SALOMON. Solomon, the second son of David and Bathsheba, reigned as king of Israel during the tenth century B.C. and became legendary for his wisdom and for his many wives: seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines (II Kings 11:3). During the Middle Ages collections of aphorisms known as the "Sayings of Solomon" were circulated.

Salomon appears as a fool of love, KnT 1937-1942; MerchT 2291-2302. Nicholas quotes Salomon, MillT 3526-3530, but the reference is to Jesus of Syrach, Ecclesiasticus 32:19. Dame Alys wishes she could be sexually refreshed half as many times as Salomon, WBP 35-40. He is a misogynist in Jankin's book of wikked wives, WBP 679; the Book of Proverbs is bound up in that anthology. Solomon's famous saying, "Everything hath time," appears in FrT 147; ClT 6; MerchT 1972; Tr II.989, III.855. The quotations in MillT 3526-3530 and MerchT 1478-1486 are not from Solomon but from Jesus of Syrach. Solomon is the wise man of MerchT 2242-2248; CYT 960-961; MancT 314-315, and a magician, SqT 247-252. W.A. Clouston recounts the legends from Jewish and Muslim sources about Solomon's magic ring on which was engraved the Most Great Name and points out that Solomon's ring plays a part in many Eastern romances.

Dame Prudence quotes Proverbs 25:20 at Mel 997; the quotation at Mel 1003 is not from Salomon but is attributed to Pseudo-Bede Liber Proverbium (see also MillT 3530). Mel 1047 is from Jesus of Syrach's Ecclesiasticus 32:6; Melibee quotes Salomon's Ecclesiastes 7:28 at Mel 1057; from Jesus of Syrach's Ecclesiasticus 25:30 at Mel 1059. Dame Prudence answers this quotation, Mel 1075-1078, but quotes Ecclesiasticus 25:16, and adds a quotation from Proverbs 21:19 at Mel 1087. Melibee quotes Proverbs 24:24 at Mel 1113. Dame Prudence quotes Proverbs 27:9, Mel 1158. The quotation at Mel 1167 is not from Salomon but from Jesus of Syrach's Ecclesiasticus 6:6. Dame Prudence quotes Proverbs 11:14 at Mel 1171; from Jesus of Syrach's Ecclesiasticus 8:20, not from Salomon, Mel 1173; from Proverbs 29:5, Mel 1178. Dame Prudence quotes Jesus of Syrach's Ecclesiasticus 12:10, not from Salomon, Mel 1186; she quotes Salomon, Proverbs 31:4 at Mel 1194; Proverbs 28:14 at Mel 1317; Proverbs 20:3 at Mel 1485; Proverbs 19:11 at Mel 1512; Proverbs 15:18 at Mel 1514; Proverbs 19:19 at Mel 1539. Melibee quotes Proverbs 26:17 at Mel 1542 and Ecclesiastes 10:19 at Mel 1550. Instead of Salomon, Dame Prudence quotes Jesus of Syrach's Ecclesiasticus 40:28 at Mel 1571; Ecclesiasticus 30:17 at Mel 1572; she quotes Proverbs 28:20 at Mel 1578, Jesus of Syrach's Ecclesiasticus 33:27, not Salomon, at Mel 1589, but Proverbs 28:19 at Mel 1590; Proverbs 15:16 at Mel 1628; Proverbs 22:1 at Mel 1638; Jesus of Syrach's Ecclesiasticus 41:12, not Salomon at Mel 1639; Solomon's Ecclesiastes 5:11 at Mel 1653, Jesus of Syrach's Ecclesiasticus 3:27, not Salomon, at Mel 1671; from Proverbs 28:14, Mel 1696. Melibee quotes Proverbs 28:23 at Mel 1704. Dame Prudence quotes Ecclesiastes 7:4-6 at Mel 1707; Proverbs 16:7 at Mel 1719. The wicked adversaries quote Jesus of Syrach's Ecclesiasticus 6:5, not Salomon, at Mel 1740. Dame Prudence quotes Jesus of Syrach's Ecclesiasticus 33:19-20 at Mel 1754. The Parson quotes Proverbs 16:6 at ParsT 119; Proverbs 11:22 at ParsT 155; Proverbs 11:7 at ParsT 227; Proverbs 25:18 at ParsT 566; Proverbs 28:15 at ParsT 568; Proverbs 8:17 at ParsT 709; he quotes from Jesus of Syrach's Ecclesiasticus 26:10, not from Solomon, ParsT 854. [David: Jhesu Syrak]

Salomon, the ME and OF variant, never occurs initially but does occur seven times in medial positions, MillT 3529; CoT 4330; ClT 6; MerchT 1487, 2242; MancT 314, 344; and eight times in final rhyming position, KnT 1942; WBP 35, 679; MerchT 1483, 2277, 2292; SqT 250; CYT 961.