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."
