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

CAP. III.

[verse 1] Aftir these thingis kyng Assuerus en|haunside Aaman, the sone of Amadathi, that was of the kynrede of Agag, and [and the kyng IS.] settide [sette IS.] his trone aboue alle the princes whiche [that I.] he hadde. [verse 2] And alle the ser|uauntis of the kyng, that lyuyden [seruyden I.] in the ȝatis of the paleis, kneliden, and worschip|iden Aaman; for [for so I.] the emperour hadde comaundid so [Om. I.] to hem; Mardochee [but Mardochee IS.] aloone bowide not the [his IS.] knees [knees to him I. knees to Aaman S.] [bowide not the knees; for Aaman bi his pride wolde take to him silf Goddis onour, and make him silf to be wor|schipid as God, as the Ebrew glos seith here; nethelis it is leueful to Cristen men to knele, ȝhe, on bothe knees to a cristen man, for in III. book of Kingis, XXV. C^o. Abigail knel|ide thus to Dauyth; and in IIII. book of Kingis, iii. C^o. Abdie, the pro|fete, knelide thus to Elie, the profete; and hooly chirche suffrith witingly this custom among Cristen men, and prechith not aȝenus it; netheles, as Austin seith, in X. book of Goddis citee, iiij. C^o. sacrifice is reserued onely to God. Also Judith, in X. C^o. knelide thus to Holo|fernes, and in xxij. C^o. of Apoc. Joon Euangelist, that dide no dedly synne after the send|ing of the Hooly Goost, knelide thus to the aungel; but the aungel forbeed him to knele thus, to schewe the excelence that mankinde hadde gete bi Goddis Sone maad man, as Greg. ex|pownyth in the v. Omely on the Gospels. Lire here. C.] , nethir worschip|ide hym. [verse 3] `To whom [And IS.] the children [seruauntis IS.] of the kyng seiden [Om. IS.] , that [which S.] saten bifore [aboue I. Om. X.] at the ȝatis of the paleis [paleis, seiden to Mardochie IS.] , Whi kepist `thou not [not thou, sith thou art a Jew S.] the comaundementis [heestis IS.] of the kyng, othere wise [wise, that is, more dilygently S.] than othere men [men don IS.] ? [verse 4] And whanne thei seiden ful ofte [ofte to him IS.] these thingis, and he nolde [wolde nat I.] here [here hem I.] , thei tolden [tolden thes thingis thanne I.] to Aaman, `and wolden [for thei coueitiden to IS.] wite, whether he contynuede [wolde contynue K sec. m. wa.] in sentence [the sentence schewid to hem I. the sentence that he had shewed to hem S. the sentence X sec. m.] ; for he hadde seid to hem, that he was a Jew. [verse 5] And whanne Aaman hadde herd this thing, and hadde [whanne he hadde I. Om. S.] preued `bi ex|perience [the soth bi knowyng of the treuthe theroff IS.] , that Mardochee bowide not the [his IS.] kne to hym, nethir worschipide hym, he [verse 6] was ful wrooth, and he [Aaman IS.] ledde [arettide it I. rettid S.] for nouȝt [nouȝt, or for no veniaunce S.] to sette hise hondis on [upon IS.] Mardochee aloone [aloone, to sle him I. aloone, to kille him S.] ; for he [Aaman IS.] hadde herd, that Mardochee was of the folc of Jewis, and more [the more rathir I. more herfor S.] he wolde

