A   Not long after this, sent the kyng a messaunger of Antioche, for to c&obar;pel the Iewes to altre the ordinaunces of the fathers ∧ the law of God, to defile the temple that was at Hierusal&ebar;, ∧ to cal it the t&ebar;ple of Iupiter Olimpius: ∧ that they shoulde be in Gazarim, as those which dwell at the place of Iupiter the herberous. This wicked sedici&obar; of the vngodly was heuy vpon all the people: for the t&ebar;ple was ful of volupteousnes, bibbinge ∧ bolling of the Heath&ebar;, of ribaudes ∧ harlottes together. The wom&ebar; went into the holy place, ∧ bare in that was not lawfull. The aulter also was full of vnlawefull thynges

which the law forbiddeth to laie vp&obar; it. The Sabboths were not kept, the other solempne feastes of the lande were not regarded. To be playn, there durst nom&abar; be a knowen that he was a Iewe. In the day of þe; kinges birth they were c&obar;pelled parforce to offce: ∧ when the feast of Bachus was kept, they were c&obar;strayned to were garlandes of yuye, ∧ so to go about for the honour of Bachus.

B   Moreouer thorow the co&ubar;sail of Ptolomy there went out a c&obar;maundement in the nexte cyties of the Heathen, þt; they should intreate the Iewes in like maner: namely, to compel them for to do sacrifice after the lawes of the gentiles: ∧ who so wolde not, to put them to death. A pyteous thinge was it to se. There were two wom&ebar; accused to haue circ&ubar;cided their sonnes, whom when they had led ro&ubar;d about the citie (the babes h&abar;ging at their brestes) they cast them doune headliyges ouer þe; walles. Some that were crept into dennes ∧ had kept þe; Sabboth, were accused vnto Philippe, ∧ brent in the fyre: because that for the feare of God they kept the c&obar;maundem&ebar;t so stifly, ∧ wolde not def&ebar;de th&ebar; selfes. Now I beseche all those which reade this boke, that they refuse it not for these falles of aduersite ∧ iudge the thinges (that are happened) for no destrucci&obar;, but for a chasteninge of oure people. And why? When God suffreth not sinners l&obar;g to folow their owne mynde, but shortly punisheth th&ebar;, C   it is a tok&ebar; of his great louing kyndnes. ^noteFor this grace haue we of God more then other people, that he suffreth not vs l&obar;g to sinne vnpunished like other nacions, that when the day of iudgement commeth, he may punish th&ebar; in þe; fulnes of theyr sinnes. If we sinne, he correcketh vs, but he neuer withdraweth his mercy from vs: and though he punish with aduersite, yet doth he neuer forsake his people. But let this þt; we haue spok&ebar; now with few woordes, be for a warning ∧ exhortaci&obar; of the Heathen. Now will we come to the declaring of the matter. Eleazar one of þe; principal Scribes, an aged man of a wel fauoured countena&ubar;ce, was c&obar;strayned to gape with open mouth ∧ to eate swynes flesh. But he desiring rather to dye gloriously then to lyue with shame, ^note offered him self willingly to the martyrdom. Nowe when he saw that he muste nedes go to it, he toke it paciently: for he was at a poynt with him self, that he wolde c&obar;sent to no vnlawful thing for any pleasure of life. Thei that stode by being moued with pitie (but not arighte) for the olde fr&ebar;dship fo þe; m&abar;, toke him aside priuely, ∧ prayed him that he wolde let suche flesh be brought him as were lawfull to eate ∧ th&ebar; to make a co&ubar;tena&ubar;ce as though he had eaten of the flesh of þe; sacrifice like as þe; king c&obar;maunded, D   for so he might be deliuered fr&obar; death: ∧ so for the olde fr&ebar;ship of þe; man, they shewed him this kyndnes. But he began to c&obar;sidre his discret ∧ honorable age, his noble ∧ worshipful stoke, ∧ how that fr&obar; his youth he had ben of an honest ∧ good c&obar;uersacion: yea, ∧ how c&obar;stantly had kept the ordinaunces ∧ lawes c&obar;maunded by God, wherfore he gaue th&ebar; this a&ubar;swere, ∧ sayde: Yet had I rather first be layed in my graue. ^noteFor it he c&obar;meth not myne age (sayde he) in any wyse to diss&ebar;ble, wherby many y&obar;g personnes might thinke, that Eleazar being .lxxx. yeare olde ∧ x. were now gone to a stra&ubar;ge life: ∧ so thorow myne hipocrisy (for a litle time of a tr&abar;sitory life) they mighte be disceyued: by thys meanes also shoulde I defile myne age, and make it abhominable. For though I were now deliuered fr&obar; the tormentes of men, yet should I not escape the hande of almightye God, neither alyue nor dead. Wherefore I wil dye m&abar;fully, ∧ do as it becommeth myne age: Wherby I may peraduenture leaue an example of steadfastnes for such as be y&obar;g, if I with a ready mynde ∧ m&abar;fully dye an honest death, for the most worthy ∧ holy lawes.

When he had sayde these wordes, immediatly he was drawen to the torment. Nowe they that led hym ∧ were mylde a litle afore, beganne too take dyspleasure because of the wordes that he sayd: for they thought he had spoken them of an hygh mynde. But wh&ebar; he was in his martirdome, he mourned ∧ sayd: Thou (O Lord) which hast the holy knowlege, knowest openly: that where as I might be delyuered from death, I suffre these sore paynes of my body: but in my mynde I am wel content too suffre them, because I feare the. Thus this man dyed, leauynge the memoriall of his death for an example, not only vnto yong men, but vnto all the people, too be stedfast and manly.

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