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Bethsabee.
Lord Adonias tell me yf your cominge peaceable bee

Adonias
Lady Bethsabee yt peaceable ys: To you I would speake gladly

Bethsabee
Speake then.

Adon[ias].
Lady you know the kingdome was by me possessed
& for to haue made me their kinge all Israel had determined
But now the kingdome ys transported vnto my Brother Salomon
your sonne as god appoynted had: wherefore make this petition
for mee vnto the kinge my Brother (who can deny you nothinge)
that I may take Abisag to wyfe.

Beths[abee].
I'l speake vnto the kinge
in your behalfe.

Adon[ias].
Lady so do: the while I will begone

Bethsabee.
farewell: Lo now as I could wish here comes the kinge my sonne.

K. Salomon.
Mother) well mett: come sett you downe vpon this Throne here by mee
on my right hand.

Beths[abee].
Thankes my deare sonne. I do besech your maiesty
Let Abisag the Sunamit be geuen to your Brother
Adonias for his wyfe.

Salom[on].
Why do you aske her for hym mother?
The kingdome also for hym aske, for hee my Brother ys
elder then I, & hath Abiathar & Ioab lykewyse
wt h hym. Our lord doth lyue, these things & these do god vnto me
yf Adonias be not slayne this day. let's away presently.

Nuncius
Now is Adonias slayne euen as Salomon the kinge affirmed
by the hand of Bannias, & Abiathar's discharged
for beinge the priest of our lord, & as a man of death
vnto his field in Amathath is sent where he remayneth
vnslayne because th'Arke of our lord before Dauid his father
he caryed had, where of Ioab haueinge notice by a messenger
he streight into the Tabernacle of our lord did flee
& on the Altars horne layd hold beinge a place of sanctuary.
Wc h not wt h standinge when kinge Salomon heard he did command
Bannias hym to slea, who went & kild hym out of hand.
And for Ioab the kinge made Bannias generall of hys Army:
And for Abiathar, Sadoc priest appoynted for to bee:
And this was to them done because they part tooke wt h Adonias.
And Simei that Dauid before had curst, confined was
to his house in Hierusalem, & that wt h this condition
that he should dye, when he went out, & passed ouer Iordan
wc h happed after three yeares space: for when his seruants fled
to Achis kinge of Geth, he thither went & them backe fetched
for wc h Kinge Salomon hym slew by the hand of Bannias:
And so the euill to kinge Dauid done requited was
And in the hand of Salomon the kingdome ys established
& vnto Pharaos Daughter kinge of Ægipt he ys maryed
& in the citty of Dauid they will make their habitation
vntill his & gods house be buylt & brought vnto perfection
And he our Lord loues, & obserues the precepts of his father
Sauinge that in th'Excelses he yet sacrifice doth offer
(because there ys no temple built.) & the Excelses ys
in Gabaon whither he ys gone, & there hath for a sacrifice
offered a thousand hosts. But now he cometh backe this way
where fore I'l go: yet listen you & here what he will say

Salomon
Here I'l sitt downe & take my rest for I am some what weary
my pleasure ys yt you my lords a while depart & leaue mee

God
Salomon aske what thou wilt, yt I the same may geue vnto thee

K. Salomon
Lord thou hast wt h thy seruant Dauid my father done great mercy
in that thou hast me placed in his kingdom & his Throne
euen as my father in thy sight hath truth & iustice done.
But I a litle child am, indued wt h smale vnderstandinge.
in the midst of thy chosen people sett wc h are past numbringe
their multitude's so great & many, wherefore o lord bestow
on me a duble heart, that I may understand & know
how for to Iudge the people & discerne twixt good & euill
syth for to iudge so great a people there ys requird great skill

God
Because yu hast not for thy selfe many days of lyfe desyred
nor ryches, nor thy enemyes lyues, but only wisdome asked
for to discerne iudgment & truth, Behold I haue done to thee
according to thy words, & geue thee a wyse heart & witty
in so much that lyke to thee none before the hath bene euer
neyther shall there euer aryse any lyke to thee here after
Yea & besyds this that thou askt, I haue on thee bestowed
Riches also & glory so that no kinge that thee preceeded
hath bene lyke thee. And yf thou wilt rightly walke in my ways
euen as thy father Dauid did, I will prolonge thy dayes

