A   After that Alex&abar;der the sonne of Philyppe, k&ibar;ge of Macedonia wente forth of the l&abar;de of Cethim, ∧ slewe Dari&us; kyng of the persy&abar;s and Medes: It happened, that he toke greate warres in h&abar;de, w&abar;ne very many str&obar;ge cytyes, ∧ slew many kynges of þe; arth: goyng thorow to þe; endes of þe; worlde, and gettyng many spoyles of þe; people: In so moch, þt; the worlde stode in greate awe of hym, ^note ∧ therfore was he proude in his herte. Now whan he had gathered a myghtye stronge hoost, ∧ subdued þe; landes ∧ people wyth theyr princes, so þt; they became tributaryes vnto him: he fel syck. And wh&ebar; he perceaued þt; he must nedes dye, he called for hys noble estates (whych had bene brought vp wyth hym of chyldren) ^note ∧ parted hys kyngdome am&obar;ge th&ebar;, whyle he was yet alyue. So Alex&abar;der raygned, xii. yeare, and then dyed.

After hys death fell the kyngdome vnto hys princes, and they optayned it euery one in hys rowme, and caused them selues to be crowned as kynges: and so dyd theyr chyldr&ebar; after them many eyares, and moch wyckednesse increased in þe; world. Out of these came the vngracyous rote, noble Antioch&us; the sonne of Antiochus the kyng ( ^note whych had bene a pledge at Rome) and he raygned in the C .xxxvii. yeare of the empyre of the Grekes.

B   In those dayes w&ebar;te there out of Israell wycked men, whych moued moch people &wt; theyr co&ubar;cell, say&ebar;ge: ^note Lett vs go ∧ make a couenaunt wyth the Heathen, þt; are rounde aboute vs: ^note for sence we departed fr&obar; them, we haue had moch sorow. So thys deuyce pleased them well, and certayne of þe; people toke vp&obar; th&ebar; for to go vnto þe; kynge, which gaue th&ebar; lycence to do after the ordina&ubar;ce of þe; Heathen. ^noteThen set they vp an op&ebar; scole (at Ierusalem) of the lawes of the Heathen ∧ were nomore cyrcumcysed: but forsoke þe; holy Testamente, ∧ ioyned them selues to þe; Heath&ebar; ^note, ∧ were cleane solde to do myschefe So when Antiochus beganne to be myghtie &ibar; hys kyngdome, he wente aboute to optayne þe; l&abar;de of Egypte also that he myght haue the domyni&obar; of two realmes. ^noteUpon this entred he &ibar;to Egypte &wt; a str&obar;ge hoost, wyth charrettes, elephantes, horsm&ebar; and a greate nombre of shyppes, and beganne to warre agaynst Ptolomy the kyng of Egypte. But Ptolomy was afrayed of hym, &abar;d fled: and many of hys people were wo&ubar;ded to death. Thus Antiochus w&abar;ne many str&obar;ge cyties, ∧ toke awaye greate good out of the lande of Egypte.

C    ^noteAnd after that Antiochus had smytten Egypt, he turned agayne in the Cxliii. yeare, ∧ wente towarde Israel, ∧ came vp to Ierusal&ebar; with a myghtie people: ∧ &ebar;tred proudly into the S&abar;ctuary, and toke awaye the golden altare, þe; candylstycke and all the ornamentes therof, the table of the shewbred, the pouryng vessel, the chargers, the golden spones, the vayle, þe; crownes, and gold&ebar; apparell of the temple, ∧ brake downe all. He toke also the siluer ∧ golde, the precious Iewels, ∧ the secrete treasures that he founde. And when he had tak&ebar; awaye all together, caused a greate murthur of men, and so fulfylled his malycious pryde, he departed &ibar;to hys awne lande.

D   Thus there arose greate heuynesse and misery &ibar; all þe; lande of Israel. ^noteThe princes ∧ the elders of the people mourned, the yonge men and the maydens were defyled, and the fayre beutye of wemen was chaunged: the brydegrome and the bryde toke them to mournynge: the lande and those that dwelt therin, was moued: for all the house of Iacob was brought to confusion.

^noteAfter two yeres the kynge sent hys chefe treasurer vnto þe; cities of Iuda, which came to Ierusal&ebar; with a great multitude of people, speakinge peaceable wordes vnto th&ebar; but all was disceate: for wh&abar; they had geu&ebar; hym credence, he fel sodenly vpon the cytie, ∧ smote it sore, &abar;d destroyed moch people of Israel. ^noteAnd when he had spoyled the citie, he set fyre on it, castynge downe houses and walles on euery syde. The wemen and their chyldr&ebar; toke they captiue, ∧ led awaye their catel. Then buylded they þe; cytie of Dauid with a great &abar;d thycke wall, ∧ with myghtie towres, and made it a stronge holde for them. Besyde all this they set wycked people and vngodly m&ebar; to kepe it, stoared it &wt; weapens ∧ vytayles: gathered the goodes of Ierusalem, &abar;d layed them vp there: thus became it a theuysh castell.

And thys was done to laye wayte for the people that went into the Sanctuary, and for the cruell destruccyon of Israell. Thus they shed innocent bloude on euery syde of þe; Sanctuary, and defyled it: In so moch that the cytesyns were fayne to departe, and the cytie became an habitacyon of straungers, beyng desolate of her awne sede, for her awne natyues were fayne to leaue her. ^noteHer s&abar;ctuary was clene wasted, her holy dayes

were turned into mournynge, her Sabbathes were had in derisyon, and her honoure brought to naught. Loke how great her glory was afore, so greate was her confusy&obar;, ∧ her ioye turned in to sorowe.

E    ^noteAntiochus also the kynge sent out a c&obar;mission vnto all hys kyngdome, that al the people shuld be one. Th&ebar; they left euery m&abar; hys lawe, and all the Heathen agreed to þe; commaundement of kynge Antiochus: Yee many of the Israelites c&obar;sented there vnto, offerynge vnto Idols, ∧ defylinge the Sabbath. So the kynge Antiochus s&ebar;t his messaungers wyth hys commissyon vnto Ierusalem, ∧ to all the cyties of Iuda: that they shulde folow the lawes of the Heathen, and forbad ether burnt offerynge, meat offer&ibar;ge or peace offeringe to be made &ibar; the temple of God, and that there shulde no Sabbath ner hye feast daye be kepte: but commaunded, þt; the Sanctuary ∧ the holy people of Israell shulde be defyled.

He commaunded also that there shulde be sett vp other altares, t&ebar;ples ∧ Idols: to offre vp swynes flesh ∧ other vnclene beastes: that men shulde leaue theyr children vncircumcised, to defyle theyr soules with al maner of vncl&ebar;nesse and abhominacy&obar;s: þt; they myght so forget the lawe, ∧ chaunge all the holy ordinaunces of God: ∧ that whosoeuer wolde not do accordynge to the c&obar;maundement of kyng Antioch&us;, shulde suffre death. In lyke maner commaunded he thorow out all hys realme, and sett rulers ouer the people, for to compell them to do these thinges commaundynge the cyties of Iuda to do sacrifyce vnto Idols.

