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And at his feet until the morn she lay;
Ere one the other knew, the youthful dame
Rose up; and Boaz said,-" Now go thy way;
But let none know a woman hither came,
Lest evil tongues bring on the just foul shame;
Now hold thy veil." And he did in it pour
Of barley-corn six measures running o'er.

And she, before the people were astir,
Arrived at home. "My daughter, who art thou?".
Soon as she came, Naomi questioned her.

She told her all. "Sweet daughter, rest thee now,
And see how it will fall; the man, I trow,
Will have no rest, but his best effort spend
To bring this thing this very day to end."

Boaz sat by the gateway of the town,

And saw the other kinsman pass, and cried,-

"Ho! come and sit here ;" and the man sat down.

He called ten elders of the town beside,

And they too sat. The matter thus was tried:
To Mahlon's nearer kinsman Boaz said,—
"Naomi, who in Moab left her dead,

And is again from Moab come, doth sell
The land that was Elimelech's: wilt thou
Redeem it? if thou wilt redeem it-well;
For none beside thee has the right, I trow:
And I come after thee. Then tell me, now,
Before these Elders, wilt or wilt thou not
Maintain thy kin-right, and redeem the lot?”

"But know, in truth,
The kinsman said, "I will."
That on the day of purchase," Boaz said,
"Thou must, too, buy it at the hand of Ruth,
The Moabitess, widow of the dead,

Whose land it was, to raise up in his stead

His name thereon."

"In that case I decline

To buy it, lest I injure me and mine,"

The kinsman said; "but I resign my right
Therein to thee!" and he plucked off his shoe,
And gave it Boaz. (So they used to plight
Themselves in Israel to a contract true,
That they would this or that observe and do.)
Elders and people Boaz then addressed:
You all as witnesses I now attest,

That I have from Naomi bought to-day
What was Elimelech's; and therewithal
Ruth for my wife, in order that I may
The name of the departed one recall,
And in his heirship his own heir install;
To keep his name alive amid his race,
And in the gate of his allotted place."

And all exclaimed,-"Your witnesses are we;
And may the woman, whom thou now hast ta'en
Unto thy bosom, by the Lord's grace be
Like Rachel and like Leah, which blest twain
Built Israel's house; and be it thine to gain
Renown, and power, and riches in thy day,

They soften, sweeten not the gulf of sin,
Nor any life can dwell that gloom within;
And riches for the churl in vain increase;
They bring no true joy, cannot purchase peace;
They not a blessing but a curse fulfil;
The more they grow, they more provoke his ill.
Exceeding wealth in vain to Nabal came,-
A fool by nature as a fool by name.

-

When David fled from Saul's infuriate wrath,
And with wild beasts he took a common path,
Shunning the haunts of man in his distress,
To find his safety in the wilderness;

His young men and himself, an outcast band,
Driven forth as aliens from their father-land,
By hunger pressed, were oft compelled to roam
From the remorseless wild-their only home,
For life their necessary food to gain,

To win from pity, or from fear obtain.

From their look-out of overhanging rocks
They see the slopes of Carmel white with flocks;
The merry shearers by the pleasant cool

Of running water clip the pomp of wool;

Fresh from the stream the sheep, disburdened, bound,

And with recovered freedom frisk around.

The rich man's heart is glad; the shearing done,

His board is spread, the festival begun.

Can mortal man, with mirth and feasting glad,

Without compassion see another sad?
Fulfilled with good, and yet unapt to grant
Pity to sorrow, and relief to want?

Go to go to! to sight the fruit is good,

That brightening glows in Nabal's neighbourhood;
Those apples, like false friends that mock our trust,
Though fair without, within are full of dust.
Go! pluck and eat! a-hungered, hope to find
Pulp in that seeming fruit-and Nabal kind.
While pride of wealth his secret thought employs,
And he is busied with his festive joys,
Mirth in his eye, the wine-cup in his hand,
To Nabal come ten men of David's band,
And in their master's words
his plea:
express
"Peace to thy house, and all thou hast, and thee:
Thy sheep are shorn, and let thy shepherds tell
If any harm from David them befell;

Or, if they found aught missing from their charge,
While all thy flocks in Carmel strayed at large.
Wherefore, we ask it in a happy day,

Let us find favour in thine eyes,

I pray;

And give to us, as thou dost greatly thrive,
Whatever cometh to thy hand to give.'
And Nabal answered: "Who is David? who
The son of Jesse? men without ado

Now flee their masters, and from bondage break.
Shall I, then, of my bread and water take,
And flesh which I have for my shearers killed,
And give it you, that strangers may be filled ?"
So the ten messengers returning sped,
And told to David all that Nabal said.
Then David vowed he would that very night
Evil with evil to the full requite;

That every man in Nabal's house should die,
1-mu aku

His followers he bade, with eager tone,
Gird on their swords-and girded on his own.
Four hundred men the princely Warrior led,
When he went forth to look on Nabal dead.
Meanwhile the feastful churl, self-satisfied,
Thought less of death than any thing beside.

This churlish Nabal had a charming wife,
Graceful in person, lovely in her life;
And beautiful in conduct as in face,

She knew and did the duties of her place.
She ne'er was idle; flax and wool she sought,
And with her own hands willingly she wrought:
She rose at day-dawn with a cheerful mind,
Call'd up her handmaids, and their tasks assign'd;
Herself the spindle and the distaff plied,
And did much divers needlework beside.
Her heart was ever open to the poor;
She drove no needy person from her door.
Her household loved to hear her gentle voice,
And in her presence ever did rejoice.

The law of kindness breathed in every word,
And wisdom in her speech: she feared the Lord.
Above the price of rubies! but who got

The treasure for a treasure knew it not.

Nor

now, nor ever shall her praises failThe goodly woman's name was Abigail.

One of the young men went and told the dame
How lately messengers from David came;

And Nabal railed on them, and said, "Our charge,
Safe as in fold, in Carmel strayed at large;

And while our flocks the slopes depastured round,
In David's men a sure defence we found;
They never came on us to spoil or slay,
But were a wall to us by night and day;
Nor all the time we missed a single fleece,
While they watched round us and we slept in peace.
Against our master and his household wo
Is now determined-this for certain know;
And, if thou canst, some way of safety seek -
For to the son of Belial who can speak?"
Then Abigail (it was no time to tarry)
Bade them the asses ready make to carry
A wrath-averting gift: of wheat-flour fine

Two hundred loaves; two skins of generous wine;
Five bushels of parched corn; five roasted sheep;
Two hundred cakes of figs; and eke a heap
Of raisins, many a cluster: with their load,
The asses soon were trotting on the road.

Her train went on before, and she did follow;
And it so chanced that when she turned the hollow
Which the hill screened, lo! David and his men
Were rushing down into the quiet glen.
When she saw David, from the ass she lighted,
And bowed down, self-possessed, although affrighted,
And said in gentle tones of supplication,
Which oft will turn aside man's indignation :
"To me, my lord, I pray, incline thine ear,
And graciously thy lowly handmaid hear;
This son of Belial do not thou regard,
But let his folly be the fool's reward;
For fool he is by name, and folly still
Is with this Nabal to corrupt his will.