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

[Hesther [No initial rubric, but only this running title in the Mss.] .] CAP. I.

[verse 1] IN the daȝes of king Assueri, that regnede fro Jude vnto Ethiope, vp on an hundrid and seuene and twenti pro|uynces, [verse 2] whan he sat in the see of his regne, Susa cyte was the begynnyng of his rewme. [verse 3] The thridde thanne ȝer of his empire he made a gret feste to alle the princis, and to his most strong chil|dre of Persis, and of Meedis, to the noble men, and to the prefectus of prouincis, be|forn [verse 4] hym, that he shewe the richesses of the glorie of his regne, and the mykil|nesse, and the bost of his power myche tyme, an hundrid, that is, and foure score daȝes. [verse 5] And whan the daȝes of the feste weren ful endid, he bad al the puple that is founde in Susys, fro the moste vnto the leste; and he comaundede seuene daȝes a feste to be maad redi in the vestiarie of the ȝerd and of the wode, that was sett togidere with the kingis enournyng and hond. [verse 6] And ther heengen [hongeden AEFH.] on eche side tentis of the colour of the eir, and of goldene colour, and of iacinctin, sustened with bijs cordis, and purper, that weren inset with yuer cerclis, and thei weren vnderset with marbil pileeris; also goldene setis and siluerene vp on the raied [Om. AE pr. m. FH.] pa|ment smaragd and pario stones [strate stones E pr. m.] weren disposid; the whiche thing the peynteur with wonder diuersete made fair. [verse 7] For|sothe thei, that weren biden, drunken of goldene cuppis, and with other and othere vesselis metis weren broȝt in; win also, as it was wrthi for the kingis grete doing,

plente and chef was set. [verse 8] And ther was not that constreynede to drinke hem that wolden not; but so the king hadde or|deyned, befor settende sunder men of his princis to the bord, that eche man shulde take that he wolde. [verse 9] Also Vasthi, the quen, made a feste of wymmen in the paleis, wher king Assuer was wont to dwelle. [verse 10] And so the seuenthe dai, whan he was gladere cherid, and after to myche drinking was chaufid with win, he co|maundede to Naumam, and Baracha, and Arbana, and Gabatha, and Zarath, and Abgatha, and Carthas, seuene geldingis, [verse 11] that in his siȝte mynystreden, that thei shulden bringen in Vasthi, the quen, be|for the king, put vp on hir hed a dia|deme, that he shewe to alle `princis and puplis [the puplis and princis A. puplis and princis E.] the fairnesse of hir; forsothe she was ful fair. [verse 12] The whiche forsoc, and at the kings heste, that bi the geldingis he hadde comaundid, she dispiside to comen. Wherfore the king wroth, and [Om. C.] with [verse 13] myche wodnesse tend, askide the wise men, that of the kingis maner euermor weren neeȝ to hym, and dide alle thingus bi the counseil of hem, kunnende the [verse 14] lawe and the riȝtis of more men; for|sothe the firste and the nexte weren Car|cena, and Secaba, Admatha, and Tharsis, and Mares, and Marsana, and Mamucha, seuene dukis of Persis and of Medis, that seȝen the face of the king, and first after [verse 15] hym weren wont to sitten; to what sen|tence quen [the quene E pr. m.] Vasthi shulden vnderlyn, that the heste of king Assuer, the whiche bi geldingis he hadde sent, she wolde not do. [verse 16] And Manucha answerde, herende the king and the princis, Not onli quen Vasthi hath greued the king, but alle the princis and puplis, that ben in alle the prouyncis of king Assuer. [verse 17] Forsothe

the woord of the quen shal gon out to alle wymmen, that thei dispise ther hus|bondis, and seyn, King Assuer comaund|ide, that Vasthi, the quen, shulde gon in to hym, and she wolde not. [verse 18] And bi this exsaumple alle the wiues of princis of Persis and of Medis shuln dispise the hestis of ther husbondis; wherfore riȝt|wis is the kingis indignacioun. [verse 19] If it plese to thee, go ther out a maunde|ment [comaundement A.] fro thi face, and be it writen after the lawe of Persis and of Medis, the whiche to ouerpassen is vnleeful, that no more Vasthi go in to the king, but his reume an other, that is betere than she, take. [verse 20] And this be puplishid in eche [alle E pr. m.] empire of thi prouynce, that is most brod, that alle wyues, bothe of [Om. E pr. m.] more and of [Om. E pr. m.] lasse, bere to ther husbondis wrshipe. [verse 21] And his counseil pleside to the king and to the princis; and the king dide after [verse 22] the counseil of Manucha, and sente epi|stelis bi alle prouyncis of his reume, that eche folc heren and reden myȝte, with diuerse tungis and lettris, men to be princis and more men in ther [ther owne C.] housis; and that bi alle puplis to be pupplisht.