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

CAP. XI.

[verse 1] Bot a litil tyme after, Lisias, procura|tour of the kyng, and niȝ, and prepost of needis [nedis, or causis H.] , beerynge greuously of these [verse 2] thingis that bifellen, gadrid foure score thousandis, and al rydynge, or horsmen, came aȝeinus Jewis, demynge hym self to makynge the citee sothely taken a [verse 3] dwellyng to heithen men, forsothe to hauynge the temple in to wynnynge of money, as other templis of heithen men, and by eche ȝeeris prestehode vendible, [verse 4] or able to be soold; not bythenkynge the power of God, bot in mynde [mynde, or vndirstondynge H.] maad with outen bridil, tristide in multitude of fote men, and in thousandis of hors|men, and in foure score olyfauntis. [verse 5] So|thely he gon in to Judee, and cummynge niȝ to Bethsura, that was in a streit place, fro Jerusalem in space of fyue fur|longis, fauȝte aȝeinus that strengthe. [verse 6] So|thely as Machabeus, and thei that weren with hym, knewe strengthis for to be aȝeinus fouȝte, with weepyng and teeris preyeden the Lord, and al the cumpany to gidre, for to sende a good aungel to help [heelthe H.] of Yrael. [verse 7] And he the first Macha|beus, armers taken, monestide other for to take [make C.] togidre perel with hym, and bere help to her bretheren. [verse 8] And whan thei wenten forth togidre with redy in|witt fro Jerusalem, an horsman [horsman, or knyȝt H.] apeer|ide goynge byfore hem in whijt clothe,

and golden armers, florishynge a shaft. [verse 9] Thanne alle to gidre blessiden the mer|cyful Lord, and woxen stronge in yn|wittis, and [Om. AH.] redy [yrun wallis redy AG pr. m.] for to perse not oonly men, bot and most feers beestis, and [Om. AG pr. m. K.] `yrun wallis [Om. A.] . [verse 10] Therfore thei wenten redy, hauynge of heuen an [Om. H.] helper, and the Lord hauynge mercy on hem. [verse 11] Sothely by custume of lyouns, in feersnesse thei hurlynge in to enmyes, castiden doun of hem elleuen thousand [thousandis H.] of fotemen, and of horsmen a thousand and sixe hundrid. [verse 12] Sothely thei turnyden alle in to fliȝt; forsothe many of hem woundid, ascapiden nakid, bot and he Lisias fouly fleeynge ascapide. [verse 13] And for he was not witlesse, he rettynge with hym self the makyng lesse don aȝeinus hym, and vndirstoond|ynge the Ebrues for to be vnouercumen, enforsinge, or tristynge, to help of al|miȝty [verse 14] God, he sente to hem, and bihiȝte hym to consentyng to alle thingus that ben iust, and to compellynge the kyng for to be maad freend. [verse 15] Forsothe Macha|beus grauntide to the preyers of Lisias, in alle thingis counseilynge to profit; and what euer thingis Machabeus wrote to Lisias of Jewis, the kyng grauntide hem. [verse 16] For whi epistlis weren wryten to Jewis fro Lisias, sothely conteynynge this ma|ner. Lisias to the peple of Jewis, helthe. [verse 17] Joon and Abesalon, that ben sente fro ȝou, bitakynge writtis, axiden, that Y fulfulle thoo [that AG pr. m. K.] thingis that weren signy|fied by hem. [verse 18] Therfore what euer thingis miȝten be brouȝte forth to the kyng, Y expounyde, and whiche the kyng [thyng G sec. m.] suf|fride, Y grauntyde. [verse 19] Therfore ȝif in needis ȝe shuln kepe feith, also hennus forth Y shal tempte for to be cause of good thingis to ȝou. [verse 20] Of other thingis sothely Y commaundide bi alle wordis, and to these and to hem that ben sente of me, for to speke to gidre with ȝou. Fare ȝe wel. [verse 21] In the hundrid ȝeer and eiȝte and fourtithe, the foure and twen|tithe

day of the [Om. H.] moneth Dyoscorus. [verse 22] Forsothe the pistle of the kyng conteyn|yde these thingis. Kyng Antyochus to Lisias, brother, helthe. [verse 23] Oure fadris [fadir H.] translatid amonge goddis, we willynge hem that ben in oure rewme for to do with oute noyse, and for to ȝeue dili|gence [verse 24] to her thingis, han herd Jewis not to haue assentid to the fadre, for to be translatid to the [Om. H.] custum of Greekis, bot wille for to holde [beholde H.] her ordynaunce, and therfore for to axe of vs, her lawful thingus for to be grauntid to hem. [verse 25] Therefore we willynge and this folc for to be quyet, ordeynynge han demyd, the temple for to be restorid to hem, that thei shulden do [Om. AG pr. m. K.] after the custom of her gretter men. [verse 26] Therfore thou shalt do wel, ȝif thou shalt sende to hem, and shalt ȝeue the riȝthond; that, oure wille knowen, thei be in good inwitt, and serue to her owne profitis. [verse 27] Sothely to the Jewis the kyngis pistle was siche. Kyng Antio|chus to the senate [senate, or cheef gouernoure H.] of Jewis, and to other Jewis, helthe. [verse 28] Ȝif ȝee faren welle, so it as we wolen, bot and we self [oure self G sec. m. H.] faren wel. [verse 29] Menelaus came to vs, sayinge, ȝou for to wilne for to go doun to ȝoure [ȝoure laweful thingis G sec. m. H.] , that ben anentis ȝou. [verse 30] To these therfore that dwellen to gidre, til the thrittith day of the [Om. G pr. m.] moneth Sandici we ȝeuen [verse 31] riȝthondis of sykyrnesse, that Jewis vse metis, and her lawis, as and [Om. G pr. m.] byfore; and no man `of hem [Om. K.] eny more [maner H.] suffre disese of these thingus, that ben don by igno|raunce. [verse 32] Sothely we senten and Mene|laus, that shal speke to ȝou. [verse 33] Fare ȝe wel. In the hundrid ȝeer and eiȝte and four|tithe, the fiftenthe of the [Om. H.] moneth San|dici, [verse 34] also Romayns senten an epistle, hauynge it [Om. H.] thus. Quintus Menius and Titus Manylius, legatis of Romayns, to the peple of Jewis, helthe. [verse 35] Of these thingis that Lisias, cosyn of the kyng, grauntide to ȝou, and we grauntiden. [verse 36] For|sothe

of whiche thingus he demyde to be tolde aȝein to the kyng, anoon sende ȝe sume man, diligentlyer spekyng amonge ȝou, that we deme as it acordith to ȝou. [verse 37] Forsothe we gon to Antiochie, and ther|fore haste ȝe for to aȝein write, that and we wite of what wille ȝe ben. [verse 38] Fare ȝe wel.