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

CAP. VIII.

[verse 1] Forsothe Judas Machabeus, and thei that weren with hym, entriden priuely in to castels; and thei, cleepynge to gidre cosyns, and frendis, and takynge to hem that dwelten in Jurye [Jewrye, or lond of Judee H.] , ledden out to sixe thousand [thousandis H.] men. [verse 2] And thei inclep|iden the Lord, for to biholde in to the peple, that was defoulid of alle men; for to haue mercye of [on H.] the temple, that was [verse 3] defoulid of vnpitous men; and for to haue mercy of [on H.] distruyinge of the citee, that was anoon to be maad pleyn to gidre; and for to heere the voice of blood cry|inge [verse 4] to him, and for to haue mynde of the wickidist dethis of lytil children in|nocentis, and of blasfemyes ȝouen to his name; and for to haue indignacioun on these thingus. [verse 5] And Machabeus, the mul|titude gadrid, was maad vnsuffreable to heithen men; forsothe the wrath of the Lord is conuertid in to mercye. [verse 6] And he aboue cummynge to castels and cytees, vnwarnyd, brente hem; ocupyinge couen|able places, ȝaue not fewe sleayngis of

enmys. [verse 7] Sothely in niȝtis [myȝtis H.] he was most born to syche out rennyngis; and fame of his vertu was shed out euery wher. [verse 8] Forsothe Philip seeynge the man bi litil and litil for to cume to profit, or encrese, and ful ofte thingus bifalle to hym eesili, or in prosperite, wrote to Tholome, duyk of Celescirie and Fenyce, that he shulde bere help to the kyngis needis. [verse 9] And he swiftly sente Nychanore of Patrode, frend of the former, or worthier, ȝouen to hym not lesse than twenti thousandis of armyd folkis meynt [meyngid H.] to gidre, for to do awey al the kynde; and ioyned to hym Gorgie, a kniȝtly man, and in thingus of bateil most expert. [verse 10] Forsothe Nychanore ordeynede to the kyng, that he shulde fulfille the tribute that was to be ȝouen to Romayns, two thousand [thousandis H.] of talentis, of the caitifte of Jewis. [verse 11] And anoon he sente to cytees of the se coost, clepynge togidre to euyn byinge of boonde men of Jewis; byhetynge hym to sellynge nynty boond men for oo talent, not byholdynge to veniaunce [the veniaunce H.] that was to folewynge hym of the [Om. H.] Almiȝty. [verse 12] Forsothe wher Judas foonde, he shewide to these [the H.] Jewis that weren with hym, the cummynge of Nychanore. [verse 13] Of whom [whiche H.] sume [summe men G sec. m. H.] inwardly dreedynge, and not byleeuynge to riȝt|wisnesse [the riȝtwisnesse H.] of God, weren turnyd in to [verse 14] fliȝt; other sothely, ȝif eny leften of hem, camen, and to gidre bisouȝten the Lord, for to delyuere hem of wickid Nycha|nore, whiche hadde solde hem bifore that [verse 15] he came niȝ; and thouȝ not for hem, for the testament that was to the fadris of hem, and for the [Om. H.] yncleepyng of his holy name and grete on hem. [verse 16] Forsothe Ma|chabeus, clepid to gidre seuen thousandis that weren with hym, preyide, that thei shulden not be reconseilid, nether shul|den dreed the multitude of enmyes wick|idly cummynge aȝeinus hem, bot strongly

[verse 17] shulden stryue, or fiȝte; hauynge byfore the eeȝen the dispite that was `in brouȝt [brouȝt H.] in the holy place vniustly of hem, and also the [Om. G pr. m.] wronge of citee [the citee G sec. m. H.] , had in scorn|ynge; ȝit also the ordynaunces of olde men distruyed to gidre. [verse 18] For whi he saith, Thei sothely tristen in armers to gidre and hardynesse; forsothe we tristen in the Lord almiȝty, that may do awey with oo lookyng, wille, or signe, and men cummynge aȝeinus vs, and [in G pr. m.] al the world. [verse 19] Forsothe he monestide hem and of helpis of God, that ben don aȝeinus faders; and that vndir Senacheryb an hundrid foure score and fyue thousand [thousandis H.] [verse 20] pershiden; and of the batel that was to hem aȝeinus Galathas, in Babyloyn; wher ȝif it come to thing, or trewthe, felowis Macedoyns doutynge, thei alle six thou|sandis alone slewen an hundrid and twenty thousandis, for help ȝouen to hem fro heuen; and for these thingus thei hadden ful many benyfices. [verse 21] By these wordis thei ben maad stedfast, and redy for to dye for the lawis and cuntree. [verse 22] So|thely he ordeynyde his bretheren duykis, or leeders, to eche ordre, Symont, and Josephus, and Jonathas, to eche a thou|sand and fyue hundrid sugettid. [verse 23] Also to this thing, the holy boke red to hem Esdra [of Esdra H.] , and a tokne ȝouen of Goddis help, in the first sheltrun he duyk, ioyn|yde with Nychanore. [verse 24] And the Almiȝty maad help to hym, thei slewen ouer nyne thousande of men; forsothe thei con|streyneden the more part of Nychanoris oost, maad feble by woundis [wound G pr. m.] , for to flee. [verse 25] Forsothe the moneys of hem that camen to the bying of hem taken vp, on eche [verse 26] syde thei pursueden hem; bot thei turnyden aȝein closid to gidre bi an houre; for whi it was bifore the saboth, for whiche cause thei lastiden not pur|suynge. [verse 27] Forsothe thei gadringe the ar|mers of hem, and spuylis, diden saboth,

blessinge the Lord, that delyuerde hem in this day, droppynge in to hem bygyn|nynge of mercye. [verse 28] Forsothe after the sa|both thei departiden spuylis to the feble [feblis H.] , and fadirlesse, and modirlesse, and wi|dewis; and thei with hern hadden the residues. [verse 29] These thingus thus don, and commounly of alle men bisechynge maad, thei axiden the mercyful Lord, for to be recounseilid in to the eend to his seru|auntis. [verse 30] And of these that weren with Tymothe and Bachides, stryuynge aȝeinus hem, thei slewen ouer twenty thousandis, and thei weeldiden heeȝ strengthis; and thei departiden mo preyes, euen porcioun to feble [feblis H.] , faderlesse, and moderlesse, and widues, bot and to eldre men makynge. [verse 31] And whan thei hadden gadrid the ar|mers of hem, diligently thei maden to gydre, or kepten, alle thingus in couen|able places; forsothe thei baren to [in to H.] Je|rusalem the residue spuylis. [verse 32] And thei slewen Philarces, that was with Tymo|the, a man ful of grete trespassis, that had tourmentide Jewis in many thingus. [verse 33] And whan feestis for victorie weren don in Jerusalem, thei brenten hem that had|den brente holy [the holy H.] ȝatis, that is to say, Calestenes, whan he hadde flowen in to sume hous; worthi meed ȝoolden to hem for her vnpitousnesse. [verse 34] Forsothe wick|idist Nychanore, that brouȝte a thou|sand marchauntis to bying of Jewis, [verse 35] meekid, or maad lowe, bi help of the Lord, of hem whiche he gessid noon; the clothe of glorie putte doun, by mydil erthe fleeinge aloone, cam to Antioche, hauynge heiȝist infelicitee, or most wretch|idnesse, of the deeth of his oost. [verse 36] And he that bihiȝte hym for to restore tribute to Romayns, of the caitiftee of men of Jerusalem, prechide Jewis for to haue oo defender God, and for hym to [for to GH.] be vnable for to be woundid, for [and for K.] thei sueden lawis maad of hym.