Now there was a certain man and his name was David, and his place was amongst the rulers of the land of En.
2 Though small of stature, yet was he of a fiery spirit, and the hair upon his face was as the bristles of a badger that is roused.
3 And his tongue was for ever loose and did wag itself continually, being like unto the tail of a small dog that scenteth its food from afar.
4 Now David was one of them that did come from the land of Cam, but the language of his kindred did he speak only upon occasion;
5 And at other times he did speak as the men of En, save only when he delivered him a warning unto them that would butt in; and in such case his words were those of the land of Amer.
6 Now at the time when Willi did lead out his hosts for to fight, David was the chief tax gatherer in the land of En.
7 ¶ And his name was an abomination throughout the land. Men cursed him in the market places, in the sight of the publicans he was a thing unclean, and his name stank vilely in the nostrils of the priests.
8 Verily, to love En and David both, was not thought possible by many. Only amongst the Pharisees was it not so, and these men of little mind did glorify him with a great praise.
9 ¶ Now it came to pass when the rulers of the land of En took counsel, the one with the other, concerning whether they should make them a war, there were some that did say, Let us make a war, for an honourable pledge demandeth fulfilment; nought can absolve a nation from its plighted word, and we are what we are.
10 And there were others that were the Pharisees, and they did say, Why hasten ye towards the shedding of men's blood? Better a peace that obeyeth divine precept than a war that upholdeth the word of a nation.