might　be　set　before　him；　that　he　might　recover　his　strength；　and
so　get　safe　to　his　own　camp。　And　when　he　opposed　her　motion；　and
entirely　rejected　it；　by　reason　of　his　anxiety；　she　forced　him；
and　at　last　persuaded　him　to　it。　Now　she　had　one　calf　that　she
was　very　fond　of；　and　one　that　she　took　a　great　deal　of　care　of；
and　fed　it　herself；　for　she　was　a　woman　that　got　her　living　by
the　labor　of　her　own　hands；　and　had　no　other　possession　but　that
one　calf；　this　she　killed；　and　made　ready　its　flesh；　and　set　it
before　his　servants　and　himself。　So　Saul　came　to　the　camp　while
it　was　yet　night。

4。　Now　it　is　but　just　to　recommend　the　generosity　of　this　woman；
（28）　because　when　the　king　had　forbidden　her　to　use　that　art
whence　her　circumstances　were　bettered　and　improved；　and　when　she
had　never　seen　the　king　before；　she　still　did　not　remember　to　his
disadvantage　that　he　had　condemned　her　sort　of　learning；　and　did
not　refuse　him　as　a　stranger；　and　one　that　she　had　had　no
acquaintance　with；　but　she　had　compassion　upon　him；　and　comforted
him；　and　exhorted　him　to　do　what　he　was　greatly　averse　to；　and
offered　him　the　only　creature　she　had；　as　a　poor　woman；　and　that
earnestly；　and　with　great　humanity；　while　she　had　no　requital
made　her　for　her　kindness；　nor　hunted　after　any　future　favor　from
him；　for　she　knew　he　was　to　die；　whereas　men　are　naturally　either
ambitious　to　please　those　that　bestow　benefits　upon　them；　or　are
very　ready　to　serve　those　from　whom
they　may　receive　some　advantage。　It　would　be　well　therefore　to
imitate　the　example　and　to　do　kindnesses　to　all　such　as　are　in
want　and　to　think　that　nothing　is　better；　nor　more　becoming
mankind；　than　such　a　general　beneficence；　nor　what　will　sooner
render　God　favorable；　and　ready　to　bestow　good　things　upon　us。
And　so　far　may　suffice　to　have　spoken　concerning　this　woman。　But
I　shall　speak　further　upon　another　subject；　which　will　afford　me
all　opportunity　of　discoursing　on　what　is　for　the　advantage　of
cities；　and　people；　and　nations；　and　suited　to　the　taste　of　good
men；　and　will　encourage　them　all　in　the　prosecution　of　virtue；
and　is　capable　of　showing　them　the　of　acquiring　glory；　and　an
everlasting　fame；　and　of　imprinting　in　the　kings　of　nations；　and
the　rulers　of　cities；　great　inclination　and　diligence　of　doing
well；　as　also　of　encouraging　them　to　undergo　dangers；　and　to　die
for　their　countries；　and　of　instructing　them　how　to　despise　all
the　most　terrible　adversities：　and　I　have　a　fair　occasion　offered
me　to　enter　on　such　a　discourse　by　Saul　the　king　of　the　Hebrews；
for　although　he　knew　what　was　coming　upon　him；　and　that　he　was　to
die　immediately；　by　the　prediction　of　the　prophet；　he　did　not
resolve　to　fly　from　death；　nor　so　far　to　indulge　the　love　of　life
as　to　betray　his　own　people　to　the　enemy；　or　to　bring　a　disgrace
on　his　royal　dignity；　but　exposing　himself；　as　well　as　all　his
family　and　children；　to　dangers；　he　thought　it　a　brave　thing　to
fall　together　with　them；　as　he　was　fighting　for　his　subjects；　and
that　it　was　better　his　sons　should　die　thus；　showing　their
courage；　than　to　leave　them　to　their　uncertain　conduct　afterward；
while；　instead　of　succession　and　posterity；　they　gained
commendation　and　a　lasting　name。　Such　a　one　alone　seems　to　me　to
be　a　just；　a　courageous；　and　a　prudent　man；　and　when　any　one　has
arrived　at　these　dispositions；　or　shall　hereafter　arrive　at　them；
he　is　the　man　that　ought　to　be　by　all　honored　with　the　testimony
of　a　virtuous　or　courageous　man：　for　as　to　those　that　go　out　to
war　with　hopes　of　success；　and　that　they　shall　return　safe；
supposing　they　should　have　performed　some　glorious　action；　I
think　those　do　not　do　well　who　call　these　valiant　men；　as　so　many
historians　and　other　writers　who　treat　of　them　are　wont　to　do；
although　I　confess　those　do　justly　deserve　some　commendation
also；　but　those　only　may　be　styled　courageous　and　bold　in　great
undertakings；　and　despisers　of　adversities；　who　imitate　Saul：　for
as　for　those　that　do　not　know　what　the　event　of　war　will　be　as　to
themselves；　and　though　they　do　not　faint　in　it；　but　deliver
themselves　up　to　uncertain　futurity；　and　are　tossed　this　way　and
that　way；　this　is　not　so　very　eminent　an　instance　of　a　generous
mind；　although　they　happen　to　perform　many　great　exploits；　but
when　men's　minds　expect　no　good　event；　but　they　know　beforehand
they　must　die；　and　that　they　must　undergo　that　death　in　the
battle　also；　after　this　neither　to　be　aftrighted；　nor　to　be
astonished　at　the　terrible　fate　that　is　coming；　but　to　go
directly　upon　it；　when　they　know　it　beforehand；　this　it　is　that　I
esteem　the　character　of　a　man　truly　courageous。　Accordingly　this
Saul　did；　and　thereby　demonstrated　that　all　men　who　desire　fame
after　they　are　dead　are　so　to　act　as　they　may　obtain　the　same：
this　especially　concerns　kings；　who　ought　not　to　think　it　enough
in　their　high　stations　that　they　are　not　wicked　in　the　government
of　their　subjects；　but　to　be　no　more　than　moderately　good　to
them。　I　could　say　more　than　this　about　Saul　and　his　courage；　the
subject　affording　matter　sufficient；　but　that　I　may　not　appear　to
run　out　improperly　in　his　commendation；　I　return　again　to　that
history　from　which　I　made　this　digression。

