The II Chapter.
[ A] AFter these actes whan the displeasure of kynge Ahasuerus was layed, he thoughte vpon Vasthi, what she had done, and what was concluded concernyn∣ge her. Then sayde the kynges seruauntes: Let there be fayre yonge virgins soughte for the kynge, and let the kynge appoynte o∣uerseers in all ye londes of his empyre, that they maye brynge together all fayre yonge virgins vnto the castel of Susan to the We¦mens buyldinge, vnder the hande of Hegai the kynges clamberlayne, that kepeth the we¦men, and let him geue them their apparell. And loke which damsell pleaseth the kynge, let her be quene in Vasthis steade. This plea¦sed the kynge, and he dyd so.
In the castell of Susan there was a Ie∣we, whose name was Mardocheus, the son∣ne of Iair, the sonne of Simei, the sonne of Cis, the sonne of Iemini, which was caried awaye from Ierusalem, whan Iechonias the kynge of Iuda was led awaye, (whom Nabuchodonosor the kynge of Babilon ca¦ried awaye) and he norished Hadassa (that [ B] is Hester) his vncles daughter: for she had nether father ner mother, and she was a fay¦re and beutyfull damsell. And whan hir fa∣ther and mother dyed, Mardocheus recea∣ued her as his awne daughter.
Now whan ye kynges cōmaundemēt and cōmyssion was published, & many dāsels we¦re broughte together vnto the castell of Su∣san vnder ye hande of Hegai, Hester, was takē also vnto ye kynges house vnder ye hande of Hegai ye keper of ye wemē, & the damsell plea∣sed him, & she founde grace in his sighte. And he put her wt hir maydēs in ye best place of ye Womēs buildīge. And Hester shewed it not vnto hir people & hir kynred: for Mardoche¦us had charged her, yt she shulde not tell it. And Mardocheus walked euery daye before ye courte of ye Womēs buyldinge, yt he might knowe how Hester dyd, and what shulde be come of her.
And whan the appoynted tyme of euery [ C] damsell came that she shulde come to ye kyn¦ge Ahasuerus, after that she had bene twol∣ue monethes in the deckynge of the wemen (for their deckynge must haue so moch tyme, namely sixe monethes with Balme & Myr∣re, & sixe monethes wt good spyces, so were the wemē beutifyed) then wente there one dam¦sell vnto ye kynge, and what so euer she requy¦red, yt must be geuē her to go wt her out of the Womens buyldinge vnto ye kynges palace. And whan one came in the euenynge, ye sa∣me wēte frō him on ye morow in to ye seconde house of wemen, vnder the hande of Saas∣gas the kynges chamberlayne, which kepte ye concubines. And she must come vnto the kynge nomore, excepte it pleased the kyn∣ge, and that he caused her to be called by name.
Now whan the tyme came of Hester the daughter of Abihail Mardocheus vncle (whom he had receaued as his awne daugh∣ter) yt she shulde come to the kynge, she desy∣red nothinge but what Hegai the kynges chamberlayne the keper of the wemen sayde.
And Hester founde fauoure in the sighte of all them that loked vpon her. And Hes∣ter was taken vnto kynge Ahasuerus in to the house royall, in the tenth moneth which is called Tebeth, in the seuenthe yeare of his [ D] reigne.
And the kynge loued Hester aboue all the wemen, and she founde grace and mercy in his sighte before all the virgins: and he set the quenes croune vpon hir heade, and made her quene in steade of Vasthi. And the kyn¦ke made a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 feast vnto all his prynces and seruauntes (••h••ch feast was because of Hester) and let the londes be in quyetnes, & gaue royall giftes.
And whan the virgins were gathered to¦gether the seconde tyme, Mardocheus sat in the kynges gate. And as yet had not Hes∣ter shewed hir kynred and hir people, acor∣dinge as Mardocheus had bydden her: for Hester dyd after the worde of Mardocheus, like as whan he was hir tutoure. At the sa∣me tyme whyle Mardocheus sat in the kyn∣ges gate, two of the kinges chamberlaynes▪ Bigthan and Theres which kepte the dore, were wroth, and sought to laye their handes on the kynge Ahasuerus: Wherof Mardo¦cheus gat knowlege, and tolde it vnto quene Hester, and Hester certified the kynge ther¦of in Mardocheus name. And whan inquisi¦cion