1   And in the hundrid and sixtithe &yogh;eer Alisaundre, sone of Antiochus, that is named noble, stiede vp, and occupiede Ptholomaida; and thei resceyuyden hym, and he regnyde there. 2   And kyng Demetrie herde, and gadride an oost ful copiouse, and wente out a&yogh;einus hym in to bateil. 3   And Demetrie sente an epistle to Jonathas with pesible wordis, for to

magnyfye hym. 4   Sothely he saide, Bifore take we for to make pees with hym, bifore that he make with Alisaundre a&yogh;einus vs; 5   sothely he shal haue mynde of alle yuels, that we han don into him, and in to his brother, and in to his folc. 6   And he &yogh;aue hym power of gadryng oost, and for to make armeris, and hym for to be his felawe. And he comaundide oostagis, that were in the hee&yogh; rocke, for to be &yogh;ouen to hym. 7   And Jonathas came in to Jerusalem, and radde the pistlis, in heerynge of al the peple, and of hem that weren in the hee&yogh; rocke. 8   And thei dredden with grete dreed, for thei herden, that the kyng &yogh;aue to hym power of gadryng an oost. 9   And the oostagis ben bitaken to Jonathas; and he &yogh;eeldide hem to her fadris and moders. 10   And Jonathas dwellide in Jerusalem, and bygan for to beelde and to renule the citee. 11   And he saide to men doynge werkis, that thei shulden make vp the wallis, and the hill of Syon in cumpas, with square stoones to strengthing; and so thei diden. 12   And aliens fledden, that weren in the strengthus, whom Bachides hadde bildide; 13   and eche man lafte his place, and wente in to his lond. 14   Oonly in Bethsura dwelten summe of hem, that forsoken the lawe and the heestis of God; sotheli this was to hem to refute. 15   And kyng Alisaundre herde the biheestis, that kyng Demetrie bihi&yogh;te to Jonathas, and thei teelden to him bateilis and vertues whiche he dide, and his bretheren, and the traueils whiche thei traueiliden; 16   and saith, Wher we shuln fynde eny siche man? Also nowe make we hym frend, and oure felawe. 17   And he wrote an epistle, and sente vp these wordis, 18   sayinge, Kyng Alisaundre to Jonathas, brother, helthe. 19   We han herde of thee, that thou art a mi&yogh;ti man in strengthis, and art able

that thou be oure freend. 20   And nowe ordeyne we thee to day hee&yogh;ist prest of thi folk, and that thou be clepid freend of the kyng. And he sente to hym purpre, and a golden crowne, that thou feele with vs what thingus oure ben, and kepe frenshipis to vs. 21   And Jonathas clothide hym with the holy stoole, in the seuenthe monethe, in the hundrid and sixtithe &yogh;ere, in the solempne day of Senophegie. And he gadride an oost, and made copiouse armers. 22   And Demetrie herde these wordis, and is maad ful sorewful, and saith, 23   What han we do this thing, that Alisaundre bifore ocupiede vs, for to cacche the frenshipe of Jewis to his strengthing? 24   And Y shal wryte to hym preying wordis, and of dignitee, and &yogh;iftis, that he be with me in help. 25   And he wrote to hym in these wordis, Kyng Demetrie to the folk of Jewis, helthe. 26   For &yogh;e kepten to vs couenaunt, and dwelten in oure frenship, and wenten not to oure enmyes, we herden, and ioyeden. 27   And nowe laste &yogh;e &yogh;it for to kepe to vs feith; and we shuln quyte to &yogh;ou good thingus, 28    for these thingus that &yogh;e diden with vs, and we shuln for&yogh;eue to &yogh;ou many &yogh;euyngus of rentis, and we shuln &yogh;eue &yogh;iftis to &yogh;ou. 29   And nowe Y assoile &yogh;ou, and alle Jewis, of tributis, and I for&yogh;eue to &yogh;ou the pricis of salt, and for&yogh;eue crownys, and the thriddis of seed; 30   and the half part of fruyt of tree, that is of my porcioun, I leue to &yogh;ou fro this day, and with ynne forth, that it be not taken of the lond of Juda, and of three citees that ben addid therto, of Samarie and Galile, fro this day in to al tyme. 31   And Jerusalem be holy, and free, with his coostis; and tithis and tributis be of it. 32   Also Y for&yogh;eue the power of the hee&yogh; rocke, that is in Jerusalem; and Y &yogh;eue it to the heeist prest, that he ordeyne