Salomon.
O what a dreame haue I had while I did sitt sleepinge here
Now I'l vnto Hierusalem go, there Holocausts to offer
vnto our lord before the Arke, for there's a place most seemely
for sacrifice where god vpon the cherubims sitts in maiesty

Nuncius
Since that vnto Hierusalem kinge Salomon returned
he sacrificed hath to god, & all his seruants feasted
& now is cominge forth iudgment to geue about a controuersy
betwixt two women: wc h (yf you'l geue eare) you shall heare presently

Molina
I you beseech my lord vnto my wordes for to geue eare.
I in one house together dwelt wt h this woman yt standes here
& was deliuered of yt child besydes her in the chamber
& on the thirde day after shee deliuerd was of an other
no person in the house but only shee & I remayninge
her infant in the night tyme dyed, & while I lye fast sleepeinge
she secretly in to my bed her infant dead conueyed
& tooke away my child, & yt in her owne bosome layd
& rysinge for to geue the child some mylke that by me lay
I found yt dead, & saw yt was not myne when yt was day

Botilla.
Yt ys not so: for thy child's dead, & this is myne that's lyuinge

Molina
Nay thine's dead, & myne lyues.

Botill[a].
Beleue her not o king she lyeth

K. Salomon
Geue me a sworde, & I will cutt the lyuinge child a sunder
& geue th'one halfe to th'one, & th'other halfe to th'other.

Molina.
Hold hold your hand my gratious lord I do beseech your maiesty
& geue her the whole child a-lyue rather then yt should dye

Botilla.
Yt shall be neyther myne nor thine, but let yt be diuided.

K. Salomon
Shee ys the childs true mother, & to her yt shall be deliuered:
vnto thee take thy child molina, for briefly that's my dome

People of Israel.
Our lord be pray'sd who to the kinge hath geuen such great wisdome
& knowledge to fynde out the truth in such a difficult matter

Molina
Most humble thankes renowned kinge vpon my knees I render
vnto your royall grace, because you haue true iustice done.

K. Salomon.
It was my part so for to doe. But now lett vs begone.

Nuncius
The iudgment of Kinge Salomon all Israel doth admyre
for the wisdome of God in hym most playnly doth appeare
wc h makes them all of hym afrayd. And he hath many princes
who vnder hym in Israel haue both great & goodly offices
besydes twelue gouernours yt do serue ech one in his month yearely
for the kings house in their due course. And for hym there's provided
ech day floure thirty measures, Three score of meale, Ten oxen fatted
& twenty pasture fedde, A hundred rames, besyds the venison
of harts, roes, bufles, & fatt foule, for there's in his possession
all the countries beyond the ryuer from Thapsa vnto Goza.
And all the kings there of vnto hym subiect are: And Iuda
& Israel dwell wt h out all feare ech one vnder his fig tree
& come from Bersabee to Dan. for he's at peace & vnity
wt h all that round a-bout hym are. And Stales of chariott horses
he fourty thousand hath: And for his saddle he possesses
twelue thousand. And such wisdome god vpon hym hath bestowed
that all theirs in the East, & of th'Ægiptians yt farre passed.
And wyser hee ys then all men, & great renowne hath gotten
through all the countries round about: And parables he hath spoken
Three thousand, And a thousand & fyue seuerall tongues he speaketh
And of trees from the cedar that's in Libanus, he disputeth
vnto the very Isop that doth come out of the wall.
And he discourseth of beasts, creepinge wormes, & fish & foule.
And from all the kings of the earth, & people vnto Salomon
dayly resort ys made for to heare & admyre his wisdome.
And Salomon ys now a-bout, accordinge to the worde
of god to Dauid made, to buyld a Temple to our lord.
And Hiram Kinge of Tyre, who to his father ay was frend
lyke frendship vnto Salomon his sonne doth still pretend
as shortly shall appeare, for here they cominge are together
To them geue eare & you shall heare what they intend hereafter

K. Salomon
Hiram thou knows the house that by my father was intended
for to be buylt vnto our lord, by hym was not performed
because he hindred was wt h warres yt round about hym were
but now our lord hath geuen me rest, & none do me incounter
Where fore I purpose for to buyld a Temple to the name
of our lord god, syth he hath sayd that I shall buyld the same.
There fore thy seruants cause some Cedre trees for to cutt downe
in Libanus, for in my people there ys not any one
for skill in woode lyke the Sidonians: And to thee shall be payed
what s'euer shall by thee in thy seruants behalfe be asked

