A   After thre yeares was Iudas infourmed, how that Demetrius the sonne of Seleucus was come vp with a greate power and shippes, thorow the hauen of Tripolis (to take certayne commodious places and countrees) agaynst Antiochus and his captayne Lysias. Now Alcimus (which had bene hye prest, and wilfully defyled himself, in the tyme of the myxtinge) seynge, that by no meanes he coude be helped, ner haue eny more intraunce to the altare: he came to kynge Demetrius in the hundreth and one and fiftie yeare, presentinge vnto him a crowne of golde, a palme and an olyue tre: which (as men thought) belonged to the temple, and that daye he helde his tonge.

But when he had gotten oportunite for his madnesse, Demetrius called him to co&ubar;cell, and axed him, what thinges or councels the Iewes leaned vnto? He answered: The Iewes that be called Assidei (whose captayne is Iudas Machabeus) maynteyne warres, make insurreccions, and wyl not let the realme be in peace.

B   For I beynge depryued of my fathers honoure (I meane the hye presthode) am come hither: partly because I was faithfull vnto the kynge, and partly because I sought the profit of the citesyns. And why? all oure people (thorow the wickednesse of them) are not a litle troubled. Wherfore I beseke the (o kynge) considre all these thinges diligently, and then make some prouysion for the londe and the people, acordinge to the kyndnesse that thou hast offred vnto them. For as longe as Iudas hath the vpper hande, it is not possible that men can lyue in peace.

When he had spoken these wordes, other frendes also hauynge euell will at Iudas, set the kynge Demetrius on fyre agaynst him. Which immediatly sent Nicanor (ruler of þe; elephantes) a captayne, in to Iewry: commaundinge him, to take Iudas himself alyue, but to slaye them that were with him, and to make Alcimus hye prest of the temple.

C   Then the Heithen which fled out of Iewry from Iudas, came to Nicanor by flockes, thinkynge the harme and decaye of the Iewes to be their welfare. Now wh&ebar; the Iewes herde of Nicanors commynge, ∧ the gatherynge together of þe; Heith&ebar;: ^note they spr&ebar;ckled them selues &wt; earth, and besought

him (which made them his people, and euer defended his owne porcion with euydent tokens) that he wolde preserue them still. So at the commaundement of the captayne, they remoued from thence, and came to a towne called Dessasan. And Symon Iudas brother fell in honde with Nicanor, but thorow the sodane commynge of the enemies, he was afrayed.

Neuertheles Nicanor hearinge the manlynes of them that were with Iudas, and þe; bolde stomackes that they had to fight for their naturall countre, durst not proue the matter with bloudsheddinge. Wherfore he sent Possidonius, Theodocius ∧ Mathias before, to geue and to take peace. So when they had taken longe advysement there vpon, and the captayne shewed it vnto the multitude: they were agreed in one mynde, to haue peace. And they appoynted a daye to syt vpon these matters quyetly amonge them selues, þe; stoles also were brought and set forth. Neuerthelesse Iudas c&obar;maunded certaine men of armes to waite in conueni&ebar;t places, lest there shulde sodenly aryse eny euell thorow the enemies. And so they commoned reasonably together.

D   Nicanor, whyle he abode at Ierusalem, ordred himself not vnreasonably, but sent awaye the people that were gathered together. He loued Iudas euer with his hert, and fauoured him. He prayed him also to take a wyfe, and to brynge forth children. So he maried, lyued in rest, and they led a comon life. But Alcimus perceauynge the loue that was betwixte them, and how they were agreed together, came to Demetrius, and tolde him that Nicanor had taken straunge matters in honde, and ordened Iudas (an enemy of the realme) to be the kynges successoure. Then the kinge was sore displeased, and thorow the wicked accusations which Alcimus made of Nicanor, he was so prouoked, that he wrote vnto Nicanor, sayenge: that he was very angrie for the frendshipe and agrement, which he had made with Machabeus. Neuertheles he commaunded him in all the haist, that he shulde take Machabeus presoner, and sende him to Antioche.

E   Which lettres when Nicanor had sene, he was at his wittes ende, and sore greued, that he shulde breake the thinges, wherin they had agreed: specially, seynge Machabeus was the man, that neuer dyd him harme. But because he might not withstonde the kynge, he sought oportunite to fulfil his commaundement. Notwithstondinge when Machabeus sawe that Nicanor beganne to be churlish vnto him, and that he intreated him more rughly then he was wonte, he perceaued that soch vnkyndnes came not of good, and therfore he gathered a few of his men, and withdrewe himself fr&obar; Nicanor. Which when he knewe that Machabeus had manfully preuented him, he came in to the greate and most holy temple: and commaunded the prestes (which were doynge their vsuall offeringes) to delyuer him the man. And when they sware that they coude not tell, where the m&abar; was wh&obar; he sought, he stretched out his honde, and made an ooth, sayenge: ^note Yf ye wyll not delyuer me Iudas captyue, I shall remoue this temple of God in to the playne felde, I shal breake downe the aulter, and consecrate this t&ebar;ple vnto Bachus. After these wordes he departed.

F   Then the prestes lift vp their hondes towarde heauen, and besought him that was euer the defender of their people, sayenge: Thou o LORDE of all, which hast nede of nothinge, woldest that the temple of thy habitacion shulde be amonge vs. ^noteTherfore now (o most holy LORDE) kepe this house euer vndefyled, which lately was clensed. Now was there accused vnto Nicanor, one Razis an Alderman of Ierusalem, a louer of the whole cite, and a man of good reporte: which for the kynde hert that he bare vnto the people, was called a father of þe; Iewes. This man oft tymes (when the Iewes were mynded to kepe them selues vndefyled) defended and delyuered them, beynge content stedfastly to spende his body and his life for his people.

G   So Nicanor wyllinge to declare the hate, that he bare to the Iewes, sent fyue hundreth men to take him: for he thought, yf he gat him, he shulde brynge the Iewes in greate decaye. Now when the people beganne to ru&esset;she in at his house, to breake the dores, and to set fyre on it: he beynge now taken, wolde haue defended himself with his swearde: chosinge rather to dye manfully, then to yelde himselfe to those wicked doers: and because of his noble stocke, he had rather haue bene put to extreme cruelte.

Notwithstondynge what tyme as he myssed of his stroke for haist, and the multitude fell in violently betwixte the dores: he r&abar;ne boldly to þe; wall, ∧ cast himself downe

manfully amonge the heape of them, which gaue soone place to his fall, so that he fell vpon his bely. Neuerthelesse whyle there was yet breath within him, he was kyndled in his mynde: and whyle his bloude gu&esset;shed out exceadingly (for he was very sore wounded) he ranne thorow the myddest of þe; people, and gat him to the toppe of a rocke. So when his bloude was now gone, he toke out his owne bowels with both his hondes, and threw them vpon the people: callinge vpon the LORDE of life and sprete, to rewarde him this agayne, and so he dyed.

Previous section

Next section