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THE SONG OF THE BOW

2 SAMUEL I

NOTE. This dirge for King Saul and his son, who were slain in battle, is one of the famous poems of early history. David and Jonathan had been close friends.

And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son:

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(Also he bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow behold, it is written in the book of Jasher:) The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen!

Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of 10 Askelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice.

Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain, upon you, nor fields of offerings: for there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil.

From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty.

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Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were 20 swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.

Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights; who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel.

How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places.

I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was 5 wonderful, passing the love of women.

How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!

book of Jasher probably a collection of heroic verse. Gath, Askelon : cities of the Philis'tines, who were the enemies of the Jews. Gilbo'a: a barren mountain ridge. — anointed with oil: referring to a ceremony by which a priest or a king was consecrated.

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NOTE.

PROVERBS

The following selections from the book of Proverbs show the strong moral sense and the deep insight which characterize these precepts.

Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding:

For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.

She is more precious than rubies: and all the things 15 thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.

Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.

Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.

Better is little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure and trouble therewith.

Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.

A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.

The way of the slothful man is as a hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain.

He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding.

The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.

He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.

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Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; 15 and deceive not with thy lips.

Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work.

I went by the field of the slothful, . . . And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the 20 face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. Then I saw and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction.

Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

So shall thy poverty come as one that traveleth; and thy want as an armed man.

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CLEOPATRA AND HER BARGE

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

NOTE. The play of "Antony and Cleopatra," from which these lines are taken, was founded upon Plutarch's story, which Shakespeare followed with scrupulous fidelity. Cleopatra, queen of Egypt, was a fascinating woman whose charm few could resist. Mark Antony, going to make war

5 with the Parthians, commanded Cleopatra to appear before him to answer the charge that she had aided Cassius and Brutus in their war against him. Cleopatra, remembering the effect her beauty had produced upon Julius Cæsar and the younger Pompey, thought that she might venture to make light of this command. Accordingly she arrayed herself in sumptuous 10 fashion and took her barge with all dignity. "So that," says Plutarch, "in the end there ran such multitudes of people one after another to see her, that Antony was left posted alone in the market place." The lines here quoted are spoken by a friend of Antony, Enobarbus, who evidently shares Antony's admiration for the charming queen.

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The barge she sat in, like a burnished throne,
Burned on the water: the poop was beaten gold;
Purple the sails, and so perfumèd that

The winds were love-sick with them: the oars were

silver,

20 Which to the tune of flutes kept stroke, and made
The water which they beat to follow faster,

As amorous of their strokes. For her own person,
It beggared all description: she did lie

In her pavilion-cloth-of-gold of tissue25 O'er-picturing that Venus where we see

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