Then wente the people vnto the heath&ebar; by heapes, forsoke the lawe of the Lord, &abar;d c&obar;mytted moch euell &ibar; the lande: yee &abar;d chaced out þe; secrete Israelytes, which had hyd them selues in corners and preuy places. The .xv. daye of the moneth Casleu, in the Cxlv. yeare, F   sett kynge Antiochus an abhominable Idol of desolacyon vp&obar; the altare of God, and they buylded altares thorow out all the cytyes of Iuda on euery syde, before the dores of the houses, and in the stretes: where they brent incense, and dyd sacrifyce. ^noteAnd as for þe; bokes of þe; lawe of God, they brent them in the fyre, and r&ebar;t them in peces. Whatsoeuer he was that had a boke of the Testament of the Lord found by h&ibar;, yee whosoeuer endeuored hymselfe to kepe the lawe of the Lorde, the kynges c&obar;maundem&ebar;t was, that they shulde put hym to death. And thorow his auctorite they executed these thinges euery moneth, vp&obar; þe; people of Israel that were founde in the cyties.

G    ^noteThe fyue and twentye daye of the moneth what tyme as they dyd sacryfyce vp&obar; þe; altare (whych stode in þe; steade of þe; altare of the Lorde) accordynge to the commaundement of kynge Antiochus, they put certayne wemen to death, which had caused theyr chyldr&ebar; to be circumcised: Not only þt;, but they hanged vp the chyldren by the neckes thorow out all theyr houses, and slewe the circumcisers of them.

Yet were there many of the people of Israell, whych determined &ibar; them selues, that they wolde not eate vncleane thynges: but chose rather to suffre death, then to be defiled wyth vncleane meates. So because they wolde not breake the blessed lawe of God, they were cruelly slayne. And thys great tyranny increased very sore vpon the people of Israell. ¶ The .ii. Chapter. ¶ The mournyng of Mathathias and hys sonnes for the destruccion of the holy cytie. They refuse to do sacrifyce vnto Idoles. The Zele of Mathathias for the lawe of God. They are slayne and wyll not fyght agayne because of the Sabboth daye. Mathathias dyinge commaundeth hys sonnes to stycke by the worde of God after the exemple of the fathers.

A   In those daies there dyd st&abar;de vp one Mathathias the sonne of Symeon the prest (out of þe; kynred of Ioaris) from Ierusalem, and dwelt vpon þe; mount of Modin, ∧ had v. s&obar;nes: Ihon called Goddis Syme&obar;, called Thasi: Iudas, otherwise called Machabeus: Eleazer, other wyse called Abar&obar;: and Ionathas, whose syrname was Apphus. These sawe the euel, that was done am&obar;ge the people of Iuda &abar;d Ierusalem. And Mathathias sayd: wo is me, alas that euer I was borne, to se thys misery of my people, and the pyteous destrucci&obar; of the holy cyte: and thus to syt so styl, it being delyuered into the handes of the enemyes. ^noteHer S&abar;ctuary is come into the power of straungers: her temple is, as it were a m&abar; that hath lost hys good name: Her precyous ornamentes are caryed awaye captyue. Her olde men are slayne in the stretes, ∧ her yonge men are fallen thorow þe; swearde of the enemyes.

What people is it, that hath not some possessyon in her kyngdome? Or who hath not gotten some of her spoyles? All her glory is taken awaye. She was a fre wom&abar;, ∧ now she is become an handmayde. Beholde oure Sanctuary, oure bewtye ∧ honoure is wasted awaye, ∧ defyled by þe; Gentiles. What helpeth it vs then to lyue? And Mathathias r&ebar;te his clothes, he and hys sonnes, ∧ put sackcloth vpon them, ∧ mourned very sore.

B   Then came the men thyther whych were sent of kynge Anthiochus, to c&obar;pell soch as were fled into the cytie of Modyn, for to do sacryfyce and to burne incense vnto Idols, and to forsake the lawe of God. So, many of the people of Israell c&obar;sented and enclyned vnto th&ebar;, but Mathathias and his sonnes remayned stedfast. Then spake þe; commyssyoners

of kynge Antiochus, and sayde vnto Mathathias: Thou art a noble man, of hye reputacyon and greate in thys cytie, hauynge fayre chyldren and brethr&ebar;. Come thou therfore fyrst, and fulfyll þe; kynges c&obar;maundement, lyke as all the Heathen haue done, yee and the men of Iuda, and soch as remayne at Ierusalem: so shalt thou and thy chyldren be in þe; kynges fauoure ∧ enryched with golde, syluer ∧ greate rewardes.

Mathathias answered, and spake wyth a loude voyce. Though all nacyons obeye þe; kyng Antiochus, and fal awaye euery man from kepynge the lawe of theyr fathers: though they consente to his c&obar;maundementes, yet will I and my sonnes ∧ my brethr&ebar;, not fall from the lawe of oure fathers. God forbyd we shulde, that were not good for vs ^notethat we shulde forsake the lawe and ordinaunces of God, and to agre vnto the commaundem&ebar;t of kinge Antiochus. Therfore we wyl do no soch sacrifice, nether breake þe; statutes of oure lawe, ^note to go another waie. And when he had spoken these wordes, there came one of the Iewes, whych openly in the syght of al, dyd sacrifice vnto the Idols vpon the aulter in the cytie of Modyn, acordyng to the kynges commaundement.

C   When Mathathias sawe thys, it greued hym at the herte, so that hys raynes shoke wythall, ∧ hys wrath kyndled for very zele of the lawe. Wyth that, he start vp, ∧ kylled the Iewe besyde the aulter: Yee ∧ slewe the kynges commyssyoner, that compelled hym to do sacrifyce, &abar;d destroyed the aulter at the same tyme: soch a zele had he vnto þe; lawe of God ^note lyke as Phinehes dyd vnto Z&abar;bri þe; sonne of Salomi, And Mathathias cryed wyth a loude voyce thorow the cytie, sayenge: Whoso is feruent &ibar; the lawe, ∧ wil kepe the couena&ubar;t, let him folowe me. ^noteSo he and his sonnes fled into the mo&ubar;taynes, ∧ left all that euer they had &ibar; the cytie. Many other godly m&ebar; also departed &ibar;to þe; wyldernesse wyth theyr chyldr&ebar;, theyr wyues ∧ theyr catel, and remayned there: for þe; tyr&abar;ny increaced sore vpon them.

D   Now when the kynges seruauntes, and the hoost, whych was at Ierusalem in þe; cytie of Dauid herde, þt; certayne men had broken the kynges commaundement, and were gone theyr waye to the wyldernesse into secrete places ∧ that there were many departed after them: they folowed vpon them, to fyght agaynst them &ibar; the Sabbath daye, ∧ sayde: wyll ye yet rebell? Get you hence, and do the c&obar;maundement of kyng Antiochus ∧ ye shall lyue. They answered: ^note We wyll not go forth, nether wyll we do the kynges c&obar;ma&ubar;dem&ebar;t, to defyle the Sabbath daye. Then beganne they to fyght agaynst them, neuerthelesse they gaue th&ebar; none other answere, nether cast they one stone at th&ebar;, ner made fast theyr preuy places, but sayde: we wyll dye all in oure innocency, heauen and earth shall testyfie with vs, that ye put vs to death wrongeously. Thus they fought agaynst them vpon the Sabboth, &abar;d slewe both men ∧ catell, theyr wyues ∧ their chyldren, to the nombre of a thousande people.

