The Byble in Englyshe that is to saye, the content of all the holye scrypture, bothe of the olde and newe Testament, truly translated after the veryte of the Hebrue and Greke textes, by the diligent studye of dyuers excellent lerned [men e]xperte in the fore[saide] tongues.

❧ The. iiij. booke of Esdras.

¶ The people is reproued for theyr vnthanckfulnes. God wyll fynde another people yf these wyll nat be enformed.

CAPI. I.

THe seconde booke of [unspec A] the Prophete * 1.1 Esdras (the sōne of Saraias, y^• sōne of Azarias, the sonne of, Helchia the sōne of Sallum, the sonne of Sado••, y^• Sonne of Achitob, the sonne of Achia, the sonne of Phinees the, sonne of Hely the sōne of Amerias, the sōne of Azarias, the sōne of Maraioth, the sōne of Sarahias / the sōne of Uzi, the sonne of Boccus y^• sonne of Abisu / the sonne of Phinees / the sōne of Elezar, the sonne of Aaron / of the trybe of Liue) which was presoner in the lande of Mades / in the raygne of Artaxerses Kynge of Persia.

* 1.2 And the worde of the Lorde came vnto me / saying: go thy waye, & she we my people theyr synful dedes / and theyr chyldren theyr wyckednesses / whiche they haue done a∣gaynst me, that they may tell theyr chylders chyldren the same: for the sinnes of theyr fa∣thers are increased in them. And why? they [unspec B] haue forgotten me, and haue offred vnto straunge goddes. Am nat I euen he that brought them out of the lande of Egypt, frō the house of bondage? But they haue prouo¦ked me vnto wrath, and despised my coun∣cels. Pull thou out then the hearre of thy heade, and cast all euell ouer them, for they haue nat bene obediente vnto my lawe.

It is a people without lernynge & nour∣toure. Howe longe shall I forbeare them, vnto whom I haue done so muche good? * 1.3 Many kynges haue I destroyed for theyr sakes: ‡ 1.4 Pharao with his seruauntes & all his power haue I smytten downe & slayne: All the nacions haue I destroyed and roted out before thē, & in the East haue I brought two landes & people to nought, euen Tyre and Sydō, & haue slayne all theyr enemyes. Speake thou therfore vnto them, sayinge. Thus sayeth the Lorde: * 1.5 I led you thorowe the see / and haue geuen you sure stretes sēse the begynnynge. ‡ 1.6 I gaue you Moses to be youre captayne, and Aaron to be the prest:

* 1.7 I gaue you lyght in a pyler of fyre, and greate wonders haue I done amonge you: yet haue ye forgotten me, sayeth the Lorde.

Thus sayeth the almyghte Lorde: I gaue you quayles to eate, & tentes for youre suc∣coure: Neuertheles ye murmured, and ascri¦bed not the vyctory of youre enemyes vnto my name: yee, thys same daye do ye yet mur moure. Where are the benefytes, y^• I haue done for you? When ye were hongrye in the wyldernes, * 1.8 dyd ye nat cry vnto me saying: why hast thou brought vs into this wylder¦nes, to kyll vs? It had bene better for vs, to haue serued the Egypcyans / then to dye in thys wyldernesse. Then had I pytye vpon youre mournynges, and gaue you Manna to eate. Ye dyd eate angels foode. ‡ 1.9 When ye were thyrstye, dyd I nat hewe the harde∣stone / & caused water to flowe therout? For the heate I couered you with the leaues of [unspec C] the trees. A good pleasaunte fat lande gaue I you: I cast out the Cananites, the Phere∣sytes and Philystines before you. * 1.10 What shall I do more for you / sayeth the Lorde.

Thus sayeth y^• Almyghtye Lorde: ‡ 1.11 Whē ye ware in the wildernes, in the water of the Amorytes, beynge a thyrst, & blasphemynge my name, I gaue you nat fyre for your blas phemyes, but cast a tree into the water, and made the ryuer swete. What shal I do vnto the, O Iacob? Thou Iuda woldest nat obeye me * 1.12 I wyll turne me to another peo∣ple / & vnto those. Wyt I geue my name that they may kepe my statutes. Sayng ye haue forsaken me. I wyl forsake you also. When ye desire me to be gracious vnto you, I shal haue no mercy vpon you. * 1.13 When ye call vpo me, I wyll nat heare you. For ye haue defyled youre handes with bloude / & youre fete are swyft to commyt manstaughter. Ye haue nat forsaken me (in a maner) but youre owne selues, sayeth the Lorde.

Thus sayeth the almyghtye Lorde: haue I nat prayed you, as a father his sōnes, as a mother her daughters / and as a norsse her yonge babes / that ye wolde be my people / & I shulde be youre God: that ye wolde be my chyldren, & I shulde be your owne fathers? * 1.14 I gathered you together / as an henne ga¦thereth her chekens vnder her wynges. But nowe what shall I do vnto you? I shal cast [unspec D] you out fro my face? * 1.15 When ye offre vnto me / I shal turne my face from you: for your solempne feast dayes, youre newe moones / and your circumcysyons haue I forsake. I sent vnto you my seruaūtes the Prophetes, whom ye haue taken and stayne, and torne theyr bodyes in peces / whose bloude I wyll requere of youre handes, sayeth the Lorde.

Thus sayeth the Almyghty Lorde: your house must be desolate. I wyll caste you out as the wynde doth the strawe, youre chyldrē shall nat be fruteful, for they haue despysed my commaundement / and done the thynge that is euell before me. Youre houses wyl I geue vnto a people that shall come, & * 1.16 they that neuer harde me / shall beleue in me: and they vnto whom I neuer shewed tokē, shall do the thyng y^• I cōmaunde thē. They haue sene no Prophetes, yet shall they call theyr synnes to remembraunce / and knowledge them. I reporte me vnto the grace, y^• I wyl do for the people which is come / whose chil∣dren reioyse in gladnes: & though they haue not sene me with bodely eyes, yet in sprete they beleue the thing that I saye. And nowe brother, beholde what greate worshyppe / & se the people that cōmeth frō the East / vnto whom I wyl geue the dukedom * 1.17 of Abra∣ham, Isaac and Iacob, of Oseas, Amos, & Micheas, of Ioel, Abdy / Ionas / Naum / & Abacu•• / of Sophony•• Aggeus, Zachary / & Malachy, which is called also an angell (or messenger) of the Lorde.

CAPI. II.

[unspec A]

The Synagoge syndeth faute with her owne chyldrē. The Gentles are called.

THVS sayeth the Lorde: I brought thys people out of bondage, I gaue them my commaundementes by my seruair∣tes the Prophetes / whiche they wholde nat heare / but despysed my counsels. The mother that bare them / sayeth vnto them: Go youre waye ye chyldren / for I am a wyd¦dowe and forsaken: I brought you vp with gladnesse / but with sorowe and heuynes haue I loste you: for ye haue synned before the Lorde youre God, and done the thynge that is euell before hym. But what shall I

nowe do vnto you? I am a wyddowe and forsaken: go youre waye, O my chyldrē, and aske mercy of the Lorde. As for me, O fa∣ther / I call vpon the for a wytnesse ouer the mother of these chyldren, whiche wolde not kepe my couenaunt, that thou brynge them to confusyon, and theyr mothers to spoyle, that she beare no more. Let theyr names be scatred abroade amonge the Heathen, let them be put out of the earth, for they haue thought scorne of my couenaunte.

Wo be vnto the Assur / thou that hydest y^• vnryghtuous by the. Thou wycked people, remēbre * 1.18 what I dyd vnto Sodome & Go∣morre, whose lāde is turned to pytch and as∣shes. Euen so also wyll I do vnto all them / that heare me not, sayeth y^• almyghty Lorde. Thus sayeth the Lorde vnto Esdras: Tell my people / y^t I wyl geue thē the Kyngdome of Iesusalem, whiche I wolde haue geuen vnto Israel. Theyr glory also wyll I take vnto me / & geue them the euerlastynge ta∣bernacles / whiche I had prepared for those.

The tree of lyfe shalbe vnto them a swete [unspec B] smellynge oyntement: they shall neyther la∣boure nor be weery. Go ye youre waye / and ye shall receaue it. Praye for youre selues a fewe dayes / y^t they maye dwel therin. Nowe is the Kyngdome prepared for you, therfore watche. Take heauen & earth to witnesse for I haue broken the euell in peaces, & created the good / for I lyue sayeth the Lorde. Mo∣ther embrace thy chyldren, & brynge thē vp with gladnesse: make theyr fote as fast as a py••er / for I haue chosen the, sayeth y^• Lorde.

And those that be dead wyll I rayse vp agayne from theyr places, and brynge them out of the graues / for I haue knowen my name in Israell. Feare nat thou mother of the chyldren / for I haue chosen the, sayeth the Lorde. And for thy helpe I shall sende the my seruauntes Esay and Ieremy / after whose councel I haue sanctifyed and prepa¦red for the twelue trees loded with dyuerse frutes / and as many welles, flowynge with mylke & hony / and seuen moūtaynes / wher¦vpon there growe roses and lylyes / wherin I wyll fyll my chyldren with ioye. Execute iustyce for the wyddowe, be iudge for the fa∣therles: geue to the poore: defende the com∣forteles: clothe y^• naked: heale the wounded and sycke: laugh ••at a lame man to scorne: defende the crepel, and let the blynde come into the syght of my clearnes, kepe the old & the yonge within thy walles. * 1.19 Whersoeuer thou fyndest the dead / take them, and burye them / & I shal geue the / the ty••st place in my resurreccyon. Holde styll (O my people) and take thy rest, for thy quietnes is come. Feade [unspec C] thy chyldren. O thou good norsse / stablysh theyr fete: As for the seruauntes whom I haue geuen the / there shall nat one of them perysh, for I wyl seke them from thy nōbre, vexe nat thy selfe.

For when the daye of trouble and heuy∣nes cōmeth / other shall wepe and be sorow∣full / but thou shalt be mery and plenteous. The Heathē shalbe gelous, but they shalbe able to do nothynge agaynst the / sayeth the Lorde. My handes shall couer the / so that thy children shal nat se the fyre enerlastyng. Be ioyfull, O thou mother with thy chyl∣dren / for I wyll delyuer the / sayeth y^• Lorde. Remembre thy deed chyldren / for I shall brynge them out of the earth / and shewe mercy vnto them / for I am mercyfull / sayeth the Lorde almyghty.

Embrace thy chyldren / vntyll I come, and shewe mercy vnto them / for my welles runne ouer / and my grace shall nat fayle.

I Esdras receaued a charge of the Lorde vpon the mount Oreb / that I shulde go vn¦to Israell. But when I came vnto Israell they set me at naught and despised the com∣maundemente of the Lorde. And therfore I saye vnto you, O ye Heathē that heare and vnderstande: Loke for youre shepherde / he shall geue you euerlastynge rest, for he is nye at hande / that shall come in the ende of the worlde. Be readye to the rewarde of the kyngdome, for the euerlastynge lyght shall shyne vpon you for euermore. Fle the sha∣dowe of this worlde / receaue the ioyfulnes of your glory. I testifie my sauyour openly: O receaue the gyfte that is geuen you / & be glad, geuynge thankes vnto hym y^• hathe called you to the heauenly kyngdome.

Aryse vp, and stande faste: beholde the [unspec D] nombre of those that be sealed in the feast of the Lorde, whiche are departed from the shadowe of the worlde / and haue receaued gloryous garmentes of the Lorde. Take thy nombre O Syon / and shut vp thy pury¦fyed, whiche haue fulfylled the lawe of the Lorde. The nombre of thy chyldren whom thou longedest for / is fulfylled: beseche the power of the Lorde, that thy people whiche haue bene called frō the begynnynge / maye be halowed.

* 1.20 I Esdras sawe vpon the mount Syon a great people / whom I coulde nat nombre, and they all prysed the Lorde with songes of thankesgeuynge. And in the myddest of them there was a yonge man of an hye

stature, more excellente then al they, & vpon euery one of theyr heades he set a crowne, & was euer higher and higher, whiche I mar∣ueled at greatly. So I asked the angel, and sayd: Syr, what are these? He answered and sayde vnto me: These be they, that haue put of the mortall clothynge and put on the im∣mortal, and haue testifyed and knowledged the name of God. Nowe are they crowned, & receyue the rewarde.

Then sayde I vnto the Aungell: what yonge personne is it, that crowneth them / & geueth thē the palmes in theyr handes? So he answered, & sayde vnto me: It is y^• sonne of God, whom they haue knowledged in the worlde. Then begāne I greately to cōmende thē, y^• stode so styfly for the name of the Lord And so the angel sayd vnto me: Go thy way, & tell my people, what maner of thinges and howe greate wonders of the Lorde thy God, thou hast sene.

¶ The wonderous workes whiche God dyd for the people are recited. Esdras marueleth that God suffreth the Babilo¦niās▪ to haue rule ouer his people, which yet are siners also.

CAPI. III.

IN the thyrtyeth yeare of the fall of the cy∣tie, [unspec A] I was at Babylon, and laye troubled vpon my bed / and my thoughtes came vp ouer my herte: for I sawe the desolacion of Syon, and the plentuous wealthe of them that dwelte at Babylon: and my sprete was sore moued / so that I beganne to speake fe∣refull wordes to the most hyest / and sayd: O Lorde Lord / thou spakest at the begynnyng when thou plantedst the earth (and that thy selfe alone) and gauest commaundement vn¦to the people / and a body vnto Adā / whiche was a creature of thy handes, & hast brethed in him the brethe of lyfe: & so he lyued before the / and thou leddeste him into Paradyse / whiche garden of pleasure thy ryght hande had plāted, or euer y^• earth was made. And vnto him thou gauest commaundemente to loue thy way / whiche he trāsgressed, and im∣medyately thou appoyntedst death in hym / and in his g••neracions. Of hym came na∣cyons, trybes people and kynreddes out of [unspec B] nombre. * 1.21 And euery people walcked after their owne wyll / and dyd nyce thynges be∣fore the: & as for thy cōmaundementes, they despysed them.