K. Hiram
Blest be our lord who geuen hath vnto Dauid a sonne
so wyse his people for to guyde, & sitt vpon his Throne.
And cedre trees my seruants shall from Libanus downe bringe
vnto what place you shall appoynt for to performe that buildinge.
And for my house you shall agayne allow needful prouision

K. Salomon
There to I willingly consent: & so let's hence be gone

Nuncius
Hiram the kinge of Tyre hath now accordinge to his promisse
vpon Kinge Salomon bestow'd both Cedre & firre trees.
And twenty thousand chores of wheate Hiram agayne receiued
& as many chores of Barly were lyke wyse to hym deliuered
& twenty thousand sates of oyle, & as many mo of wyne
accordinge to the bargayne that betwixt them made had byne
for the provision of his house: for well they do agree
& betwixt them ys made a perfect league of peace & vnyty
And thirty thousand workemen were taskt out of Israel, and
ech month by course to Libanus Salomon did send ten thousand:
And seuenty thousand also were vsed for burden caryers
& in the mountayne there were eighty thousand men stone hewers
besydes three thousand & six hundred who the work surveyed:
And choyce stones are in the fundation of the Temple placed:
and all the walls are of squar'd stones: And twenty cubits in breadth
the Temple ys: Threscore in length; & six score cubits in heigth.
Before the face there of there's also made a porch proportionable
for length & breadth, & windows that do beautify the Temple.
Wt h seelinge made of cedre trees the Temples Topp ys couered
& plates of most fyne gold vnto ye same throughout are fastened.
The flore ys wt h most pretious marble pau'd of wondrous beauty
The beames, posts, walls & dores wt h gold are couered rychly
And the walls of the Temple are wt h diuerse pictures graued:
as cherubs, palme trees, & such lyke, where wt h the Temple's beautifyed.
And in the Temple he hath made a place that called ys,
Sanctum sanctorum, wc h in English ys Holy of Holyes.
& couer'd yt wt h plates of gold, wc h wt h gold nayles are nayled,
& fifty sicles euery nayle there in of pure gold weighed
And th'Altar that is plac't therein wt h gold is also couered
as also the two cherubs are of olyue trees composed,
wc h in the oracle placed bee, & wt h their wings do couer
th'Arke of the couenant of our lord, the wc h ye priests brought thither
from Sion Dauids citty, wt h all the furniture of the Tabernacle
beinge accompanyed wt h the kinge, & all the men of Israel.
And nothinge in the Arke was putt but ye two tables only
wc h were in Horeb vnto Moyses geuen by god almighty:
And all that were before the Arke both Rammes & oxen immolated
So many that the victimes were mo then could well be numbred.
And that while on their Instruments of musike they play'd merely
& wt h their voyces songe there to, & praysed god Almighty
& presently all of them were wt h a darke cloud invironed
for wt h the glory of our lord the house of god was filled.
And in the house of god an Altar ys of gold erected
& table where on loaues of proposition still be placed
And candle sticke there also are fyue vpon eyther hand
made of pure gold, the wc h agaynst the Oracle do stand.
And of pure gold there also be flesh hookes, Phialls, & morters
wt h water potts, hinges of dores, & also golden snuffers.
And in the fourth yeare of his raigne Salomon began this buildinge
& in th'eleuenth yeare he now hath made there of an endinge.
And for hym selfe an other house since also hath erected
in Libanus: & for his wyfe an other also builded:
And here he comes to geue god thankes now when his worke ys done
as shall appeare yf you attentyue bee. So I'l be gone.