E   When Mathathias and his fr&ebar;des herde thys, they mourned for them ryght sore and sayde one to another: If so be that we all do as oure brethren haue done, ∧ fyght not for oure lyues ∧ for our lawes agaynst þe; Heathen: then shall they the soner rote vs out of þe; earth. So they concluded amonge th&ebar; selues at the same tyme, sayenge: what soeuer he be that commeth to make battayll wyth vs vpon the Sabbath daye, we wyll fyght agaynst hym, ∧ not dye al, as oure brethren þt; were murthured so haynously. Up&obar; thys came the Synagoge of the Iewes vnto th&ebar; stronge men of Israel, all soch as were feruent &ibar; the lawe. And all they that were fled for persecucyon, came to helpe them, and to stande by them: In so moch that they gathered an hoost of men, and slewe the wycked doers in theyr gelousy, and the vngodly m&ebar; &ibar; theyr wrath. Some of the wycked fled vnto the Heathen, and escaped.

Thus Mathathias ∧ his frendes wente aboute, and destroyed the aulters, and circ&ubar;cysed the chyldr&ebar;, that had not yet receaued circ&ubar;cisyon: as many as they founde within the costes of Israel: and folowed myghtely vpon the children of pryde, ∧ this acte prospered &ibar; theyr handes: In so moch, that they kepte the law agaynst the power of the G&ebar;tiles ∧ the kynges, and gaue not ouer theyr domynion vnto wycked doers.

F   After thys when the tyme drewe on fast, that Mathathias shulde dye, he sayde vnto hys sonnes: Now is pryde and persecucyon increased, now is the tyme of destruccyon ∧ wrathfull dyspleasure: wherfore (O my s&obar;nes) be ye feruent in the lawe, and ieoparde your lyues for the Testam&ebar;t of the fathers call to rem&ebar;braunce what actes our fathers dyd in theyr tyme, so shal ye receaue greate honoure and an euerlastynge name.

^noteRemembre Abrah&abar;, was not he founde faythfull in tentacyon, and it was reckened vnto h&ibar; for ryghtuousnes? ^noteIoseph &ibar; tyme of hys trouble kepte the commaundem&ebar;t ∧ was made a lord of Egypt. ^notePhinehes our father was so feru&ebar;t for þe; honoure of God, that he optayned the couenaunt of an euerlastynge presthode. ^noteIosue for fulfyll&ibar;ge þe; worde of God, was made the captayne of Israel. ^noteCaleb bare recorde before þe; c&obar;gregacyon, and receaued an heretage. ^noteDauid also in his mercyfull kyndnesse, optayned, the trone of an euerlastynge kyngdome.

^noteElias beinge gelous ∧ feruent in the lawe, was taken vp into heauen. Hananias, Asarias and Misael remayned stedfast in fayth and were delyuered out of the fyre. In lyke maner ^note Daniel beynge vngyltye, was saued from the mouth of the Lyons.

G   And thus ye maye consydre thorow out all ages sence þe; worlde beg&abar;ne, ^note that whosoeuer put their trust in God, were not ouercome. ^noteFeare not ye th&ebar; þe; wordes of an vngodly man, ^note For his glory is but donge and wormes: to daye is he set vp, and to morow is he gone: for he is turned into earth, ∧ hys memorial is come to naught. Wherfore (O my sonnes) take good hertes vnto you, and quyte youre selues lyke men in the lawe: for yf ye do the thynges that are c&obar;ma&ubar;ded you in the lawe of the Lorde youre God, ye shall optayne greate honoure therin.

And beholde, I know that youre brother Symon is a man of wysdome: se þt; ye geue eare vnto him alwaye, he shalbe a father vnto you. As for Iudas Machabeus, he hath euer bene myghtie and stronge fr&obar; his youth vp: let him be youre captayne, and ordre the battayll of the people: thus shall ye brynge vnto you all those that fauoure the lawe, ∧ se that ye auenge the wronge of youre people, and recompence the Heathen agayne, ∧ applye youre selues whole to the commaundement of the lawe. So he gaue them hys blessynge, and was layed by hys fathers: ∧ died in the .C. ∧ .xlvi yeare at Modin, where hys sonnes buryed hym in hys fathers sepulcre, and all Israell made greate lamentacyon for hym. ¶ The .iii. Chapter. ¶ Iudas is made ruler ouer the Iewes. He kylleth Appollonius ∧ Seron þe; prince of Syria. The confidence of Iudas towarde God. Iudas determineth to fyght agaynst Lysias, whom Antiochus had made captayne ouer his host. The prayer of the absteyners.

A   Then stode vp Iudas Machabeus in his fathers steade, ∧ all hys brethren helped hym: and so dyd all they that helde wyth hys father, ∧ fought wyth cherefulnesse for Israell. ^note So Iudas gat hys people great honour: He put on a brest plate as a giaunte, ∧ arayed hym selfe with hys harnesse, and defended the hoste wyth hys swearde. In his actes he was lyke a Lyon, ∧ as a lyons whelpe roaringe at his praye. ^noteHe was an enemye to the wycked, ∧ hunted th&ebar; out: ^note and brent vp those that vexed his people: So that hys enemyes fled for feare of hym, ∧ all the worckers of vngodlyues were put to trouble: soch lucke and prosperyte was in hys h&abar;de. This greued diuerse kynges, but Iacob was greatly reioysed thorow his actes, and he gatt hym self a greate name for euer.

He wente thorow the cityes of Iuda, destroyenge the vngodly out of them, turning awaye the wrath from Israell, and receauynge soch as were oppressed: and the fame of him w&ebar;te vnto the vttemost parte of the earth. Then Appollonius (a prynce of Syria) gathered a myghtye greate hoost of the heath&ebar; ∧ out of Samaria, to fyght agaynst Israell. Whych when Iudas perceaued, he wente forth to mete hym, fought wyth him, slewe him, and a great multitude with him, the remnaunt fled, ∧ he toke their substa&ubar;ce Iudas also toke Appollonius awne swearde, and fought wyth it all hys lyfe longe.

B   Now wh&ebar; Seron (another prince of Syria) herde saye, þt; Iudas had gathered vnto him the congregacyon ∧ church of the faythfull, he sayde: I will get me a name ∧ a prayse thorow out þe; realme: for I wyll go fyght with Iudas, ∧ them that are wyth hym, as many as haue despysed the kynges c&obar;maundement. So he made hym ready, and there w&ebar;te wyth him a greate myghtye hoost of þe; vngodly, to stande by him, and to be au&ebar;ged of the children of Israel. And when they came nye vnto Bethoron, Iudas wente forth agaynst them wyth a small company. And when his people sawe soch a great goost before them, they sayde vnto Iudas: How are we able (beinge so fewe) to fyght agaynst so great a multitude and so stronge, seinge we be so weery, and haue fasted all this daye?