* 1.22 But in processe of tyme thou brough∣test the water floude / vpon those that dwelte in the worlde, and destroyedst them. And ly¦ke as the death was in Adam, so was y^• wa∣ter floude also in these. Neuerthelesse one of thē thou leftest: namely Noe with his house holde, of whome came all ryghtuous men. And it happened that when they that dwelt vpon the earth / beganne to multyplye, and had gotten many chyldren, and were a great people / they begāne to be more vngodly thē the fyrste.

Nowe when they all lyued so wyckedly before the / * 1.23 thou dydest chose the a man frō amonge them, whose name was Abraham. Him thou louedst, and vnto hym onely thou shewedst thy wyl, and madest an euerlasting couenaunt with hym, promysynge him, that thou woldest neuer forsake his sede. * 1.24 And vnto him thou gauest Isaac, * vnto Isaac also thou gauest Iacob and Esau. As 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Iacob thou dydest chose him / and put ba•••••• Esau. * And so Iacob became a greate mul∣tytude. [unspec C]

And it happened that when thou leddest his sede out of Egypt, * 1.25 thou broughtest thē vp to the mounte Syon bowyng downe the heauens, settynge fast the earthe, mouynge the grounde, makyng the depthes to shake / and troublynge the worlde: And thy glorye went thorowe foure partes of fyre, and earth¦quakes, and wyndes / and colde: that tho•• myghtest geue the lawe vnto the sede of Ia∣cob / & diligēce vnto y^• generacion of Israel.

And yet tokest thou not away from them that wycked herte, y^• thy lawe myght brynge forth frute in them. For the fyrst Adam ••a•••• a wycked hert / transgressed, and was ouer∣come, & so be all they that are borne of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 * 1.26 Thus remayneth wickednes with th〈…〉〈…〉 in the herte of the people, w^t the wycke•••••••• of the rote: so that the good departed away and the euyll abode styll. So the tymes pas∣sed awaye / and the yeares were brought to an ende. * 1.27 Then dydest thou rayse the vp a seruaūt called Dauid, * 1.28 whom thou cōmaū∣dedst to buylde a cyte vnto thy name, and to offre vp incense and sacryfyce vnto the ther¦in. This was done nowe many yeares. Thē the inhabiters of the cyte forsoke the & in all thīges dyd euē as Adā & al his generacions had done: for they also had a wicked hert.

And so thou gauest thy cyte ouer into the [unspec D] handes of thyne enemyes. Are they of Baby¦lon thē better and more ryghtuous then thy people, that they shall therfore haue the do∣mynyon of Syon? For when I came there / and sawe theyr vngodlynes, and so greate wyckednesse / that it coulde not be nombred•• yee / when my soule saw so many euyl do••••s (in the thyrtye yeare) my herte fayled me for I sawe, how thou suffredst them in such vn¦godlynes, and sparest the wicked doe••s: but

thyne owne people hast thou roted out / and preserued thyne enemyes, and this hast thou not shewed me.

I cannot perceyue howe thys happened. Do they of Babylon then better, then they of Syon? Or is there any other people / that knoweth the / sauynge the people of Israel? Or what generacion hath so beleued thy co¦uenaūtes, as Iacob? And yet theyr rewarde appeareth not, & theyr labour hath no frute. For I haue gone here & there thorow y^• Hea∣then, & I se that they be riche & wealthy, and thyncke not vpon thy cōmaūdementes. Wey thou therfore our wyckednesse now in the ba¦laūce, and theirs also y^t dwel in the worlde, & so shal thy name be no where foūde but in Is¦rael. Or where is there a people vpon earth / that hath not sined before the? Or what peo¦ple hath so kept thy cōmaundemētes? Thou shalt fynde / that Israel by name hath kepte thy preceptes / but not the other people and Heathen.

¶ The angell reproueth Esoras because he semed to entre into the profounde iudgementes of God.

CAPI. IIII.

AND the angel that was sent vnto me [unspec A] (whose name was Urtell) gaue me an answere, & said: Thy hert hath takē to much vpon it in ti, is worlde, and y^u thynkest to cō∣prehende the way of the hyest. Then sayd I: Yee my Lorde. And he answered me, & sayd: I am sent to shew the thre wayes, and to set forth thre symylitudes, before the: wherof yf thou caust declare me one, I wyll shewe the also the waye / that thou desyrest to se: and I shall shewe the frome whence the wycked herte commeth. And I sayde: Tell on my Lorde. Then sayde he vnto me: Go thy way, weye me the weyght of the fyre / or measure me the blaste of the wynde / or cal me agayne the daye that is past. Then answered I and sayde: What man borne is able to do that? Why requyrest thou such of me? And he said vnto me: If I shulde aske the / howe depe dwellynges are in the see? Or how great wa¦ter springes are vpon the firmamēt? Or how great water springes are in the begynnynge of the depe? Or whiche are the out goynges of Paradyse? Peraduenture thou woldest saye vnto me: I neuer wente downe yet into the depe nor hel, neither dyd I euer clime vp into heauen. Neuerthelesse / nowe haue I as¦ked the but onely of fyre and wynde and of the day, where thorow thou hast trauayled / and from the which thou canst not be sepera¦ted: and yet canste thou geue me no answree of them.

He sayd moreouer vnto me: Thyne owne thinges, & suche as are growne vp with the, canst thou not knowe: howe shuld thy vessel then be able to comprehende the waye of the Hyest / and nowe outwardely in the corrupte worlde, to vnderstāde the corrupcion that is euidēt in my sight? Then saide I vnto him: It were better that we were not at all / then that we shulde lyue in wyckednesse / & to suf∣fre / & not to knowe wherfore. He answered [unspec B] me / & sayde: I wente in a wod, & * 1.29 the trees toke such a deuyse and sayd: Come let vs go and fyght against the see, that it may depart away before vs, and that we maye make vs yet more woddes.

The floudes of the see also in lyke maner toke thys deuyse, and sayde: Come let vs go vp / and fyght agaynst the trees of the wood y^t we maye make our lande the wyder. The thought & deuyce of the wod was but vaine & nothing worth, for the fyre came and consu¦med the wod: The thought of the floudes of the see came likewise to naught also, for the sande stode vp and stopped them.

If thou were iudge nowe betwyxte these two, whom woldest thou iustyfie, or whome woldest thou condemne? I answered & sayd: Uerely it is a folyshe thought that they both haue deuysed. For the grounde is geuen vn∣to the wod, and the see also hath his place to here his floudes. Then answered he me / and sayde: Thou hast geuen a ryght iudgement, why iudgest thou not thyselfe also? For lyke as the grounde is geuen vnto the wod / and the see to his floudes: euen so * 1.30 they y^t dwell vpon earth, may vnderstande nothyng, but that whiche is vpon earth: and he that dwel¦leth aboue the heauēs, may only vnderstand the thynges, y^• are aboue the heauens. Then answered I / and sayd: I beseche y^•, O Lord, let me haue vnderstandynge: for it was not my mynde to be curyous of thy hye thinges, but of suche as we dayly medle withall / na∣mely, wherefore that Israell is blasphemed of the Heathē, and for what cause the people (whom thou euer hast loued) is geuen ouer / to be punisshed of vngodly nacyons: & why y^• lawe of our fathers is brought to naught, and the wrytten couenauntes come to none effecte, and we passe away out of the worlde as the greshoppers, & our life is a very feare and we are not worthy to optayne mercye. What wyll he do then vnto his name / which is called vpō ouer vs? Of these thīges haue I asked a questyon.

Then answered he me, & sayde: The more [unspec C] thou searchest / the more thou shalt mar••••ile

for the worlde hasteth fast to passe awaye / & cannot comprehende the thinges y^• are pro∣mysed for the rightuous in tyme to come, for * 1.31 this worlde is ful of vnryghtuousnes and weakenes.

But as concernynge the thinges wherof thou askest me / I wyll tell the. The euyll is sowed, but the destruccion thereof is not yet come. Yf the euyl nowe that is sowed, be not turned vpsyde downe, & yf the place where the euyll is sowne, passe not awaye / then can¦not the thyng come that is sowne with good for the corne of euyll sede hathe bene sowne in the he••t of man from the begynnyng, and how muche vngodlines hath he brought vp vnto this tyme? and how muche shall he yet brynge forth, vntyll he come into the barne?

Pōdre nowe by thyself, whē the corne of euyll sede is cut downe, howe great a barne shall it fyll? I answered and sayde. Howe & whē shall these thinges come to passe? wher∣fore are your yeares fewe & euyl? And he an∣swered me, sayinge: Hast not thou to muche vpon the hyest, for thy hastynes to be aboue him is but vaine / thou makest to much a do. Did not the soules also of y^• rightuous aske questyon of these thynges in theyr holynes / saying: * 1.32 Howe long shall I hope of thys fa¦shyon? When cōmeth the frute of my barne / and my reward? And vpon this Ieremiel y^• Archangel gaue thē answere, and sayd: Euē when y^• nōbre of the sedes is filled in you / for he hath weyed y^• world in the balaūce: in me∣sure & nōbre hath he measured y^• tyme, & mo∣ueth it not, vntyll y^• same measure be fulfyl∣led. Thē answered I & said: O Lord, Lord, now are we al ful of sine, & for our sake per∣aduenture it is not / y^t the barne of the rygh∣tuous shal not be fylled, because of the sines of thē that dwel vpon the earth.

So he answered me, & sayd: Go thy waye [unspec D] to a womā with chylde, and aske of her, whē she hath fulfylled her nyne monethes, yf her chyldebed may kepe y^• birth any longer with in her. Then sayd I: No Lorde, that can she not. And he sayde vnto me: In hell the secret places of soules are lyke the preuy chambre of a woman. For lyke as a woman that tra∣uayleth, maketh haste / when the tyme / and necessyte of the byrthe is at hande. Euen so doth she haste to delyuer it that is commyt∣ted vnto her. Loke what thou desyrest to se / it shall be shewed the from the begynnynge. Then answered I, & sayde: If I haue foūde fauoure in thy syght / and yf it be possyble / and yf it be mete therefore, shewe me then / whether there be more to come then is past / or more paste then is for to come. What is paste / I knowe: but what is for to come / I knowe not.

And he sayde vnto me: Stande vp vpon the ryght syde / and I shall expounde the sy∣mylitude vnto the. So I stode, and behold, an whote burnynge ouen wente ouer before me: and it happened that when the flamme was gone by / the smoke had the vpper hād•• After this there went ouer before me a wate¦ry cloude, and sent downe much rayne with a storme: & when the stormy rayne was past the droppes remayned styll. Then sayde he vnto me: lyke as the rayne is more then the droppes / and as the fyre exceadeth the smo∣ke / euen so the measure of the thynges that are past, hath the vpperhande. Then wente the droppes and the smoke aboue: and I pra¦yed and sayde: May I lyue (thynkest thou) vntyll that tyme? Or what shall happen in those dayes? He answered me, and sayde: As for the tokēs wherof thou askest me / I may tell the of them in a parte: but as touchynge thy lyfe, I may not shewe the / for I am not sent therfore.

¶ Esdras and the Angell comen together.

CAPI. V.

NEuerthelesse / as concernynge the to∣kens / marke [unspec A] this: Beholde / the dayes shall come / that they whiche dwell vppon earth, shalbe taken in a greate nombre / and the waye of the trueth shalbe hyd / & the land shalbe baren from fayth: but * 1.33 iniquite shal haue the vpperhande, lyke as thou hast sene nowe, & as thou hast herde longe ago: And y^• lande that thou seyst now to haue rule, shalt thou shortly se waste. But yf God graunte the to lyue, thou shalt se after the thyrde trō∣pet, that the sūne shal sodenly shyne againe in the night, & the mone thre times ī the day, & bloude shall droppe out of wodde, and the stone shall geue his voyce, & the people shal¦be vnquyete: and euen he shall rule, whom they hope not / that dwell vpon earthe / & the foules shall flyt, & the Sodomytshe see shall cast out his fysh, & make a noyse in the night which many shall not knowe / but they shall all heare the voyce therof.

There shalbe a cōfusion also in many pla¦ces, and the fyre shalbe oft sent agayne / and the wylde beastes shall go theyr waye / and menstruous wemen shall beare monstres / & salt waters shall be founde in the sw••te••one frende shal fyght agaynst another: then shal all wyt and vnderstandyng be hyd and put aside īto their secrete places, & shalbe sought of many, and yet not be foūde•• then shal vn∣ryghtuousnes

and voluptuousnes haue the vpperhande vpon earth. One lāde also shal aske another / and say: Is ryghtuousnes go¦ne thorowe the? And it shall saye: No. At the same tyme shall men hope, but nothynge op¦tayne: they shall laboure / but theyr wayes shall not prospere.

To shewe the suche tokens I haue leue / and yf thou wylte praye agayne, & wepe as nowe and fast seuen dayes, thou shalt heare yet greater thinges. Then I awaked, and a [unspec B] fearefulnes went thorowe all my body / and my mynde was feble and carefull, so that I almost sowned withall. So the angell that was come to talke with me, helde me / cōfor∣ted me / and set me vpon my fete.

And in the seconde nyght it happened / y^e Salathiel the captayne of the people came vnto me / saying: Where hast thou bene? and why is thy countenaunce so heuy? Knowest thou not, that Israel is cōmitted vnto the, in the lande of theyr captiuite? Up then / & eate, & forsake vs not, as y^• shepherde that leaueth his flocke in the handes of wycked wolues. Then sayd I vnto hym: Go thy way fro me, & come not nye me, & he herde it / as I said: so went he his way fro me. And so I fasted seuē dayes, mournyng & wepyng, lyke as Uriell the angel cōmaunded me. And after seuē dai¦es it happened y^• the thoughtes of my herte were very greuous vnto me agayne / & my soule receyued the sprete of vnderstandyng / and I beganne to talke with the moste hyest agayne / and sayde: O Lorde, Lord / of euery wood of the earth and all the trees therof •• thou hast chosen the one onely vyneyarde: and of all landes of the whole worlde thou hast chosen one pyt: and of al floures of the grounde thou hast chosen the one lylye: and of all the depthes of the see thou hast fylled the one ryuer: and of all buylded cyties thou hast halowed Syon vnto thy selfe: and of al the foules that are created, thou hast named the one doue: & of all the catell that are made thou hast prouyded the one shepe: and amōg all the multytudes of folckes thou hast got∣ten the one people, & vnto this people whom thou louedst / thou gauest a law / that is pro∣ued of all.