K. Salomon.
Lord god of Israel there ys not the lyke god vnto thee
in heauen or earth who wt h thy seruants keepes couenant & mercy.
yf they thy laws obserue & keepe: for thou hast all performed
wc h to my father Dauid thou in former tymes hast promised.
for to thy name I builded haue a house, as to my father
thou sayd not hee, but his seede should. And now I make my prayer
to the o lord that thyne eyes may vpon this house be fixed
both day & night, where in thou sayd yt thy name should be invocated.
And who so euer in thy house to thee shall make petition
his prayer heare o lord wt h in thy heauenly habitation.
Yf any man agaynst his neiyhbour synne & ready bee
agaynst hym for to sweare, & wt h a curse bynde hym selfe rashly
before the Altar in thy house, thou shalt from heauen heare
& iustly as he doth deserue vnto the party render.
And yf thy people shall be by their enemyes subdued
& penance do, & be agayne truly to thee conuerted
& pray vnto thee in thy house, thou shalt from heauen heare
& them in-able all their foes for to subdue & conquer.
And yf the heauens be shutt vp so that no rayne do fall
for the synnes of the people, & they do for mercy call
& pardon craue, & pray to thee in thy house for some rayne
from heauen heare their prayers lord & rayne send them agayne.
yf famine, pestilence, rust, blast, locust or Brach aryse
in the land of thy people, & their enemyes wayst their countries,
& their cittie gates besige, & in thy house they make their prayer
from heauen heare lord, & them from their plagues & foes deliuer.
yf any pilgrymes that in remote & farre countries dwell
vnto thy house repayre not beinge of thy people Israell
& there adore & craue thy help, Lord graunt them their petition
& send them help from heauen, wc h ys thy firme habitation.
And yf thy people shall go forth to warres agaynst their foe
& shall adore & honour thee agaynst way as they goe
where in the citty ys, & the house the wc h thou hast chosen
thou shalt their prayers heare, & their petitions graunt from heauen.
And yf thou haue them for their synnes vnto their foes deliuered
(for none there ys yt synneth not) & they be captyues caryed
in to a country farre or neare, & there returne vnto thee
& for their synne do penance in the land of their captiuyty
& thee adore agaynst the way of the citty thou hast chosen
& of the house that I haue buylt, thou shalt them heare from heauen,
& forgeue them, & bringe them to the land from whence they came
that all the people of the earth may feare thy holy name,
& know that thou the prayers of thy seruants heares beinge offered
in, or towards thy holy temple, wc h I for thee haue buylded.
Let these my prayers lord before thee bee both day & night
& make vs perfectly to walke for euer in thy sight

God.
Thy prayer Salomon I haue heard euen from my throne in heauen
& the house thou hast built to me for sacrifice haue chosen.
Yf heauen I shall shut, & rayne fall not, or shall command
plague to consume my people, or Locusts to destroy the land
& they conuerted shall do pennance, & invocate my name
theyr synne I'l pardon, & no more afflict them for the same.
Myne eyes shall open bee, & myne eares to his prayer listen
that shall pray in the house wc h I vnto my self haue chosen
for I haue sanctifyed that place, that my name there may bee
for euer, & myne eyes & heart remayne there for eternity.
And yf before me thou walke as thy father Dauid did
& my lawes & commandments keepe, & do what I thee bidd
I the Throne of thy kingdome will rayse vp, & there shall neuer
a prince of thy stocke want in Israel as I told thy father.
But yf my iustices, precepts & lawes you shalt forsake
& serue strange gods, & them adore, I vtterly will take
& plucke you out of the land wc h I haue vnto you geuen
& t'house wc h thou hast buylt, & I haue sanctifyed & chosen
I'l cast away from my face, & deliuer yt for a parable
& to the people of all nations will make yt an example:
And to all passengers a prouerbe, who as they do passe by
astonished, shall say: Wherefore hath the lord done so strangly
vnto this land, & to this house? And they shall answeare make:
Because that they the lord god of their fathers did for sake
who them out of the land of Ægypt brought, & haue adored
strange gods, & there fore all these euills haue vnto them happened.

K. Salomon.
Lord I confesse yt fittinge ys that yt should so be done
yf we leaue thee, & serue strange gods: But now I will be gone.
to Dedicate to the (o lord) the house wc h I haue buylded
& for to see that Sacrifice there in be duly offered.

Nuncius
So soone as the kinge in the Temple had his prayers ended
fyre did descend from heauen & his holocausts consumed
& wt h the maiesty of our lord the temple filled was
so that for yt the priestes into the Temple could not passe
& all Israel the fyre did see descendinge, & the glory
of our lord on the house, and yt did them so much astony
that fallinge flatt vpon the paued stones they all adored
our lord, whose mercy lastes for aye, & his name highly praysed
And Salomon for hostes Twenty two thousand oxen killed
& Rammes an hundred twenty thousand, & the house of god Dedicated.
And when the queene of Saba heard how wealthy Salomon was
& that all other men in wysdome he did farre surpasse
She came vnto Hierusalem to proue hym in hard questions
& wt h her brought great store of gold, & spice, & pretious stones.
And Salomon hath all resolu'd that she to hym propounded.
And when shee saw his wisdome & the house that he hath buylded
& the meattes of his table, & t'habitation of his seruants,
& th'offices his ministers had, wt h all their pretious garments,
& holocausts wc h in the house of god he dayly immolated,
no spirit in her any longer was, she was so sore astonyed
as you your selues shall shortly see, yf you will shew attention
for here the queene wt h Salomon comes alonge: now I'l begone