^noteBut Iudas sayde: It is a small matter for many to be ouercome &wt; fewe: yee there is no difference to the God of heauen, to deliuer by a greate multitude or by a small c&obar;pany: ^note for þe; victory of the battell standeth not in the multytude of the Hoost, but the strength commeth from heauen. Beholde, they come against vs with a presumptuous and proude multitude, C   to destroye vs, oure wyues and oure chyldren, and to robbe vs. But we will fight for oure lyues, ∧ for oure lawes, ∧ the Lorde hym selfe shall destroye them before oure face: therfore be not ye afrayed of them.

As soone as he had spoken these wordes, he leapte sodenly vpon th&ebar;. Thus was Seron smytten, and his hoost put to flight, and Iudas folowed vp&obar; them beyonde Bethoron vnto the playne felde: where there were slayne eyght hundreth men of them, and the resydue fled into the lande of the Phylystynes. Then all the heath&ebar; on euery syde were afrayed for Iudas and his brethren: so that the rumoure of hym came vnto the kynges eares, for all the Gentyles coulde tell of the warres of Iudas.

D   So when kynge Antiochus hearde these tidynges, he was angry in his minde: wherfore he sente forth, and gathered an hoost of his whole realme, very stronge armyes: and opened hys treasury, and gaue hys hoost a yeares wagyes in hande, commaundynge

them to be ready at all tymes.

Neuerthelesse when he sawe, that there was not moneye ynough in his treasuryes, and þt; thorow the discorde and persecucyon, whych he made in the lande (to put downe the lawes that had bene of olde tymes) hys customes ∧ trybutes of the lande were mynyshed: he feared that he was not able for to beare the costes and charges any longer, nor to haue soch gyftes, to geue so liberally as he dyd afore, more then the kynges that were before hym.

Wherfore, he was heuy in his mynde, and thought ^note to go &ibar;to Persides, for to take tributes of the lande, ∧ so to gather moch moneye. So he left Lysias (a noble man of the kynges bloude) to ouerse the kynges busynesses, from the water Euphrates vnto the borders of Egypte: ∧ to kepe well his sonne Antiochus, tyll he came agayne.

E   Moreouer, he gaue him half of his hoost, and Elephantes, c&obar;mytted vnto him euery thynge of hys mynde, concernynge those whych dwelt in Iuda and Ierusalem: that he shulde sende out an armye agaynst them, to destroye and to rote out the power of Israel and the remnaunt of Ierusalem: to put out their memoryall from that place, to set stra&ubar;gers for to inhabyt all theyr quarters, and to parte theyr lande amonge th&ebar;: Thus the kynge toke the other parte of the hoost, and departed from Antioch (a cyte of hys realme) ouer the water of Euphrates, in the h&ubar;dreth and .xlvii. yeare, and went thorow the hye countrees. ^note

^noteAnd Lysias chose vnto hym Ptolomy the sonne of Doriminus, Nicanor and Gorgias myghty men, and the kynges frendes. These he sent with .xl. thousande fote men ∧ .vii. thousande horsmen, for to go into the lande of Iuda ∧ to destroye it, as the kynge commaunded. So they w&ebar;te forth wyth all their power, and came to Emmaus into the plaine felde. When the marchauntes hearde the rumoure of them, they ∧ theyr seruauntes toke very moch syluer ∧ gold, for to bye the childr&ebar; of Israel to be their bonde men: There came vnto them also yet moo m&ebar; of warre on euery syde, out of Siria and from the Palestynes.

F   Now when Iudas ∧ hys brethren sawe þe; trouble increased, ∧ that the hoost drew nye vnto their borders c&obar;sidering þe; kynges wordes which he commaunded vnto the people: namely, that they shulde vtterly waste and destroye them: They sayde one to another: Let vs redresse the decaye of oure people, let vs fyght for oure folke and for oure Sanctuary. Then the congregacyon were soone ready gathered to fyght, to praye ∧ to make supplicacyon vnto God for mercy ∧ grace.

^noteAs for Ierusalem, it laye voyde, ∧ was as it had bene a wyldernesse. There wente no man in nor out at it, and the Sanctuary was troden downe. The alea&ubar;tes kepte the castell, there was the habitacion of the Heath&ebar;. The myrth of Iacob was tak&ebar; awaye, the pype and the harpe was gone fr&obar; amonge them.

The Israelites gathered them together, and came to Maspha before Ierusalem: for in Maspha was þe; place ^note where they prayed afore tyme in Israel. So they fasted þt; daye ∧ put sackclothes vp&obar; them, cast asshes vp&obar; their heades, r&ebar;te their clothes, ∧ layde forth the bokes of the lawe (wherout the heathen sought the lykenesse of theyr ymages) and brought þe; Prestes ornam&ebar;tes, the fyrstlinges ∧ the tithes. They sett there also þe; ^note absteyners (whych had fulfylled theyr dayes) before God, and cryed wyth a loude voyce towarde heau&ebar;, sayinge: What shall we do with these? and whyther shall we cary them awaye? G   For thy Sanctuary is troden downe and defyled, thy prestes are come to heuynesse and dyshonoure: and beholde, the Heathen are come together for to destroye vs. Thou knowest what thynges they ymagin agaynst vs. How may we stande before th&ebar;, excepte thou (O God) be oure helpe?

They blewe out the tr&obar;pette also wyth a loude voyce. Th&ebar; Iudas ordened ^note captaynes ouer the people: ouer thousandes, ouer hundredes, ouer fyftye, and ouer ten. But as for soch as buylded th&ebar; houses, maryed wyues, planted them vyneyardes, and those þt; were fearfull: he commaunded them euery m&abar; to go home agayne, accordynge ^note to the lawe, So the hoost remoued, and pytched vpon the southsyde of Emmaus.

And Iudas sayde: Arme youre selues, be stronge (O my chyldren) make you ready agaynst to morow in the mornynge, that ye maye fyght wyth these people, which are agreed together to destroye vs and oure sanctuary. Better is it for vs to dye in battaill, than to se oure people and our sanctuary in soch a myserable case: ^note Neuerthelesse, as thy wyll is in heauen, so be it. ¶ The .iiii. Chapter. ¶ Iudas goeth agaynst Gorgias which lieth in wayte. He putteth Gorgias and his hoost to flyght. Lysias inuadeth Iewry, but Iudas dryueth him oute. Iudas purifyeth the temple and dedycateth the aultare.

A   Then toke Gorgyas fyue thousand men of fote, and a thousande of the best horsmen: ∧ remoued by nyght, to come nye where the Iewes host laye, ∧ so to slaye them sodenly. ^note Now þe; men that kepte the castell, were the conueyers of them. Then arose Iudas to smyte the chefe ∧ principall of þe; kynges Host at Emmaus, for the army was not yet come together. In the meane seas&obar; came Gorgias by nyght in

to Iudas tentes: ∧ when he founde no man there, he sought them in the mountaynes, ∧ thought they had bene fled awaye, because of hym. But when it was daye, Iudas shewed hym selfe in the felde wyth thre thousande men only, whych had nether harnesse ner sweardes to their myndes.

But on the other syde, they sawe that the Heathen were myghtie and well harnessed, and their horsm&ebar; aboute them, and all these well experte in fettes of warre. Then sayde Iudas to the m&ebar; that were with him: Feare not ye the multitude of them, be not afrayed of their violente runnynge: remembre, how oure fathers were delyuered ^note in the reed see, when Pharao folowed vpon them wyth a greate Host.

