their affection to their country. And would they have scrupled, or thought it dishonourable, to have sacrificed some personal obligations to an avowed enemy of it, when such sacrifice was necessary to its preservation and safety? But it is possible, that if David had continued with the Philistine army, he might not have been reduced to the necessity of employing his arms against either his country or the Philistines. May we not suppose, that before the engagement David might have proposed terms of peace in order to prevent it? Might he not have told Achish, that notwithstanding his personal obligations to him, he had none to the Philistines in general, and therefore could not stand still and see his countrymen destroyed by the Philistine forces? that unless they would give over the expedition, he should think himself obliged to join the army of Saul, and do his utmost to prevent their destruction? And would not this have been acting like a man of honour, a lover of his country, and been consistent with any gratitude that he owed to Achish for his protection? This I think I may safely affirm, that it is in all views of policy impossible that, as Mr. B. asserts, he could have fought under the standard of the Philistine princes against the Israelites. For as he had in immediate view the throne of Israel, had he fought in the Philistine army against his own nation, it must have irritated all the tribes of Israel against him, and, according as Achish wished, made all his people abhor him for ever; whereby he would have cut off every possible prospect of succeeding to the crown. But David was too prudent a man to take such a step; and if Achish endeavoured, by forcing him into his camp, to ensnare and ruin him with his own nation, as he well knew the intention of Achish, he had a right to guard against it, to counteract policy by policy, and though obliged think it is lawful for him to follow a friend, when he endeavours to make war upon his country." Id. de Amic. c. 12. And to mention a modern noble instance: The brave Gustavus Erickson, unwilling to injure Banner, his generous protector, or violate the sacred rights of friendship, gratitude, and hospitality, yet in any events judged, and judged heroically too, that obligations to the public, and duty to one's country, ought to supersede all the ties of private affection. And upon this principle he acted. See Univ. Mod. Hist. vol. xxxiii. p. 115. And there is no rule of conduct more incontestable and rational, than that where two real obligations interfere with one another, so that if one be regarded the other must be superseded, the obligation of lesser importance must give way to that which is greater. to give an answer, to give him such a one as should leave himself at liberty to act as prudence and duty should direct him. And finally, had he turned his arms against the Philistines, he might have shown his gratitude to Achish without injuring his country, by affording him protection in his turn, and securing his person, and the lives of many of his people, had the Israelites been victorious in the engagement. However, Achish had such an opinion of his interest in David's friendship, that he took his answer in good part, and concluding that he was entirely gained over to his interest, and the more effectually to secure and encourage him, promises him, I will make you keeper of my head for ever. You shall be always near me, and have the charge of my person. David made no reply, but kept himself entirely upon the reserve, without disclosing the real sentiments of his mind. He followed Achish with his forces, who marched into the territories of the Hebrews, and encamped at Shunem, in the tribe of Naphthali; whilst Saul, with his army, pitched their tents on the famous mountains of Gilboa. CHAP. XVI. Saul's consultation with the witch of En-dor. WHEN Saul had surveyed the forces of his enemies from the hill where he was encamped, he found them much more numerous than his own; as they had probably the assistance of several of the neighbouring states and princes, who willingly joined the Philistines as auxiliaries in this expedition, either for the sake of plunder, or because they had been hired by them for the service. Saul was extremely surprised and terrified at the dangerous situation in which he found himself, seeing, as Josephuss explains it, how unable he was to oppose an army so greatly superior to his own, and probably apprehensive that this engagement would prove fatal to him. What aggravated his terror was, that though now he earnestly desired the direction and assistance of the God of Israel, he saw himself quite deserted by him, and in every method by which God usually conveyed his will to those who inquired of him, entirely disappointed. Abiathar, the high priest who escaped the massacre of his father and family, attended David s Ant. Jud. VI. xiv. 2. Deut. xviii. with the pontifical ephod, so that he could not receive any answer from God by Urim. The prophets of God had forsaken him, as he had shown his contempt of them, and once and again refused to obey the orders God had given him by their ministration; and though he ardently wished it, he had nothing suggested to himself or others by any dreams or visions of the night, how he was to act, or what was likely to be his fate. As all these resources failed him, he at length bethought him of Samuel, his former friend, by whom he had been anointed king over Israel, and who, if he could consult him, he hoped would give him that information he needed, and assist him by his counsel in this deep exigency of his affairs. He immediately resolved to try the experiment, and see if he could not conjure up the soul of the deceased prophet, and learn by him what God refused to inform him of. An attempt as absurd as impious, and which completed the measure of the iniquities of this unhappy prince; herein acting like the haughty impatient queen of the heathen gods: Flectere si nequeo superos, Acheronta movebo. VIRG. Æn. VII. 312. God had expressly forbidden that any consultor with familiar Lev. xx. 27. spirits, or necromancer, who inquired of the dead, should be permitted amongst his people, and as they were an abomination to him, commanded them to be put to death; and Saul himself, xxviii. 