and made shyppes of warre: that I maye go thorow the countre, and be auenged of them which haue destroyed oure londe, and ways∣ted many cities in my realme. And therfore now I make the fre also from all the tribu∣tes, wherof all kynges my progenitours ha∣ue discharged the, and from other customes (wher from they haue released the) what so euer they be: Yee I geue the leaue to smyte money of thine owne within thy londe. As for Ierusalem, I wil that it be holy and fre: and all the weapens and houses of defence which thou hast buylded and kepest in thine hondes, shal be thine. Where as eny thinge [ B] is or shal be owynge vnto the kynge, I forge¦ue it the, from this tyme forth for euermore. And when we haue optayned oure kyngdo∣me, we shal do the, thy people and the tem∣ple greate worshipe: so that youre honoure shal be knowne thorow out ye whole worlde.
In the Clxxiiij. yeare wente Antiochus in to his fathers londe, and all the men of war∣re came together vnto him, so that fewe we∣re left with Triphon. So the kynge Antio∣chus folowed vpon him, but he fled vnto Do¦ra, which lieth by the see syde: for he sawe yt there was myschefe comminge vnto him, and that his hoost had forsaken him. Then came Antiochus vnto Dora wt an hūdreth & twentye thousande men of armes vpon fo∣te, and eight thousande horsmen. So he com¦pased the cite rounde aboute, and ye shippes came by the see. Thus they vexed the cite by londe and by water, in so moch that they suf¦fred no man to go in nor out.
In the meane season came Numenius (& they that had bene with him) from the cite of Rome, hauynge lettres written vnto the kynges and prouyncies, wherin were contey¦ned [ C] these wordes: Lucius the Mayre of Ro¦me sendeth gretinge vnto Ptolomy the kyn∣ge. The embassitours of the Iewes oure frē¦des beinge sent from Symon the hye prest and from the people of the Iewes, came vn∣to vs, for to renue the olde frendshipe and bonde of loue, and brought a shylde of golde weyenge a thousande pounde, which we we∣re contente to receaue of them. Wherfore we thought it good to wryte vnto the kynges & prouincies, to do them no harme, nor to take parte agaynst thē, their cities ner countrees nether to mayntene their enemies agaynst them. Yf there be eny wicked personnes ther¦fore fled from their countre vnto you, dely-them vnto Symon the hye prest, yt he maye punysh them acordinge to their owne lawe.
The same wordes wrote the Romaynes also vnto Demetrius the kynge, to Atta••us, Araba, Arsaces and to all regions: as Sam∣sanes, to them of Sparta, Delo, Mio••, Sy∣don, Caria, Samos, Pamphilia, Lycia, Ali∣carnassum, and to ye Rhodes: to Faselis, Coo, Sida, Arado, Gortyna, Gnydum, to Cypres and to Cyren. And of euery lettre they sent a [ D] copy to Symon the hye prest and to the peo¦ple of the Iewes. So Antiochus the kynge brought his host vnto Dora the seconde ty∣me, to take it: where he made diuerse ordinaū¦ce of warre, and kepte Triphon in, yt he shul¦de not come forth. Then Symon sent Antio¦chus two thousande chosen mē to helpe him with golde, syluer and other plenteous ge•••• Neuerthelesse he wolde not receaue them, but brake all ye couenaunt which he made wt Symon afore, & withdrewe himself frō him.
He sent Athenobius also a frende of his vnto Symon, for to reason with him, sayen∣ge: Ye witholde fro me Ioppa and Gaza (wt the castell that is at Ierusalē) which are citi¦es of my realme, whose borders ye haue des∣troyed, and done greate euell in the londe, ha¦uynge the dominaciō in many other places of my kyngdome. Wherfore delyuer now ye [ E] cities which ye haue takē, wt ye tributes of ye places yt ye haue rule vpon without the bor∣ders of Iewry: Or els geue me fyue hūdreth talentes of syluer, yee and for the harme that ye haue done in the cities and for the tribu∣tes of the same, other fyue hundreth talētes. Yf no, we shal come and fight agaynst you.
So Athenobius the kynges frende came to Ierusalē, and when he sawe ye greate wor¦shipe and honoure of Symō in golde, syluer and so greate plenty of ornamentes: he mar∣veled, and tolde Symon as the kynge com∣maunded him. Then answered Symon and saide vnto him: As for vs, we haue nether ta¦ken other mēs londe, ner witholdē them, but only oure fathers heretage, which oure ene∣mies had vnrighteously in possession a cer∣tayne tyme. This heretage of oure fathers haue we chalenged in processe of tyme. And where as thou cōplaynest concernynge Iop¦pa and Gaza, they dyd greate harme to or people and in o londe, yet wyll we geue an C. talentes for them.
Neuertheles Athenobius answered him not one worde, but turned agayne wrothful¦ly vnto ye kynge, and tolde him all these wor¦des, and the greate dignite of Symon with all that he had sene, and the kinge was very angrie. In the meane tyme fled Triphon by shippe vnto Orthosaida. Then the kynge made Cendebeus captayne of the see coost, &