therynne men, whom euere he shal cheese, that shuln kepe it. 33   And eche soule of Jewis, that is caitif of the lond of Juda, in al my rewme, Y leue wilfully with out money; that alle be soiled of her tributis, &yogh;ea, of her beestus. 34   And alle solempne days, and sabothis, and neomenyes, and alle days ordeyned, and three days before the solempne day, and three dais after the solempne day, `be alle dais of ynmunite, or fraunchise, and of remissioun, to alle Jewis that ben in my rewme. 35   And no man shal haue power for to do eny thing, and moue needis, or causis, a&yogh;einus eny of hem in al cause. 36   And that there be writen to of Jewis in the kyngus oost, to thritti thousandis of men; and plentees shuln be &yogh;ouen to hem, as it byhoueth to alle oostis of the kyng. 37   And of hem shuln be ordeynyde, that ben in the grete strengthis of the kyng; 38   of hem shuln be ordeyned ouer needis of the rewme, that ben don of feith, and princis be of hem; and walke thei in her lawis, as the kyng comaundide in the lond of Juda. And three citees, that ben addid to Judee of the cuntre of Samarie, be rettid, or demyd, with Judee; that thei be vnder oon, and obeye not to other power, no bot to the hee&yogh;est prest; 39   Ptholomayda, and coostis therof, whiche Y haue &yogh;ouen a &yogh;ift to the holy that ben in Jerusalem, to needful costis of sayntis. 40   And I shal &yogh;eue in eche &yogh;eris fiftene thousandis of siclis of syluer, of the kyngis reysons, that perteynen to me; 41   and al that shal be residue, whiche thei that weren ouer needis &yogh;eelden not in former &yogh;eeris, fro this tyme thei shuln &yogh;eue in to werkis of the hous. 42   And ouer this fyue thousand siclis of syluer, whiche thei token of resoun of holy thingus by eche &yogh;eeris; and these thingus shuln perteyne to prestis, that ben sett in ministerie. 43   And who

euer shuln flee to the temple that is in Jerusalem, and in alle coostus therof, gylty to the kyng, in eche cause be dismittid, or relesid; and alle thingis that ben to hem in my rewme, be hadde free. 44   And to bilde, or restore, werkis of holy thingus, expensis shuln be &yogh;ouen of the kyngus resoun, 45   and for to bilde out the wallis of Jerusalem; and for to make stronge in cumpas, spensis shuln be &yogh;ouen of the kyngus resoun, for to make out wallis in Judee. 46   As Jonathas and the peple herde these wordis, thei bileeuyden not to hem, nether resceyuyden; for thei hadden mynde of the grete malice that he hadde don in Yrael, and trubliden hem gretely. 47   And it pleside to gidre to hem in to Alysaundre, for he was to hem prince of wordis of pees, and to hym thei baren help in alle days. 48   And kyng Alisaundre gadride a grete oost, and mouyde tentis a&yogh;einus Demetrie. 49   And the kyngis ioynyde bateil, and the oost of Demetrie fledde; and Alisaundre pursuede hym, and lay vpon hym; 50   and the bateil was ful stronge, til the sunne wente doun, and Demetrie fledde in that day. 51   And Alisaundre sente to Ptholome, kyng of Egypt, legatis after these wordis, sayinge, 52   For Y am gon a&yogh;ein in to my rewme, and satte in seete of my faders; and Y haue weldide princehode, and haue broken togidre Demetrie, and haue weldide oure cuntree; 53   and haue ioynyde with hym fi&yogh;t, and he is broken to gidre and his tentis of vs, and we saten in sete of his rewme. 54   And nowe ordeyne we to gidre frenship, and &yogh;eue to me thi dou&yogh;ter wijf, and Y shal be thi dou&yogh;ter hosbond; and Y shal &yogh;eue to thee &yogh;iftis, and to hir dignitee. 55   And kyng Ptolome answerde, saiynge, Blessid the day in whiche thou turnedist a&yogh;ein to the lond of thi fadris, and hast sitten in sete of the rewme `of hem. 56   And nowe Y shal do to thee whiche thingus thou hast

