ingly 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