rsary, and will
go down and fight with him, and will bring him under me, as tall and as
great as he is, till he shall be sufficiently laughed at, and thy army
shall get great glory, when he shall be slain by one that is not yet of
man's estate, neither fit for fighting, nor capable of being intrusted
with the marshalling an army, or ordering a battle, but by one that
looks like a child, and is really no elder in age than a child."

3. Now Saul wondered at the boldness and alacrity of David, but durst
not presume on his ability, by reason of his age; but said he must on
that account be too weak to fight with one that was skilled in the art
of war. "I undertake this enterprise," said David, "in dependence
on God's being with me, for I have had experience already of his
assistance; for I once pursued after and caught a lion that assaulted my
flocks, and took away a lamb from them; and I snatched the lamb out of
the wild beast's mouth, and when he leaped upon me with violence, I took
him by the tail, and dashed him against the ground. In the same manner
did I avenge myself on a bear also; and let this adversary of ours
be esteemed like one of these wild beasts, since he has a long while
reproached our army, and blasphemed our God, who yet will reduce him
under my power."

4. However, Saul prayed that the end might be, by God's assistance, not
disagreeable to the alacrity and boldness of the child; and said, "Go
thy way to the fight." So he put about him his breastplate, and girded
on his sword, and fitted the helmet to his head, and sent him away. But
David was burdened with his armor, for he had not been exercised to
it, nor had he learned to walk with it; so he said, "Let this armor be
thine, O king, who art able to bear it; but give me leave to fight as
thy servant, and as I myself desire." Accordingly he laid by the armor,
and taking his staff with him, and putting five stones out of the brook
into a shepherd's bag, and having a sling in his right hand, he went
towards Goliath. But the adversary seeing him come in such a manner,
disdained him, and jested upon him, as if he had not such weapons with
him as are usual when one man fights against another, but such as are
used in driving away and avoiding of dogs; and said, "Dost thou take me
not for a man, but a dog?" To which he replied, "No, not for a dog, but
for a creature worse than a dog." This provoked Goliath to anger, who
thereupon cursed him by the name of God, a