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

CAP. VI.

[verse 1] Bot not after myche tyme the kyng sente sum olde Antiochene, whiche shulde constreyne Jewis, that thei shulde trans|ferre hem fro the [Om. H.] lawis of faders and of [verse 2] God; also [and also K.] he shulde defoule the tem|ple, that was in Jerusalem, and shulde clepe it of Jouis Olympij, and in Gary|sym, as thei weren, that enhabitiden the place, of Jouis hospitale. [verse 3] Forsothe the aȝein rennyng of yuels was warst and [verse 4] greuous to alle; for whi the temple was ful of lecherie and glotonye, and of men doynge lechery with horis, and wymmen baren yn hem self to halewid housis, at [of H.] her own will, berynge with ynne tho thingis whiche it was not leefull. [verse 5] Also the auter was ful of vnleeful thingus, whiche weren forbeden bi lawis. [verse 6] Sothely nether sabothis weren kept, nether so|lemne days of faders, or cuntree, weren kept, nether symply, or pleynly, eny man knowlachide hym a Jew. [verse 7] Forsothe thei weren ledde with bitter neede in day of the kyngus birthe to sacrifices. And whanne holy thingus of a [Om. H.] free chijld weren halewid, or wirshipid, thei, crown|yd with edera, weren constreyned for to go about with the free chijld. [verse 8] Sothely the dome wente out in to the next citees of heithen men, Tholomeys procurynge, that liche manere thei shulden do aȝeinus [verse 9] Jewis, for to sacrifice; sothely that thei shulden slea hem, that wolden not passe to the ordenauncis of heithen men. Ther|fore it was wretchidnesse for to see these thingus. [verse 10] Forsothe two wymmen weren accusid, for to haue circumcidid her chil|dren; whom whan thei hadden ledde

about opynly by the citee, the infauntis hangid at brestis, thei castiden hem doun by the [Om. H.] wallis. [verse 11] Forsothe other goynge to gidir to the next denns, and priuely wirshipynge the day of saboth, whan thei weren shewid to Philip, thei weren brente in flawmes, for thi that thei dred|den, or shamyden, for religioun and ob|seruaunce, for to bere help to hem self with hond. [verse 12] Forsothe Y biseche hem, that ben to redynge this boke, that thei dreden not, `or haue not hydous [nether haue hidoustee H. or haue not hidoustee G sec. m.] , for con|trarie casis [causis A.] ; bot rette thei tho thingus that bifellen not to perishing, bot for to be [Om. G pr. m.] to [Om. H.] amendynge of oure kynde. [verse 13] For|sothe for to not suffre by myche tyme synners for to do of sentence, or dome, bot anoon for to ȝeue veniaunces, is shew|yng of grete benyfice [benyfices H.] . [verse 14] Sothely, not as in other naciouns, the Lord abidith pa|ciently, that whan the day of dome shal cume, he punyshe hem in plente of syn|nys, [verse 15] so and in vs he ordeyneth, that oure synnys turned aboute in to the [Om. H.] eende, so [so that H.] at the last he venge in vs. [verse 16] For whiche thing sothely he neuer remoueth his mercy fro vs; forsothe he chastis|ynge [chastynge H.] his peple, in aduersitees forsaakith not. [verse 17] Bot these ben said to ȝou in fewe to monestynge of men redynge; now forsothe it is to cume to the tellynge. [verse 18] Therfore Eleasarus, oon of the former of scribis, or men of lawe, a man woxen in age, and fair in cheer, ȝanynge with open mouth, was compellid for to ete swynys flesh. [verse 19] And he biclippynge, or desijr|ynge, more gloriouse deth, than hateful lijf, wilfully wente byfore to tourment. [verse 20] Forsothe he byholdynge hou it bihoft for to go to, paciently susteynynge, or|deynyde for to not do vnleeful thingus for loue of lijf. [verse 21] Sothely these that stoden niȝ, moued to gydre by wickid mercy, for olde frenship of the man, takynge hym

preuyly, preyden for to be brouȝt to fleshis, whiche it was leeful hym for to ete, that it were feyned for to haue eten, as the kyng comaundide, of the fleshe [fleschis H.] [verse 22] of sacrifice; that this thing feyned, he were delyuered fro deth; and for olde frenship of the man, thei diden this hu|manite, or curtasie, in hym. [verse 23] And he bigan for to thenke the worthi excellence of age, and his eelde, and the free born hoorenesse, or nobley, and fro childhode of beste lyuynge; and after the ordi|nauncis of holy lawe, and maad of God, he answerde soon, saiynge, hym for to wille to be sent bifore in to helle. [verse 24] So|thely he saith, It is not worthi to oure age for to feyne, that many ȝunge men, demynge Eleazarus of fourescore ȝeer [Om. G pr. m.] and ten, for to haue passid to lyif of [as AK.] [verse 25] aliens, and thei be disceyued for my feyn|yng, and for litil tyme of corruptible lijf, and by this Y gete spott and execra|cioun, or cursidnesse, to myn eelde. [verse 26] For whi and ȝif in this tyme Y be delyuerd fro tourmentis of men, bot nether quyck nether dead Y shal ascape the hond of Almiȝti [the Almiȝti G sec. m. H.] . [verse 27] Wherfore in passyng the lijf strongly, sothely Y shal appere worthi [verse 28] of [in H.] age; forsothe Y shal leue stronge en|saumple to ȝunge men, ȝif Y be perfitly sett in onest deth with redy inwitt, and strongly for the worthiest and holyest lawis. These thingis said, anoon he was drawen to tourment. [verse 29] Forsothe these [Om. G pr. m.] that ledden him, and a litil byfore weren mylder, ben turned in to wrath, for these wordis said of hym, whom [whiche wordis H.] thei demyden brouȝt [wrouȝt H.] forth by pride of herte. [verse 30] Bot whan he shulde be slayn with woundis, he inwardly [in H.] sorewide, and saide, Lord, that hast holy kunnyng, opynly thou wost, for whan Y myȝt be delyuerd fro deth, Y susteyn [susteynede H.] hard sorewis of body; forsothe after [vp H.] soule wilfully Y suffre

these thingus, for thi dreed. [verse 31] And sothely this man in this maner departide fro lijf; not oonly leeuynge the mynde of his deth to ȝunge men, bot and to alle the folc, to ensaumple of vertu and strengthe.