Adam Davy's 5 dreams about Edward II. The Life of St. Alexius. Solomon's book of wisdom. St. Jeremie's [Jerome's] 15 tokens before doomsday. The Lamentacion of souls. Ed. from the Laud ms. 622 in the Bodleian library by F.J. Furnivall

SOLOMON'S CORONATION, DEEDS, AND JUDGMENT ON THE TWO MOTHERS' CLAIM TO ONE CHILD. HIS COURT AND TEMPLE.

[In order to complete the Life of Solomon, of which his Book of Wisdom, &c., form part, I add the MS. bit that comes before the Book. The passage about his birth is too far back to be taken.]

[Laud MS. 622, leaf 69, col. 1.]

¶ Þo Dauid in elde was; his eldest son was alyue. Adonye ycleped he was; with Salamon he gan striue. Aboute he was kyng to be; by his fader daye. Gret feste he made on a day; þat folk to paye. Line 4* He ne bad nowgth þider Salamon; ne his moder þe quene; Þerfore sche was with hym wroþ; for wymmen beþ oft kene. "Sir," sche seide to Dauid; "oft þou swore me, Þat my son Salamon; schulde be kyng after þe. Line 8* Now haþ Adonye iþouȝth to be kyng bi þi lyue; & after þi day to sle my son; for þai ne ben by on wyue."

ÞE kyng lete somony all his men: a fest he made sone, [folio 69:2] And lete coroone Salamon; & sette hym in his throne. By his lyue he made hym kyng; & bigan to prechi fast fforto sustene vp goddes lawȝe; þer-while his lif ylast; Þat he bulde forþ goddes hous in Ierusalems burghȝ, Þat þe lawȝes better weren; ysustened þorouȝ & þorouȝ. Line 16* Dauid was kyng fourty wyntren; in werre & in strife; And in þe fourtide ȝer; in pes he ended his lyf.

Afftere his fader, Salamon; slouȝ his broþer Adonye In þe first ȝer, & all þat with hym weren; to hym he made boweye, Line 20* & he wex faiþful man & wis; þat folk better to wisse, Þe kynges douȝttere of Egipte; he wedded in gret blisse. Þe grete þinges forto don; he destred [[? desired]] goddes grace, fforto arere goddes temple; in on faire place, Line 24* And aboute Ierusalem; treble wal arere. Þat to his bihofþe & vche riche kyng; þe court arered were, His sacrifise he dude to god; & gan to hym crie: "Lorde!" he seide, "to ȝong icham; to haue suich maistrie. Teche me, ȝif þi wille be; wel my folk to wisse, Line 29* And to knowe god & yuel; þat I þerof ne mysse." Oure lord hym graunted þinges þre; to haue maistri ouer his fo, To habbe worldes richesse ynouȝ; & wisdom ynouȝ þerto.

IT bifel þat two wymmen; in on In, a niȝth were; Line 33* Eiþer had a ȝong childe; boþe of on ȝere. In hire slep þat o womman; her owen childe ouerlay, And siþþe leide it by her felawe; & hir child nom away. Line 36* Þo þe womman awook; & vnderȝat þis gile, Ȝerne þai striueden & chid · for þe quik child a long while. Þat on seide, þe quyk childe was hire; þat oþer seide it nas. Boþe þei comen bifore þe kyng; & tolden al her cas. Line 40* ¶ Þo þe kyng ne miȝth vnderȝete; wheþer had þe riȝth, "Take hider," he seide, "my swerd; & euen, I wil it diȝth; Cleuen ich wil, ȝif ich can; þe quyk childe a two. & taken eiþer of ȝou þe haluendel; whan ȝe nyllen oþer do."

"Ȝe, sir," seide þe fals quene; "crist it ȝelde þe; Line 45* So þou miȝth best legge strif; þan mowe we euen be." "Nay, sir," seide þe riȝth moder; "mercy, þat do þou nouȝth! Take hire raþer euerich del; þat it ne be to deþ ybrouȝth." "Ȝe, good womman," þe kyng seide; "take þat child to þe; ffor þou hast þe riȝth weye; & þe oþere þe falste."

MIchel wonder hadden al þat folk · þat herden of þis strif, Þat þe kyng þouȝth swich wisdom; in his ȝong lyf. Line 52* Men douteden þerafter-ward hym þe more; for þilk cas. Good pais þere was in hil londe; þer while he kyng was. Vche weke he spended in his hous; xxx. quarters of whete, And an hundreþ fatte weþers; & xxx. Oxen grete, Line 56* Wiþouten venison & oþer þing; þat he had by deinte: In þe werlde was non so riche court; ne of so gret plente. He arered treble wal; swiþe fair & strong Aboute þe burghȝ of Ierusalem; swiþe fair & long. Line 60* Þe fierþe ȝer of his regne; he gan his temple arere, & in þe elleuenþe ȝer was it; er it redy were. Þo bigan he arere his court; swiþe noble & hende; Xiij. ȝer þer-aboute he was; er it were brouȝth to ende. [[For what follows, see p. 82, above. The Book of Wisdom may be compard with the A B C, and How the Good Wife and Good Man taught their Daughter and Son, in my Babees Book, Q. Elizabethes Achademy, &c., and with Mr Lumby's Ratis Raving, &c, &c.]] Line 64*