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

CAP. XIII.

[verse 1] A [Here bigynneth a pistle of holy Sussanne. In tho daies ag.] man was in Babiloyne, and his name was Joachim. [verse 2] And he took a wijf, Su|sanne bi name, the douȝter of Helchie, a womman ful fair, and dredynge the Lord. [verse 3] Forsothe hir fadir and modir, whanne thei weren riȝtful, tauȝten her douȝter [tauȝten her doutir, etc.; here fadris and modris ben monestid to teche bi the lawe of God, not oneli her sones, but also her douȝtris. The Glos here. CGQU.] bi [Om. g.] the lawe of Moises. [verse 4] Sotheli Joachim was ful riche, and he [Om. g.] hadde a gardyn niȝ his hous; and the Jewis camen to hym, for he was the moost worschipful of alle. [verse 5] And tweyne elde men weren ordeyned iugis [to be iugis g.] in that ȝeer, of whiche the Lord spak, that wickidnesse ȝede out of Babiloyne, of the eldere iugis [Jewis g.] that semeden to gouerne the puple. [verse 6] These iugis vsiden oft [Om. g.] the hous of Joachym; and alle men that hadden domes camen to hem. [verse 7] Forsothe whanne the puple hadde turned aȝen after myddai, Susanne entride, and walkide in the gar|dyn of hir hosebonde. [verse 8] And the eldre men siȝen hir entrynge ech dai, and walkynge; and thei brenten out in to `the couetise [concupiscence, ether coueitise I.] of hir. [verse 9] And thei turneden awei her wit, and bowiden doun her iȝen, that thei siȝen not heuene, nether bithouȝten on iust domes. [verse 10] Sotheli bothe weren woundid bi the loue of hir, and thei schewiden not her sorewe [verse 11] to [bi g.] hem silf togidere; for thei weren aschamed to schewe to hem silf her co|ueitise [concupiscence I.] , willynge to ligge fleischli bi hir. [verse 12] And thei aspieden ech dai more bisili to se [aspie g.] hir. [verse 13] And oon seide to the tothir, Go we hoom, for the our of mete is. And thei ȝeden out, and departiden fro hem silf. [verse 14] And whanne thei hadden turned aȝen,

thei camen in to o place; and thei axiden ech of othere the cause, and thei knou|lechiden her coueitise. And thanne in comyn thei ordeyneden a tyme, whanne thei miȝten fynde hir aloone. [verse 15] Forsothe it was doon, whanne thei aspieden a couen|able dai, sche entride sumtyme, as ȝistir|dai and the thridde dai ago, with twei damysels aloone, and wolde be waischun [waischid CFGHKMNPQRSUX.] in the gardyn; for whi heete was. [verse 16] And no man was there [ther was not ony man I. ony man was not CEFGHMNPQRSUXg.] , outakun tweyne [the two g.] elde men hid [yhid I.] , biholdynge hir. [verse 17] Therfor sche saide to the damysels, Bringe ȝe to me oile, and oynementis; and close ȝe [Om. g.] the doris of the gardyn, that Y be waischun. [verse 18] And thei diden as sche `hadde comaundid [comaunde g.] ; and thei closiden the doris of the gardyn, and ȝeden out bi a posterne, to bringe tho thingis that sche hadde comaundid. And thei wisten not, that the elde [eldere g.] men weren hid with ynne. [verse 19] Sotheli whanne the da|mysels weren gon out, tweyne elde men [verse 20] risiden, and runnen to hir, and seiden, Lo! the doris of the gardyn ben closid, and no man seeth vs, and we ben in `the coueitise [concupiscence I.] of thee. Wherfor assente thou to vs, and be thou meddlid with vs. [verse 21] That [And g.] if thou wolt not, we schulen seie witnessyng aȝens thee, that a ȝong man was with thee, and for this cause thou sentist out the dame|sels fro thee. [verse 22] And Susanne inwardli so|rewide, and seide, Angwischis ben to me on ech side; for if Y do this, deth is to me; forsothe if Y do not, Y schal not ascape ȝoure hondis. [verse 23] But it is betere [more betere g.] for me to falle in to ȝoure hondis without werk, than to do synne in the siȝt of the Lord. [verse 24] And Susanne criede `an hiȝ [Om. g.] with greet vois, but also the elde men cri|eden aȝens hir. [verse 25] Forsothe oon ran, and openede the door of the gardyn. [verse 26] Sotheli [Forsothe g.] whanne the seruauntis of the hous hadden herd the cry in the gardyn, thei fellen in bi the posterne, to se what it was. [verse 27] But after that the [these g.] elde men spaken, the ser|uauntis

