A   And on the thyrde daye it fortuned, that Esther put on her royall apparell, ∧ stode in the court of the kynges palace within, ouer agaynst þe; kynges house. And the kyng sate vpon his royall seate in the kynges palace ouer agaynst the gate of the house. And when the kyng sawe Esther the quene standyng in the court, she found grace in hys syght. And the kyng helde out the golden scepter that was in his hande towarde Esther. So Esther stepte forth, and touched the toppe of the scepter. Then sayde the kynge vnto her: What wylt thou quene Esther? B   and what requyrest thou? aske euen the halfe of the empire, and it shall be geuen the. And Esther answered. If it please the kyng, let the kyng ∧ Haman come this daye vnto the bancket, that I haue prepared for hym. And the kyng sayde: cause Haman to make hast, that he maye do as Esther hath sayde.

So the kyng ∧ Haman came to the banket þt; Esther had prepared, ∧ the kyng sayde vnto Esther at the bancket of wyne: what is thy peticyon? that it maye be geuen the. And what requyrest thou? If it be euen the halfe of the empire, it shalbe done.

C   Then answered Esther, and sayd, my peticion and desyre is, yf I haue founde grace in the syght of the kyng, and yf it please the kyng, to geue me my petici&obar;, ∧ to fulfyll my request, then let the kyng ∧ Haman come to the bancket þt; I shall prepare for them, and so will I do tomorow, as the kyng hath sayde.

Then went Haman forth the same daye ioyfull and mery in his mynde. And wh&ebar; the same Ham&abar; sawe Mardocheus in þe; kynges gate, þt; he stode not vp ∧ kneled before hym, he was full of indignacion at Mardocheus. Neuertheles, Haman refrayned him selfe: ∧ wh&ebar; he came home, he sent, and called for his frendes, ∧ Zares his wyfe, and Haman tolde them of the glory of his ryches, and the multitude of his children, D   ∧ all together howe þe; kyng had promoted him so greatly &abar;d howe that he had set him aboue the princes &abar;d seruauntes of the kyng. Ham&abar; sayd moreouer: Yee ∧ Esther þe; quene dyd let no man come in with the kyng vnto the bancket that she had prepared, excepte me, ∧ tomorow am I bidden vnto her also with the kyng. But in all this am I not satisfyed, as l&obar;ge as I se Mardocheus the Iewe syttynge at the kynges gate. Then sayd Zares hys wyfe and all hys fr&ebar;des vnto him: Let them make a galowse of fyftye cubites hye, and tomorow speake thou vnto þe; kyng, that Mardocheus maye be hanged theron, ∧ go thou in merely wyth the kynge vnto the bancket. And Haman was wel content with all, ∧ caused the galowes to be made.

Previous section

Next section