Part 6

“Here lieth thy father; the dogs may rend his corpse.... What are we to do? Honour the memory of the king and profane the Sabbath; or observe the Sabbath but leave the corpse of thy father to be devoured of dogs?”

Thereupon Solomon made answer:

“Leave him. A living dog is better than a dead lion.”

And when now, after the words of the high priest, he did recall this, his heart did contract from sadness and fear.

Having made no answer to the high priest, he went on, into the Hall of Judgment.

As always of mornings, two of his scribes, Elihoreph and Ahiah, were already reclining upon mats, one on either side of the throne, holding in readiness their inks, reeds, and rolls of papyrus. Upon the king’s entrance they arose and salaamed to the ground before him. And the king sat down upon his throne of ivory with ornaments of gold, leant his elbow upon the back of a golden lion, and, bowing his head upon his palm, commanded:

“Write!

“Set me as a seal upon thy heart, as a ring upon thy hand; for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as hell: the arrows thereof are arrows of fire.”

And, having kept a silence so prolonged that the scribes held their breath in alarm, he said:

“Leave me to myself.”

And all day, till the first shadows of evening, did the king remain alone with his thoughts; nor durst any enter the vast, empty Hall of Judgment.

_Tamam Shud_

NOTES BY THE TRANSLATOR

[Footnote 1: The Russian version of this passage reads: “... jealousy is cruel as the grave: the arrows thereof are arrows of fire.” In this, I have been given to understand, it adheres more closely than does the English Bible to the original Hebrew.]

[Footnote 2: “Which _is_ the second month...” _I KINGS; vi:1_.]

[Footnote 3: “Which _is_ the eighth month...” _I KINGS; vi:38_.]

[Footnote 4: “A word fitly spoken _is like_ apples of gold in pictures of silver.” _PROVERBS; xxv:11_.]

[Footnote 5: Abimelech; _i. e._, Father-King.]