ers
and many other of the gentiles. He had seven hundred wives which were as
queens, and three hundred concubines, and these women turned his heart.
For when he was old he so doted and loved them that they made him honor
their strange gods, and worshipped Ashtareth, Chemosh and Moloch, idols
of Zidonia, of Moabites, and Ammonites, and made to them Tabernacles for
to please his wives and concubines, wherefore God was wroth with him,
and said to him: Because thou hast not observed my precepts and my
commandments that I commanded thee, I shall cut thy kingdom and divide
it and give it to thy servant but not in thy day, I shall not do it for
love that I had to David thy father; but from the hand of thy son I
shall cut it but not all, I shall reserve to him one tribe for David's
love, and Jerusalem that I have chosen. And after this divers kings
became adversaries to Solomon, and was never in peace after.

It is said, but I find it not in the Bible, that Solomon repented him
much of this sin of idolatry and did much penance therefor, for he let
him be drawn through Jerusalem and beat himself with rods and scourges,
that the blood flowed in the sight of all the people. He reigned upon
all Israel in Jerusalem forty years, and died and was buried with his
fathers in the city of David, and Rehoboam his son reigned after him.

THE HISTORY OF REHOBOAM

After Solomon, reigned his son Rehoboam. He came to Sichem and thither
came all the people for to ordain him king. Jeroboam and all the
multitude of Israel spake to Rehoboam, and said: Thy father set on us an
hard yoke and great impositions, now thou hast not so much need,
therefore less it and minish it, and ease us of the great and hard
burden and we shall serve thee. Rehoboam answered and said: Go ye and
come again the third day and ye shall have an answer. When the people
was departed, Rehoboam made a counsel of the seniors and old men that
had assisted his father Solomon whiles he lived, and said to them: What
say ye? and counsel me that I may answer to the people, which said to
Rohoboam: If thou wilt obey and agree to this people, and agree to their
petition, and speak fair and friendly to them, they shall serve thee
always. But Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men, and called the
young men that were of his age, and asked of them counsel. And the young
men that had been nourished with him bade him say to the people in this
wise: Is not my finger greater than t