And nowe, O Lorde, why haste thou ge∣uen this one people ouer vnto many? and v∣pon the one rote thou hast prepared other, & why hast thou seat••ed thy one onely people among many? whiche treade them downe / yee whiche haue euer withstande thy promy¦ses, and neuer beleued thy couenauntes? And thoughe thou werest enemye vnto thy people / yet shuldest thou punysh them with thyne owne hādes. Nowe whē I had spokē, these wordes y^• angell y^• came to me y^• nyght afore, was sente vnto me, & snyde vnto me: [unspec C] Heare me / and herken to the thynge that I say, & I shal tel the more. And I said: Speke on my Lorde. Then sayd he vnto me. Thou arte sore vexed & troubled for Israels sake. Louest thou that people better thē hym that made them? And I sayd to hym: No Lorde / but of very grefe & cōpassion haue I spoken For my reines payne me euery hour, because I wolde haue experiēce of the way of y^e most hiest, & to seke out parte of his iudgmēt. And he sayde vnto me: y^• thou mayest not. And I sayde: Wherfore Lorde? where vnto was I borne then? Or why was not my mothers childbed then my graue? So had I not sene the misery & trouble of Iacob, & the trauaile of my people of Israel.

And he sayd vnto me: Nōbre the thynges that are not yet come: gather me together y^• droppes, y^e are scatred abroade: make me the floures grene agayne, that are withered: opē me the thyng that is closed: & bryng me forth the wyndes, y^e are shut vp: Shewe me the y∣mage of a voyce, and then shal I declare the thyng, that thou labourest to knowe. And I sayde: O Lord / Lord, who may knowe these thinges, but he that hath not his dwellynge with men? As for me / I am vnwyse, howe may I then speake of these thynges wherof thou askest me? Then sayde he vnto me: lyke as y^u cāst do none of these thīges that I haue spoken of, euē so canst thou not fynde out my iudgement, or in the ende y^• loue that I haue promysed vnto my people. And I sayd: Be∣holde, O Lorde / yet art thou nye vnto them that haue no ende: and what shall they do / y^• haue bene before me / or we that be nowe / or they that shall come after vs? And he sayde vnto me: I wyll lyken my iudgemente vnto a ryng. Lyke as there is no slackenesse of the last, euen so is there no swyftnesse of y^• fyrste So I answered and sayd: couldest thou not make those (that haue bene made, & be now / and that are for to come) in one, that thou myghtest shewe thy iudgemente the soner? Then answered he me / and sayde: The crea∣ture may not haste aboue the maker, neither may the worlde holde thē at once, that shal∣be [unspec D] created.

And I sayde: Howe hast thou sayde then vnto thy seruaunte, that thou lyuynge ma∣ker, hast made the creature lyuynge at once, and the creature bare it? euē so might it now also beare them that be present, at once. And

he sayde vnto me: Aske the chyldebed of a womā, and saye vnto her: If thou bryngest forth chyldren, why doest thou it not to ge∣ther, but one after another? Praye her ther∣fore / to brynge forthe ten chyldren at once. And I sayde: she cannot / but muste do it one after another.

Then sayde he vnto me: Euen so haue I geuē a chyldebed vnto the earthe, for those y^• be sowen vpō it by processe of tyme. For lyke as a yong chylde may not bryng forth y^• thin¦ges that belong to the aged: euē so haue I or dayned the worlde which I made.

And I asked and sayd: Seyng thou hast nowe geuen me awaye. I wyl speake before the: for our mother of whom thou hast tolde me / is yet yonge / and nowe she draweth nye vnto age: He answered me, and sayde. Aske a womā that beareth chyldren, and she shall tell y^•. Say vntō her: wherfore are not they (whom thou haste nowe brought forth) lyke those that were before y^•, but lesse of stature? And she shall answere the: They that be bor∣ne in the youth of strēgth, are of one fashyon and they that are borne in the tyme of age / (when the chyldebed fayleth) are other wise. Consydre nowe thy selfe, howe that ye are lesse of stature, then those y^t were before you / & so are they y^t come after you, lesse thē ye: as the creatures which now begynne to be old, and haue passed ouer the strength of youth. Then sayd I: Lord I beseche the, yf I haue founde fauoure in thy syght, shewe thy ser∣uaunt / by whome doest thou vyset thy crea¦ture?

¶ The Angel instructeth Esdras, and geueth hym answere to his questyons

CAPI. VI.

AND he sayde vnto me. In the begyn∣nyng when the grounde was made: be¦fore [unspec A] the world stode, or euer the windes blew before it thondred and syghtned, or euer the foundacions of Paradyse were layed / be∣fore the fayre floures were sene, or euer the mouable powers were stablished / before the innumerable multitude of Angels were ga∣thered together, or euer the highnesses of the ayre were lyfted vp / afore the measures of the firmament were named, or euer the chim¦neis in Syon were hote, & or the present ye∣res were sought out / and or euer the inuen∣cyons of them that nowe synne, were put a∣syde, before they were sealed that nowe ga∣ther fayth for a treasure: then dyd I consy∣dre and pondre all these thynges, and they all were made thorowe me, and thorowe none other: by me also they be ended, and by none other. Then answered I and sayde: whiche shall be the partynge asunder of the tymes? Or when shalbe the ende of the fyrst and the begynnynge of it that folowethe? And he sayd vnto me: From Abraham vnto Isaac, when Iacob and Esau were borne of hym. Iacobs hande helde fyrste the hele of Esau: for Esau is the ende of this world, and Iacob is the begynnyng of it that foloweth The hande of man betwyxte the hele and the hande. Other questyon (Esdras) aske thou not.

I answered then, & sayde: O Lord, Lord / yf I haue founde fauour in thy syght / I be¦sech the, shewe thy seruaunte the ende of thy tokens, wherof thou shewedst me parte the last nyght. So he answered and sayde vnto me: Stande vp vpon thy fete, and heare the perfecte voyce of sounde. There shall come a greate mocyon / but the place where thou standest shall not be moued. And therfore whē thou herest the wordes, be not afrayed: [unspec B] for of the ende shall the worde and founda∣cyon of the earth be vnderstand. And why? the worde therof trembleth and quaketh for it knoweth, that it muste be chaunged at the ende. And it happened, y^• when I had hearde it, I stode vp vpon my fete, and herkened: & beholde, there was a voyce that spake, & the sounde of it was lyke y^• sounde of many wa∣ters, and it sayde: Beholde, the dayes come / that I wyll begynne to drawe nye, & to vy∣set them that dwell vpon earth, and wyll be∣gynne to make inquisycion of them / what they be that haue hurt equite with vnrygh∣tuousnes / and when the low estate of Syon shalbe fulfylled: and when the worlde, that shall vanyshe away, shalbe ouersealed, then wyll I do these tokens.

The Bokes shalbe opened before the fir∣mament, and they shall se all together, & the chyldrē of a yere olde shall speake with their voyces: the wemen with chylde shall brynge forth vntymely chyldren of thre or foure mo∣nethes olde, and they shall lyue / and be ray∣sed vp: and sodēly shall the sowen places ap∣peare as the vnsowen / the full store houses shall sodenly be founde emptye: & the trom∣pet shall geue a sounde, which whē euery mā heareth, they shalbe sodenly afrayed. * 1.34 At y^e tyme shall frēdes fight one agaynst another lyke enemyes, and the earthe shall stande in feare with them.

The sprynges of the welles shall stande styll / and in thre houres they shall not renne Whosoeuer remaineth frō all these thynges

that I haue told the / shall escape, and se my saluacyon, and the ende of your worlde. And the men that haue receyued / shall se it / they that haue not tasted deathe from theyr byrth: and the hert of the in dwellers shal be chaunged, & turned into another meanynge for euyll shalbe put out / and disceyte shalbe quenched. As for fayth, it shall floryshe, cor∣rupcion shalbe ouercome: & the truth, which hath bene so longe without frute, shalbe de∣clared. And it happened when he talked w^t me, that I loked demurely vpon him, before whome I stode / and these wordes sayde he vnto me: I am come to shewe the / the tyme of the nyght for to come.

Yf thou wylte praye yet more, and fast se∣uen dayes agayne, I shall tell the more thin¦ges, and greater then before, for thy voyce is hearde before the Hyest: for why? y^• mygh∣tye hathe sene thy ryghtuous dealynge / he [unspec C] hath sene also thy chastyte / which thou hast had euer sence thy youth: and therfore hathe he sent me to shewe the al these thynges, & to saye vnto the: Be of good comforte, & feare not / and hast not w^t the tymes that are paste to thyncke vayne thynges, & make not haste of the latter tymes.

And it happened after this / that I wept agayne / and fasted seuen dayes in lyke ma∣ner, y^• I myght fulfyll the thre wekes: which he tolde me. In the eyght night was my hert vexed withi me agayne, & I begāne to speke before the hyest: for my sprete was greately set on fyre / and my soule was in destresse, & I sayd, O Lord, thou spakest vnto thy crea∣ture frō the begynnyng (euen the fyrst daye) and saydest. ‡ 1.35 Let heauen & earth be made / and thy worde was a perfecte worcke. And then was there the sprete, and the darckenes∣ses were yet on euery syde / and sylence: there was no mans voyce as yet from the. Then cōmaunded thou a fayre lyght to come forth out of thy treasures, that thy workes myght appere and be sene.

Upon the seconde daye thou made est the sprete of the firmament, and commaūdest it to part in sunder, and to make a deuysion be twixte the waters, that the one parte myght remayne aboue / and the other beneth. Upon the thyrde day thou broughtest to passe, that the waters were gathered in the seuēth part of y^• earth: Sixe partes hast thou dryed vp / and kepte them, to thyntent that mē myght sowe & occupye husbandry therin. As soone as thy worde wente forth / the worcke was made. For immediatly there was greate in∣numerable frute / and many diuerse pleasu∣res & desyres of tēptacyon, floures of chaun∣geable coloure and smel / and this was done the thyrde day.

* 1.36 Upon the. iiij. daye thou cōmaundedst y^• [unspec D] the Sunne shuld geue his shyne, & the mone her lyght: the starres dydest thou set in ordre & gauest thē a charge: to do seruyce euen vn∣to man / that was for to be made. Upon the fyfth daye thou saydest vnto the seuenthe part (where the * 1.37 waters were gathered) that* 1.38 they shulde brynge forthe diuerse beastes / foules and fysshes. And so it came to passe, that the domme water and without soule / brought forth lyuynge beastes / at the com∣maundement of God, that all people myght prayse thy wonderous worckes. Then dy∣dest thou preserue two soules / the one thou calledst Enoch and the other Leuiathan, & didest seperate the one from the other: for the seuenth parte (namely, where the water was gathered together) myght not holde them bothe. Unto Enoch thou gauest one parte / whiche was dryed vp the thyrde daye / that he shulde dwel in the same part / wherin are a thousande hylles. But vnto Leuiathan thou gauest the seuēth part, namely y^• moyst and haste kepte him to deuoure what thou wylte, and whan. Upon the syxte daye thou gauest cōmaundement vnto the earthe, that before the / it shulde brynge forth beastes, ca¦xell / and all that crepe, and (besydes this) A∣dam also, whome thou madest Lorde of all thy creatures. Of hym come we all, and the people also, whom thou hast chosē specyally vnto thy selfe. Al this haue I said nowe and spoken before the O Lord, y^t I myght shewe howe that the world is made for our sakes. As for the other people whiche also come of Adam thou hast said that they are nothyng / but be lyke a spetle, & hast lyckened the aboū¦daunce of them vnto a droppe (that falleth) from the rofe of the house:

And nowe, O Lorde / the Heathen which haue euer bene reputed as nothynge / haue begōne to be Lordes ouer vs / and to deuour vs: but we thy people (whom thou hast cal∣led the fyrst borne, thy onely begotten, & thy feruente louer (are geuen into theyr handes and power. Yf the worlde nowe be made for our sakes, why haue we not the inherytaūce in possessyon with the worlde? Howe longe shall this endure?

¶ The Angell sheweth Esdras many thynges to come.

CAPI. VII.

AND it happened after that I had spo∣ken [unspec A] out these wordes / there was sente vnto me an Angell, whiche had bene by me

also the nightes afore, and he sayd vnto me: Up Esdras / and here the wordes that I am come to tell the. And I sayd: speake on Lord my God. Then sayd he vnto me. The see is set in a wyde place / that it might be depe and greate: but the entraunce is narowe & small lyke a ryuer. For who wolde go into the see / to loke vpon it / and to rule it? If he wente not thorow the narowe, how myght he come into the brode.

Item another: A cytie is buylded and set vpon a brode felde / and is full of al goodes, the entraūce is narowe and sodayne, lyke as yf there were a fyre at the ryght hande, and a depe water at the lefte, and as it were onely one strayte path betwixte thē bothe, so small that there coulde but one man go there.

If this cyte nowe were geuē to an heyre / & he neuer went thorowe the parlous waye / how wolde he receyue his enheritaūce? And I sayde: It is so Lord. Then said he to me: Euen so is Israel also a porcyon. And why? for theyr sakes haue I made the world: and when Adam transgressed my statutes, then was the thyng iudged that was done. Thē were the entraūces of the worlde made na∣rowe, ful of sorowe & trauayle. They are but fewe •• euil, ful of parels & labour. For the en¦traunces of the fore worlde were wide & sure, and brought immortall frute.

If they nowe whiche are entred into this worlde, maye not comprehende these strayte and vaine thinges, muche lesse may they cō∣prehende and vnderstande the secrete thyn∣ges: Why disquietest thou thy self thē, seyng thou art but a corruptyble man? And what woldest thou knowe where as thou art but mortall? And why hast thou not receyued in to thyne herte the thynge that is for to come, [unspec B] but that is present?

