Brewer's: Jonathan and David

In 1 Sam. xviii. 4 we read that Jonathan (the king's son) “stripped himself of his robe and gave it to David, with his sword, bow, and girdle.” This was a mark of honour, as princes and sovereigns nowadays strip themselves of a chain or a ring, which they give to one they delight to honour. In 1519 the Sultan Selim, desirous of showing honour to an imaum of Constantinople, threw his royal robe over him.

Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894
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