Chapter Solomon to Songs of Zion of S by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Unto Solomon We subjected the strong wind, and it ran at his command to the land whereon We had bestowed our blessing.—Al Korân, xxi.

And again—

We made the wind subject to him, and it ran gently at his command whithersoever he desired.—Al Korân, xxxviii.

Solomon’s Signet-Ring. The rabbins say that Solomon wore a ring in which was set a chased stone that told him everything he wished to know.

Solomon loses his Signet-Ring. Solomon’s favourite concubine was Amina, daughter of Jerâda king of Tyre, and when he went to bathe, it was to Amina that he entrusted his signet-ring. One day, the devil Sakhar assumed the likeness of Solomon, and so got possession of the ring, and for forty days reigned in Jerusalem, while Solomon himself was a wanderer living on alms. At the end of the forty days, Sakhar flung the ring into the sea; it was swallowed by a fish, which was given to Solomon. Having thus obtained his ring again, Solomon took Sakhar captive, and cast him into the sea of Galilee.—Al Korân (Sale’s notes, ch. xxxviii.). (See Jovian, p. 556; Fish And The Ring, p. 370.)

(Mahomet, in the Korân, takes this legend as an historic fact, for he says, “We [God] also tried Solomon, and placed on his throne a counterfeit body [i.e. Sakhar the devil].”—Ch. xxxviii.)

Uffan steals Solomon’s Signet-Ring. Uffan the sage saw Solomon asleep, and, wishing to take off his signet-ring, gave three arrows to Aboutaleb, saying, “When the serpent springs upon me and strikes me dead, shoot one of these arrows at me, and I shall instantly come to life again.”

Uffan tugged at the ring, was stung to death, but, being struck by one of the arrows, revived. This happened twice. After the third attempt, the heavens grew so black, and the thunder was so alarming, that Aboutaleb was afraid to shoot, and, throwing down the bow and arrow, fled with precipitation from the dreadful place.—Comte de Caylus: Oriental Tales (“History of Aboutaleb,” 1743).

The Second Solomon, James I. of England (1566, 1603–1625).

The French king [Henri IV.] said, in the presence of lord Sanquhar, to one that called James a second Solomon, “I hope he is not the son of David the fiddler” [David Rizzio].—Osborne: Secret History, i. 231.

(Sully called him “The Wisest Fool in Christendom.”)

Solomon, a tedious, consequential old butler, in the service of count Wintersen. He has two self-delusions: One is that he receives letters of confidential importance from all parts of the civilized world, but one of these “confidential letters” “from Constantinople” turns out to be from his nephew, Tim Twist the tailor, respecting a waistcoat which had been turned three times. His other self-delusion is that he is a model of economy; thus he boasts of his cellar of wine provided in a “most frugal and provident way;” and of his alterations in the park, “done with the most economical economy.” The old butler is very proud of his son Peter, a half- witted lad, and thinks Mrs. Haller “casts eyes at him.” —B. Thompson: The Stranger (1797).

Solomon Daisy, parish clerk and bell-ringer of Chigwell. He had little round, black, shiny eyes like beads; wore rusty black breeches, a rusty black coat, and a long-flapped waistcoat with little queer buttons like his eyes. As he sat in the firelight, he seemed all eyes, from head to foot.—Dickens: Barnaby Rudge (1841).

Solomon of China (The), Tae-tsong I., whose real name was Lee-chee-men. He reformed the calendar, founded a very extensive library, established schools in his palace, built places of worship for the Nestorian Christians, and was noted for his wise maxims (^*, 618–626).

Solomon of England (The), Henry VII. (1457,1485–1509). (See Solomon, above.)