to be king during David's life. For which
cause Bathsheba and Nathan came to David, and tofore them he said that
Solomon should be king, and ordained that he should be set on his mule
by his prophets Nathan, Zadok the priest and Benaiah, and brought in to
Sion. And there Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed him
king upon Israel and blew in a trump and said: Live the King Solomon.
And from thence they brought him into Jerusalem and set him upon his
father's seat in his father's throne, and David worshipped him in his
bed, and said: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel that hath suffered me
to see my son in my throne and seat And then Adonijah and all they that
were with him were afeared, and dreading Solomon ran away, and so ceased
Adonijah. The days of David approached fast that he should die, and did
do call Solomon before him, and there he commanded him to keep the
commandments of our Lord and walk in his ways, and to observe his
ceremonies, his precepts and his judgments, as it is written in the law
of Moses, and said: Our Lord confirm thee in thy reign, and send to thee
wisdom to rule it well. And when David had thus counselled and
commanded him to do justice and keep God's law, he blessed him and died,
and was buried with his fathers. This David was an holy man and made the
holy psalter, which is an holy book and is contained therein the old law
and the new law. He was a great prophet, for he prophesied the coming of
Christ, his nativity, his passion, and resurrection, and also his
ascension, and was great with God, yet God would not suffer him to build
a temple for him, for he had shed man's blood. But God said to him, his
son that should reign after him should be a man peaceable, and he should
build the temple to God. And when David had reigned forty years king of
Jerusalem, over Judah and Israel, he died in good mind, and was buried
with his fathers in the city of David.

THE SONG OF DAVID

He sang of God, the mighty source
Of all things, the stupendous force
On which all strength depends;
From whose right arm, beneath whose eyes,
All period, power, and enterprise
Commences, reigns, and ends.

The world, the clustering spheres he made,
The glorious light, the soothing shade,
Dale, champaign, grove, and hill:
The multitudinous abyss,
Where secrecy remains in bliss,
And wisdom hides her skill.

Tell them, I AM, Jehovah said
To Moses: while Earth heard in dread,
And, smitten to