The Light of Britannia

—;
6 THE LIGHT OF BRITANNIA.
East point of the heavens, the opening leading to the Ark
being in the direction of the East, and that was " before
"
the Lord, the Sun's viriHty, and David, wearing the
epliod, was the Lord's representative on that occasion
David is the Druidic Dovydd, which signifies Tamer of
the Elements, which, until the sun rises in spring in the
east, are supposed to be in conflict with each other. " It
was before the Lord," said he, and adding most ungenerously
" The Lord who chose me before thy father (Saul) and
before all his house, * * therefore I will play before the
Lord, and I will yet be more vile''—apparently echoing the
most galling word Michal had used— " and I will yet be
more 'vile' than thus, and I will be base in mine own sight
and of the handmaids of my servants, whom thou hast
spoken of, of them I shall he had in honour.'' The last
observation was deliberately intended to hurt the feelings
The narrative goes on to state
of the royal lady his wife.
Queen Michal had no issue to the day of her death. Why ?
Because she had despised David's membrum virVis in its
representative capacity, on the occasion in question.
But
Josephus (p. 152) states that Michal had had five children
already by her real
husband, from whom King David had
stolen her away. This fact is mentioned to prove she was
not barren naturally, but through a curse. David had
dwelt long in Philistia, and he afterwards evinced so much
respect for Baal, the sun god of that country, as to name
one of his sons, Beelidah, after him. Queen Michal,
prior to the foregoing described affair, had saved David's
life when her father, King Saul, sought to kill him.
She had dropped him from a
window, and had afterwards
placed an idol (Teraphim, which Dr. Inman states must
have been handy) in his bed, and had reported that David
was there ill. King David s '* leaping and dancing " had
nothing of a "vile" nature in them themselves, but exhibit-