3,9 probably by the advice of Samuel, or in conformity to the law, J Sam. had ordered an inquisition to be made against them, and cut off as many of them as he could find. But such was the impatience and anxiety of his mind, that he now ordered some of his attendants to seek him out one of those women that pretended to have a familiar spiritt, that he might go to and thy, a woman that hath a signifies a bottle, and is transferred raising up the dead, or converse with familiar spirits, whose oracles they delivered as from their bellies, inflated or swelled, as they would have it thought, by some divine energy or power that possessed them, and who were called by the Greeks ἐγγαστρί vooi, ventriloqui, persons who spoke in or by the belly. Thus Josephus explaining Saul's order says, Żŋŋθῆναι δ ̓ αὐτῷ κελεύει γύναιόν τι τῶν ἐγγαστριμύθων, καὶ τὰς τῶν τεθνηκότων ψυχὰς ἐκκαλούμενον, ὡς οὕτω γνωσόμενος εἰ κατὰ νοῦν χωρεῖν αὐτῷ μελλοὶ τὰ πράγματα. Τὸ γὰρ τῶν ἐγγα inquire of her. They immediately informed him that there was such a woman at En-dor, which could not be far from Gilboa, where Saul lay encamped. Determined to consult her, he immediately put off his royal habit, and clothed himself in a quite different dress, that he might not be known to the woman, nor be seen, to his own reproach, to use and encourage those criminal arts, the dealers in which he himself had so severely punished. He left his camp, and with only two at στριμύθων γένος, ἀνάγον τὰς τῶν νεκρῶν ψυχὰς, δι ̓ αὐτῶν προλέγει τοῖς δεομένοις τὰ ἀποβησόμενα. Saul commanded that they should seek out for him one of those women that could speak out of their bellies, and call forth the souls of the dead, that by this means he might know if his affairs should succeed according to his mind. For this sort of belly-speakers can bring up the souls of the dead, and by their help can foretell futurities to those who inquire of them. Ant. VI. xiv. 2. These pretenders to call up the spirits of the deceased were not unfrequent amongst the heathens. We have an instance mentioned by Herodotus, V. 29, of Melissa, the wife of Periander, who was raised up by these dealers with the dead, and whose erdwλoy discovered the deposit that Periander was solicitous to know where it had been concealed. Thus Canidia boasted, HOR. Epod. Od. ult. So also the Thessalian witch in Lucan, VI. 592, when S. Pompeius addressed her, .... Ut certum liceat mihi noscere finem Quem belli fortuna paret .... And desired .... Vel numina torque, Vel tu parce Deis, et manibus exprime Ver. 598. verum. Tells him, that by her art she could ... ... Quos velles in actus Invitos præbere Deos. Ver. 606. And that she would Emathiis unum campis attollere corpus, Ut modo defuncti tepidique cadaveris ora Plena voce sonent. Ver. 620, &c. And Medea in Ovid boasts, Quorum ope, quum volui ... jubeoque tremiscere montes, Et mugire solum, manesque exire sepulcris. Met. VII. 199, 205. And to mention no more, Heliodorus describes an Egyptian old hag, by her incantations as twice raising up violently, against his will, her dead son, to inquire of him whether her other son was yet alive, and would return in safety to her; and as receiving for answer from him, that the son she inquired after should never return to her, and that she herself should, as she well deserved, die by the sword. Æthiop. VI. p. 293, &c. ed. Bourdelot. 1619. See also what Merse boasts of in Apuleius, Apolog. I. p. 15. It may be further observed of these sorceresses, that by speaking from their bellies they altered the natural tone of the voice, so that though they really spoke themselves, they could easily impose on those who consulted them, by making them think that they received their answers from the spirit that was conjured up. They could also so manage their voice as to make it be heard either above them, or below them, or on either side of them, down a chimney, or through a wall, as should best suit their imposture, and most effectually deceive those who applied to them; and there have been various instances of persons who have had this art of speaking out of their bellies, and by causing the sound of their words to come from different places, have greatly surprised and terrified those who have been with them, though they never pretended to the art of conjuration, or the power of conversation with the dead. 1 Sam. tendants came to the woman by night, and said to her, " Divine xxviii. 9,10. to me, I pray thee, by the familiar spirit, and bring him up to me whom I shall name to thee. The woman replied, Behold thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to be put to death? On this Saul swore by the living God that no punishment should happen to her on this account. Encouraged by this assurance of impunity, she asked him, Whom shall I bring up to thee? He answered, Bring me up Samuel. As soon as she saw the prophet, she cried out with a loud voice, and said to Saul, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul. But the king said to her, Fear not: what hast thou seen? She replied, I have seen gods ascending out of the u 2182 10p, divine unto me by the familiar spirit. So our version. DOP is a word equally used in a good and a bad sense. It signifies a sagacious or prudent man, as we render it Isa. iii. 2; and the substantive from it is rendered, Prov. xvi. 10, a divine sentence. The word signifies to divide, thence to distinguish, thence precisely and distinctly to declare; as Golius explains it, Mensura sua, modoque debito definivit; ita expendit, disposuitque et instituit negotium. Hence in a good sense it denotes a wise man, who so distinguishes things by the appearances of them, and the reason of his own mind, as to pass a proper judgment upon them, and to advise what is fit to be done in any circumstances of importance whatsoever. When used in a criminal sense it means, one who pretends to pass judgment in cases of difficulty, or with respect to future events, by illicit, deceitful methods; the cheats of sorcery, conversing with the dead, and the like, to impose on weak, credulous, and superstitious persons. See Ezek. xxii. 28. And though Saul knew that those who pretended to this art, and those who consulted them, both incurred the displeasure of God, yet he says to the woman, Divine, declare to me what I want to know by that power which possesses and fills thee, and raise up to me him whom I shall * I see 'n gods ascending out of the earth, viz. Moses and Samuel, according to Jarchi, in loc. Mr. Le Clerc renders ns by magistratum, or magistrate, because Samuel had been supreme magistrate over the Hebrews; and censures the rendering it by Oeous, gods, as the LXX have done, and our translators, because the witch pretended to see one person only. But this doth not |