Queene of Saba.
Kinge Salomon the fame ys true wc h I heard in my country
of thy wisdome, vertue, & wealth, the wc h till I did see
wt h myne owne eyes, I could not creditt. But now I see right well
that scarsely the one halfe there of they did vnto me tell
Blessed thy men & seruants are that do assist before thee
& at all tymes thy wisdome heare, & blest thy lord god bee
who hath thee placed on this throne because Israel he loueth
& will preserue yt euer, & there fore thee on yt sett
Iudgments & Iustice for to do, & for the loue I beare thee
all the gold, spice & pretious stones wc h hither I brought wt h mee
on thee o kinge I do bestow, & that wt h all my heart
& so I'l take my leaue of thee, syth I must needs depart

K. Salomon.
Thankes worthy queene of Saba, & your kyndnes I will recompence
before your company I leaue, where fore let's now go hence.

Nuncius
An hundred twenty Talents of gold wt h spices very rare
& pretious stones equall to wc h in value els where none are
the queene of Saba hath vpon kinge Salomon bestowed.
In recompence where of shee more of hym agayne receiued.
for what shee askt he to her gaue: and backe to her owne country
shee's gone admyringe much the wealth & wisdome of his maiesty
for his ryches & glory farre all earthly kinge exceeded,
so that to see his face, & heare his wisdome she desyred
& did present hym wt h rych gyftes, as vessels, armour, spices
& robes & garments of the fynest gold, & mules, & horses.
And all the vessels at his table vs'd of gold were made
& as great store he in Hierusalem of syluer had
as stones: so that as nothinge gold in that citty was esteemed
& cedres were as plentifull as Sicomors while he buylded.
And while he serued god, & vnto hym obedient was
all things he tooke in hand did prosper well. But now alas
growinge in yeares (for so you must suppose) wt h strangers hee
agaynst the law of god ys maryed, & fallen to Idolatry.
for he hath wyues, as yt were queenes in number seuen hundred
& concubins three hundred, wc h away his heart haue turned
vnto their godds & goddesses from the true god of heauen
for he hath buylt a Temple to th'Idol of Ammons children
Moloch, & to Chamos th'Idoll of Moab, & vnto Astarthee
Sidonians goddesse, & to them geuen t'honour due to god Almighty
for wt h th'Ægiptians, Moabits, Ammonits & Idumeians
he maryed hath, & also wt h the Hetheits, & Sidonians:
Wt h whom our lord forbad children of Israel for to mary
lest that they should be drawne by them for to committ Idolatry:
And wt h what punishment god will hym afflict for his transgression
shall streight appeare yf you'l a while geue eare. So I'l begone.

God.
Salomon because thou hast my lawes & precepts not obeyed
thy kingdome I'l asunder rende, & yt shall be delyuered
vnto thy seruant: not wt h standinge in thy dayes I'l not do yt
for Dauids sake thy father, but from thy sonne I will rende yt,
although not all, for I will leaue one Tribe vnto thy sonne
& Hierusalem for Dauids sake, who my precepts hath done.
of all the rest for thy offence he shall depryued bee

K. Salomon.
I'l be gone lord & rest content, syth there's no other remedy.

Nuncius.
The generall peace wc h Salomon had all this whyle inioyed,
conuerted was to cruell warres since he god disobeyed.
for Adad an Idumean, & Razen kinge of Damascus
his enemyes did become, & Hieroboam was rebellious
who had his seruant bene before: & to hym yt was tolde
by Ahias the prophet that ten Tribes possesse he should
of the kingdome of Israel when Kinge Salomon was dead
yf he gods lawes & precepts did obserue, & his pathes treade.
Wc h when Kinge Salomon heard agaynst Ieroboam he did rayse
all the forces he could, & made Ieroboam go his wayes
towards Ægipt vnto Kinge Sesac, where he wt h hym hath stayed
vntill he heard of Salomons death, wc h now of late ys happened
when fourty yeares he in Hierusalem had reigned ouer
all Israell, & he buryed ys in the citty of his father
& in his place his Sonne Roboam reignes; but in what fashion
here after will apparent be in tyme so I'l be gone.