5。　Now　when　the　Philistines；　as　I　said　before；　had　pitched　their
camp；　and　had　taken　an　account　of　their　forces；　according　to
their　nations；　and　kingdoms；　and　governments；　king　Achish　came
last　of　all　with　his　own　army；　after　whom　came　David　with　his　six
hundred　armed　men。　And　when　the　commanders　of　the　Philistines　saw
him；　they　asked　the　king　whence　these　Hebrews　came；　and　at　whose
invitation。　He　answered　that　it　was　David；　who　was　fled　away　from
his　master　Saul；　and　that　he　had　entertained　him　when　he　came　to
him；　and　that　now　he　was　willing　to　make　him　this　requital　for
his　favors；　and　to　avenge　himself　upon　Saul；　and　so　was　become
his　confederate。　The　commanders　complained　of　this；　that　he　had
taken　him　for　a　confederate　who　was　an　enemy；　and　gave　him
counsel　to　send　him　away；　lest　he　should　unawares　do　his　friends
a　great　deal　of　mischief　by　entertaining　him；　for　that　he
afforded　him　an　opportunity　of　being　reconciled　to　his　master　by
doing　a　mischief　to　our　army。　They　thereupon　desired　him；　out　of
a　prudent　foresight　of　this；　to　send　him　away；　with　his　six
hundred　armed　men；　to　the　place　he　had　given　him　for　his
habitation；　for　that　this　was　that　David　whom　the　virgins
celebrated　in　their　hymns；　as　having　destroyed　many　ten　thousands
of　the　Philistines。　When　the　king　of　Gath　heard　this；　he　thought
they　spake　well；　so　he　called　David；　and　said　to　him；　〃As　for
myself；　I　can　bear　witness　that　thou　hast　shown　great　diligence
and　kindness　about　me；　and　on　that　account　it　was　that　I　took
thee　for　my　confederate；　however；　what　I　have　done　does　not
please　the　commanders　of　the　Philistines；　go　therefore　within　a
day's　time　to　the　place　I　have　given　thee；　without　suspecting　any
harm；　and　there　keep　my　country；　lest　any　of　our　enemies　should
make　an　incursion　upon　it；　which　will　be　one　part　of　that
assistance　which　I　expect　from　thee。〃　So　David　came　to　Ziklag；　as
the　king　of　Gath　bade　him；　but　it　happened；　that　while　he　was
gone　to　the　assistance　of　the　Philistines；　the　Amalekites　had
made　an　incursion；　and　taken　Ziklag　before；　and　had　burnt　it；　and
when　they　had　taken　a　great　deal　of　other　prey　out　of　that　place；
and　out　of　the　other　parts　of　the　Philistines'　country；　they
departed。

6。　Now　when　David　found　that　Ziklag　was　laid　waste；　and　that　it
was　all　spoiled；　and　that　as　well　his　own　wives；　who　were　two；　as
the　wives　of　his　companions；　with　their　children；　were　made
captives；　he　presently　rent　his　clothes；　weeping　and　lamenting；
together　with　his　friends；　and　indeed　he　was　so　cast　down　with
these　misfortunes；　that　at　length　tears　themselves　f