1   Forsothe Machabeus, and thei that weren with hym, the Lord defendynge hem, resceyuyde sothely the temple, and citee. 2   Forsothe he distruyide the auters, that

aliens maden bi streetis, and the templis of washyng. 3   And the temple purgid, thei maden an other auter, and of stoon fijrid, or flyntys, fijre conceyued, thei offriden sacrifices aftir two &yogh;eer, and encense, and lanternys, and puttiden looues of proposicioun. 4   Whiche thingus don, thei, cast doun in to erthe, preyeden the Lord, lest thei fellen more in to siche yuels, bot and &yogh;if eny tyme thei hadden synnyd, that thei shulden be chastisid of hym more eysili, and shulden not be taken to barbaris, or heithen, and blasfeme men. 5   Forsothe in what day the temple was defoulid of aliens, it bifelle the same day clensyng for to be maad, in the fyue and twentithe of the monethe, that was Casleu. 6   And with gladnesse in ei&yogh;te days thei diden in to maner of tabernaclis, bithenkynge that bifore a litil of tyme thei hadden don the solempne day of tabernaclis in hillis and dennys, in custum of beestis. 7   For whiche thing thei baren bifore cerclis, and greene braunchis, and palmes, to hym that &yogh;aue prosperitee for to clense his place. 8   And thei demyden with commoun heest, and with dom, to alle the folc of Jewis, in alle &yogh;eers for to do these feest days. 9   And the passyng, or eendyng, of lijf of Antiochus, that was clepid noble, had it thus. 10   Now forsothe we shulen telle of Eupator, the sone of vnpitouse Antiochus, what thingis ben don, breggynge the euyls that ben don in bateilis. 11   This sothely, the rewme resceyuyd, ordeynyde on needis of the rewme summan Lisias, prince of kni&yogh;thod, of Fenyce and Sirie. 12   For whi Tholome, that was said Macer, ordeynyde for to beholdynge of iust a&yogh;einus Jewis, and most for wickidnesse that was don in to hem, and pesibly for to do with hem. 13   Bot for this thing he, accusid of freendis anentis Eupator, whan oft the traitour herde, for that he hadde forsaken Cypre,

bitaken to hym of Philometore, and translatide to Antiochus noble, also hadde gon awey fro hym, with venym eendide the lijf. 14   Forsothe Gorgias, whan he was duyk of places, cumlingus taken to, oft ouercam Jewis in bateil. 15   Forsothe Jewis that helden couenable strengthis, resceyueden men dryuen fro Jerusalem, and temptiden for to fi&yogh;te. 16   These forsothe that weren with Machabee, by preyers preyinge the Lord, that he were helper to hem, maden feersnesse, or saut, in to strengthis of Ydumeys. 17   And thei by myche strengthe a&yogh;ein stoondynge, weeldiden places, slewen men rennynge a&yogh;ein, and strangliden alle to gidre, not lesse than fyue and twenty thousandis. 18   Forsothe sume whan thei fledden to gidre in to two toures ful stronge, hauynge al apparel to a&yogh;ein fi&yogh;te, 19   Machabeus to ouer cummynge of hem Symont left, and Josephus, and eft Zachee, and hem that weren with hem, many ynow&yogh;, he is `turned a&yogh;ein to thoo bateils that constreynyden more. 20   Sothely these that weren with Symont, led by coueitise, of summe that weren in the toures ben conseilid by money; and seuente thousand double dragmes taken, thei leften summe to flee out. 21   Forsothe whan that thing that was don, was tolde to Machabeus, the princis of the peple gadrid, he acuside, that thei hadden soulde bretheren for money, the aduersaries of hym dismittid, or delyuered. 22   Therfore he slew&yogh; these maad traitours, and anoon he ocupide the two toures. 23   Forsothe in armers and hondis doynge alle thingis welsumly, he slew&yogh; in the two strengthis more than twenti thousandis. 24   And Tymothe, that byfore was ouercummen of Jewis, an oost of straunge multitude gadrid togidre, and the ridyng, or horsmen, of Asie gadrid, came to as with armers, to takynge Judee. 25   Forsothe Machabeus,

and thei that weren with hym, hym nei&yogh;inge, bisou&yogh;ten God, springinge the hed with erthe, and byfore gird the leendis with heiris, 26   thei fooldid doun at hee&yogh;nesse of the auter, that he helpful to hem, forsothe were enmye to the enmyes of hem, and to the aduersaries were aduersarie, as the lawe saith. 27   And so after preyer, armers taken, thei goynge forth fer fro the citee, and, maad next to enmyes, saten a&yogh;ein. 28   Forsothe in the firste rysynge of the sunne, bothe ioyneden; these sothely hauynge the Lord biheeter of victorie and prosperitee; thei forsothe hadden her owne inwitt, or wille, duyk of bateil. 29   Bot whan grete fi&yogh;t was, fyue faire men, in horsis with golden bridels, appeeriden to the aduersaries fro heuen, &yogh;eeuynge leedyng to Jewis; 30   of `whom two hauynge Machabeus in the mydil, sett about with her armers, kepten sound. Forsothe thei castiden dartis and leytis in to aduersaries; of whiche thing and thei confusid in blyndnesse, and fulfillid with perturbacioun, fellen doun. 31   Forsothe there ben slayn of fote men twenty thousand and fyue hundrid, and horsmen sixe hundrid. 32   Sothely Tymothe fledde in to a stronge hold of Gasara, to whom Cereas was souerayne, or keeper. 33   Forsothe Machabeus, and thei that weren with hym, gladynge, biseegiden the hold foure days. 34   And thei that weren with ynne, tristinge in sikernesse of the place, aboue maner cursiden, and castiden cursid woordis. 35   Bot whan the fifthe day shynyde, twenty &yogh;unge men of these that weren with Machabeus, kyndlid in inwittis for the blasfeme, manly wenten to the wall, and with feerse inwitt goynge, thei stieden vp; 36   bot and other also styinge vp, assailiden for to brenne the toures and &yogh;atis, and to gidre brenne the cursers quyck. 37   Forsothe by contynuel two days thei

waastynge the hold slewen Tymothe, hydynge hym self, founden in sume place; and thei slewen his brother Sereas, and Appollofanes. 38   Whiche thingis don, thei blessiden the Lord in ympnys and confessiouns, whiche dide gret thingus in Israel, and &yogh;aue to hem victorie.

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