pon this throne as it is this day. And now Lord thou hast made me thy
servant to reign for my father David. I am a little child and know not
my going out and entering in, and I thy servant am set in the middle of
the people that thou hast chosen which be infinite, and may not be
numbered for multitude; therefore Lord give to me thy servant a heart
docile and taught in wisdom that may judge thy people, and discern
between good and evil. Who may judge this people, thy people that be so
many? This request and demand pleased much unto God that Solomon had
asked such a thing. And God said to Solomon: Because thou hast required
and asked this and hast not asked long life, ne riches, ne the souls of
thine enemies, but hast asked sapience and wisdom to discern doom and
judgment, I have given to thee after thy desire and request, and I have
given to thee a wise heart and understanding insomuch that there was
never none such tofore, ne never after shall be. And also those things
that thou hast not asked I have given also to thee, that is to say
riches and glory, that no man shall be like to thee among all the kings
that shall be after thy days. If thou walk in my ways and keep my
precepts and observe my commandments as thy father walked, I shall make
thy days long. After this Solomon awoke and came to Jerusalem, and stood
tofore the Ark of our Lord and offered sacrifices and victims unto our
Lord, and made a great feast unto all his servants and household. Then
came tofore him two women, of which that one said: I beseech thee my
lord hear me; this woman and I dwelled together in one house, and I was
delivered of a child in my cubicle [sleeping room], and the third day
after she bare a child, and was also delivered, and we were together
and none other in the house but we twain, and it was so that this
woman's son was dead in the night; for she sleeping, overlaid and
oppressed him, and she arose in the darkest of the night privily, and
took my son from the side of me thy servant and laid him by her, and her
son that was dead she laid by me. When I arose in the morning for to
give milk to my son it appeared dead, whom I took beholding him
diligently in the clear light, understood well anon that it was not my
son that I had borne. The other woman answered and said: It was not so
as thou sayest, but my son liveth and thine is dead. And contrary that
other said: Thou liest: my son liveth and thine is dead. Thus in this
wise they strove t