Euen so lett vs also crye now towarde heauen: and the Lord shall haue mercy vpon vs, and remembre the couenaunt of oure fathers, yee ∧ destroye this Host before oure face this daye: And all þe; Heathen shall know, that it is God hym selfe, whych delyuereth and saueth Israell.

B   Then the heathen lyft vp their eyes: and when they sawe that they were commynge agaynst them, they went out of their tentes into the battayll: and they that were wyth Iudas, blewe vp the trompettes. ^noteSo they buckled together, and the heathen were discomfyted and fled ouer the playne felde: but the hynmost of them were slayne. For they folowed vp&obar; them vnto Assaremoth, and into the feldes of Idumea towarde Azot and Iamnia: so that there were slayne of them vpon a thre thousande men. So Iudas turned agayne wyth his Hoste, and sayde vnto the people: Be not gredy of the spoyles, we haue yet a battayll to fyght: for Gorgias ∧ hys host are here by vs in the mountaynes, but stande ye fast agaynst oure enemyes, ∧ ouercome them: then maye ye safely take þe; spoyles.

C   As Iudas was speakyng these wordes, beholde there appeared one parte of th&ebar; vp&obar; the mount. But whan Gorgias sawe that they of hys partye were fled, and the tentes brent vp (for by the smoke they myght vnderst&abar;de what was done) they perceauynge this, were very sore afrayed: and when they sawe also that Iudas and hys hoost were in the felde ready to strike battayll, they fled euerychone into the lande of the heathen.

So Iudas turned agayne to spoyle the tentes, where they gatt moch golde and syluer, precious stones, purple ∧ great ryches. Thus they went home, and songe a Psalme of thankesgeuinge, and praysed God in heauen: ^note for he is gracyous, ∧ hys mercy endureth for euer: And so Israel had a greate victory in that daye.

Now all the Heathen that escaped, came and tolde Lysias euery thinge as it happened. Wherfore Lysias was sore afrayed, ∧ greued in his minde, because Israel had not gotten soch mysfortune as he wolde they shulde, nether as þe; kyng commaunded. The nexte yeare folowing, gathered Lysias thre score thousande chosen men of fote, and fyue thousande horsmen, to fyght agaynst them.

D   So they came into Iewry, and pytched their t&ebar;tes at Bethor&obar;, where Iudas came agaynst them with ten thousande m&ebar;. And wh&ebar; he sawe so great ∧ myghtie an hoost, he made his prayer and sayde: Blessed be thou (O Sauyoure of Israell) ^note whych dyddest destroye þe; violent power of the gyaunte, in the hande of thy seruaunt Dauyd, ^note and gauest the hoost of the Heathen into the hande of Ionathas (the sonne of Saul) and of hys weapen bearer.

Put thys hoost now into the h&abar;de of thy people of Israell, and let them be confounded in their multitude and horsmen. Make them afrayed, ∧ dyscomforte the boldnes of their str&ebar;gth, that they maye be moued thorow their destrucci&obar;. Cast them downe thorow the swearde of thy louers, then shal all they that know thy name, prayse the wyth thankesgeuynge.

So they stroke the batell, and there were slayne of Lysias hoost, fyue thousande men Then Lysias seynge the dyscomfetynge of hys men, and the manlynesse of the Iewes, how they were ready, ether to lyue or to dye lyke men: He w&ebar;te vnto Antyoche, and chose out men of warre: that whan they were gathered together, they might come agayue into Iewry. Then sayd Iudas and his brethren: behold, our enemyes are discomfyted: Let vs now go vp, to clense and to repayre the Sanctuary.

E    ^noteUpon thys, all the hoost gathered them together, and wente vp into mount Syon. Now whan they sawe the S&abar;ctuary layed waste, þe; aulter defyled, the dores br&ebar;t vp, þe; shrubbes growinge in the courtes, like as in a wod or vpon mountaynes, yee ∧ þt; the prestes Celles were broken downe: They rente their clothes, made great lamentacion, cast asshes vpon their heades, fell downe flat to the grounde, made a greate noyse wyth the trompettes, and cryed towarde heauen.

Then Iudas apoynted certayne men to fyght agaynst those which were in þe; castell till they had clensed the Sanctuary. So he chose prestes þt; were vndefyled, soch as had pleasure in the lawe of God: and they clensed the Sanctuary, and bare out the defiled stones into an vncleane place. And for so moch as the aulter of burnt offerynges was vnhalowed, he toke aduysement, what he myght do &wt; all: so he thought it was best to destroye it (lest it shulde happ&ebar; to do th&ebar; eny

shame) for the heathen had defiled it, ∧ therfore they brake it downe. As for the stones, they layed them vp vpon the mountayne by the house in a conuenient place: tyll there came a prophet, to shewe, what shulde be done wyth them.

F    ^noteSo they toke whole stones accord&ibar;ge to þe; lawe, ∧ buylded a new aulter soch one as was before, ∧ made vp þe; S&abar;ctuary wythin ∧ without, ∧ halowed þe; house ∧ the courtes. They made new ornam&ebar;tes, ∧ brought the c&abar;dilstick, the aulter of incense, ∧ the table into the t&ebar;ple. The inc&ebar;se layed they vpon the aulter, ∧ lyghted the l&abar;pes whych were vp&obar; þe; candilsticke, þt; they myght burne in the t&ebar;ple. They set the shewbred vpon the table, ∧ h&abar;ged vp the vayle, and set vp the t&ebar;ple, as it was afore. ^noteAnd vpon þe; .xxv. daye of the ix. moneth, whych is called þe; moneth of Cafleu, in þe;. Cxlviii. yeare: they rose vp by tymes in the mornynge for to do sacrifice (accord&ibar;ge to the lawe) vp&obar; the new burnt offrynge aulter that they had made: after the tyme and season that the Heathen had defyled it. The same daye was it set vp agayne, with songes, pypes, harpes and cymbales.

G   And all the people fell vpon theyr faces, worshippynge ∧ th&abar;ckyng þe; God of heau&ebar;, which had geuen th&ebar; the victory. ^noteSo they kepte the dedicaci&obar; of the aulter .viii. dayes, offrynge burnt sacrifyces ∧ thankoffringes with gladnesse. They deckte the temple also &wt; crownes ∧ shildes of gold, ∧ halowed the portes ∧ celles ∧ h&abar;ged dores vp&obar; th&ebar;. Thus there was very great gladnes am&obar;ge þe; people, because the blasphemy of þe; Heath&ebar; was put a waye. So Iudas ∧ his brethren &wt; the whole c&obar;gregacy&obar; of Israel, ordeyned, ^note þt; þe; tyme of the dedicaci&obar; of the aulter shulde be kepte in his season fr&obar; yeare to yeare, by the space of .viii. dayes, fr&obar; the .xxv. daye of the moneth Casleu: wyth myrth and gladnesse.

And at þe; same tyme buylded they vp the mount Syon wyth hye walles and stronge towres ro&ubar;de aboute: lest the G&ebar;tiles shuld come and treade it downe, as they dyd afore Therfore Iudas sett men of warre in it, to kepe it: and made it stronge, for to defende ^note Bethsura: that the people myght haue a refuge agaynst the Edomytes. ¶ The .v. Chapter. ¶ Iudas vaynquished the heathen that go aboute to destroye Israel, ∧ is holpen of his brethren Simon ∧ Ionathas. He ouer throweth þe; citye of Ephron, because they denyed hym passage thorow it.

