Ammon, one of our hero's sons, ravished his sister Tamar, and then turned her out of doors.* Absalom, her brother by the same mother, seemingly took no notice of it, until two years after; when he invited all his brothers to a feast at his sheep-shearing; where he made Amnon drunk, and murdered him** in so deliberate, and yet so determined was his revenge! Absalom on this account, fled out of Judea, for three years*** until, at the entreaty of Joab, he was invited home again by his father, whose favourite he was.**** But though he returned to Jerusalem, yet would not his father see him for two years more.(5) Absalom, during his exile, conceived a design of deposing his father; for after their reconciliation, his first attention was to render himself popular. To this end he set up a splendid equipage:(6) but politically increased his affability with his magnificence: rising up early, and planting himself in the way, to salute all who came to his father's levee. Of these he kindly enquired their business, or grievances; throwing out hints of the king's remissness in the execution of justice, and how uprightly he would conduct himself, were their causes to be determined by him.(7) * 2 Sam. xiii. 14 ** Ver. 28. *** Ver. 88. **** Chap. xiv. 21, 24. (5) Ver. 28. (6) Chap. xv. 1. (7) Ver 2, 4. The profession of piety is universally, and was in particular a-mong this people, the most successful disguise for crafty designing men to assume. When Absalom, therefore, thought his scheme sufficiently ripe for execution, he desired leave of his father to go to Hebron, to perform a vow made by him while a refugee in Syria.* At Hebron he set up his standard, and his followers assembled in such numbers, and the defection was so general, that David thought it adviseable to retire from Jerusalem.** With him he took all his family and dependants, except ten concubines, whom he left in his palace to keep house.*** The priests, Zadock and Abiather, with the ark, would also have gone with him; but he thought it would be more for his service for them to remain in the city as spies; to send him intelligence how matters went.**** It is no inconsiderable part of politics to know how to suit men with proper employments, Ahitophel, his prime minister, joined the malecontents;(5) to balance which misfortune, David prevailed on Hushai, a trusty man of some importance, to remain in the city, that he might ingratiate himself with Absalom, thwart the counsels of Ahitophel, and transmit intelligence to him from time to time through the conveyance of the priests, whose sons were to carry on the correspondence.(6) Having concerted matters thus, he evacuated Jerusalem, and Absalom entered(7) it.