THE KING'S MIRROR 347 



fpr his misdeeds, lest the curse be forever upon his head 

 which he incurred when he cursed me an innocent man. 

 Let kinship temper your wrath against your brother 

 Adonijah, if you see that he regrets his treasonable up- 

 rising against his father. Remember that the bishop 

 Abiathar lost his father and all his kinsmen, because he 

 gave me food, when I came to Nob a fugitive from the 

 face of King Saul. Abiathar deserves well for this, too, 

 that he followed me and bore the ark of God before me, 

 when I fled from the face of your brother Absalom. But 

 do not forget to give him a reminder to repentance for 

 joining your brother Adonijah in treasonable designs 

 against me, lest this offence should follow him to his 

 death. Be manly, strong, and severe, but with modera- 

 tion. Do the will of God in all things, and both temporal 

 and eternal joys shall be added to you." * 



Then said David to Zadoc the bishop and Nathan 

 the prophet: " Go now and prepare a banquet and 

 lead King Solomon into my hall and let him sit in my 

 high-seat amid festive joys." And they did everything 

 as David bade them. But when Adonijah's feast was 

 ended, the guests heard singing and piping and all forms 

 of merriment, as if a new joy had come into the city. 

 When Adonijah asked what the merry-making signi- 

 fied, whether the rejoicing was in his honor or new 

 tidings had come, it was told him that David had him- 

 self given Solomon his title and all the royal honors and 

 had chosen him to be king; and that Solomon was al- 

 ready hallowed as king and sitting upon David's throne 



* Cf. I Kings, ii, 1-11. In the Biblical story David's charge to Solomon comes 

 after the day of Solomon's accession, and not, as the author has it, during the 

 day. 