A   It happened also þt; whan the Heathen rounde about herd, how that the aulter ∧ the Sanctuary were sett vp &ibar; their olde estate: it displeased them very sore, wherfore they thought to destroye þe; generacion of Iacob that was am&obar;ge them: In so moch that they beganne to slaye and to persecute certayne of þe; people. ^{note note}Then Iudas fought agaynst the chyldren of Esau in Idumea, and agaynst those which were at Arabathane (for they dwelt rounde aboute the Israelites) where he slew and spoyled a greate multitude of them. He thought also vpon the malice and vnfaythfulnes of þe; children of Bean, how they were asnare and stoppe vnto the people, and how they layed wayte for them in the hye waye: wherfore he shut them vp in to towers, and came vnto them, destroyed them vtterly, and brent vp theyr towres, wyth all that were in them.

Afterwarde wente he agaynst the chyldren of Ammon, wherof he founde a myghtye power ∧ a greate multytude of people, with Timothy ther captayne. So he stroke many battayls with them, whych were dystroyed before him. And when he had slayne them, he wanne Gazer the cytye, wyth the townes belongynge therto, and so turned agayne into Iewry. The heathen also in Galaad gathered th&ebar; together, agaynst the Israelites that were in their quarters, to slaye th&ebar;: but they fled to the castell of Dathem&abar;, and sent letters vnto Iudas ∧ hys brethren sayinge: B   The heathen are gathered agaynst vs on euery syde, to destroye vs, ∧ now they make them for to come, and laye sege to the castell, wherunto we are fled, and Timothy is the captayne of their host: come therfore, and delyuer vs out of their handes: for there is a greate multitude of vs slayne all ready. Yee and oure brethren that were at Tubin, are slayne ∧ destroyed (well nye a thousande men) and theyr wyues, theyr chyldren and theyr goodes haue the enemyes led awaye captyue.

Whyle these letters were yet a readynge, beholde, there came other messa&ubar;gers from Galilee, with r&ebar;te clothes: which tolde euen the same tydynges, and sayde, that they of Ptolomays, of Tyrus and of Sydon were gathered agaynst th&ebar;, and that all Galilee was filled with enemyes to destroye Israel ^note Wh&ebar; Iudas ∧ the people herde thys, they came together (a greate c&obar;gregacion) to deuyse, what they myght do for theyr brethr&ebar;, that were in trouble ∧ beseged of theyr enemyes, And Iudas sayd vnto Sim&obar; hys brother: chose the out certaine men, and go deliuer thy brethren in Galilee: As for me ∧ my brother Ionathas, we will go into Galaadithim. So he left Iosephus the sonne of Zachary, and Azarias to be Captaynes of the people, and to kepe the remnaunt of the host in Iewry, and commaunded them, sayinge: Take the ouersyght of thys people, and se þt; ye make no warre agaynst the heathen, vntyll the time that we come agayne. And vnto Symon he gaue thre thousande men, for to go into Galilee, but Iudas hym selfe had

eyght thousande in Galaadithim.

C   Then wente Symon into Galilee, ∧ stroke diuerse batelles wyth þe; Heathen: whom he discomfyted, and folowed vpon th&ebar; vnto þe; porte of Ptolomais. And there were slaine of the Heathen all most .iii. thousande men. So he toke the spoyles of them, and caryed awaye the Israelites, that were in Galilee and Arbatis, wyth theyr wyues, theyr chyldren and all that they had, ∧ brought them in to Iewry wyth greate gladnesse. Iudas Machabeus also and his brother Ionathas wente ouer Iordane, &abar;d trauayled .iii. dayes iourney in the wyldernesse: Where the Nebuthees met them, and receaued them louingly, and tolde them euery thynge that had happened vnto theyr brethren in Galaadithim, and how that many of them were beseged in Barasa, Bosor, Alimis, Casphor, Mageth and Carnaim (all these are stronge walled and Myghtie greate cities) and that they were kepte in other cytyes of Galaad also: ∧ to morow they are apointed to br&ibar;ge their host vnto these cyties, to take them, ∧ to wynne them in one daye.

So Iudas and his host turned in all the haste in the wildernesse towarde Bosor, and w&abar;ne the cytie, slewe all the males with the swearde, toke all their goodes, and sett fyre vpon the cytie. And in the nyght they toke their iourneye from thence, and came to the castell: And by tymes in the mornynge wh&ebar; they loked vp, beholde, there was an innumerable people bearynge laders and other instrumentes of warre, to take þe; castell and to ouercome them.

When Iudas sawe that the battayll beganne, and that the noyse therof wente vp ∧ range in to the heauen, and that there was so greate a crye in þe; cytie: He sayd vnto hys host: fyght this daye for your brethren. And so came behynde their enemyes in thre companyes, and blewe vp the trompettes, and cryed in their prayer to God.

But as soone as Timothes host perceaued þt; Machabeus was there, they fled from him, and the other slewe them downe ryght sore: so þt; there were kylled of them the same daye, almost eyght thousande m&ebar;. Then departed Iudas vnto Maspha, layed sege vnto it, and wanne it, slewe all the males in it, spoyled it, and set fyre vp&obar; it. From thence w&ebar;te he and toke Casbon, Mageth, Bosor, and the other cityes in Galaad.

D    ^noteAfter thys gathered Timothy another Hoste, which pitched their t&ebar;tes before Raphon beyonde the water. Iudas also sent to spye the hoste, ∧ they brought him worde agayne, sayinge: All the heathen that be rounde aboute vs, are gathered vnto him, and the hoost is very great: Yee they haue hyred the Arabians to helpe them, ∧ haue pitched their tentes beyonde the water, and are ready to come ∧ fyght agaynst the. So Iudas wente on to mete them.

And Timothy sayd vnto the captaynes of hys hoost: when Iudas ∧ hys hoost come nye the ryuer: yf he go ouer first, we shal not be able to withst&abar;de him: for why? he will be to stronge for vs. But yf he darre not come ouer, so that he pitch his tente bey&obar;de þe; water: th&ebar; will we go ouer, for we shalbe str&obar;ge ynough agaynst him. Now as soone as Iudas came to þe; ryuer, he appoynted certayne scrybes of the people, ∧ commaunded them, sayenge: se that ye leaue none behinde vpon this syde of the ryuer, but let euery m&abar; come to the battayll. So he wente fyrst ouer vnto them and his people after him.

And all the Heathen were dyscomfyted before him, and let their weapens fal, ∧ r&abar;ne into þe; t&ebar;ple that was at Carnaim. Whych citye Iudas wanne, and brent the temple with all that were in it: So was Carnaim subdued, and myght not wythst&abar;de Iudas. Then Iudas gathered all þe; Israelites that were in Galaadythim, from the lest vnto þe; most, wyth theyr wyues and theyr chyldren (a very greate hoost) for to come into þe; lande of Israell.

