Later he murders Joab at the altar, and brings down the hoar head of
Shimei to the grave with blood.

After which he gets him much wisdom, builds a temple, and marries
many wives.

Much glamour has been cast upon the names of Solomon and David by
their alleged writings. But it is now acknowledged that David wrote
few, if any, of the Psalms, and that Solomon wrote neither Ecclesiastes
nor the Song of Songs, though some of the Proverbs may be his.

It seems strange to me that such men as Moses, David, and Solomon
should be glorified by Christian men and women who execrate
Henry VIII. and Richard III. as monsters.

My pet aversion amongst the Bible heroes is Jacob; but Abraham and
Lot were pitiful creatures.

Jacob cheated his brother out of the parental blessing, and lied
about God, and lied to his father to accomplish his end. He robbed
his brother of his birthright by trading on his necessity. He fled
from his brother's wrath, and went to his uncle Laban. Here he
cheated his uncle out of his cattle and his wealth, and at last
came away with his two cousins as his wives, one of whom had stolen
her own father's gods.

Abraham was the father of Ishmael by the servant-maid Hagar. At his
wife's demand he allowed Hagar and Ishmael to be driven into the
desert to die. And here is another pretty story of Abraham. He
and his family are driven forth by a famine: