Chapter VIII: Act I: A field in Bethlehem, near the home of JESSE

(_Enter_ ELIAB, _polishing his sword. He practices fighting an imaginary enemy. Presently he turns and calls._)

ELIAB:
Ho, David, tend my sheep for me;
I make me ready to fight the Philistines.
And see thou that no lion enter in,
Else 'twill go hard with thee.

(_The sounds of a shepherd's pipe, or of a harp are heard, receding in the distance._ JESSE _enters and speaks mildly and with remonstrance._)

JESSE:
My son, this night the first new moon arises of the new year;
My son, this night we feast,
And make our sacrifices on God's altar.
My son, first be thou reconciled with thy brother David.

ELIAB (_impatiently_): I have done him no wrong.

JESSE:
Thou and thy brothers are too harsh with him.
He is a tender lad; be thou more gentle.
(_Lays hand on_ ELIAB'S _arm._)

ELIAB (_shaking off hand_): He is a babe, fit only to tend sheep.

JESSE: Where hast thou sent him?

ELIAB: To the hillside, away from Bethlehem.

JESSE: Where are thy brothers?

ELIAB: They make them ready to fight the Philistines.

JESSE: Who tendeth their sheep?

ELIAB (_sullenly_): David.

JESSE (_with mild sarcasm_):
And if a bear or a lion attack the flocks,
The little David is alone;
While his brave brothers abide here in safety.
_He_ perchance fighteth, while they make them _ready._

ELIAB (_sneers_):
Thou ever didst make much of David.
The very name of "David" means "beloved."

JESSE:
Nay, all my sons are equal in my love.
But David--he is indeed a gentle lad.
(_He turns as though to go out. Left._)

(_The_ PROPHET SAMUEL _enters slowly from the right._)

ELIAB:
My father, who comes there?
Nay, _there_, through the budding barley?
The old man with so lofty a bearing?

JESSE: Mine eyes are dim. (_He shades them and peers out.
Suddenly he speaks._)

My son, it is the prophet Samuel.

What can his coming bode of good or evil?
Haste, haste, my son.

(_They advance to meet the prophet, bowing low._)

JESSE:
O Samuel, O mouthpiece of the Lord,
Comest thou in peace to Bethlehem?

SAMUEL: In peace!

JESSE: Make us to know thy will.

SAMUEL: Thou art Jesse, the Bethlehemite?

JESSE: Thou hast said it.

SAMUEL:
I am the mouthpiece of the most high God.
For the Lord spake unto me, saying:
Mourn not over King Saul;
For I repent me that I made Saul king over Israel.
Fill thine horn with oil and go;
I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite;
For I have provided me a king among his sons.

JESSE: _A king!_

ELIAB: _A king!!_

JESSE:
Eliab, wind thy horn and call thy brothers;
And bid thy sister bring both meat and wine
To set before our guest.

(ELIAB _runs out to the left, winding his horn. He passes several of his brothers who are entering, and points out the prophet._ JESSE _motions_ SAMUEL _to a seat in the center._ SAMUEL _sits. The_ DAUGHTER _of_ JESSE _enters with food and drink, which_ SAMUEL _rejects._)

SAMUEL:
And now make thou thy sons to pass before me,
That I may choose.

(ELIAB _enters with other brothers._ ABINADAB _slips beside his sister and eats the food. The_ DAUGHTER _stands beside her father, at right of_ SAMUEL.)

JESSE:
My sons, pass ye in order of your years,
Before this man of God.

(ELIAB _advances and kneels._ SAMUEL _rises and regards him uncertainly._)

SAMUEL: Surely the Lord's anointed is before me.

ELIAB (_triumphantly_): Ah, father, art so ready now to chide me?

SAMUEL:
Nay, pause, my son, for the Lord hath said unto me:
Look not on a man's countenance,
Nor the height of his stature;
For the Lord seeth not as man seeth.
For man looketh on the outward appearance,
But the Lord looketh on the heart.
Thy heart is proud, and thou shalt not be king.

(ELIAB _passes with hanging head to the right._ ABINADAB _advances._)

ABINADAB: And I, sir, look on me.

