The XVI. Chapter. A copye of the commaundement, which kinge Artaxerses caused to be proclamed in all the countrees of his domynion, for the wealth of the Iewes.
[ A] THe greate kynge Artaxerses, which raigneth frō India vnto Ethiopia, ouer an hundreth and xxvij. londes, sendeth vnto the prynces & rulers of the sa∣me londes, soch as loue him, his frendly salu¦tacion. There be many, that for the sondrye frendshipes and benefites which are diuersly don•• vnto them for their worshipe, be euer ye more proude and hye mynded, and vnderta∣ke not onely to hurte oure subiectes (for plen¦teous benefites maye they not suffre, and be¦gynne to ymagin some thinge agaynst tho∣se that do them good, and take not onely all vnthankfulnes awaye fro men) but in pryde and presumpcion (as they that be vnmynde¦full and vnthākfull for the good dedes) they go aboute to escape the iudgment of God, yt seyth all thinges, which (iudgment) hateth & punysheth all wickednes. It happeneth oft also, yt they which be set in office by the hyer power, and vnto whom the busynes and cau¦ses of the subiectes are cōmytted to be hand¦led, waxe proude, and defyle thē selues with sheddynge of innocent bloude, which bryn∣geth them to intollerable hurte. Which also with false and disceatfull wordes and with lyenge tales, disceaue and betraye the inno∣cent goodnes of prynces.
[ B] Now is it profitable and good, that we take hede, make search therafter, and consi∣der, not onely what hath happened vnto vs of olde, but the shamefull, vnhonest, and noy¦some thinges, that the debites haue now ta¦ken in hande before oure eyes: and therby to bewarre in tyme to come, that we maye ma∣ke the kyngdome quyete & peaceable for all men, and that we might some tyme drawe it to a chaunge: and as for ye thinge that now is present before oure eyes, to withstande it, and to put it downe, after the most frendly maner.
* 1.1What tyme now as Aman the sonne of Amadathu ye Macedonyan (a straunger ve∣rely of the Persians bloude, and farre from oure goodnes) was come in amōge vs as an aleaunt, and had optayned the frendshipe that we beare towarde all people, so that he was called oure father, and had in hye ho∣noure of euery man, as the next and prynci∣pall vnto the kynge, he coude not forbeare him self from his pryde, hath vndertaken not onely to robbe vs of the kyngdome, but of oure life.
With manyfolde disceate also hath he de¦syred [ C] to destroye Mardocheus oure helper and preseruer, which hath done vs good in all thinges: and innocent Hester the like par¦taker of oure kyngdome, with all hir people. For his mynde was (whan he had takē them out of the waye, and robbed vs of them) by this meanes to translate the kyngdome of the Persians vnto thē of Macedonia. But we fynde, that the Iewes (which were accu¦sed of ye wicked, yt they might be destroyed) are no euell doers, but vse reasonable & right lawes, and that they be the children of the most Hye lyuynge God, by whom the kyng∣dome of vs and oure progenitours hath be∣ne well ordred hither to. Wherfore, as for the letters and cōmaundementes, that were put forth by Aman the sonne of Amadathu, ye shal do well, yf ye holde them of none effec∣te: for he that set them vp and inuented thē, hangeth at Susis before the porte, with all his kinred, and God (which hath all thinges in his power) hath rewarded him after his deseruynge.
And vpon this ye shal publish and set vp [ D] the copy of this letter in all places, that the Iewes maye frely and without hinderaunce holde them selues after their owne statutes, and that they maye be helped, and that vpō ye xiij. daye of ye xij. moneth Adar they may•• be auenged of them, which in the tyme of their anguysh and trouble wolde haue op∣pressed thē. For the God that gouerneth all thinges, hath turned to ioye, the daye wher¦in ye chosen people shulde haue perished.
Morouer, amōge the hye solempne dayes that ye haue, ye shall holde this daye also wt all gladnesse: that now and in tyme to come, this daye maye be a remembraūce to good, for all soch as loue the prosperite of the Per¦sians: but a remembraunce of destruccion to those that be sedicious vnto vs.
All cities and lōdes that do not this, shal horribly perish and be destroyed wt the swer¦de and fyre, and shall not onely be nomore inhabited of men, but be abhorred also of ye wilde beas¦tes & fou¦les.