Then sayd I: O Lord Lord, * 1.39 thou hast ordayned in thy lawe, that the ryghtuous shulde inherete these thīges, but that the vn¦faythful and vngodly shulde perysh. Neuer thelesse, the rightuous shal suffre strayte thī¦ges / & hope for wide: for they that haue liued vngodly and suffred strayte thynges / shall not se the wyde.

And he sayd vnto me: There is no iudge aboue God / and none that hath vnderstan∣dynge aboue the Hyest. For there be many y^e peryshe, because they despyse y^• lawe of God that is set before them. For God hath geuen strayte cōmaundement to such as come, that they knowe what they do / and howe they shulde lyue: and yf they kept this they shuld not be punyshed.

Neuerthelesse, they were not obediēt vn∣to hym, but spake agaynste hym: ymagyned vayne thynges / and purposed to synne, and sayd moreouer, that there was no God / and that God regarded it not. Hys wayes haue they not knowen, his lawe haue they despy∣sed / and denyed hys promyses: in his statu∣tes & ordynaunces haue they not bene fayth full and stedfaste, and haue not perfourmed hys workes.

And therfore Esdras: vnto the full, plen∣ty: and to the emptye / emptynesse. Beholde / the tyme shal come / that these tokens which I haue tolde the shall come to passe / and the bryde shall appeare / and the earth that now passeth awaye / shalbe shewed: and whosoe∣uer is delyuered frō the forsayde euyls, shal se my wonders. For my sonne Iesus shalbe opēly declared, with those that be with him. and they that remayne, shalbe mery in foure hundreth yeares.

After these same yeares shall my sonne Christ dye / and al men that haue lyfe, and y^• world shalbe turned into the olde sylence se∣uen dayes / lyke as in the fore iudgementes, so that no mā shal remayne. And after seuen dayes, the world that yet a waked not / shal∣be raysed vp / and shal dye corrupte. And the earth shall restore those that haue slept ī ••er and so shal the dust those that dwel in silēce / and the secrete places shal deliuer those that be commytted vnto thē. And the most hyest [unspec C] shalbe openly declared vpō the seate of iud∣gement, and all mysery shall vanysh away / and long suffryng shalbe gathered together But the iudgement shal cōtinue / the trueth shall remayne / and fayth shal waxe stronge, the worcke shall folowe, & the rewarde shall be shewed: the ryghtuousnes shall watch / & the vnryghtuousnesses shall beare no rule.

Then sayde I: * 1.40 Abraham prayed fyrste for the Sodomites / ‡ 1.41 & Moses for y^• fathers that sinned in the wyldernes, & he that came after him for Israel, in the tyme of Achas & Samuel: and ‡ 1.42 Dauid for the destruccyon ‡ 1.43 and Salomon for them that came into the Saynctuary, * 1.44 and Helias for those that re¦ceyued rayne, & for the deade, that he myght lyue, & Ezechias for the people in the time of Se••••acherib: & diuerse other in lyke maner whiche haue prayed for many.

Euē so now, seyng the corrupte is growen vp / and wyckednes increased, and the ••yg••¦teous haue prayed for y^• vngodly, wherfore shall it not be so nowe also?

He answered me / and sayd: Thys presente world is not the ende / there remaineth much

honour in it, therefore haue they prayed for the weake. But the daye of dome shalbe the ende of this tyme / & the beginnyng of the im¦mortalite for to come, wherin all corrupcion vanished, al volupteousnes is loused, al mis¦beleue taken away, ryghtuousnesse growne & the veryte spronge vp. Then shall no man be able to saue hym that is destroyed, nor to oppresse him that hath gotten the vyctorye. I answered then, and sayd: This is my first and last sayinge: that it had bene better / not to haue geuē the earth vnto Adā: or els whē it was geuen him, to kepe hym that he shuld not sinne. For what profite is it for mē nowe in this present tyme to lyue in heuinesse, and after death to loke for punyshment. O thou Adam / what hast thou done? For thoughe it was thou that sinned, thou art not fallen a∣lone, but we all that come of the. For what profyte is it vnto vs, yf there be promysed vs an immortall tyme, where as we medle wyth deadly worckes? and that there is pro¦mysed vs an euerlasting hope, where as our selues are euyll & vayne, and that there are layed vp for vs dwellynges of health & fre∣dome, where as we haue lyued euyll, & that the worshyppe of the hiest is kept to defende them, whiche haue led a paciente lyfe, where as we haue walked in the most wycked wai∣es of all? And that there shalbe shewed a pa¦radyse, whose frute endureth for euer, wher∣in is fredome and medycyne, where as we shall not go in? for we haue walcked in vn∣pleasaūt places: And that the faces of them whiche haue absteyned, shal shyne aboue the starres, where as our faces shall be blacke [unspec D] and darcke? For whyle we lyued & dyd vn∣ryghtuously, we consydered not, y^• we shulde suffre therfore after death?

Then answered he me, and sayde: Thys is the consyderacyon and thought of the bat¦tayle, whiche man hathe vpon earth: that yf he be ouer come, he shall suffre as thou haste sayde. But yf he get the vyctorye, he shall re∣ceyue the thynge that I saye. For thys is the lyfe wherof Moyses spake vnto the people, whyle he lyued / sayng: * 1.45 Chose the lyfe, that thou mayst liue. Neuerthelesse / they beleued hym not / neither the Prophetes after hym. No nor me whiche haue spoken vnto them / that heuynes shulde not reach vnto them to theyr destruccyon, lyke as ioye is for to come ouer those that haue suffered them selues to be enfourmed in saluacyon.

I aunswered then, and sayde: I knowe Lorde / that the hyest is mercyfull / in that he hath mercy vpon them / which are not yet in the worlde / and vpon those also that walcke in his lawe: and that * 1.46 he is pacient and lōg sufferynge towarde those that haue synned in theyr worckes / and that he is lyberall to geue where as it requyreth: and that he is of great mercy / for he multiplied his louing kyndnesses towarde those y^• are present / and that are paste / and to them whiche are for to come. For yf he multiplye not hys mercyes / the worlde shall not be made lyuynge / with those y^• dwel therin. He geueth also / for yf he gaue not of his goodnes, that they whiche haue done euyll / myght bē eased, from theyr wyckednes, the ten thousande parte of men shuld not be made lyuyng. And yf the iudge forgaue not those that be healed with hys worde, & if he wolde destroye the multytude that stryueth, there shulde be very fewe lefte in an innumerable multitude.

¶ Esdras prayeth God rather to loue vpon his owne mer∣cye, then on the synnes of the people.

CAPI. VIII.

ANd he answered me, sayeng: The most Hyest made this worlde for many, but [unspec A] the worlde to come for fewe. I wyll tell the a symylitude / Esdras: As when thou askeste the earth / it shall say vnto the / that it geueth muche moulde / where of earthen vessels are made, but lytle of it y^e golde cōmeth of. Euen so is it w^t the worke of thys worlde. * 1.47 There be many created / but fewe shall be saued. Then answered I and sayde: Thē swalo we vp the witte (thou soule) and deuoure the vn¦derstandynge / for thou art agreed to herken and to geue eare, and wyllyng to prophecy / for thou hast no longer space geuen the, but onely to lyue. O Lord / wylte thou not gyue thy seruaunt leaue, that we may pray before the / & that thou mayest gyue sede vnto oure herte, & tyllynge to our vndestandyng, that there maye cōme frute of it: & that euery one which is corrupte / and beareth the state and place of a man / may lyue?

For thou art alone, & we al are one work manshyppe of thy handes, lyke as thou hast sayd / and lyke as the body is fashioned now in the mothers wōbe / & thou geuest the mē∣bres, and thy creature is preserued in fyre & water: & .ix. monethes doth thy worke suffre thy creature, whiche is fashyoned in her: but the thing that preserueth / and it that is pre∣serued / shall both be kept together: and whē tyme is / the wombe delyuereth the thynge that is kepte and growen in her.

For thou hast commaūded the brestes to geue mylcke vnto the fruyte, that the thyng

which is created and fashyoned, may be no∣ryshed for a tyme: and then thou dysposest & ordrest it with thy mercy / bringeste it vp w^t thy righteousnes, nurturest it in thy lawe, & refourmest it with thy vnderstandyng, mor∣tifiest it as thy creature, & makest it lyuyng as thy worcke. Seyunge then that thou de∣stroyest [unspec B] him, which with so great labours is created and fashyoned thorowe thy com∣maundemēt, thou couldest lyghtly ordeine, also, that the thynge which is made, myght be preserued.

And thys I speake now of all men in ge∣nerall / as y^u knowest: but of thy people / for whose sake I am sory: & of thy inheritaūce: for whose cause I mourne: and of Israell / for whom I am wofull: and for Iacob / for whose sake I am greued / therfore begynne I to pray before the, for my selfe & for them / for I se the fall of vs, euen of vs / that dwel vpon earth. But I haue herde the swiftnes of y^• iudge, which is to come: therfore heare my voice, and vnderstande my wordes, and I shall speake before the. Thys is the be∣gynnynge of the wordes of Esdras / before he was receaued. And I sayde, O Lorde / thou that dwellest in euerlastignesse, whose eyes are lyfte vp in the ayre, whose stoole is exceadynge hye, whose glory & maiesty may not be comprehended, before whom the Ho∣stes of aungels stande with trēbling, whose kepyng is turned in wynde and fyre / whose worde is true, whose talckynge is stedfaste, whose commaundement is stronge, whose ordinaunce is fearful, whose loke drieth vp the depthes, whose wrath maketh the moū∣taynes to melte awaye / and whose trueth beareth wytnes: O heare the prayer of thy seruaunt / and marke with thyne eares the petycyon of thy creature.

For whyle I lyue, I wyll speake, and so longe as I haue vnderstanding, I wyl an∣swere. O loke not vpon the synnes of thy people / which serue the in trueth. Haue no respecte vnto the wicked studies of the Hea¦then, but to the desyre of those that kept thy testimonyes with sorowes. Thyncke not vpō those that haue walked fame••ly before the / but vpon them / whiche with wyll haue knowen thy feare.

Let it not be thy wyll to destroye them, which haue had beastly maners, but to loke vpon thē that haue clearly taught thy law. Take thou no indignacyō at thē, which are worse then beastes: but loue them / that all waye put theyr trust in thy ryghteousnes & glory: for we & our fathers haue al the same sycknes and dysease, but because of our sin∣nes thou shalt be called mercyfull.

For yf thou hast mercy vpon vs / y^• shalt [unspec C] be called mercyfull / where as we haue no worckes of righteousnes: for the righteous whiche haue sayed vp many good worckes together, shal out of theyr dedes receaue re∣warde. For what is man, that thou shuldest take displeasure at him? Or what is the cor∣ruptible mortal generacyon, that thou shul dest be so rough towarde hym?

‡ 1.48 For of a trueth there is no man amonge them that be borne, but he hath dealte wyc∣kedly: and among the faithful there is none whiche hath not done amysse. For in thys (O Lord (thy ryghteousnes and thy good∣nes shalbe praysed and declared, yf thou be mercyfull vnto them, which are not rych in good worckes.

Then answered he me and sayde: Some thinges hast thou spoken a right, and accor¦ding vnto thy wordes it shall be. For I wyl not verely consydre the worckes of them / which haue synned before death / before the iudgment, before destruccyon, but * 1.49 I wyll reioyce ouer the worcke and thought of the ryghteous. I wyll remēbre also the pylgre∣mage the holy makynge and the rewarde. Lyke as I haue spoken now, so shal it come to passe. For as the husbande man so weth much sede vpon the grounde / and planteth many trees, and yet alwaye the thynge that is sowne or planted is not al kepte safe, ne∣ther doth it all take rote: Euen so is it of thē that are sowne in the worlde / they shall not all be salued.

I answered then and sayde: If I haue foūde grace, then let me speake. Like as the husbande mans sede perisheth, yf it receaue not rayne in dewe season, or it there come to much rayne vpō it: Euen so perysheth man also, which is created with thy handes, and is lyke vnto thyne owne ymage and to thy selfe, for whose sake thou hast made al thyn∣ges / and lykened hym vnto the husbande mans sede. Be not wroth at vs / O Lorde / but spare thy people / and haue mercy vpon thyne owne inherytaunce: O be mercyfull vnto thy creature.

Then answered he me & sayde: Thinges [unspec D] present are for the presēte, & thinges to come for suche as be to come. For thou lackeste yet much, seynge thou mayest loue my crea∣ture aboue me: I haue oft times drawne me vnto the, but neuer to the vnryghteous. In this also thou art maruelous before y^• Hieit in that thou hast humbled thy selfe as it be∣commeth

the / and haste not regarded thyne owne selfe / that thou art had ī such honour amōge the ryghteous. Therfore shall great wrechednes and mysery come vpō thē, that in the latter tyme shall dwell in the worlde, because they haue walcked in greate pryde.

But vnderstande thou for thy selfe / and seke out glory for such as be lyke the: for vn to you is paradyse opened / the tre of lyfe is planted, the tyme to come is prepared, plen∣teousnes made ready: a cytie is buylded for you, & a rest is prepared, yee perfecte good∣nes and wysdome. The rote of euel is marc∣ked from you / the weaknes & mothe is hyd frō you, & into hell flyeth corrupcyon in for∣getfulnes. Sorowes are vanyshed awaye / and in the ende is shewed the treasure of im¦mortalyte. And therfore aske thou no more questions, concernyng the multytude of thē that peryshe. For they haue taken libertye / despysed the Hyeste / thought scorne of hys lawe / and forsaken his wayes.

Morouer / they haue troden downe hys ryghteous, and * 1.50 sayde in theyr herte / that there is no God, yee and that wyttingly, for they dye. For lyke as the thige that I haue spoken of, is made ready for you: Euen so is thyrst & payne prepared for them. For it was not hys wyll that man shulde come to naught: but they which be created haue de∣fyled the name of hym that made them, and are vnthanckful vnto him / which prepared lyfe for them. And therfore is my iudgment now at hand. These thiges haue I not she¦wed vnto all men / but vnto fewe / namely vnto the, and to such as be lyke the. Then answered I & sayd, Beholde O Lorde, nowe hast y^• shewed me the multitude of the tokēs, which y^• wylt begyn to do at the last: but at what tyme & whē, thou hast not shewed me.

