The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal books,

CAP. XVI.

[verse 1] The grete kyng Artaxerses, fro [beynge lord fro I. whos lordship was fro S.] Yinde `til to [to FX. vnto IS.] Ethiopie, seith helthe to the duykis and pryncis of an hundrid and seuene and twenti prouynces, that [the whiche I. which S.] obeien to oure co|maundement. [verse 2] Many men mysusen in to pride the goodnesse and onour [the honour S.] of princes, [verse 3] which [that IS.] is ȝouun [taken IS.] to hem; and not oneli thei [swich men S.] enforsen [enforsen hem IS.] to oppresse sugetis to kyngis, but thei beren not [not dewly I. not ether vsen not duly S.] glorie [the glorie IS.] ȝouun [taken IS.] to hem, and maken [thes maken IS.] redy tresouns aȝens hem, that ȝauen the [her IS.] glorie [glorie to hem IS.] . [verse 4] And thei ben not apaied to do not thankyngis for benefices [goodnessis IS.] , and to defoule in hem silf the lawis of curtesie; but also thei demen, that thei moun fle the sentence of God seynge alle thingis. [verse 5] And thei breken out in to so mych woodnesse, that thei en|forsen [enforsen hem IS.] with the [Om. IS.] roopis of leesyngis to distrie hem, that kepen diligentli offices [the offices IS.] bitakun to hem, and doen so alle thingis, that thei ben worthi the [Om. IS.] preisyng of alle [verse 6] men; while [and while malicious men gessynge othere men bi her owen kynde blameful IS.] bi sutil fraude `false men [thei I. swiche S.] disseyuen the symple [sotel S.] eeris of kyngis [the king S.] , `and gessynge othere men bi her owne kynde [Om. IS.] . [verse 7] Which thing is preuyd bothe bi elde stories, and bi these thingis that ben doen ech dai; hou the studies of kyngis ben maad schrewid [ful contrarious IS.] bi yuele suggestiouns of summen. [verse 8] Wherfor it is to purueye for the pees of alle prouynces. [verse 9] And thouȝ we comaunden dyuerse thingis [thingis, as now we bidden oo thing to be don, and now we forbeden the same S.] , ȝe owen not to gesse, that it [this IS.] cometh of the [Om. BCIKb.] vnstable|nesse of oure [Om. B.] soule [herte IS.] ; but that we ȝyuen sentence [sentence bi oure counseil IS.] for the maner and nede of tymes,

as the profit of the [Om. I.] comyn thing axith. [verse 10] And that ȝe vndurstonde opynliere [more openly IS.] that [that thing I. that that thing S.] , that we seyen; Aaman, the sone of Ama|dathi, a man of Macedoyne bi [bothe bi IS.] soule [kynde IS.] and folk [bi folk IS.] , and an [Om. IS.] alien fro the blood [blood or kynde I. blood of kynrede S.] of Per|sis, and [and he IS.] defoulynge oure pitee with his cruelte, was a pilgrym, ethir [or IS.] a [Om. C.] straun|ger, [verse 11] and was [he was IS.] resseyued of vs [vs moost favourably S.] ; and he feelide in hym silf so grete curtesie of vs, that he was clepid oure fadir, and was [he was IS.] worschipid of alle men the [as the IS.] secounde [secounde persoone IS.] [verse 12] aftir the kyng; which [the which I.] Aaman was reisid in to so greet bolnyng of pride, that he enforside [enforside him IS.] to pryue us of the rewme and spirit [lijf A. sec. m. of oure lijf IS.] . [verse 13] For bi summe newe and vnherd castis he axide in to deeth Mardochee, bi whos feith and benefices we liuen, and [and also I.] the felowe of oure rewme Hester, with al [Om. S.] [verse 14] hir folk [folk he wolde haue distrioied S.] ; and he thouȝte these thingis, that whanne thei [thes IS.] weren slayn, he schulde sette tresoun to [aȝens S.] `oure aloonenesse [oure onlinesse A sec. m. us so maad aloone I. oure aloonesse, that is, to the kyngis persone S.] [to oure aloonenesse; that is, to vs self aloone. C.] , and that he schulde [wolde thanne I.] translate the rewme of Persis in to Macedoynes [the rewme of Macedoynes I. the rewme of Macedonie S.] . [verse 15] Forsothe [And forsothe IS.] we founden not the Jewis in ony gilt outirli, that [the whiche netheles I. which S.] weren ordeyned to deth [the deth I.] by the [him that is I.] worste of deedli men; but aȝenward that [we founden that IS.] [verse 16] thei [the Jewis IS.] vsen iust lawis, and ben the sones of the hiȝeste and moste God [Om. IS.] , and `euere lyuynge [of euerelastynge God IS.] , bi whos benefice [benefices C. goodnesse IS.] the [this IS.] rewme was ȝouun bothe to oure fadris and to vs, and is kept `til to [vn to I. in to S.] dai [this dai I. this dai bi his grace S.] . [verse 17] Wherfor wyte ȝe, that tho lettris ben voide, whiche [the whiche I.] thilke Aaman sente vndur oure name. [verse 18] For which greet trespas bothe he [Aaman S.] that ymagynede [ymagynede it I. ymagynide this yuel S.] , and al his kynrede, hangith in iebatis bifor the ȝatis of this [the S.] citee, `that is [of S.] , Susa; for not we, but God ȝeldide to hym that, that he desseruyde. [verse 19] Forsothe [Therfor I. For thi S.] this comaunde|ment [heest IS.] , which [that IS.] we senden [senden forth IS.] now, be [be it IS.] set forth [up IS.] in alle citees, that it be leueful to

Jewis [the Jewis I.] to vse her lawis. [verse 20] `Whyche Jewis [Whom also I.] ȝe owen [owen also S.] helpe [to helpe IS.] , that thei moun sle hem, that maden hem silf redi [to be redi S.] to the deeth of Jewis, in the thrittenthe dai of the tweluethe monethe, which [that I.] is clepyd A|dar; [Adar, or Marche IS.] [verse 21] for Almyȝti God turneth [hath turned IS.] this dai of weilyng and morenyng [of morenyng IS.] in to ioye to hem [the Jewis IS.] . [verse 22] Wherfor and ȝe [we comaunden that ȝe IS.] han [haue plures.] this dai among othere feeste daies, and halowe [halewe ȝe IS.] it with al [Om. IS.] gladnesse; that it be knowun aftirward, that alle men, that obeien feith|fuli [verse 23] to Persis [the kyngis of Persis IS.] , resseyuen worthi meed for feith [her feith IS.] ; sotheli [and IS.] that thei, that setten [senten W. settiden V.] tre|soun to the rewme of hem, perischen [perishe I.] for the [her IS.] felony. [verse 24] Forsothe [And IS.] ech prouynce and citee, that wole not be parcenere of this solempnytee, perische [perische it I.] bi swerd and fier [bi fier IS.] ; and be it `doon awey [Om. I.] so [so fordon I.] , that not oneli it be with out weie to men but also to beestis with outen ende, for ensaumple [the ensaumple IS.] of dispisyng [her dispisyng IS.] and vnobedience.