leese [fordo I.] al the nacioun of Jewis, that [the whiche I. whiche S.] weren in the rewme of Assuerus. [verse 7] In [Thanne in IS.] the firste monethe, whos nam is [was S.] Nysan [Nysan, that is, Aprel IS.] , in the tweluethe ȝeer of the rewme of Assuerus, lot was sent [caste IS.] in to a vessel, which [the which I.] lot is seid in Ebrew phur [phur; is no word of Ebrew, but of Persis, and therfor in Ebreu it is seid phur, go|ral, so that goral is an Ebreu word, and signefieth lot. Lire here. C.] , `bifor Aaman [bifore him, to wite I. this lot Aaman, which bileued in wichche craft, did caste bifore him to wite S.] , in what dai and in what monethe the folk of Jewis ouȝte to be slayn; and [and bi the lott IS.] the tweluethe monethe ȝede out, which [that I.] is clepid Adar [March A. marg. Adar, that is, Marche IS.] . [verse 8] And [And thanne IS.] Aaman seide to the [Om. IS.] king Assuerus, A puple is scaterid bi alle the [Om. S.] prouynces of thi rewme, and is [it is IS.] de|partid fro it [thi S.] silf togidere [Om. I.] , and [and as a peple without propre or certeyn abydinge S.] vsith [this peple vsith I. this peple vsen S.] newe lawis and cerymonyes, and ferther|more [ferthermore also I.] it [Om. S.] dispisith also [Om. S.] the comaunde|mentis [hestis IS.] of the kyng; and thou knowest best, that it spedith not to thi rewme, `that it encreesse in malice [to be infect bi vnwisdom of proude folk and yuele manered IS.] bi licence [thi licence I. licence of thee S.] . [verse 9] If it plesith [pleese S.] thee [to thee I.] , `deme thou [deeme and comaunde S.] that it [this peple IS.] pe|risch, and Y schal paie ten thousynde of [Om. CIS.] talentis [talentis of siluer I.] to the keperis of thi tresour. [verse 10] Therfor [Thanne therfor I. Therfor than S.] the kyng took `fro his hond the ryng [his ryng fro his fyngir S.] which he vside [vside for a sygnet S.] , and ȝaf [he ȝaf IS.] it to Aaman, the sone of Amadathi, of the kynrede of Agag, to [Om. I.] the enemy of Jewis. [verse 11] And the kyng seide to hym [Aaman IS.] , The siluer, which [that IS.] thou bihiȝtist [hast bihiȝt I. hast bihiȝt to me S.] , be [be it IS.] thin [thin owne IS.] ; do [and do IS.] thou of the [that S.] puple that [that thing IS.] , that plesith [plesith to IS.] thee. [verse 12] And [And thanne IS.] the [bi the heeste of Aaman, the S.] scryuens [writers I.] of the kyng weren clepid in the firste monethe Nysan [of Nysan, that is, Aprel IS.] , in the threttenthe dai of the same monethe; and it was writun, as Aaman hadde comaundid, to alle prynces [the prynces IS.] of the kyng, and to domes|men of prouynces [dyuerse prouynces IS.] and of dyuerse [Om. IS.] folkis, that [that for dyuers [of S] langage IS.] ech folk myȝte rede [rede hem I. rede thise lettris S.] and here [here hem IS.] , `for dyuersite of langagis [Om. IS.] , bi [in I. to be sent in S.] the name of kyng Assuerus. And [And thus IS.] lettris aseelid [enselid I.] with [verse 13] the ring of the kyng weren sent bi the

corouris of the kyng to alle hise pro|uynces, that thei schulden sle, and `do awei [fordo I.] alle Jewis [the Jewis I.] , fro a [Om. CI.] child to [vnto I.] an eld man, litle [and litle I.] children and wymmen, in o dai, that is, in the thrittenthe dai of the tweluethe monethe, which [that I.] is clepid Adar [March A. marg. Adar or Marche I.] ; and [and thei weren also comaundid I.] that thei schulden take awei the goodis of Jewis [the Jewis IS.] . [verse 14] Forsothe [And I.] the sentence `in schort [Om. I.] of the [Om. C.] pistlis [epistolis EHLPRa. lettris I.] was this [this, writen in a fewe wordis I.] , that alle prouyncis schulden wite, and make hem redi to the forseid dai. And the co|roures, that weren sent [sent forth I.] , hastiden [hastiden hem self I.] to fille [fulfille I.] the comaundement [heest I.] of the kyng; and anoon the comaundement [heest of the kyng I. comaundement of the king S.] hangide [was hangid up I.] in Susa [the citee of Susa I.] , `while the kyng [Om. I.] and Aaman maden [made a I.] feeste, and `the while [Om. EI.] that [Om. plures.] alle Jewis [the Jewis IS.] wepten, that weren in the [that I.] citee.