would, with all the strictness of truth, debase them even to an air of romance; whereas, in the present management, the writer's end is fully answered, by a fhort account of the effects of this converfation upon the heart of a pious, an intelligent, and heroic youth. We now behold this part of the facred history in more than all the dignity of a noble pourtrait; in which David, bending to his prince, and laying the head of his fierceft foe at his feet, appears in the faireft light, and noblest attitude, that ever youthful hero was drawn in. Hard indeed would it be to paint out the congenial joy, the glowing gladness of Jonathan's generous heart, upon the fuccefs of fo much piety and virtue; and as hard, perhaps, to fhew the fecret workings of Saul's growing envy, under all the outward semblance of complacence and applause. Sure I am, the subject hath both dignity and difficulty enough to exercife, and perhaps to exhauft, the skill of the nobleft artist that ever adorned the profeffion.

BUT, however that may be, the friendship of David and Jonathan, fo fuddenly conceived, and so strongly cemented from that moment,

moment, is matter of just admiration with all thinking men, and feems to have fomething in it far transcending the ordinary course of human affections; or, to speak more plainly, feems to have been very peculiarly appointed and raised by Providence, for the preservation of David *.

ONE circumstance of this friendship ought not, I think, to be omitted; and that is, that when Jonathan and David made a covenant, Jonathan ftript himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his fword, and to his bow, and to his girdle. Whether this might not have given rise to that custom which hath obtained among the eastern monarchs, of presenting fwords and vests, as marks of favour and esteem, is submitted to the reader.

BUT it is time we now return to clear fome difficulties that have embaraffed this part of the facred text.

*This friendship is thus fet forth in the facred text: The foul of Jonathan was knit with the foul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own foul. And again : Jonathan and David made (or, as it is in the Hebrew, cut) a covenant, because he loved him as his own foul.

WHEN

WHEN David was recommended to Saul, he was recommended as a man prudent and valiant; whereas, when he was going against Goliah, fome years after, he is called, in the facred text, a youth, and a stripling.

I ANSWER: That the first part of this objection hath been already removed, by fhewing, that altho' David was then very young, yet the occafion required that his age and character should then be raised as much as poffible (See pag. 32, 33.): Whereas, both when he was going against a giant, and returning from the conqueft, nothing was more natural than to depress both, as much as poffible: the first, in order to diffuade him from fo desperate an attempt; on the success of which, not only his own fafety, but also the fafety and honour of his country depended: and the second was as natural, when he had fucceeded, to raise the glory of his conqueft, by the oppofition of his youth to Goliah's established strength; in comparison of whom, he was, in truth, but a ftripling. So that the words youth and Stripling are here comparative terms. David had now, in all probability, not exceeded his twenty-second year; and we know it is E

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common, in our own language, to call perfons of that age boys and children, when compared with men of more years and experience; and it is evident from the text, that Goliah himfelf confidered him in the fame light.

THERE is yet another difficulty, seemingly greater. When David returned from the flaughter of the Philiftine, Saul enquired who he was: which implied, he knew him not; and Abner could not tell him. This seems ftrange, confidering that David had refided fo long and fo lately at court, and was in a good degree of favour with Saul. But, after all, the difficulty is not very great: Abner might have been absent from court during the greater part of David's refidence there; or, if he were present, might have little relish for David's mufick; and, confequently, taken little notice of him. Befides, David had now been absent from court for a year or two: and they that are acquainted with courts, will be little furprized to find men forgotten there in lefs time, who were more confiderable than David under the character of a good harper, or of Saul's armour-bearer.

BESIDES

BESIDES all this, one or two years growth of David's beard and ftature *, added to the influence of the weather upon his complexion, and the roughness of his shepherd's habit, might make a confiderable change in his perfon and appearance, and sufficiently disguise him to a man lefs difturbed in his understanding than Saul.

As there is something very remarkable both in the manner and the event of David's combat with Goliah, I hope I shall be forgiven, if I fhut up this head with a short relation of a like combat, recorded by Curtius (1. 9. c. 7.); and the only one (except that of the Epean and Ætolian, mentioned by Strabo +) I know of, in all the accounts of antiquity, that hath any resemblance to it.

* When he was first recommended to Saul as a valiant man, he had then, probably, attained to the ordinary fize of men, which is not uncommon at eighteen: he was now tall enough to be fitted by Saul's armour, and we know Saul's fize exceeded; this might make a confiderable change in his appearance, tho' ftill in the bloom of youth.

+ Lib. 8. pag. 548. edit. Amftelod. apud J. Wolters,

1707.