writen; bot come thou a&yogh;einus me to Ptholomayda, that we see vs togidre, and Y biheete thee, as thou saidist. 57   And Ptholome wente out of Egypt, he, and Cleopatra, his dou&yogh;ter; and he came to Ptholomaida, in the hundrid and two and sixti &yogh;eer. 58   And kyng Alisaundre came to hym; and he &yogh;aue to hym Cleopatra, his dou&yogh;ter, and made his weddyngus at Ptolomaida, as kyngus in grete glorie. 59   And kyng Alisaundre wrote to Jonathas, that he shulde come a&yogh;einus hym. 60   And he wente with glorie to Ptholomaida, and came there to two kyngis, and &yogh;aue to hem miche syluer, and gold, and &yogh;iftis; and he fonde grace in si&yogh;t of hem. 61   And men of Yrael, ful of venym, camen togidre a&yogh;einus hym, wickid men, axinge a&yogh;einus hym, and the kyng toke no tente to hem; 62   and comaundide Jonathas for to be maad nakid of his clothis, and hym for to be clothid in purpre; and so thei diden. And the kyng sette hym for to sitte with hym, 63   and saide to his princis, Go &yogh;e out with hym in to mydil of the citee, and preche, that no man axe a&yogh;einus hym of eny need, or cause, nether eny man be heuy to hym of eny resoun. 64   And it is don, that thei that axiden, or apeliden hym, sawen his glorie that was prechid, and hym keuerd with purpre, fledden alle. 65   And the kyng magnyfiede hym, and wrote hym amonge the first freendis, and he putte him duyk, and parcener, or felawe, of princehode. 66   And Jonathas turnyde a&yogh;ein in to Jerusalem, with pees and gladnesse. 67   In the hundrid &yogh;eer and fyue and sixtithe, Demetrie, sone of Demetrie, came fro Crete in to the lond of his fadris. 68   And kyng Alisaundre herde, and is maad ful sorewful, and turnide a&yogh;ein in to Antioche. 69   And Demetrie ordeynide Appolonye duyk, that was souereyn to Seleserie; and gadride his

grete oost, and came to Jamnyam; and he sente to Jonathas, hee&yogh;ist prest, sayinge, Thou aloone a&yogh;einstodist vs? 70   Y am maad in to scoorn and shenship, therfore for thou hauntist power in hillis a&yogh;einus vs. 71   Nowe therfore &yogh;if thou tristest in thi vertues, come doun to vs in to the feeld; and there comparysoun we to gidre, for with me is vertu of bateilis. 72   Axe thou, and lerne who Y am, and other that ben in help to me, and whiche sayn, for &yogh;our fote may not stonde a&yogh;einus oure face, for thi faders ben conuertid in to fli&yogh;t twyis in to her lond. 73   And now hou shalt thou mowe susteyne rydyng, and so grete oost in the feeld, where is no stoon, ne rocke, nether place of flee&yogh;ynge? 74   Sothely as Jonathas herde the wordis of Appolonye, he was moued in ynwitt; and he chees ten thousand of men, and wente out fro Jerusalem, and Symont, his brother, came to hym in to helpe. 75   And thei applieden tentis in Joppen, and he shitte hym out fro the citee, for Joppen was the keepyng of Appolonye; and he fau&yogh;te a&yogh;einus it. 76   And thei agast, that weren with ynne the citee, opnyden to hym; and Jonathas weeldide Joppen. 77   And Appolonye herde, and mouede to three thousand of horsmen, and myche oost; 78   and he wente to Azotum, as makynge the waye. And anoon he wente out in to the feelde, for that he had multitude of horsmen, and he tristnyde in hem; and Jonathas suede hym in to Azotum, and thei ioyniden bateil. 79   And Appolonye lefte in the tentis a thousand horsmen after hem priuyly. 80   And Jonatas knewe for aspies ben after hym, and thei enuyrounden his tentis, and castiden dartes in to the peple, fro morew vn to euyn. 81   Forsothe the peple stode, as Jonathas comaundide, and the horsis of hem traueiliden out. 82   And Symount castide out his oost, and ioynide

a&yogh;einus the legioun; forsothe the horsmen weren maad wery, and ben togidre broken of hym, and fledden. 83   And thei ben scaterd in to the feeld, and fledden in to Azotum; and thei entriden in to Bethdagon, her ydol, that ther thei shulden delyuere hem self. 84   And Jonathas brent Azotum, and citees that weren in cumpas therof, and toke the spuylis of hem; and he brente in fijr the temple of Dagon, and hem that fledden in to it. 85   And ther weren that fellen by swerd with hem that ben brent, almest ei&yogh;t thousande of men. 86   And fro thennus Jonathas mouede tentis, and applieden hem to Ascalon; and thei wenten out of the citee a&yogh;einus hym in grete glorie. 87   And Jonathas turnyde a&yogh;ein in to Jerusalem with his, hauynge many spuylis. 88   And it is don, as kyng Alisaundre herde these wordes, he putte to &yogh;it for to glorifie Jonathas. 89   And he sente to hym a golden lase, or nouche, as custume is for to be &yogh;ouen to cosyns of kyngus; and he &yogh;aue to hym Accaron, and alle coostis therof in to possessioun.

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