E    ^noteSo they came vnto Ephr&obar;, which was a myghtie, greate and str&obar;ge citye, and laye in their waye. For they coulde not go by it, nether of the ryght hande ner of the left, but must goo thorow it. Neuerthelesse they that were &ibar; þe; citye, wolde not let th&ebar; go thorow, but walled vp the portes with stones. And Iudas sent vnto them &wt; peaceable wordes sayinge: Lett vs passe thorow youre land, þt; we maye goo into oure awne countre: there shall no body do you harme, we will but only go thorow on fote. But they wolde not let them in.

Wherfore Iudas commaunded a proclamacyon to be made thorow oute the Hoste, that euery man shulde kepe his ordre: and so they dyd their best lyke valeaunt men.

And Iudas beseged þe; cytie all that daye and all that nyght, and so wanne it: where they slewe as many as were males, and destroyed the cytye, and spoyled it, and wente thorow all the citye ouer th&ebar; þt; were slayne. Then w&ebar;t they ouer Iordane in to þe; playne felde before Beths&abar;. And Iudas helped those forwarde þt; c&abar; behynde, and gaue the people good exhortacy&obar; all þe; waye thorow, tyll they were come into þe; lande of Iuda. Thus they wente vp vnto the mount Syon, where they offred &wt; myrth ^note ∧ th&abar;ckesgeuynge: because there were none of them slayne, but came home agayne peaceably.

Now what tyme as Iudas ∧ Ionathas were in the lande of Galaad, and Symon ther brother in Galilee before Ptolomays:

Then Iosephus þe; sonne of Zachary and Asaryas the captaynes, hearinge of the actes that were done and of the battels that were stroken, sayde: Lett vs get vs a name also, and go fyght agaynst the Heathen that are rounde aboute vs.

F   So they gaue theyr hoost a comma&ubar;dement, and wente towarde Iamnya. Then came Gorgyas ∧ his men out of the citie, to fyght agaynst them: Iosephus also ∧ Asaryas were chased vnto þe; borders of Iewry, ∧ there were slayne that daye of the people of Israel .ii.M. men: so þt; there was a great misery amonge þe; people, ^note ∧ al because they were not obedient vnto Iudas and his brethen, but thought they shulde quyte th&ebar; selues m&abar;fully. Neuertheles they came not of the sede of these men, by whom Israell was helped. But the m&ebar; that were with Iudas, were greatly commended in the syght of all Israell and all Heath&ebar;, where so euer theyr name was herde vp&obar;, ∧ the people came vnto them, byddynge them welcome.

After thys wente Iudas forth wyth hys brethren, and fought agaynst the childr&ebar; of Esau, in the lande þt; lyeth towarde the south where he wanne the citye of Hebron and the townes that lye besyde it: ∧ as for þe; walles and towres rounde aboute it, he brent them vp. Then remoued he to go into the l&abar;de of the Philistines, and wente thorow Samaria. At the same tyme were there many prestes slayne in the battayll, whych wylfully and without aduysement wente out for to fyght to get th&ebar; honoure. And when Iudas c&abar; to Azot in þe; Philistines lande, ^note he brake downe theyr aultares, brent the ymages of their Idols, spoyled þe; cyties, ∧ came againe into the lande of Iuda. ¶ The .vi. Chapter. ¶ Antiochus wyllinge to take the citye of Elynas for a praye is dryuen awaye of the citezyns. He falleth into syckenes ∧ dyeth. His sonne Antiochus is made kynge. The besege of þe; tower of Syon. Eupator commeth into Iewry wyth a great armye. The boldnesse of Eleazar.

A   Now when kynge Antiochus trauayled thorow the hye countrees, he herde þt; Elymas in Persia was a noble ∧ plenteous citye in syluer ∧ gold, ∧ that there was in it a very riche t&ebar;ple: where as were clothes, cote armoures ∧ shyldes of golde, whych Alex&abar;der the sonne of Philippe kyng of Macedonia (that raygned fyrst in Greke londe) had left behynde hym. ^note Wherfore he wente about to take the citye ∧ to spoyle it, but he was not able: for the citesyns were warned of it, ∧ fought &wt; him. And so he fled ∧ departed wyth greate heuynesse, and came agayne into Babylon. Moreouer there came one whych brought him tydynges in Perside, ^note that his hoostes which were in the lande of Iuda, where dryuen awaye, and how that Lysias w&ebar;t forth fyrst wyth a greate power, ∧ was dryuen awaye of the Iewes: how þt; they had wonne the victory, ∧ gotten greate goodes out of the hoostes þt; perished: how they had broken downe the abhominacy&obar;, ^note whych he set vp vp&obar; the altare at Ierusalem, and fenced the S&abar;ctuary with hye walles, lyke as it was afore: yee and Bethsura hys cite also.

B   So it chaunced, that when the kynge had herde these wordes, he was afrayed and greued very sore. Wherfore he layed him downe vpon his bed, and fell sicke for very sorowe: &abar;d all because it had not happened as he had deuised. And there contynued he longe, for hys grefe was euer, more ∧ more, so that he saw he must nedes dye. Therfore he sent for his frendes, ∧ sayde vnto th&ebar;: the slepe is gone fro myne eyes, for the very sorow and vexacyon of herte that I haue. For when I c&obar;sidre in my mynde the greate aduersyte þt; I am come vnto, ∧ the floudes of heuynesse which I am come in, where as afore tyme I was so mery, ∧ so greatly set by (by reason of my power) Agayne, consyderinge þe; euell þt; I haue done at Ierusalem, fr&obar; whence I toke all þe; ryches of golde ∧ syluer þt; were in it, and sent to fetch awaye the inhabytours of Iewry wythout any reason why: I knowe, þt; these troubles are come vpon me for þe; same cause. And beholde, I must dye wyth greate sorow in a stra&ubar;ge lande. Th&ebar; called he for one Philippe a frende of his, whom he made ruler of all his realme, ∧ gaue him the crowne, his roabe ∧ his ryng: þt; he shulde take his sonne Antiochus vnto him, ∧ brynge hym vp, tyll he myght raygne h&ibar;self. ^noteSo the kyng Antiochus dyed there, in the .cxlix. yeare. C   When Lysias knewe that the kynge was deed, he ordened Antiochus hys sonne. ( ^note Wh&obar; he had brought vp) to raygne in his fathers steade, ∧ called hym Eupator. Now they that were in the castell (at Ierusalem) kepte in the Iewes round about the Sanctuary, ∧ sought euer styll to do them harme for the strengthenynge of the Heathen.

Wherfore Iudas thought to destroye th&ebar;, and called all the people together, that they might laye sege vnto th&ebar;. So they came together in the. Cl. yeare, ∧ beseged them, layinge forth theyr ordina&ubar;ce and instrum&ebar;tes of watre. Then certayne of them that were beseged, wente forth (vnto whom some vngodly m&ebar; of Israel ioyned them selues also) and w&ebar;t vnto the kyng, sayinge: How l&obar;ge wyll it be, or thou punysh and auenge oure brethren? We haue euer bene mynded to do thy father seruyce, to walke in hys statutes, and to obeye his commaundementes: Therfore oure people fell from vs, and wheresoeuer they founde any of vs, they slewe them: (and spoyled oure enheritaunce) and they

haue not only medled wyth vs, but with all oure countrees: and beholde, thys daye are they beseginge the castell at Ierusal&ebar;, ^note and haue made vp the str&obar;ge holde in Bethsura: And yf thou doest not preuente them ryght soone, they wyll do more then these, ∧ thou shall not be able to ouercome them.