¶ Esdras hath visyon•• vnto hym.

CAPI. IX.

HE answered me then & sayd: Measure [unspec A] thou y^• tyme dylygētly in it selfe / when thou seyst that one parte of the tokens come to passe / whiche I haue tolde the before: so shalte thou vnderstande / that it is the very same tyme / wherin the Hyest wyll begynne to vyset the worlde, whiche he made. And when there shall be sene earth quake & vproare of the people in the worlde, thē shalt thou well vnderstande / that the most hyest spake of those thinges / from the dayes that were before the, euen from the beginnynge.

For lyke as all that is made in the world hath a beginning and ende / and the ende is manyfest: Euen so the tymes also of y^• Hyest haue playne begynnynges in wonders and sygnes, and the ende in worcking and in to∣kens. And euery one that shalbe saued / and shall be able to escape by hys worckes and by faith, wherin ye haue beleued▪ shalbe pre¦serued from the saide parels, and shal se my sauyoure in my lande and within my bor∣ders, for I haue halowed me frō the world. Thē shall they be in carefulnes, which now haue abused my wayes: & they y^• haue caste thē oute despytefully, shal dwell in paynes.

For suche as in theyr lyfe haue receaued benefytes, and haue not knowne me / & they that haue abhorred my lawe / whyle they had yet fredome, and whē they had yet open leysure of amendemēt and conuersyon, and vnderstode not, but despised it: y^• same must knowe it after death in payne. And therfore be thou nomore careful, howe the vngodly shalbe punished, & howe the ryghteous shal be saued, and whose the world is, & for whō the worlde / and when it is. Then answered I and sayde: * 1.51 I haue talcked before & now I speake, and wyl speake also herafter, that [unspec B] there be many mo of them whiche peryshe / thē shalbe saued / lyke as the floude is grea∣ter then the droppes.

And he answered me / sayinge, lyke as the felde is, so is also the sede: as the floures be / so are the coulours also: suche as the work∣man is, such is also the worcke: and as the husband man is him selfe, so is his husban∣drye also / for it was the tyme of the worlde.

And when I prepared for them that are nowe or euer the worlde was made / where in they shulde dwell / then was there no man that withstode me. Nowe when euery one was / and the maker also in the worlde which is nowe prepared / & the moneth that ceaseth not / and the lawe which is vnsear∣cheable, theyr maners were corrupte. So I consydred the worlde / & beholde / there was parell / because of the thoughtes that were come into it. And I sawe / and spared them greatly / and haue kepte me a wynebery of the grapes / & a plante from amonge many generacyons. Let the multytude peryshe then / whiche are growne vp in vayne / and let my grape and wynebery be kepte: euen my plante: for with greate laboure haue I made it vp.

Neuertheles, yf thou wylt take vpon the yet seuen dayes mo (but thou shalt not faste in them (go thy waye then in to the felde of floures, where no house is buylded, and eat onely of the floures of y^• felde, tast not flesh, dryncke no wyne, but eate floures onely.

Praye vnto the Hyest contynually, so wyll I come / and talke with the.

So I went my waye and came into the [unspec C] felde which is called Ardath (lyke as he cō∣maunded me) and there I sat amonge the floures, & dyd eat of the herbes of the felde, and the meat of the same satisfyed me. After seuen dayes I sat vpon the grasse / and my herte was vexed within me lyke as afore: & I opened my mouth / and beganne to talke before the Hyest / and sayde: O Lorde / thou that shewest thy selfe vnto vs, * 1.52 thou haste declared and opened thy selfe vnto oure fa∣thers in the wyldernes, in a place where no man dwelleth / in a baren place / when they came out of Egygpt, and thou spakest, say∣inge: Heare me O Israel, & marke my wor∣des y^u seade of Iacob. Beholde, I sowe my lawe in you / and it shall bringe frute in you & ye shalbe honoured in it for euer. For oure fathers which receaued y^• lawe / kepte it not and obserued not thy ordinaunces and sta∣tutes, and the frute of thy lawe was not de∣clared: for it myghte not / for why? it was thyne. * 1.53 For they that receaeud it, perished, because they kepte not the thynge that was sowen in them.

It is a custome when the grounde recea∣ueth sede, or the see a shyp, or a vessell meate and drincke, that when it perisheth or is bro¦ken wherin a thing is sowen, or wherin any thynge is put: the thynges also peryshe and are broken, which are sowen or put therin. [unspec D] But vnto vs it hath not happened so for we that haue receyued the lawe, perysh i sinne, & oure herte whiche also receaued the lawe: notwithstādyng ‡ 1.54 the lawe perysheth not / but remayneth in hys laboure.

And when I consydered these thinges in my herte after thys maner / I loked aboute me with mine eyes, and vpon the right syde * 1.55 I sawe a woman, whiche mourned sore / made greate lamentacyon / and wepte with loude voyce: her clothes were rent in peces, and she had asshes vpon her heade. Then let I my thoughtes go, that I was in and turned me vnto her, and sayde wherfore we∣pest thou? why art thou so sory & discomfor∣ted? And she sayde vnto me: Syr, let me be∣wayle my selfe and take yet more sorow: for I am sore vexed i my mynde / & brought ve∣ry lowe. And I saide vnto her: what ay••eth y^•? Or who hath done eny thyng to y^•? tel me. She saide: I thy hand maid haue bene vn∣fruteful & baren, and haue had an husband thyrtie yeares. And these, xxx. yeares I do nothynge els daye and nyght & all houres but make my prayer to y^• Hyest. After thyr∣tie yeares God herde me thy handmayden, loked vpon my humylite. cōsydred my trou¦ble, and gaue me a sōne, and I was glad of him, so was my husbāde also & al my neygh∣bours, & we gaue greate honoure vnto the Myghtie. And I noryshed hym with great trauayle. So when he grewe vp, and came to the tyme, that he shulde haue a wyfe / I made a feast.

¶ Esdias and the woman that appeareth vnto him com∣men together.

CAPI. X.

ANd it happened that when my sonne [unspec A] went into his chamber he fell downe, & dyed: then ouerthrewe we all the lyghtes, & all my neyghbours rose vp to cōforte me. Then toke I my rest vnto the seconde day at night: & whē they had all rested, that they might comforte me / I rested & also rose vp by night, & fled / and am come hyther in to th{is} felde, as thou seyst: & am purposed not to returne into the cyte, but to remayne here, & neither to eate nor dryncke, but continually to mourne and to fast, vntyll I dye.

Then let I my meditacyons & thoughtes fal, that I was in, & spake to her in displea∣sure: Thou most foolysh woman, seist thou not oure heuynes & mournyng / & what hap¦peneth vnto vs? how Syon our mother is all wofull and sory / and howe she is cleane brought downe and in misery? seinge we be all nowe in heuynes, & make oure moue (for we be all sorowful.) As for the heuines that thou takest, it is but for one sōne. Demaūde the earthe, and she shall tel the, that it is she which ought (by reason) to mourne / for the fall of so many that growe vpon her.

For from the begynnyng all men are borne of her, and other shal come: and behold they walke almost al into destruccyon, and many of them shall be roted out. Who shulde then (by reason) make more mournynge / then she, that hath lost so great a multitude? & not thou / which art sory, but for one. But yf thou woldeste saye vnto me: My mour∣nynge is not lyke y^• mournyng of the earth, for I haue lost the frute of my body, whiche I bare with heuines & sorowe: but the earth is accordyng to the maner of the earth, and the present multitude goeth againe into her as it is come to passe: Then say I vnto the: lyke as thou hast borne with trauayle & so∣rowe / euē so the earth also frō the begining geueth her frute vnto man, for hym y^• made her. And therfere withholde thy sorowe and heuynes by thy selfe * 1.56 & loke what hap∣peneth

vnto the, beare it strongly. For yf thou ludgest the marcke and ende of God to be righteous and good, & receauest his coū∣celī tyme, thou shalt be cōmēded therin. Go thy way then into the cyte to thy husbande.

And she sayde vnto me: that wyll I not do / I wyll not go into the cytye, but heare [unspec B] wyl I die. So I commened more with her, and sayde: Do not so, but be counceled / and folowe me, for how many falles hath Stō? Be of good comforte because of the sorowe of Ierusalem. For thou se••st that our San∣ctuary is layed waste / oure aulter broken / oure temple destroyed, oure playenge of in∣strumentes and syngyng layed downe / the thankesgeutnge put to sylence, our myrthis vanyshed awaye / the lyght of oure candel∣stick is quenched, the arcke of the couenaūt is taken from vs / all oure holy thynges are defyled / and the name that is called vpon ouer vs, is dishonoured: our childrē are put to shame, our prestes are brente, oure Leuy∣tes are caryed away into captiuite, oure vir¦gins are defyled, and oure wyues rauished, oure ryghteous men spoyled, and oure chyl¦dren destroyed, oure yong men are brought in bondage / and oure stronge worthyes are become weake: and Syō (which seale is the greatest of all) is lowsed vp from her wor∣shyp for she is delyuered into the handes of them that hate vs.

And therfore shake of thy great heuy∣nes / and put awaye the multytude of so∣rowes: that the Mighty maye be mercy full vnto the, and that the Hyeste maye geue the rest from thy laboure and trauayle. And it happened / that when I was talkynge with her, her face dyd shine and glyster, so that I was afrayed of her, & mused what it myght be. And immediatly she caste oute a greate voyce / very fearful / so that the earth shoke at the noise of the woman: and I loked, and beholde the woman appeared vnto me no∣more but there was a cyte builded, & a place was shewed frō the grounde & foundacion.

Then was I afrayed / and cryed with loude voyce / and sayde: where is Uriel the [unspec C] angell, * 1.57 which came to me at the fyrst? For he hath caused me to come in many conside∣racyons and hye thoughtes, and myne ende is turned to corrupcion, & my prayer to re∣buke. And as I was speakynge these wor∣des, he came vnto me, and loked vpon me, & I laye as one that had bene deed, and myne vnderstanding was altered, and he toke me by the ryght hande, and cōforted me, and set me vpon my fete, and sayde vnto me: what ayleth the? and why is thyne vndestanding vexed? and the vnderstandyng of thy herte, & wherfore art thou sory? And I sayd: Be∣cause thou hast forsakē me: & I haue done * 1.58 accordynge vnto thy wordes / I wente in to the folde, and there haue I sene thinges, that I am not able to expresse. He sayd vn∣to me: Stande vp and be manly / and I shall geue the exortacyon.

Then sayd I: Speake on to me my Lord forsake me not, lest I dye in vayne: for I ha¦ue sene that I knewe not, and herde that I do not knowe. Or shall my vnderstandyng be disceaued / & my minde? But nowe I be∣seche the, that thou wylt shewe thy seruaūte of this wōder. He answered me then & sayd: heare me, and I shall enfourme the, and tel the wherfore thou art afrayed / for the hyest hath opened many secrete thīges vnto the.

He hath sene that thy waye is ryght, and that thou takest sorowe continually for thy people, and makest greate lamentacyon for Sion: and therfore vnderstande the visyon whiche thou sawest a lytle whyle ago after thys maner: Thou sawest a woman mour∣ninge, and thou hast comforted her. Neuer∣theles now seyst thou the lykenes of the wo¦mā nomore, but thou thoughtest there was a cyte buylded: and lyke as she tolde the of y^• fal of her sonne, so is this the answere: The woman whom thou saweste / is Syon / and where as she tolde the / that she hathe bene thyrtye yeares vnfrutefull and baren, those are the. xxx. yeares, wherin there was no of∣ferynge made in her.

But after. xxx. yeares Salomon buylded [unspec D] her / & offred / & then bare the baren a sonne. And where as she tolde y^•: that she noryshed hym with laboure, that was the dwellyng of Ierusalem. But where as she tolde the y^• her sōue dyed whan he came into his cham∣ber, that is the fall of Ierusalem. And thou sawest her lykenesse / howe she mourned for her sōne: and what els happened vnto her / I haue shewed y^•. And now God seyth / that thou arte sory in thy mynde / & suffrest from thy herte for her, & so hath he shewed the her clearnesse, and the fayrnes of her bewtye.

And therfore I bad the remayne in y^• felde where no house is builded. For I knew that the Hyest wolde shewe thys vnto the / ther∣fore I commaunded the to go into the felde / where no foundacyon of buyldynge is. For in the place where the Hyest wyll shewe his cytie, there shal be no mans buyldyng. And therfore feare not / and let not thyne herte be afrayed / but go thy waye in, and se the

glorious and fayre buyldynge, and howe greate it is, and howe greate thou thynkest it after the measure of thyne eyes, and then shalte thou heare as muche as thyne eares maye comprehende. For thou art blessed a∣boue many other, and arte called with the Hyest, as the fewe. But to morowe at nyght thou shalt remayne here, & so shall the Hyest shewe the vysiōs of hye thynges, whyche he wyll do vnto them, that dwell vpon earth in the last dayes. So I slepte y^• same nyght and the other lyke as he commaunded me.

¶ In this Chapter & in the. ii. next ensuynge, he entreateth of certen vysyons and of the interpretacyons therof.

CAPI. XI.

THEN sawe I a dreame: and beholde, there came vp from the see an Aegle, [unspec A] whiche had. xii. wynges & thre heades: And I sawe, & beholde, he spred his wynges ouer all the earth, and all the wyndes of the ayre blewe in thē, & so they were put together a∣gayne. And I behelde, & out of his fethers there grewe other lytle cōtrary fethers: the heades rested, the heade in the myddest was greater thē y^• other, yet rested it with the re∣sidue. Moreouer I sawe, that the Aegle flewe with his wynges, & rayned vpō earth, and ouer all thē that dwel vpon the earth: & I sawe that all thinges vnder heauen were subiecte vnto hym / & no man spake agaynst hym / no not one creature vpō earth. I sawe also that the Aegle stode vp vpon hys cla∣wes, & gaue a sounde with his fethers / and a boyce saynge after this maner: watch not all together, slepe euery man in his owne place, and watch for a tyme / but let the hea∣des be preserued at the last. Neuertheles I sawe / that the voyce wente nat oute of hys heades / but from the myddest of hys body And I nombred his cōtrary fethers / and be holde, there were eyght of them. And I lo∣ked / and beholde vpon the ryght syde there arose one fether / & rayned ouer all the earth. And it happened / that when it raygned, the ende of it came, and the place therof appea∣red nomore. So the nexte folowynge stode [unspec B] vp, and raygned, and had a great tyme: and it happened, that when it raygned, the ende of it came also lyke as the fyrst, so that it ap∣peared nomore.

