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

CAP. XIV.

[verse 1] Bot after tyme of three ȝeere Judas knewȝ, and thei that weren with hym, Demetrie Seleucus with stronge multi|tude,

and shippis, by the hauen of Tri|polis for to haue styede to couenable [verse 2] placis, and haue holden cuntrees aȝeinus Antiochus, and his duyk Lisias. [verse 3] For|sothe sum Alchymus, that was heeȝist prest, bot wilfully was defoulid in tyme of mengynge to gidre, biholdinge in no manere helthe for to be to hym, nether accesse, or cummyng to, to the auter, [verse 4] came to kyng Demetrye, in the hundrid and fouretithe ȝeer, offringe to hym a golden crown, and palme [a palme H.] , ouer these thingis and offringe vessels, that weren seen for to be of the temple; and sothely in that day was stille. [verse 5] Forsothe he get|ynge a couenable tyme of his woodnesse, and he [Om. H.] clepid of [Om. H.] Demetrie to counseile, and axid with what thingis and conseilis [verse 6] Jewis enforsiden, answerde, Thei that ben said Assideys of Jewis, to whom Judas Machabeus is souereyn, nuryshen bateils, and mouen discenciouns, nether suffren the rewme for to be quyet. [verse 7] For whi and Y defraudid of glorie of fader and modir, sothely Y saye, of heeȝist prest|hod, [verse 8] came hidir, first sothely keepynge feith to the kyngis profitis, the secounde tyme sothely counseilynge to citesayns, for whi by shrewidnesse of hem alle our kyn is traueilid not beste. [verse 9] Bot Y preye, thou kyng, alle these thingus knowen, by|holde to the cuntree and kyn, after [vp H.] thi manlynesse [manlynesse, or curtesye H.] shewid to alle men. [verse 10] For whi as long as Judas is aboue, or alyue [lyuyth H.] , it is impossible pees for to be to needis. [verse 11] Forsothe siche thingis said of hym, and other frendis, hauynge hem enmyly, enflawmiden Demetrie aȝeinus Judee. [verse 12] Whiche anoon sente Nychanore, prepost [verse 13] of olifauntis, duyk in to Judee, co|maundementis ȝouen for to take hym Judas quyck sothely, for to scatere so|thely hem that weren with hym, and for to ordeyn Alchymus heeȝist prest of the

most temple. [verse 14] Than heithen men that fledden Judas fro Judee, flocmele ioyn|yden hem to Nychanore, gessynge the myseistees and dethis of Jewis prosperi|tees of her thingus. [verse 15] And so the cum|mynge of Nychanore herd, and the [Om. H.] cum|mynge to gidre of naciouns, Jewis spreynt with erthe preyeden hym, that ordeynyde his peple in to with outen eende for to keepe, and whiche keuerde, or defendide, his part with opyn signys. [verse 16] Forsothe the duyk comaundynge, anoon thei moueden fro [Om. H.] thennus, and camen togidre to the [Om. H.] castel Dessau. [verse 17] Symont forsothe, brother of Judas, ioynyde with Nychanore, bot he is to gidre broken with sudeyn cum|mynge of aduersaries. [verse 18] Nethelese Ny|chanore heerynge the vertu of Judas felowis, and gretenesse of ynwytt, whiche thei hadden for stryues of the cuntree, dredde for to make dom of blood. [verse 19] Wher|fore he byfore sente Possydonye, and Theodoce, and Mathie, for to ȝeue riȝt|hondis, and take. [verse 20] And whan longe coun|seil was don of these thingis, and he duyk hadde told to [Om. K pr. m.] the [Om. H.] multitude, oo sentence was of alle, for to graunte to frenshipis. [verse 21] And so thei ordeynyden a day, in whiche thei shulden do priuyli bitwixe hem self; and to eche sellis, or smale setis, ben brouȝt forth, and putt. [verse 22] Forsothe Judas comaundide armed men for to be in couenable placis, lest per auenture of enmyes eny thyng of yuel spronge; and thei maden a couenable speche to gidre. [verse 23] Forsothe Nychanore dwelte in Jerusalem, and no thing did yuel; and he lefte flockis of cumpanyes, that weren gadrid. [verse 24] Forsothe he hadde Judas euermore derworth of ynwytt, and [verse 25] was bowid to the man; and preyde hym for to wedde a wijf, and to [Om. H.] gendre sonys; and he made weddyngis, quyetly dide, and lyueden comounly, or togidre. [verse 26] Alchymus forsothe, seeynge the charite

