[Sidenote: [EVIL EXAMPLE OF SOLOMON.]] That every worthi Prince is holde Withinne himself himself beholde, 4470 [Sidenote: Hic loquitur qualiter Principum irregulata voluptas eos a semita recta multociens deuiare compellit. Et narrat exemplum de Salomone, qui ex sue carnis concupiscencia victus mulierum blandimentis in sui scandalum deos alienos eolere presumebat.] To se the stat of his persone,[1371] And thenke hou ther be joies none Upon this Erthe mad to laste, And hou the fleissh schal ate laste The lustes of this lif forsake, Him oghte a gret ensample take Of Salomon, whos appetit Was holy set upon delit, To take of wommen the plesance: So that upon his ignorance 4480 The wyde world merveileth yit, That he, which alle mennes wit In thilke time hath overpassed, With fleisshly lustes was so tassed, That he which ladde under the lawe The poeple of god, himself withdrawe He hath fro god in such a wise, That he worschipe and sacrifise For sondri love in sondri stede Unto the false goddes dede. 4490 This was the wise ecclesiaste, The fame of whom schal evere laste,[1372] [Sidenote: =P. iii. 243=] That he the myhti god forsok, Ayein the lawe whanne he tok Hise wyves and hise concubines Of hem that weren Sarazines, For whiche he dede ydolatrie. For this I rede of his sotie: Sche of Sidoyne so him ladde, [Sidenote: De filia Regis Cidonie.] That he knelende hise armes spradde 4500 To Astrathen with gret humblesse, Which of hire lond was the goddesse: (4700*) [Sidenote: De filia Regis Moab.] And sche that was a Moabite So ferforth made him to delite Thurgh lust, which al his wit devoureth, That he Chamos hire god honoureth. [Sidenote: De filia Regis Amon.] An other Amonyte also With love him hath assoted so, Hire god Moloch that with encense He sacreth, and doth reverence 4510 In such a wise as sche him bad. Thus was the wiseste overlad With blinde lustes whiche he soghte: Bot he it afterward aboghte. [Sidenote: [DIVISION OF HIS KINGDOM.]] For Achias Selonites, Which was prophete, er his decess, [Sidenote: Nota hic qualiter Achias propheta, in signum quod regnum post mortem Salomonis ob eius peccatum a suo herede diminueretur, pallium suum in xii. partes scidit, vnde x. partes Ieroboe filio Nabal, qui regnaturus postea successit, precepto dei tribuit.] Whil he was in hise lustes alle, Betokneth what schal after falle. For on a day, whan that he mette