A   It fortuned in the dayes of Ahasuerus whych raygned from India vnto Ethiopia (ouer an h&ubar;dreth and seuen and twenty landes) euen in those dayes whan the kyng Ahasuerus sate on his seate royall, which was in Susan þe; chefe cytie, in þe; thirde yeare of his raygne, he made a feast vnto all his princes ∧ serua&ubar;tes. And the myghtye men of Persia ∧ Media, the capitaynes also ∧ rulers of his countrees were before him, ∧ he shewed the riches and glorye of his kyngdome, ∧ the glorious worshippe of hys greatnesse, many dayes longe, euen an hundreth and foure score dayes.

B   And when these dayes were expyred, the kyng made a feast vnto all þe; people, þt; were in Susan the chefe cytie, both vnto great &abar;d small, seuen dayes long in the court of þe; garden by the kynges palace: where there h&abar;ged white, grene ∧ yalow clothes, fastened with coardes of fyne sylke ∧ purple in syluer rynges, vpon pylers of Marble stone.

The benches also were of golde ∧ syluer made vpon a pauement of grene, white, yalow and black Marble. And they dranke in vessels of golde, ∧ cha&ubar;ged vessell after vessell. And the kynges wyne was moch, accordyng to the power of the kyng. And þe; drinke was so apoynted þt; none shulde compell anye man, for so the kyng had c&obar;maunded by the officers of his house, þt; euery one shuld do as it liked him. And þe; quene Uasti made a feast also for the wemen in the palace of Ahasuerus. And on the seuenth daye when the kyng was mery after þe; wyne, he c&obar;maunded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagthan, Zethar ∧ Carchas, the seuen chamberlaynes (þt; dyd seruice in the presence of kyng Ahasuerus) to fetch the quene Uasti with þe; D    crowne regal into the kynges presence that he myght shewe the people and princes her fairnesse, for she was bewtifull. But þe; quene Uasthi wolde not come at þe; kinges word by his chamberlaynes. Then was þe; kyng very wroth, ∧ his indignacion kyndled in him.

And the kyng spake to the wyse men, that had vnderstanding in the ordinaunces of the land, for the kynges matters must be h&abar;dled before all soch as haue knowledge of the lawe and iudgement: and the (chefe and) next vnto h&ibar; were, Carsena, Sethar, Admata, Tharsis, Mares, Marsena, ∧ Mamucan, the seu&ebar; princes of Persia, and Media, whych sawe the kynges face, ∧ sat aboue in the kyngdom what lawe (saieth þe; king) shuld be executed vpon the quene Uasthi, because she dyd not accordyng to the worde of the kyng Ahasuerus, whych he c&obar;maunded by his chamberlaynes? And Memucan answered before the kyng and the princes: E   the quene Uasthi hath not onely done euell agaynst the kynge, but also agaynst all the princes and agaynst all the people þt; are in all þe; landes of kyng Ahasuerus: for this dede of the quene shall come abrode vnto all wem&ebar;, so þt; they shall despised their husb&abar;des before their eyes, and shal saye: the kyng Ahasuerus c&obar;ma&ubar;ded Uasthi þe; quene to be brought in before hym, but she wold not come. And so shall the princesses in Persia &abar;d Media saye likewyse vnto all the kynges princes, wh&ebar; they heare of this dede of the quene, thus shall there aryse to moch despitefulnes ∧ wrath. If it please the kyng therfore, let there go a commaundm&ebar;t from him, ∧ let it be writt&ebar; according to the lawes of the Persians and Medians (and not to be transgressed) þt; Uasthi come nomore before kyng Ahasuerus, ∧ let þe; king geue her kingdome vnto another, that is better then she.

And when this commaundement of the kyng (which shalbe made) is published thorow out all his empire (whych is greate) all wemen shall hold their husb&abar;des in honoure both among great and small.

This pleased the kyng ∧ the prynces: and the kyng dyd according to the word of Memucan. For he sent letters forth in to all the kynges l&abar;des, in to euery land, accordyng to the wryting therof, ∧ to euery people after their l&abar;guage, þt; euery man shulde be lord in his awne house. And this caused he to be spoken after the language of his people.

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