of hem to gidre, and accoordyngus, came to Demetrie, and saide, Nychanore for to assente to alyen [alien, or other mennus H.] thingis, and to [Om. H.] haue ordeynd Judas, traytour of the rewme, successoure to hym. [verse 27] And so the kyng maad sharp, and with siche warst accus|yngis terrid to wrath, wrote [Om. G pr. m. wrothe K.] to Nycha|nore, sayinge, hym sothely for to bere greeuously of acoordyng of frenship, nethelese for to comaunde for to sende Machabeus bounden to Antiochie. [verse 28] Whiche thingis knowen, Nychanore was astonyed, and greuously bare, ȝif he made void tho thingis that acordiden, he no thing hirt, [verse 29] or harmed, of the man; bot for he miȝte not aȝeinstonde the kyng, he kepte co|uenabletee, in whiche he shulde per|fourme the maundement. [verse 30] And Macha|beus seeynge Nychanore for to do with hym more sternly, and feerslier ȝeuynge custumable cummyng to gidre, vndir|stondynge this feersnesse for to be not of good, a fewe of his gadrid, he [Om. H.] hid hym fro Nychanore. [verse 31] Whiche thing as he knewȝ, hym strongly byfore cummen of the man, he came to the most and [Om. G pr. m.] holiest temple, and he comaundide to the prestis offrynge wont oostis, or sacrifices, the man for to be taken [bitaken G sec. m. H.] to hym. [verse 32] Whiche sayinge with othe, for to not wyte, wher he was that was souȝt, he stretchynge [verse 33] forth the hond to the temple, swore, Ȝif ȝe shuln not bitake to me Judas bounden, Y shal leede doun this temple of God in to pleyn [playnesse H.] , and digge out the auter, and Y shal halewe this temple to the [Om. H.] free fadir. [verse 34] And these thingis said, he wente awey. Forsothe the prestis holdynge forth hondis in to heuen, ynclepiden hym that euer is forfiȝter of the folc of hem, say|inge [verse 35] these thingus, Thou, Lord of vny|uersitee, or of [Om. H.] alle creatures, that of no thing hast need, woldist the temple of thin habitacioun for to be maad in vs.

[verse 36] And nowe, thou holy of al holy, Lord, kepe in to with outen eende this hous vndefoulid, that a lytil goon was clensid. [verse 37] Forsothe Rasias, sum of the eldre men of Jerusalem, was accusid to Nychanore, a man, louer of the citee, and wel heer|ynge, that for affeccioun, or loue, was clepid fadre of Jewis. [verse 38] This man many tymes helde purpose of continence in Jewrie, apaied for to bitake body and soule of [for G sec. m. H.] perseueraunce, or lastyng. [verse 39] For|sothe Nychanore willynge for to shewe the hate, that he hadde aȝeinis Jewis, sente fyue hundrid kniȝtis, for to take hym. [verse 40] Forsothe he gesside, ȝif he hadde disceyuyde hym, hymself to ȝeuynge most deth to Jewis. [verse 41] Forsothe cumpanyes co|ueitynge for to falle in to his hous, and for to breke the ȝate, and for to moue to fijr, whanne now he was taken, he axide, [verse 42] or assailide, hym self with swerd; chees|ynge for to dye nobly, rather than for [Om. H.] to be maad suget to synners, and aȝeinis his birthis for to be ledd with vnworthi wrongis. [verse 43] Bot whan by haastynge with vncerteyn stroke he hadde ȝouen wounde, and cumpanyes bitwixe dores brasten ynne, he rennynge aȝein hardily to the walle, castide doun hym self manly in to the cumpanyes. [verse 44] Whiche swiftly ȝeuynge place to his fall, he came by the mydil [verse 45] hatrel [haterel, or vtmeste place of the necke H.] , and ȝit whijl he brethide, he, in ynwitt kyndlid, roose. And whan his blood with grete flowynge flowide doun, and with most greuos woundis he was wound|id, bi rennyng he passide the cumpanye; [verse 46] and stoondynge vpon [on H.] sum heeȝ stoon, and now maad with outen blood, biclip|pynge his entraylis with bothe hondis, castide forth on the cumpanyes, he yn|clepynge the lordshiper of lijf and spirit, that he shulde ȝeelde eftsonys these thingis to hym; and thus he is dead fro lijf.