Then came there a voyce vnto it, & sayd, Heare thou that haste kepte in the earth so longe thys I saye vnto the, before thou be∣gynnest to appere nomore: There shal none after the atteyne vnto thy tyme. Then arose the thyrde, & raygned as the other afore, and appeared nomore also. So went it with all the residue one after another / so that euery one raygned / and then appered nomore. Then I loked / and beholde / inprocesse of tyme the fethers that foloweth were set vp vpon the ryght syde / that they myght rule also: and some of them ruled / but within a whyle they appeared nomore: for some of them were set vp, but ruled nat. After thys I loked, and beholde the. xij. fethers appea∣red no more / and the two wynges: and there was nomore vpō the Aegles body / but two heades that rested, and syxe fethers. Then sawe I also / that the syxe fethers were par∣ted in two / and remayned vnder the heade, that was vpon the ryght syde, for the foure continued in theyr place. So I loked, and [unspec C] beholde, they that were vnder the wynges, thought to set vp them selues, & to haue the rule. Then was there one set vp, but shortly it appeared nomore / & the seconde was souer awaye then the fyrst. And I behelde and lo, y^• two thought also by thē selues to raygne: and when they so thought / beholde / there waked one of the heades that were at rest, namely / it that was in the myddest, for that was the greater of the two heades. And thē I sawe, that the two heades were fylled with hym, & the heade was turned with thē that were by hym, and dyd eate vp the two vnder wynges, that wolde haue raygned.

But thys heade put the whole earth in feare / and bare rule in it / ouer all those that dwelt vpō earth with much labour / and he had the gouernaunce of the worlde / ouer al the foules y^• haue bene. After this I loked, and beholde / the heade that was in y^• myd∣dest, sodenly appeared nomore, lyke as the wynges: then came the two heades, whiche ruled vpon earth / & ouer those y^• dwell ther∣in. And I behelde / & lo, the heade vpon the [unspec D] ryght syde, deuoured it that was vpon the lefte syde. And I herde a voyce, which sayde vnto me, loke before the, and consydre the tnynge that thou seyest. Then I sawe and beholde, as it were a lyon that roareth, ren∣nynge hastely out of the wod / & he sent out a mans voyce vnto the Aegle / & sayd: Heare thou / I wyl talke with the / & the Hyest shal saye vnto y^•: Is it nat thou y^• hast y^• victory of the foure beastes / whō I made ro raygne vpon earth and in my worlde / and that the ende of their times might come thorow the▪

And the fourtth came, and ouerwanne all the beastes that were paste / and had power ouer the worlde with great fearfulnes, and ouer the whole cōpasse of the earth with the most wicked laboure, & so longe tyme ••welt

he vpon the earth with disceate / & the earth hast thou iudged nat with trueth. For thou hast troubled the meke, thou haste hurte the peaceable & quyete, thou hast loued lyers, & destroyed y^• dwellynges of thē that brought forth frute, and hast cast downe the walles of such as dyd y^• no harme. Therfore is thy wrongeous dealynge and blasphemye come vp vnto the Hyest, and thy pryde vnto the Myghty. The Hyest also hath loked vpon the proude tymes, and beholde / they are en∣ded, & theyr abhomynacyons are fulfylled. And therfore appeare nomore thou Aegle, & thy horrible wynges, & thy wycked fethers, and thy vngracyous heades, & thy synfull clawes, and all thy vayne body: that the earth maye be refreshed / and come agayne to her selfe / when she is delyuered from thy vyolence / and that she maye hope for the iudgement & mercy of hym that made her.

CAPI. XII.

AND it happened when y^• Lyon spake [unspec A] these wordes vnto y^• Aegle, I sawe / & beholde / the heade that afore had the vpper hande appeared nomore: nether did y^• foure wynges appere any more / y^t came to hym & were set vp to raygne: and theyr kyngdome was small & full of vproure. And I sawe, & beholde, they appered nomore, & the whole body of y^• Aegle was brent, & the earth was in greate feare. Then awaked I out of the traunce of my mynde, & from greate teare, and sayde vnto my sprete: Lo, this hast thou geuen me in y^• thou searchest out the wayes of the Hyest: ••o, yet am I weery in my minde, and very weake in my sprete, & lytle strēgth is there in me, for y^• great feare y^• I receaued this nyght. Therfore wyll I nowe beseche the ••yest y^• he wil cōforte me vnto the ende: and I sayde / Lorde Lorde, yf I haue foūde grate before thy syght, •• yf I am iustyfyed with the before many other / & yf my prayer become vp before thy face, cōforte me then, and shewe ••••e thy seruaunte the interpreta∣cyon and playne difference of this horrible syght / that thou mayst perfectly cōforte my soule: for thou haste iudged me worthy, to shewe me the last of tymes

And he sayde vnto me: this is the interpre¦tacyon of this syght. The Aegle whom thou sawest come vp frō the see, is the kyngdome * 1.59 whiche was sene in the vysyon of thy bro∣ther Daniel, but it was not expoūded vnto him / for nowe I declare it vnto y^e, Beholde [unspec B] the dayes come y^•, there shal ryse vp a kyng∣dome vpon earth / & it shalbe feared aboue all the Kyngdomes y^• were before it. In the same Kyngdome shall. xij. Kynges raygne, one after another. For the seconde shall be∣gynne to raygne / and shall haue more tyme then the other twelue: & this do the twelue wynges signifie / which thou sawest. As for the voyce that spake / & that thou sawest go out from the heades / but not frō the body / it betokeneth / y^• after the tyme of that Kyng¦dome there shall aryse greate stryuynges / & it shall stande in parell of fallynge: neuer∣theles it shall nat yet fall / but shalbe set into his begynnynge. And the eyght vnderwyn∣ges which y^• sawest hange vnto the wynges of hym, betoken / y^• in hym there shall aryse eyght kynges, whose tyme shalbe but smal, and theyr yeares swyfte / & two of them shall beare. But when the myddest tyme, cōmeth, there shalbe foure kepte in the tyme / when his tyme begynneth to come that it maye be ended, but two shalbe kepte vnto the ende.

And where as thou sawest thre heades re∣stynge / this [unspec C] is the interpretacyō: In his last shall the Hyest rayse vp thre kyngdomes, & cal many agayne into thē / & they shall haue the domynyon of y^• earth / & of those y^• dwell therin, w^t much labour aboue all those that were before thē. Therfore are they called the heades of y^• Aegle: for it is they y^• shal bryng forth his wyckednes agayne / and that shal perfourme & fynish his last. And where as thou sawest / y^• the greate heade appeared no∣more / it signifieth / y^e one of thē shal dye vpō his bed, and yet with payne / for the two that remayne / shalbe slayne w^t the swerde. For y^• swerde of y^• one shall deuoure the other but at the last shal he fall thorowe y^• swerde him selfe. And where as y^• sawest two vnder∣wynges vpō the heade y^• is on y^• ryght syde, it sygnyfyeth that it is they / whom y^• Hyest hathe kepte vnto theyr ende: this is a small Kyngdome, and full of trouble. The Lyon whom y^• sawest rysinge vp out of the wod, and roarynge / & speakyng vnto the Aegle, & rebukynge him for his vnryghteousnesse, is the wynde, which y^• Hyest hathe kepte for them & for theyr wyckednesse vnto the ende: he shall reproue them, & rente them asunder before them. For he shal set thē lyuynge be∣fore [unspec D] the iudgemente / and shal rebuke them: for the resydue of my people shal he delyuer with trouble / those y^• be preserued ouer mine endes: and he shall make them ioyful vntyl the cōmynge of the daye of iudgemēt, wher∣of I haue spokē vnto the frō y^• begynninge. This is the dreame that thou sawest & this is the interpretacion. Thou onely hast bene mete to knowe the secrete of the Hyest.

Therfore wryte all these thynges y^• thou hast sene in a boke, and hyde thē / and teach thē the wyse in y^• people, whose hartes thou knowest maye comprehende and kepe these secretes. But wayt thou here thy self yet se∣uene dayes mo, that it maye be shewed the, whatsoeuer it pleaseth the Hyest to declare vnto the, and with that he wente his waye.

And when all the people perceaued / that the seuen dayes were past / and I nat come agayne into the cytie / they gathered thē all together from y^• least vnto the most, & came vnto me, and sayde: what haue we offended the•• & what euell haue we done agaynst the, that thou forsakest vs / & syttest here in thys place? For of all people thou onely art lefte vs / as a grape of the vyne, & as a candel in a darke place / & as an hauen and shype pre∣serued frō the tempest. Haue we ••at els ad∣uersite ynough, but thou muste forsake vs? Were it nat better for vs / that we had bene brent with Syon? For we are nat better, thē they that dyed there: & they wepte w^t loude voyce. Then answered I them I sayde: Be of good comforte O Israell / & be nat heuy thou house of Iacob: for the Hyest hath you in remembraūce, & the Myghtie hathe not forgotten you in temptacion. As for me / I haue not forsaken you, neyther am I depar¦ted from you: but am come into thys place to praye, for the desolacyon of Syon, that I myght seke mercy for the lowe estate of youre Sāctuary. And nowe go youre waye home euery man, and after these dayes wyll I come vnto you. So the people went theyr waye into the cytie / lyke as I ••mom••unded them, but I remayned styl in the felde seuen dayes / as the Angell bad me / and dyd eate onely of the floures of the felde / and had my meate of the herbes in those dayes.

CAPI. XIII.

AND it happened after y^• seuen dayes, [unspec A] that I dreamed a dreame by nyght. And beholde, there arose a wynde frō the see, that it moued all the floude therof. And I loked / & beholde, the man was stronge and increased with the cloudes of heauen. And when he turned his countenaunce to consy∣der, all the thynges trembled that were sene vnder hym, and when the voyce went out of hys mouth, all they brent that herde hym, lyke as the earth when it feleth the fyre.

After these I sawe / & beholde, there was gathered together a multitude of men out of nombre from the foure wyndes of the heauen / to fyghte agaynst the man / that came oute from the see. And I loked / and beholde, he graued hym selfe a great moun∣tayne, and flewe vp vpon it. But I wolde haue sene the border or place, wherout the hyll was graued / and I coulde not.

I sawe after these, that all they which ca∣me to fyght agaynst hym, were sore afrayed and yet burst they fyght. Neuertheles, whē he sawe the fearsnesse and violēce of the peo¦ple / he neyther lyfte vp hys hande nor helde swerde, nor any weapē: but only (As I sawe) he sente out of hys mouth / as it had bene a blast of fyre, & out of hys lyppes the wynde of the flamme: and out of hys tonge be cast out sparkes and stormes, and they were all myxte together: the blast of fyre, the wynde of the flammes, & the greate storme, and fell with a russhe vpon the people, whiche was prepared to fyght and brent them vp euery∣chone: so that of the innumerable multitude there was nothyng sene / but onely dust and smoke. When I sawe this: I was afrayed.

Afterwarde sawe I the same man come [unspec B] downe from the moūtayne, & callynge vnto him another peaceable people: & there came muche people vnto hym: some were glad some were sory / some of them were bounde, so that they were caryed and broughr forth.

Then was I sycke thorowe great feare, and I a waked, and sayde: thou hast shewed thy seruaunte all thy wonders from the be∣gynnynge / and haste counted me worthy, that thou myghtest receaue my prayer, shew me nowe yet the interpretacion of this drea∣me. For thus I consydre in my vnder∣standynge: Wo vnto them that shal be lefte in those dayes and muche more wo vnto thē that are nat left behynde: for they that were not lefte / were in heuynes.

Nowe vnderstāde I the thynges that are layed vp in the latter dayes which shal hap¦pen vnto them / & to those that are lefte be∣hynde. Therfore are they, come into greate parelles / & many necessities / lyke as these dreames declare. Yet is it easier, y^• he which suffred hurte / come in these, then to passe a∣waye as a cloude out of the worlde, & nowe to se the thynges that shall happē in the last

Then answered he me / & sayde: The in∣terpretacion of the syght shall I shewe the, and I wyl open vnto the, the thynge y^• thou hast required. For thou hast spoken of them that are left behynde / and thys is the inter∣pretacyon. He that taketh awaye the parell in that tyme, hath kepte him self. They that be fallen into harme, are such as haue wor∣kes & fayth vnto the Most myghtie. know thys therfore / that they whiche be lefte be∣hynde,

are more blessed, thē they that be deed. This is the meanynge of the visyon. Where as thou sawest a man commynge vp from y^e depe of the see, the same is he whom God the Hyest hathe kepte a great season, whiche by his owne selfe shal delyuer his creature, and he shall ordre thē that are left behynde. And where as y^• sawest, that oute of his mouth there came a blast of wynde, fyre & storme, and howe that he lyft vp nether swerde nor weapen / but that the rushynge in of him de∣stroyed the whole multitude, that came to fyght against him: it signifieth, that y^e daies come, whā God wyll delyuer them that are [unspec C] vpon earth, and in a traunce of mynde shall he come vpon them / that dwell in the earth. And one shall vndertake to fyght agaynste another, one cyte against another, one place agaynst another * 1.60 one people agaynst ano∣ther, and one realme against another, when this commeth to passe / then shall the tokens come, that I shewed the before: and thē shall my sonne be declared, whom y^u sawest clyme vp as a man. And when al the people, heare his voyce, euery mā shal in theyr owne lande leaue the battayll y^t they haue one agaynste another / & an innumerable multitude shal∣be gathered together / as they that be wyl∣lynge to come / & to ouercome hym by fygh∣tynge. But he shall stande vpō the toppe of the mount Syō. Neuerthelesse Syon shall come, & shalbe shewed, beynge prepared and buylded for all men, lyke as thou sawest the hyll grauen forth without any handes. But my sōne shall rebuke the people y^e are come, for theyr wyckednes, with the tempest, & for theyr euell ymagynacyons: & theyr paynes wherwith they shalbe punyshed, are lycke∣ned vnto the flamme: and with out any la∣boure / shall he destroye them / euen by the lawe / whiche is compared vnto the fyre.

