¶ The Copye of the letters of Arthaxerses, wherby he re∣uoketh those which he fyrst sende forth.
CAPI. XVI.
THe greate Kynge Artaxerses / whiche [unspec A] raineth from Iudia vnto Ethiopia o∣uer an hundreth and. xxvij. landes / sendeth vnto the Prices and rulers of the same lan∣des / suche as loue him / hys frendly saluta∣cion. There be many y• for the sondry frend∣shippes & benefytes which are diuersly done vnto them for theyr worshyppe / be euer the more proude and hye mynded / & vndertake not onely to hurte oure subiectes (for plen∣teous benefytes maye they not suffre / and begīne to ymagin some thing against those that do them good / and take not onely all vnthākfulnes awaye frō men) but in pryde and presumpcion (as they that be vnmynd∣full and vnthankefull for the good dedes) they go aboute to escape the iudgemente of God, that seyth all thinges / whiche (iudge∣ment) hateth & punisheth al wyckednes. It happeneth ofte also, that they whiche be set in office by the hyer power, & vnto whom the busynes and causes of the subiectes are committed to be handled, waxe proude, and defyle them selues with sheddynge of inno∣cēt bloude / which bryngeth them to intolle∣rable hurt. Which also with false & disceat∣full wordes and with lyeng tales, disceaue & betray the innocent goodnes of Princes.
Nowe is it profitable and good / that we [unspec B] take hede, make search therafter / and consi∣der, not onely what hath happened vnto vs of olde: but the shamefull, vnhonest / & noy∣some thinges, that the debites haue now ta¦ken in hande before our eyes / and therby to beware in tyme to come / that we may make the Kyngdome quyete and peaceable for al men, and that we myghte some tyme drawe it to chaunge: and as for the thynge that nowe is presente before oure eyes / to with∣stande it, and to put it downe, after the most frendly maner.
What tyme nowe as Aman the sonne of Amadathu the Macedonian (a straūger ve∣rely of the persians bloude / and farre from oure goodnes) was come in amonge vs as an aleaunt, and had optained the frendship that we beare towarde all people / so that he was called oure father / and had in hye ho∣noure of euery man / as the next and princi∣pal vnto y• King, he coulde not forbeare him self frō his pryde, hath vndertake not onely to rob vs of the kyngdome / but of our lyfe.
With manyfolde disceate also hath he de∣sired [unspec C] to destroye Mardocheus our helper & preseruer / whiche hath done vs good in all thinges: and innocēt Hester the lyke parta∣ker of oure kyngdome / with all her people. For his mynde was (when he had taken thē oute of the waye / and robbed vs of thē) by this meanes to trāslate the kingdome of the Persians vnto thē of Mocedonia. But we fynde / that the Iewes (which were accused of the wicked, that they might be destroyed) are no euyll doers / but vse reasonable and right lawes: and that they be the chyldrē of the most Hye lyuynge God / by whome the kyngdome of vs & oure progenitours hath bene wel ordred hytherto. Wherfore, as for the letters and cōmaundementes, that were put forth by Aman the sonne of Amadathu ye shall do well, yf ye holde them of none ef∣fecte: for he that set them vp and inuented thē, hangeth at Susis before the port, with all his kynted, & God (which hath all thyn∣ges in his power) hath rewarded hym after hys deseruynge.
And vpon thys ye shall puplysh and set vp [unspec D] the copy of thys letter in all places / that the Iewes may frely and without hinderaunce holde them selues after theyr owne statu∣tes / and that they maye be helped / and that vpon the. xiij. day of the. xij. moneth. Adar / they maye be auenged of them, which in the tyme of theyr anguyshe and trouble / wolde haue oppressed them. For the God that go∣uerneth all thinges, hath turned to ioye the day, where in the chosen people shulde haue peryshed.
Moreouer, among the hye solēpne dayes y• ye haue ye shall holde thys daye also with al gladnesse: that ••ow and in tyme to come, thys daye maye be a remembraūce to good / for al such as loue the prosperite of the Per∣sians: but a remembraunce of destruccyon to those that be sedycious vnto vs.
All cyties & landes that do not thys, shal horribly peryshe and be destroyed with the swerde and fyre / and shall not onely be nomore inhabyted of men / but be abhorred also of the wylde beastes and foules.