¶ The copye of the leters of Artaxerxes, agaynst the Iewes. The prayer of Mardocheus.
CAPI. XIII.
[ A] THe great kyng Artaxerxes which ray∣neth from India vnto Ethiopia,* 1.1 ouer an hundred and .xxxij .landes, sen∣deth his frendly salutacion vnto all the prin¦ces and deputyes of the countreys, which be subiect vnto his dominiō. Whē I was made lorde ouer many people, and had subdued the hole erth vnto my domnion, my mynde was not with crueltye and wronge to exalte my self by the reason of my power: but purpo∣sed with equitie alwaye and gentlenesse, to gouerne those that be vnder my iurisdiction and holly to set them in a peaceable life, and therby to brynge my kyngdome vnto tran∣quillitie, that men myght safely go thorowe on euery syde, and to renue peax agayne, whi¦che all men desyre.
[ B] Now when I asked my counsellers howe these thynges myghte be broughte to a good ende, there was one by vs excellent in wys∣dome, whose good wyll, truthe, and fayth∣fulnesse hathe ofte bene shewed and proued, (whiche was also the principall and next vn¦to the kynge) Aman by name: whiche certy∣fyed vs, howe that in all landes there was crepte in a rebellyous folke that make sta∣tutes and lawes against al other people, and haue alwayes despysed the, proclaymed com¦maundementes of kynges, and how that for this cause it were not to be suffred that such rule shoulde contynue by you, and not to be put downe.
[ C] Seynge now we perceyue the same, yt this people alone are contrarye vnto euery man, vsyng straunge and other maner of lawes, & withstand our statutes and doynges, and go about to stablish shrewde matters, that our kyngdome sholde neuer come to good estate and stedfastnesse: Therfore haue we com∣maunded, that al they that are appoynted in writing, & shewed vnto you by Aman (which is ordeyned and set ouer all oure busynesse, and the moost principall next vnto the king, and in maner as a father) shall with their wyues and chyldren be destroyed and roted out with the swerde of theyr ennemyes and aduersaryes: and that there shal be no mer∣cy shewed, and no man spared. And this shal be done in ye fourtenth day of the moneth cal¦led Adar, of this yere that they which of old (and nowe also) haue euer bene rebellyous, maye in one daye with vyolence, be thruste downe in to the hell, to the intent that after this maner our empyre maye haue peax and tranquillitie.
But Mardocheus thoughte vpon all the [ D] workes and noble actes of the Lord, & made his prayer vnto hym, saying: O Lord Lord thou valyaunt and almyghty kynge, for all thynges are in thy power, and yf thou wylte helpe and delyuer Israel, there is no mā that can withstāde ne let the: for thou hast made heuen and erth, and what wonderous thyng so euer is vnder the heuen: thou arte Lorde of all thynges, and there is no man that can resyst the, o Lorde. Thou knowest all thyn∣ges, thou wotest Lorde, that it was neyther of malice, ne presumpcion, nor for any desire of glorye, that I wolde not bowe downe my selfe, nor worshyp yonder proude presumptu¦ous Aman (for I wolde haue bene contente, and that with good wyll, yf it myghte haue done Israel any good, to haue kyste euen his fotesteppes) but yt I dyd it bycause I wolde not set the honoure of a man in the stede of the glorye of God, and bycause I wolde worshyp none but onely the my Lorde. And this haue I done in no pride ne presumpcion.
And therfore, O Lorde, thou God and [ E] kynge, haue mercy vpon thy people, for they ymagin how they may bringe vs to nought, yea, theyr mynde and desyre is to destroye, and to ouerthrowe the people that hathe e∣uer ben thyne inheritaūce of olde. O despyse not thy porcion whiche thou hast deliuered and brought out of Egypte for thyne owne self. Heare my prayer, and be mercyful vnto thy people, whom thou hast chosē for an he∣ritage vnto thy selfe. Turne our complaynt and sorowe in to ioye, that we maye lyue, O Lorde, and prayse thy name. O Lord, suffre not the mouthes of them that prayse the, to be destroyed.
All the people of Israel in like maner cry∣ed as ernestly as they could vnto the Lorde, for theyr death and destruction stode before theyr eyes.