344 THE KING'S MIRROR 



LXVI 



SOLOMON'S JUDGMENT IN THE CASE OF ADONIJAH 

 AND HIS FOLLOWERS 



Son. Now I wish to ask you why Solomon caused his 

 brother Adonijah to be put to death for requesting 

 Abishag to be his wife. 



Father. Adonijah had earlier, as you may have heard, 

 led an uprising against his father. When David had be- 

 come an aged man and was very decrepit because of his 

 many years, Adonijah appointed himself to be king 

 without his father's knowledge, and made a festive 

 banquet as newly consecrated king. He sent heralds 

 running through the streets with pipes and drums to 

 proclaim throughout the city that Adonijah was now 

 the king. The chief men who were with him in this 

 plot were Joab, David's chief captain and his kinsman, 

 and Abiathar the bishop, and many other lords. But 

 when Zadoc the bishop, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah 

 the captain, and Bathsheba the queen came as if in 

 deep sorrow to tell David what great undertakings 

 were hidden from him, he remained silent for some time 

 but sighed heavily. At last he spoke as from a heart full 

 of grief and said: " My sons are not minded like me, 

 for I served King Saul many days, though he sought 

 after my life. And yet God had chosen me to be king, 

 for He was angry with King Saul; but I awaited the 

 judgment of God by which he would be deprived of 

 his kingdom; but I would not condemn him, though he 

 was mine adversary. Now my son has done that to me 

 which I would not do to mine enemy. But because 



