Commentaries of the diuine Iohn Caluine, vpon the prophet Daniell, translated into Englishe, especially for the vse of the family of the ryght honorable Earle of Huntingdon, to set forth as in a glasse, how one may profitably read the Scriptures, by consideryng the text, meditatyng the sense therof, and by prayer

¶ The Prayer.

GRaunt almighty God, seyng thou doest continually call vpon vs by thy Prophetes, and doest not suffer vs to wander in the darkenes of errours: graunt we be∣sech thee, that we may diligently hearken to thy voyce, and that we may shew our selues willyng to learne and to be obedient: especially seyng thou doest set forth vn∣to vs such a master and teacher, in whom all the trea∣sures of wisedome and knowledge are enclosed. Graunt O Lord that we may so submit our selues to thyne one∣ly begotten sonnne, that we may continue in the right course of our holy vocation, and that wee may alway bend our selues to that marke vnto the which thou doest call vs, whiles that we hauyng ouercome all the battailes of this life, may in the end attaine to that bles∣sed rest which is purchased for vs with the bloud of the same thy sonne. So be it.

We haue sayd before, that the kyng was admonished by the Quéene, and that he was conuinced of ingratitude so

playnly as might be, in that hee had suffered that excellent Prophet of God to be despised, whereas that worthy pro∣phecy wherof we haue treated, ought to haue bene renow∣med, and published amongest all mē, to mainteine a perpe∣tuall authoritie to this holy man. Now that Daniel sayth that the Quéene entred into the house of the banket: here∣by we may take a probable coniecture, that she was not the kynges wife, but rather his grandmother. I sayd that I wil not contend about that matter, because in doubtfull thyngs euery man may fréely vse his owne iudgement. But these thinges séeme not to agrée betwixt thē selues, that the king did banket with his wife and concubines, and also that the Quéene entred into the banket house. Therefore here we gather that she was called Quéene for honour sake, who though she had no power, yet was she in authoritie and fa∣uour. And the testimonie of Herodotus doth also confirme this, which prayseth the wife of kyng Nebuchadnezer, whom he calleth Labynetus: He prayseth her for her singu∣lar prudence, and he calleth her Nitocris. Therfore these thynges will agrée well enough, that this matrone was ab∣sent from the feast, because it was not mete for her age and grauitie to feast with others which did delight in riotous∣nes. She then entred into the banket house and admoni∣shed the kyng of Daniel: & now she addeth the cause wher∣fore Daniel was ruler ouer the Mages, Soothsayers, Diui∣ners and all the Chaldees.