And where as thou sawest, that he gathe∣red another peaceable people vnto hī: those are the ten tribes which were caryed awaye presoners out of theyr owne lande, * 1.61 in the tyme of Oseas the kynge / whom Salma∣nasar the kynge of Assyria toke presoner, and caryed them ouer the water, & so came they into another lande.

But they gaue them this councell, that they shulde leaue the multitude of the Hea∣then, and to go forth into a forther countre where neuer mankynde dwelt: that they myght there kepe theyr statutes, which they neuer kepte in theyr owne lande. And so they entred in at the narowe passages of the wa∣ter of Euphrates / & God shewed tokens for them, * 1.62 and helde styll the floude tyll they were passed ouer: for thorow y^e countre there was a greate waye, namely of a yeare and a halfe iourney, for the same regyon is called Asareth. Then dwelt they there vnto the latter tyme: & whē they come forth agayne, the Hyest shall holde styl the sprenges of the streame agayne, that they may go thorowe, therfore sawest thou the multytude with peace. And they that he lefte behynde of thy people, are those that be founde within my border. Nowe when he destroyeth the mul∣tytude that is gathered together, he shall defende his people that remayne, and then shall he shewe them greate wonders.

Then sayde I O Lorde, Lorde, shewe me this, wherfore haue I sene the man cōming vp from the depe of the see? And he sayde vn¦to me: Lyke as thou cāst nether seke out nor knowe these thynges that are in the depe of the see, euen so mayest thou not se my sonne, or those that be with hym / but in the tyme of the daye. This is the interpretacyon of the dreame which y^u sawest, therfore thou onely arte here lyghtened: for thou haste forsaken thyne owne lawe, & applyed thy dylygence vnto myne, and sought it. * 1.63 Thy lyfe hast thou ordred in wysdome, and ‡ 1.64 haste called vnderstandyng thy mother, & therfore haue I shewed the, the treasure of the Hyest. Af∣ter thre dayes I wyll shew the more, & talke with the at more large / yee heuy and won∣derous thynges wyll I declare vnto the.

Then wēt I forth into the felde, geuyng prayse & thankes greatly vnto God, because of hys wonders whiche he dyd in tyme / and because he gouerneth the same / and such as is in tyme / and there I sat thre dayes.

¶ God appereth vnto Esdras in the bush, and sheweth him what he shall do.

CAPI. XIIII.

VPON the thyrde daye I sat vnder an oke tree / then came there a voyce [unspec A] vnto me out of the bush / and sayde: Esdras, Esdras? And I sayde: here am I Lorde, and stode vp vpon my fete. Then spake he vnto me: * 1.65 In the bush dyd I appere vnto Moses / and talked with hym / when my people serued in Egypte / and I sente hym / and led my people out of Egypt / and brought hym vpō the mount Syon / where I helde him by me a longe season, and tolde hym my wonderous worckes / and shewed hym the secretes of the tymes and the ende, and commaunded hym, sayinge: These wor¦des shalt thou declare, & not hyde them. And nowe I saye vnto the, that thou laye vp in

thyne herte the dreames that thou hast sene / & the interpretacions whiche I haue shewed the: for thou shalte be receyued of all, thou shalt be turned and remayne with my coun∣cell, and with such as be lyke the, vntyll the tymes be ended. For the worlde hath lost his youth, and the tymes begynne to waxe olde. For the tyme is deuided into twelue partes / and ten partes of it are gone all redye / and halfe of the tenth parte: yet remayneth there y^t which is after the half of the tenth parte.

Therfore, prepayre and ordre thy house / and refourme thy people: comforte suche of [unspec B] them as be in trouble: and tel nowe of the de¦struccion: let go from the mortall thoughtes cast awaye the burthens of man: put of the weake nature: laye vp in some places the thoughtes that are most heuy vnto the, and haste the to flyt from these tymes: for suche euyl and wyckednesse as thou hast now sene happen, shal they do yet muche worsse. * 1.66 For the weaker that the worlde and the tyme is / the more shal synne and wyckednes increase in them that dwel vpon earth. For the truth is fled farre away, & lesyng is harde at hāde. For nowe hasteth the vysion to come / that thou hast sene.

Then answered I before the, & sayde: Be∣holde Lorde, I wyl go as y^• hast cōmaunded me, & refourme the people which are present But they y^• shall be borne afterwarde, who wylexhorte or rebuke thē? Thus the worlde is set in darknes: & they that owel therin, are w^t out lyght: for thy lawe is kyndled, because no man knoweth the thynges that are done of the, or y^• shall be done. If I haue founde grace before the, sēde the holy ghost into me, & I shall wryte al that hath bene done in the world seus the begynnyng / which was wryt ten in thy lawe, that mē may fynde the path, and that they whiche wyll lyue in the latter dayes, may lyue.

And he answered me, sayeng: Go thy way gather the people together, & say vnto them that they seke the not for fourtye dayes, but loke thou gather the many boxe trees / and take with the Sarea, Dabria, Selemia, E∣canus and Asiel / these fyue / which are redy to wrytte swyftely / and come hyther / and I shall lyght a candle of vnderstandynge in thyne herte, whiche shall not be put out / tyl the thinges be perfourmed which thou shalt beginne to wryt. And then shalt thou declare some thynges openly vnto the perfecte, and some thynges shalt thou shewe secretly vn∣to the wyse. Tomorowe this houre shalte thou begynne to wryte.

Then went I forth (as he commaunded [unspec C] me) and gathered al the people together, and sayde: Heare these wordes O Israell: Oure fathers at the begynnynge were straungers in Egygte, from whence they were deliuered and receyued the lawe of lyfe * 1.67 whiche they kepte not / whiche ye also haue transgressed after them. Then was thys lande and the lande of Syon parted amonge you by lot to possesse. But your fathers and ye your sel∣ues also haue done vnryghtuousnes, and haue not kepte the wayes whiche the Hyest commaunded you. And for so muche as he is a rightuous iudge, he toke from you in time the thyng that he had geuen you. And nowe are ye here and your brethren amonge you. Therfore yf so be that ye wyll subdue youre owne vnderstandynge, and refourme youre herte, ye shalbe kepte alyue, and after death shall ye optayne mercy. For after death shal the iudgemente come / when we shall lyue a∣gayne: and then shal the names of the rygh∣tuous be manifest, & the worckes of the vn∣godly shalbe declared. Let no man therfore come now vnto me, nor aske any question at me these fourtye dayes.

So I toke the fyue men (as he commaū∣ded [unspec D] me) and we wente into the felde, and re∣mayned there. The nexte day a voyce called me sayinge: Esdras * 1.68 open thy mouth, and drynke that I geue the. Then opened I my mouth, & beholde, he reached me a ful cuppe which was ful as it were w^t water / but y^• cou¦••er of it was lyke fyre. And I toke it and drancke. And when I had droncke it / my herte had vnderstandyng, & wysdome grew in my brest: for my sprete was kepte in remē∣braunce, and my mouth was opened & shut nomore. The hyest gaue vnderstandyng vn to the fyue men / that they wrote the hye thin¦ges of the nyght / which they vnderstode not But in the nyght they dyd eate breade: as for me / I spake in the day and helde my tong by nyght. In. xl. dayes, they wrote two hun∣dreth and foure bokes.

And it happened when the fourtye dayes were fulfilled / that the Hyest spake, sayinge: The fyrste that thou hast wrytten / speake o∣penly, the worthy & vnworthy maye rede it. But kepe the. lxx. last / that thou mayst shew it onely to suche as be wyse among thy peo∣ple. For in them is the sprynge of vnderstan¦dynge, the fountayne of wysdome, and the streame of knowledge. And I dyd so.

¶ The punyshment that euyl people shal haue, which God commaundeth Esdras to shewe vnto them.

CAPI. XV.

BEholde, speake thou in the eares of my [unspec A] people y^• wordes of prophecy whiche I wyll put in thy mouth, saieth the Lorde: and cause thē to be wryten in a letter, for it is the trueth. Feare not the ymaginaciōs agaynst the. Let not the vnfaithfulnes of thē trouble the, that speake against the. For all the vn faythful shall dye in their vnfaythfulnes. Beholde sayeth the Lorde / I wyl bryng pla¦ges vpon the worlde, the swearde / hongre / death and destruccion / for wyckednes hath the vpper hande in all the earthe, and theyr shamefull workes are fulfylled.

Therfore sayeth the Lorde: I wyll holde my tonge nomore vnto theyr wyckednesse / whiche they do so vngodly: nether wyl I suf¦fre thē in the thinges / that they deale wyth all so wyckedly. Beholde * 1.69 the innocente bloude of the troubled crieth vnto me, and y^• soules of the rightuous complayne continu¦ally: and therfore (sayeth the Lorde) I wyl su¦rely auenge, & receyue vnto me all the inno∣cent bloude from amonge them.

* 1.70 Beholde / my people / is led as a flocke of shepe to be slayne / I wyll not suffre them nowe to dwell in Egypte / but wyll brynge thē out with a myghtye hāde and a stretched out arme, and smyte it with plages as afore, and wyll destroye all the lande of it. Egypte shall mourne, and the foundacions of it shal be smytten with the plage and punyshment, that God shall brynge vpon it.

They that tyll the ground••, shal mourne: [unspec B] for theyr sedes shall be destroyed thorow the blastynge and hayle / and an horryble starre. Wo worth the worlde and them that dwell therin / for the swearde and theyr destrucyon draweth nye / and one people shall stande vp to fyght agaynst another / & swerdes in their hādes. For men shalbe vnstedfast, and some shal do vyolence vnto other: they shal not re¦garde theyr kyng and prynces / the wayes of theyr doinges and hādlinges in theyr power A man shall besyre to go into the cyte / & shal not be able. For because of theyr pryde the cyties shalbe brought in feate / the houses shall shake / and men shall be afrayed. A man shall haue no pytie vpon hys neygh∣boure / but one shall prouoke another vnto batayle to spoyle theyr goodes because of the honger of bread, and because of the great trouble.

Beholde, I gather and call together all the Kynges of the earth which are from the [unspec C] vprysyng, from the South, from the East & Lybanus to turne vnto thē, and restore the thinges that they haue geuen them. Lyke as they do yet this daye vnto my chosen, so wyl I do also, and recompense thē in theyr boso∣me. Thus sayeth the Lorde God: My ryght hand shal not spare the synners, & my swerde shall not ••easse ouer them, that shed the inno¦cent bloude vpon earth. The fire is gone out from his wrath, and hath consumed the foū∣dacious of the earth, and the sinners like the strawe that is kyndled. Wo worth them that synne, & kepe not my commaundementes / sayeth the Lorde. I wyll not spare them. Go your way ye chyldren frome vyolence defyle not my Saynctuary: for the Lord knoweth all them that synne agaynst him / and ther∣fore deliuereth he them vnto death & destruc¦cyon. For nowe are the plages come vpon y^• worlde, and ye shall remayne in them. For God shall not delyuer you, because ye haue synned against him.

Beholde, an horryble vysyon commeth [unspec D] from the Easte, where generacions of Dra∣gōs shal come out / and the people of the Ara¦bes with many charettes, and the multitude of them shall be as the wynde vpon earthe / that all they whiche heare them ragynge in theyr wrath, may feare and be afrayed / and as the wylde bores out of the wood, so shall they go out, and with great power shal they come & stande fyghtyng w^t them & shal wast the porcyon of the lande of the Assyrians.

And then shall the Dragons haue the vp∣per hande, not remembryng their byrth, and shall turne aboute swearynge together in greate power, to persecute them. But these shalbe afrayed, & kepe silence at theyr power and shall fle: and one out of the lande of the Assirians shal besege them, & consume one of them / and in theyr hoste shalbe feare & drede, and stryfe among theyr kynges.

Beholde cloudes from the Easte, & from [unspec E] the North vnto the South, and they are ve¦ry horryble to loke vpon, full of wrath and storme. They shall smyte one vpon another and they shal smyte at the great starre vpon earth and theyr starre, and the bloude shalbe from the swerde vnto the bely, and the smoke of man vnto the Camels lytter: And there shalbe great ferefulnesse & tremblyng vpon earthe / and they that se the wrath shall be afrayed / and a tremblynge shall come vpon them.

And then shall there come greate raynes from the South & from the Northe, & parte from the West, and from the stormy wynde from the East, and shall shut thē vp agayne and the cloude which he raysed vp in wrath, and the starre to cause feare towarde y^• East

& west wynde, shalbe destroyed: & the greate cloudes shalbe lyfte vp, & the myghtie clou∣des full of wrathe / and the starre / that they maye make all the earth afrayed and them that dwell therin▪ and that they maye poure out ouer all places an horryble starre / fyre and hayle and flyenge sweardes / and many waters: that all feldes may be full, and al ry¦uers / and they shal breake downe the cyties and walles, moūtaines and hylles / al trees, wood / and the grasse of the medowes / and al their frute. And they shal go stedfast vnto Babylon / and make her afrayed / they shall come to her and besege her / the starre & all wrath shall they poure out vpon her.

Then shall the dust & smoke go vp vnto [unspec G] the heauen, and all they that be aboute her. shal bewayle her: and they that remayne vn¦der her, shal do seruice vnto them that haue put her in feare? And thou Asia y^e comfortest thy selfe also vpō the hope of Babylon / and art a worship of her personne: Wo be vnto the thou wretch / because thou hast made thy selfe lyke vnto her, & hast deckte thy daugh∣ters in whoredome / that they might triūphe and please thy louers, whiche haue alwaye desired to cōmitte whordome with the: thou hast folowed the abhominable cite in all her workes and inuencions.