SAMUEL:
The Lord rejects thee,
For thou art a wine-bibber and a glutton.

(ABINADAB _swaggers defiantly over to_ ELIAB, _who grins at him._ SHAMMAH _bows low and speaks slyly._)

SHAMMAH:
Sir, if thou crown _me_ king,
I'll make thee rich in the spoils of the Philistines.

SAMUEL (_briefly_): The Lord rejects thee for a thief and robber.

(SHAMMAH _shrugs and joins others._ NATHANEEL _advances._)

NATHANEEL:
Make me king, sir,
And I will drive out the Philistines,
And all men shall bow down to the God of Israel.

SAMUEL:
The Lord rejects thee, for thou boasteth thyself,
And sayest thou canst do much,
When thou canst do little.

(NATHANEEL _passes angrily to right._ RADDAI _advances._)

RADDAI (_cunningly_):
Thou wilt anoint me, Samuel;
For lo, the Lord came unto me in the night watches,
Saying, Awake, awake, thou shalt be king of Israel.

(_The brothers stare angrily at him._)

SAMUEL: The Lord rejects thee, for thou art a liar.

(_The brothers double up with mirth._ RADDAI _joins them, shaking his fist at_ SAMUEL. OZEM _advances and bows meekly._)

OZEM:
For me, I would not be the king in Israel,
Except the Lord command.

SAMUEL (_praying_): Lord, give me light! (_Then he motions_
OZEM _away._) Thou art not the chosen one.

(OZEM _joins others._ ELIHU _advances triumphantly._)

ELIHU:
O mouthpiece of the most high God, behold _me_!
I am the last.
Anoint me, and let the oil run down to the hem of my garment!
Anoint me, for I shall be a mighty king over Israel.

DAUGHTER OF JESSE (_starting forward_):
O brother, thou hast forgotten little David. (_Turns to_ SAMUEL.)
O sir, if thou despiseth these, my brothers,
O let me show thee David. 'Tis the youngest,
And the best loved by me.

(_The brothers surge forward angrily._)

ELIAB AND OTHERS: No, no! He is a babe--a child--a--

SAMUEL (_waves them back and turns to_ JESSE):
Are all thy children here?
Or hast thou another son?

JESSE:
There remaineth yet the youngest;
And behold, he keepeth the sheep.
He is my dear-beloved.
His years are yet too tender to rule Israel.

DAUGHTER OF JESSE: O let me go and bring him!

SAMUEL:
Send and fetch him;
For we will not sit down till he come hither.

(_The_ DAUGHTER OF JESSE _starts running out toward left._)

JESSE: Nay, daughter, blow the horn till he appear. (_She blows horn._)

SAMUEL:
Speak not of his tender years;
For the Lord knoweth the times and the seasons.

(_She blows horn._)

Neither will he cause the flower to blow on the seedling;
Nor the fruit on the sapling;
Nor an old head on young shoulders.

(_She blows horn._)

(_There is a pause while all listen; then she blows again._)

DAUGHTER OF JESSE: He cometh, for I hear his harp in the distance.

(_The song is heard, beginning faintly, but growing stronger._ DAVID _enters on the last two lines._)

_Song_: "The Lord is My Shepherd," Music by S. Liddle.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul;
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

SAMUEL (_advancing to meet him_):
O sweet singer of Israel,
The Lord commandeth me, Arise, anoint him; for this is _he._

(_He raises his horn of oil._ DAVID _kneels._ SAMUEL _pours oil upon
him._)

For the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth:
And he shall give strength unto his king,
And exalt the horn of his anointed.

DAUGHTER OF JESSE (_embracing David_): O David, I _am_ glad.

JESSE: Come now to the feast.

(_All pass out but_ DAVID _and his sister. She waits for him as he stands in prayer._)

DAVID:
O God, thou hast anointed me with the oil of gladness,
Above my fellows.
I will sing a song unto thee, O God;
Upon a psaltery of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee.

(_He takes his harp and sings._)

_Song: Music, Continuation of Psalm._

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies;
Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

(_He passes slowly out while singing the last lines followed by his sister._)