weren aschamed greetly, for neuer was siche a word seid of Susanne. And the morew dai was maad. [verse 28] And whanne the puple was comyn to Joachym, hir hosebonde, also the twei prestis fulle of wickid thouȝte [thouȝtis g.] camen aȝens Susanne, for to sle hir. [verse 29] And thei seiden bifor al the puple, Sende ȝe to Susanne, the douȝter of Helchie, the wijf of Joachym. And anoon thei senten. [verse 30] And sche cam with hir fadir, and modir, and children, and alle kynesmen. Certis [And certis I.] [verse 31] Susanne was ful delicat [delicat, ethir tendir CEFGHIKMNPQRUXYg. tendir, ethir delicat S.] , and fair of schap. [verse 32] And tho [the g.] wickid men comaundiden, that sche schulde be vnhilid, for sche was kyuered; that nameli so thei schuldun be fillid of hir fairnesse. [verse 33] Therfor hir kynesmen wepten, and alle that knewen hir. [verse 34] Forsothe the twei prestis risiden togidere in the myddis of the puple, and settiden [setten g.] her hondis on the heed of hir. [verse 35] And sche wepte, and bi|helde to heuene, and [for U.] hir herte hadde trist in the Lord. [verse 36] And the prestis seiden, Whanne we walkiden aloone in the gar|dyn, this [sche this I.] Susanne [Om. I.] entride with twei damesels; and sche closide the dore of the gardyn, and lefte the damesels. [verse 37] And a ȝong man, that was hid, cam to hir, and lai bi hir. [verse 38] Certis whanne we weren in a corner of the gardyn, we [and we g.] sien the wickid|nesse, and runnen to hem, and we sien hem meddlid togidere. [verse 39] And sotheli we myȝten not take hym, for he was strongere than we; and whanne he hadde opened the doris, he skippide out. [verse 40] But whanne we hadde take this womman, we axiden, who was the ȝonge man; and sche nolde [wolde not I.] schewe to vs. Of [And of NS sec. m.] this thing we ben wit|nessis. [verse 41] The multitude bileuede to hem, as to the eldre men and iugis of the pu|ple, and condempneden hir to deth [the deeth g.] . [verse 42] For|sothe Susanne criede loud with greet vois, and seide, Lord God, without bigynnyng and ende, that [thou I.] art knowere of hid thingis, that knowist alle thingis bifore that tho [thei Ig.]

[verse 43] ben don; thou wost, that thei han bore fals witnessyng aȝens me. And lo! Y dye, whanne Y haue not do ony of these thingis, whiche these men han maad maliciously aȝens me. [verse 44] Forsothe the Lord herde the vois of hir. [verse 45] And whanne she was led to the deth, the Lord reiside the hooli spirit of a ȝonge child, whos name was Danyel. [verse 46] And he criede loude with a greet vois, Y am cleene of the blood of this womman. [verse 47] And al the puple turned aȝen to hym, and seide, What is this word, which thou hast spoke? [verse 48] And whanne he stood in the myd|dis of hem, he seide, So ȝe, fonned children of Israel, not demynge nether knowynge that that is trewe, condempneden the douȝter of Israel. [verse 49] Turne ȝe aȝen to the dom, for thei spaken fals witnessyng aȝens hir. [verse 50] Therfor the puple turnede aȝen with haaste. And the elde men [men of the puple, not tho twey prestes K.] [That is, the elde men of the puple, not tho twei prestis. Thei bileuyden to him for hoolynesse and kunnyng, and sich owith to be in elde men, in xij. c^o. of Job, for here myra|cle fillide age. A Postille here. [Lire here. Q] CQU.] seiden to hym, Come thou, and sitte in the myddis of vs, and schewe to vs; for God hath ȝoue to thee the [Om. g.] onour of eelde. [verse 51] And Danyel seide to hem, Departe ȝe hem atwynny [a twynne GPQSUg.] fer [a fer N.] , and Y schal deme hem. [verse 52] Therfor, whanne thei weren departid oon [that oon g.] fro the [that S.] tother [oother IS.] , he clepide oon of hem, and seide to hym, Thou elde man of yuel daies, now thi synnes ben comun, whiche thou wrouȝt|ist [verse 53] bifore, demynge vniust domes, oppress|ynge innocentis, and delyuerynge gilti men, whanne the Lord seith, Thou schalt not sle an innocent and iust [a iust g.] man. [verse 54] But now if thou siest [saiȝ g.] hir, seie thou, vndur what tree thou siest hem spekynge togi|dere to hem silf? Which [The whiche I.] seide, Vndur an haw tree. [verse 55] Forsothe Danyel seide, Riȝtli thou liest in thin heed; for lo! the angel of the Lord, bi a sentence takun of hym, schal kitte thee bi the myddil. [verse 56] And whanne he was stirid [moued I.] awei [Om. g.] , he comaund|ide the tother to come, and seide to hym, Thou seed of Canaan [This iuge was of Canaan bi condiciouns, since he dis|seyuede wym|men bi ferdful|nesse. A Pos|tille here. CGQU.] , and not of Juda, fairnesse hath disseyued thee, and coueitise [verse 57] hath misturned thin herte; thus ȝe diden to the douȝtris of Israel, and thei dredden, and spaken to ȝou, but the douȝter of Juda

suffride not ȝoure wickidnesse. [verse 58] Now ther|for seie thou [Om. I.] to me, vndur what tree thou siest hem spekynge togidere to hem silf? Which [The whiche I.] seide, Vndur a blak thorn. [verse 59] For|sothe Danyel seide to hym, Riȝtli also thou liest in thin heed; for [forsothe g.] the aungel of the Lord dwellith, and hath a swerd, that he kitte thee bi the myddil, and sle ȝou. [verse 60] Therfor al the puple criede lowde with greet vois, and blessiden `the Lord [God g.] , that saueth hem that hopen in hym. [verse 61] And thei risiden togidere aȝens the twei preestis; for Danyel hadde conuyctid hem bi [in g.] her mouth, that thei hadden bore fals witness|yng; and thei diden to hem, as thei had|den [verse 62] do yuele aȝens the neiȝboresse, that thei schulden do bi the lawe of Moises, and thei killiden hem. And giltles blood was sauyd in that dai [day. Here eendith the pistle of holy Sussanne. g.] . [verse 63] Forsothe Hel|chie and his wijf herieden the Lord in that day, for Susanne, her douȝter, with Joachym, hir hosebonde, and with alle hir kynesmen, for a foul thing was not foundun in hir. [verse 64] Forsothe Danyel was maad greet in the siȝt of the puple, fro that dai and afterward. [verse 65] And kyng [the kyng I.] Astriages was put to his fadris, and Sirus of Perseis took his rewme. [verse 1] Forsothe Danyel eet with the kyng, and was onourid aboue alle the frendis of hym.