Therfore sayth God: I wyl sende plages vpō the / wyddowhode, pouerte / hōgre, war¦res / and pestylence / to wast thy houses with destruccion and death, and the glorye of thy power shalbe dryed vp as a floure, whē the heate riseth y^t is sent ouer the: Thou shalt be sycke as a pore wyfe that is plaged & beaten of wemē: so that the myghtie and louer shal not be able to receyue the. Wolde I so hate the sayeth the Lord? If thou haddest not al∣waye slayne my chosen, exaltynge the stroke of thy handes / and sayde ouer theyr death / whē thou wast dronken: set forth the beautie of thy countenaunce.

The reward of thy whoredome shalbe re¦compensed the in thy bosome / therfore shalt tho•• receyue rewarde.

Lyke as thou hast done vnto my chosen (sayeth the Lorde) euē so shall God do vnto [unspec H] the / and shal deliuer the into the plage. Thy chyldren shall dye of honger / and thou shalt fall thorowe the swerde. Thy cyties shalbe broken downe, & all thyne shall perishe with the swerde in the felde. They that be in the mountaynes shall dye of hongre / and eate their owne flesh, & dryncke their owne bloud for very hongre of bred and thyrst of water. Thou vnhappy shalt come thorowe the see. and receyue plages agayne.

In the passage they shall cast downe the slayne cytie, & shall rote out one parte of thy lande, & consume the porcyon of glory. They shall treade the downe lyke stubble, & they shalbe thy fyre & shal consume the: thy cities & thy lande, thy woode & thy frutefull ••rees shal they burne vp w^t the fyre. Thy chyldren shal they cary awaye captiue, & loke what y^• hast, they shall spoyle it, & marre the bewtye of thy face.

¶ The Heathen shalbe punysshed.

CAPI. XVI.

WO be vnto the Babylon & Asia, wo be [unspec A] vnto the Egypt & Syrya: gyrde your selues w^t clothes of sack & hearre / & mourne your chyldren / be sory / for your destruccyon is at hande. A swerde is sente vpon you, and who wyll turne it backe? A fyre is kyndled a¦mong you, and who wyl quench it? Plages are sēt vnto you & what is he that wyl driue them away? May any man dryue awaye an hongrye lion in the wod? Or maye any man quēch the fyre in stubble, whā it hath begōne to burne? May one turne agayne the arowe that is shot of a strōg archer: The myghtye Lorde sendeth the plages, & what is he that wyl driue them away? The fyre is kindled & gone forth in his wrath, & what is he y^• wyll quenche it? He shal cast lyghtnynges, & who shal not fere? He shal thōdre, & who shall not be afrayed: The Lorde shal threaten, & who shall not vtterly be beaten to poulder at his presence? The earth quaketh, & the foundaci¦ons therof: the see aryseth vp w^t waues from the depe, & the floudes of it are vnquyete & the fyshes therof also before the Lord / & be∣fore the glory of his power. For strong is his ryght hande y^• holdeth the bowe, his arowes that he shoteth, are sharpe, & shal not mysse / when they begynne to be shot into the endes of the worlde.

Beholde the plages are sente, & shall not [unspec B] turne agayne / tyl they come vpon earth. The fyre is kyndled, and shal not be put out / tyll it cosume the foundacions of the earth. Like as an arowe whiche is shot of a myghtye ar¦cher, returneth not backe warde: euen so the plages that shal be sent vpon earth / shal not turne agayne. Wo is me, wo is me / who wil delyuer me in those dayes? The begynnyng of sorowes and great mournyng: the begyn¦nyng of darth and greate death / the begyn∣nyng of warres / and the powers shal stande in feare: the begynnynge of euyls / and they shal tremble euery one. What shal I do in these thynges / when the plages come? Be∣holde

/ honger, and plage / trouble and an¦guysh are sent, as scourges for amendemēt. But for all these thinges they shal not turne from theyr wyckednesse, nor be alway minde full of the scourges.

Beholde, vitailes shalbe so good cheape [unspec C] vpon erath, that they shall thinke thē selues to be in good case: & euen then shall myschefe growe vpon earth, warres, darth and great disquietnes. For many of them y^t dwel vpon earth shal perish of honger, & the other that escape the hongre, shall the swerde destroy: & the deed shalbe cast out as dong, & there shal be no mā to cōfort them. For the earth shalbe wasted, & the cities shalbe cast downe: there shalbe no mā left to tyl the earth & to sowe it. The trees shal geue frute, & who shal plucke them of & gather them? The grapes shall be rype, & who shall treade thē? For all places shalbe desolate of men, so y^• one man shal de∣syre to se another, or to here his voyce. For of one whole cytie there shalbe ten left, & two in the felde, which shall hyde them selues in the thycke busshes, and in the clyffes of stones: lyke as whē there remayne thre or foure oly∣ues vpon the olyue tree, oras when a vyne∣yard is gathered, there are left some grapes, of them that diligentely sought thorowe the vyneyarde.

Euen so in those dayes there shalbe thre [unspec D] or foure left, for thē that search theyr houses with the swerde. And the earth shalbe left waste, and the feldes therof shall waxe olde: and her wayes and al her pathes shall grow full of thornes, because no man shal trauaile there thorowe. The daughters shal mourne, hauynge no brydegromes: the wemen shall make lamentacion, hauyng no husbandes / their daughters shal mourne, hauīg no help of theyr brydgrome. In the warres shal they be destroyed, and theyr husbādes shal perish of hongre. O ye seruauntes of the Lord, here these thynges / and marke thē. Beholde / the worde of the Lorde, O receyue it: beleue not the Goddes of whom the Lord speaketh. Be holde / the plages drawe nye, & are not slacke in tarieng. Lyke as a trauaylynge woman / which after the. ix. moneth bryngeth forth a sonne, when the houre of the byrthe is come, an houre two or thre afore that the paynes come vpon her body, and when the chylde cō¦meth to the byrth, they tary not the twyncke lynge of an eye: Euen so shall not the plages be slacke to come vpon earth, and the worlde shall mourne, & sorowes shall come vpon it on euery syde.

O my people, heare my worde / make you redy to the batayle: and in all euyll be euen as pylgrems vpon earth. * 1.71 He that selleth / let him be as he that flyeth his waye: and he that byeth as one that wyll see. Whoso occu∣pyeth marchaundyes / as he that wynneth not: & he that buyldeth / as he that shall not dwell therin: he that soweth, as one that shal not reape: he that twysteth the vineyarde, as he that shall not gather the grapes: they that mary / as they that shal get no chyldren: and they that mary not: as the wyddowes: and therfore * 1.72 they that labour, labour in vayne For straungers shall reape their frutes, and spoyle their goodes, ouerthrow their houses, & take their chyldren captiue, for in captiuite and hongre shal they get chyldren. And they that occupye their marchaundies with rob∣bery, howe longe decke they theyr cytyes / theyr houses / theyr possessyons / and person∣nes? the more wyll I punyshe them for theyr synnes, sayeth the Lorde. Lyke as an whore enuyeth an honest woman / so shall ryghtu∣ousnes hate iniquite, when she decketh her selfe / and shall accuse her to her face, when he cōmeth that defendeth / whiche shal make inquisicion for all synne vpon earthe. And therfore be not ye lyke thereunto, nor to the workes therof: for or euer it be long, iniquite shalbe taken away out of the earth / & rightu¦ousnes shall raygne amonge you.

Let not the symer saye / that he hathe not [unspec F] synned: for coles of fyre shall burne vpon his head, which sayeth before the Lord God and his glory: I haue not synned. Beholde / the Lord knoweth all the worckes of men / their ymaginacions, their thoughtes and theyr hertes. * 1.73 For he spake but the worde: let the earth be made / and it was made: let the hea∣uen be made, and it was made. In his worde were the statres made / & he knoweth the nō∣bre of them. He searcheth the groūde of the depe, & the treasures therof: he hathe measu∣red the see•• and what it conteyneth. He hath shut the see in the myddest of the waters▪ and with his worde hath he hāged the eart•• vpō the waters. He spredeth out the heauen•• lyke a vawte, vpō the waters hath he founded it. In the deserte and drye wyldernes hathe he made springes of water / and poles vpon the toppe of the mountaynes / that the floudes myght poure downe frome the stony rockes to water the earth. He made man / & put hys herte in the myddest of the bodye / and gaue hym breth / lyfe and vnderstandyng, yee and the sprete of the Almyghty God, which made al thynges, and hath serched the grounde of all the secretes of the earth.

He knoweth your ymagynacyons and in∣uencions / and [unspec G] what ye thynke when ye sīne / and wolde hyde your synnes. Therfore hath the Lorde searched and sought out all youre workes / and he shall bewraye you all. And when your synnes are brought forth / ye shal be ashamed before men, & your owne synnes shalbe your owne accusers ī that day. What wyll ye do? Or howe wyll ye hyde youre syn∣nes before God and his Aungels? Beholde / God himselfe is the iudge, feare him / leue of from your synnes, and forget your vnrygh∣tuousnes, & medle nomore with them: so shal God leade you forthe, and delyuer you from all trouble. For beholde / the heate of a great multitude is kyndled ouer you, & they shall take awaye certayne of you / and fede the slayne with Idols: & they that consent vnto thē, shalbe had in derision, laughed to scorne and troden vnder fote.

For vnto the places there shalbe a place / and in the nexte cytyes a great insurreccyon [unspec H] vpon those that feare the Lorde. They shall be lyke mad mē / they shall spare no mā: they shal spoyle & waste suche as fere the Lorde / theyr goodes shall they take from them, and shutte them out of theyr houses. Then shal it be knowen who are my chosen, & they shalbe tryed as the golde in the fyre. Here O ye my beloued / sayeth the Lorde: beholde / the day∣es of trouble are at hāde / but I wyll delyuer you frō the same. Be not ye afrayed, dispayre not / for God is your captayne.

Who so kepeth my commaundementes and preceptes (sayeth the Lorde God) let not youre synnes weye you downe / and let not youre vnryghtuousnesse be lyfte vp. Wo be vnto them that are subdued vnto theyr synnes / and tangled in theyr wyckednesse: lyke as a felde is hedged in with bus∣shes / and the path therof couered with thornes, that no mā may trauayle thorow: and so is he taken / and caste in the fyre / and brent.

¶ The ende of the. iiij. Boke of Esdras.

Notes

• * 1.1

  i. Esd▪ v•••• ••. Esdr. ••. ••
• * 1.2

  Esay. 〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.3

  Num. 21. d. Iosu. 8. 10. and. xii.
• ‡ 1.4

  Exo. xiiii g.
• * 1.5

  Exo. xiiii. ••.
• ‡ 1.6

  Exo. iii. b.
• * 1.7

  ••••. xviii. a Exo. xiii. d.
• * 1.8

  ••••. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. ••.
• ‡ 1.9

  Sapi. xvi. •• Num. xx, b.
• * 1.10

  Esa. v. ••.
• ‡ 1.11

  ••••••. xv. ••.
• * 1.12

  Deut. 32. ••.
• * 1.13

  Esa. i. ••.
• * 1.14

  Math. 23. d.
• * 1.15

  Esaye. •• ••. and. lxv. a.
• * 1.16

  Esa. ••xv. ••. R••ma▪ x. ••.
• * 1.17

  Esa. xli. d. Luke. xiii. f. Mat. viii. d
• * 1.18

  Gene. xix. ••
• * 1.19

  Tobi. i. d.
• * 1.20

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.21

  ••••••••. vi. ••.
• * 1.22

  ••••ne. vii. ••
• * 1.23

  Gene. 12. 15.
• * 1.24

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.25

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.26

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.27

  1. 〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.28

  2. Reg.
• * 1.29

  Iudi ix. •• 2. Pat. ••
• * 1.30

  Eso••••. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Iohan. ••▪ •• 1. Corin. ••••
• * 1.31

  ••. Iohn. v. ••
• * 1.32

  ••pora. 6. b
• * 1.33

  Mat. 24. ••
• * 1.34

  Mich. vii. a Math. x. c
• ‡ 1.35

  ••ene. i. a
• * 1.36

  Gen••. ••
• * 1.37

  Deut▪ ••••
• * 1.38

  Gene. ••.
• * 1.39

  Deute. 8. a
• * 1.40

  Gene. 18. d.
• ‡ 1.41

  Exodi. ••2.
• ‡ 1.42

  2. Reg. 2•• ••
• ‡ 1.43

  ••. Pa•• •• 3. Re••
• * 1.44

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.45

  Deut. xxx. b
• * 1.46

  Roma. ••
• * 1.47

  Math••▪ 〈…〉〈…〉 and 〈…〉〈…〉
• ‡ 1.48

  3. Pe viii. g 2. Pat. vi. f 1. Iohn. 1. ••
• * 1.49

  Gen. iiii. a.
• * 1.50

  Psa. xiiii. ••
• * 1.51

  4. 〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.52

  Exod. xix. d 〈…〉〈…〉. xxiiii a Deu. iiii. b.
• * 1.53

  Deute. 32. f.
• ‡ 1.54

  ••saye. xl a ••••mo ••••
• * 1.55

  4. Esdr. x. d
• * 1.56

  Hebr. xii. a.
• * 1.57

  4. Esd 4. a
• * 1.58

  4. Es••. ••▪
• * 1.59

  Danie. 7. c.
• * 1.60

  Mat. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. ••.
• * 1.61

  4. Re. 17. a.
• * 1.62

  E••o. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Iosu••. ••. 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• * 1.63

  3. 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• ‡ 1.64

  Pro••••. ••••. ••
• * 1.65

  Exods. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. ••
• * 1.66

  Mat. ••4. a 2 Iohn. 2. c
• * 1.67

  Deute. 4. d
• * 1.68

  Ezech. 3. ••. Apoca. x. d
• * 1.69

  Apoc. vi b. and. xix. a.
• * 1.70

  Psal. 44. c. Rom••, •• c 1. Cor. 4. b.
• * 1.71

  1. Cor ••
• * 1.72

  Psa. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Prou〈…〉〈…〉 Eccle x. ••
• * 1.73

  Gene. li