1   Forsothe it is doon after thes thingis, that Amon, the sone of Dauid, louede the sister of Absolon, the sone of Dauid, moost fayre, Thamar by name; 2   and `peyrede for hir ful myche, so that for the loue of hir he wexe sijk. The which for she was a mayde, hard to hym it semede, that eny thing vnhonestly he shulde do with hir. 3   Forsothe there was to Amon a freende, Jonadab bi name, the sone of Semaa, brother of Dauid, a ful slei&yogh; man. 4   The which seide to hym, Whi thus ert thou waastid bi leenesse, thou sone of the kyng, bi ech dai? whi shewist thou not to me? And Amon seide to hym, I loue Thamar, the sister of my brother Absolon. 5   To whom answerde Jonadab, Ly vpon thi bedde, and feyn sijknes; and whanne thi fader cometh, that he visite thee, sey to hym, Come, I preye, Thamar, my sister, that she &yogh;yue to me meet, and make sowil, that I eete of hyr hoond. 6   And so Amon laye doun, as thou&yogh; he wexe sijk. And whanne the kyng was comen to visite hym, Amon seith to the kyng, Come, I preye, Thamar, my sister, that she make in myn eyen two maner of potagis, and the meet maad redi I take of hir hoond. 7   Thanne Dauid sente to the hous of Thamar, seiynge, Go in to the hows of Amon, thi brothir, and mak to hym potage. 8   And Thamar cam into the hows of Amon, hir brothir. Forsothe he laye; the which takynge meele mengide

togidir, and meltynge in his eyen she sethide the supettis; 9   and takynge that she hadde sothen, she helte out, and sette before hym, and he wolde not eete. And Amon seide, Doo &yogh;e a wey alle men fro me. And whanne alle weren doon awey, Amon seide to Thamar, 10   Beer yn the meet in the priue chaumbre, that I eete of thin hoond. Thanne Thamar took the sewis that she hadde maad, and brou&yogh;te to Amon, hir brother, in the priue chaumbre. 11   And whanne she hadde brou&yogh;te hym meet, he cau&yogh;te hir, and seith, Come, ly with me, my sister. 12   The which answerde to hym, Wole thou not, my brother, wole thou not oppresse me, ne forsothe it is leeueful in Irael; wole thou not doo this foli. 13   Forsothe I shal not mowe bere my reproof, and thou shalt be as oon of the vnwise men in Irael; but rather spek to the kyng, and he shal not denye me to thee. 14   Forsothe he wolde not assent to the preyers of hir, but more my&yogh;ti bi strengthis oppresside hir, and laye with hir. 15   And ful haatsum Amon hadde hir with to myche greet haate, so that the haat was more, that he hatide hir, thanne the loue that he louede hir before. And Amon seide to hir, Ryse, and goo. 16   The whych answerde to hym, This yuel is more that thou now dost a&yogh;ens me, castynge me out, `than that thou didist before. 17   And he wolde not here hir; but the child clepide, that seruede to hym, he seide, Throw out this fro me, and close the dore after hir. 18   The which was clothid with a coote doun to the heele; forsothe sich maner clothis vseden the dou&yogh;tris of the kyng maydens. And so his seruaunt putte hyre out, and closide the dore after hire. 19   The which spryngynge asshen to hire heed, the heele coot

kyt, and the hoondis put on hire heed, she &yogh;ede goynge yn and criynge. 20   Forsothe Absolon, hir brother, seide to hyre, Whether Amon, thi brother, hath lyen with thee? And now, sister, hold thi pees; thi brothir he is, ne turment thin herte for this thing. And so Thamar aboode languysshynge there with ynne the hows of Absolon, hir brothir. 21   Forsothe whanne Dauid hadde herd thes wordis, he greetli sorwide, and he wolde not make sori the spirite of Amon, his sone; for he louide hym, for he was the firste goten of hym. 22   Forsothe Absolon spak not to Amon, ne yuel ne good; but Absolon hatide Amon, forthi that he hadde defoulid Thamar, his sister. 23   Forsothe it is doon after the tyme of two &yogh;eer, that the sheep of Absolon weren clippid in Baalassor, that is biside Effraym. And Absolon clepide alle the sonys of the kyng. 24   And he cam to the kyng, and seith to hym, Loo! the sheep of thi seruaunt ben clippid; come, I preye, the kyng with his seruauntis to his seruaunt. 25   And the kyng seide to Absolon, Wole thou not, sone myn, preye, wole thou not, that we comen alle, and greuen thee. Forsothe whanne he constreynede him, and wolde not come, he blesside to hym. 26   And Absolon seith to Dauid, If thou wolt not come, come algate with vs, I biseche, Amon, my brother. And the kyng seide to hym, It is no nede, that he goo with thee. 27   And so Absolon constreynede hym; and he lafte with hym Amon, and alle the sones of the kyng. And Absolon made a feest as the feest of a kyng. 28   Forsothe Absolon hadde comaundid to his children, seiynge, Weitith wel, whanne Amon were dronken with wyn, and I shal seye to &yogh;ou, Smitith hym, and sleeth. Wole &yogh;e not drede, forsothe I am that comaunde

to &yogh;ou; be &yogh;e maad stronge, and beth stronge men. 29   Thanne the children of Absolon diden a&yogh;ens Amon, as Absolon hadde comaundid to hem; and alle the sones of the kyng rysynge, eche styede vpon her mulis, and flowen. 30   And whanne &yogh;it thei wenten in the weye, fame cam fulli to Dauyd, seiynge, Absolon hath smytyn alle the sones of the kyng, and there lafte not of hem nameli oone. 31   And so the kyng roos, and kytte his clothis, and felle vpon the erthe; and alle his seruauntis that stoden ny&yogh; to hym, cutten her clothis. 32   Forsothe Jonadab, the sone of Semmaa, brother of Dauid, answerynge seide, Ne eyme, my lord the kyng, that alle the children, sones of the kyng, ben deed; Amon alone is deed, for in haat Absolon was sett, fro the day that he oppresside Thamar, his sister. 33   Now thanne, my lord kyng, sette not on his herte this word, seiynge, Alle the sones of the kyng ben slayn; for Amon aloon is deed. 34   Forsothe Absolon flei&yogh;. And the child weyter heuede vp his eyen, and bihelde, and loo! myche puple cam bi the out weye fro the side of the hil. 35   And Jonadab seide to the kyng, Loo! the sones of the kyng ben ny&yogh;; after the word of thi seruaunt, so it is doon. 36   And whanne he hadde ceside to speke, `aperiden and the sones of the kyng; and comynge yn thei rereden her vois, and wepten; but and the kyng and alle his seruauntis wepten with ful myche greet wepynge. 37   Forsothe Absolom fleynge wente to Tholamay, sone of Amyur, kyng of Gethsur. Thanne Dauid weylide Amon, his sone, manye dais. 38   Forsothe Absolon, whanne he was flowen, and comen into Gethsur, he was there thre &yogh;eer. 39   And kyng Dauid cesede to pursue Absolon, forthi that he was coumfortid vpon the deeth of Amon.

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