D    ^noteWhen þe; kyng herde thys, he was very angrye, and called all hys frendes, the captaynes of hys fote men and of all his horsemen together. He hyred men of warre also out of other realmes ∧ out of the Iles of the see, which came vnto hym. And the n&obar;bre of hys Host was an hundreth thousande fote men, ∧ twentye thousande horsm&ebar;, ∧ .xxxii. Eleph&abar;tes wel exercised to battaill. ^noteThese ame thorow Idumea vnto Bethsura, ∧ beseged it a longe season, and made dyuerse instrum&ebar;tes of warre agaynst it. But þe; Iewes came out &abar;d brent th&ebar;, and fought lyke men. Then departed Iudas fr&obar; the castell at Ierusal&ebar;, ∧ remoued þe; host toward Bethzacaran ouer agaynst the kynges armye.

E   So the kynge arose before the daye, and brought the power of hys Host into þe; waye to Bethzacaran, where þe; Hostes made th&ebar; to þe; battayll, blowynge the tr&obar;pettes. And to prouoke the Eleph&abar;tes for to fight, they shewed them the sappe of reed grapes ∧ molberies. And deuided the Eleph&abar;tes amonge the Hoste: so þt; by euery Elephante there stode a .M. men well harnessed, ∧ helmettes of stele vpon theyr heades: Yee vnto euery one of the Elephantes also, were ordened .v.C. horsmen of the best, which wayted of the Elephante, goynge where so euer he w&ebar;te, and departed not from hym. Euery Elephant was couered with a stronge tower of wod, where vpon were .xxxii. valeaunte m&ebar; with weapens to fight, and within was a man of Inde to rule the beest.

As for the remnaunt of the horsmen, he sett them vp&obar; both the sydes in two partes with trompettes, to prouoke the Hoste, &abar;d to stere vp soch as were stowe in the armye. And when the sunne shone vp&obar; their shildes of golde and stele, the mountaynes glistered agayne at them, and were as bright as the cressettes of fyre. The k&ibar;ges hoost also was deuyded, one parte vpon the hye mountaynes, the other lowe beneth: so they went on, takynge good hede, and kepynge theyr ordre. And all they that dwelt in the l&abar;de, were afrayed at the noyse of their hoost, when the multitude wente forth, ∧ when the weapens smote together, for the hoost was both great ∧ myghty. Iudas also ∧ hys hoost entred into the batayll, ∧ slew .vi.C. m&ebar; of the kynges armye. Now when Eleasar þe; sonne of Saura dyd se one of þe; Elephantes deckte &wt; the Kynges badge, ∧ was a more goodly beast th&ebar; the other: he thought þe; kyng shuld be vp&obar; him, ∧ ieoparde h&ibar; self to delyuer hys people, and to gett hym a perpetuall name.

Wherfore he ranne with a corage vnto the Eleph&abar;te in þe; middest of the hoost, smytynge th&ebar; downe of both þe; sydes, ∧ slewe many aboute him. So wente he to the Eleph&abar;tes fete, ∧ gat him vnder him, ∧ slewe hym: then fell the Elephant downe vp&obar; him, ∧ there he dyed. Iudas also ∧ his men seing þe; power of the kyng ∧ the mightye viol&ebar;ce of his hoost, departed fr&obar; them. And þe; kinges armye w&ebar;te vp agaynst th&ebar; towarde Ierusal&ebar;, ∧ pitched their t&ebar;tes in Iewry besyde mo&ubar;t Si&obar;. F   Moreouer, the kynge toke truse with them that were in ^note Bethsura.

But when they came out of the cyte (because they had no vitales within, ∧ the l&abar;de laye vntilled) the kyng toke bethsura, ∧ set m&ebar; to kepe it, ∧ turned his hoost to the place of the Sanctuary, ∧ layed siege to it a great whyle. Where he made al maner ordina&ubar;ce: handbowes; fyrie dartes, rackettes to cast stones, scorpi&obar;s to shote arowes, ∧ slynges. The Iewes also made ordinaunce agaynst theirs, and fought a longe season.

But in the cyte there were no vytayles, for it was the seuenth yeare of the warres, ∧ those Heathen þt; remayned in Iewry, had eaten vp all their stoare. And in the Sanctuary were few m&ebar; lefte, for þe; hunger came so vp&obar; th&ebar;, that they were scatered abroade euery man to hys awne place.

So when Lysias hearde that Philyp ( ^note wh&obar; Antiochus the kynge whyle he was yet lyuynge, had ordened to brynge vp Antiochus his sonne, that he myght be kynge) was come agayne out of Persia ∧ Medea with the kinges hoost, ∧ thought to optaine the kyngdome. He gat him to the king in all the haste, G   ∧ to the captaynes of the hoost, ∧ sayde: we decrease dayly, ∧ oure vytales are but small: Agayne, the place that we laye sege vnto, is very str&obar;g, ∧ it were oure parte to se for the realme. Let vs agre wyth these men, and take truce with them, and with all theyr people, &abar;d graunte them to lyue after theyr lawe, as they dyd afore. For they be greued ∧ do all these thinges agaynst vs, because we haue despysed theyr lawe. So the kynge and the prynces were content, ∧ sent vnto them to make peace, ∧ they receaued it Now wh&ebar; the kyng ∧ the princes had made an othe vnto th&ebar;, they came out of þe; castell, and the kynge wente vp to mount Syon. But when he sawe that the place was well fenced, he brake the othe that he had made, ∧ commaunded to destroye the wall rounde aboute. Then departed he in all the haste, and returned vnto Antioche, where he founde Philippe hauyng dominion of the citie. So he fought agaynst hym, and toke the citye agayne into hys handes.

¶ The .vii. Chapter. ¶ Demetrius raygneth after he had killed Antiochus ∧ Lysias. He troubleth the children of Israel thorow þe; councell of certen wycked personnes. The prayer of þe; Prestes against Nicanor. Iudas killeth Nicanor, after he had made hys prayer.

A   In the .Cli. yeare came Demetrius the sonne of Seleucus from the cytie of Rome wyth a small c&obar;pany of men, vnto a citie of the see coast, ∧ there he bare rule. And it chaunced, þt; wh&ebar; he came to Antioche the citie of his Progenitours, his host toke Antiochus ∧ Lysias, to brynge them vnto him. But wh&ebar; it was tolde hym, he sayd: let me not se theyr faces: So the hoost put them to death. Now when Demetrius was set vpon the trone of hys kyngdome, there came vnto hym wycked ∧ vngodly m&ebar; of Israel: whose captayne was Alcimus, that wolde haue bene made hye preste: These men accused þe; people of Israel vnto the kynge, sayinge: Iudas ∧ hys brethren haue slayne thy fr&ebar;des, and dryuen vs out of oure awne l&abar;de. Wherfore, sende now some man (to whom thou geuest credence) that he maye go and se all the destruccyon, which he hath done vnto vs ∧ to the kynges lande, aud lett him be punished with all hys frendes and fauourers.

B   Then the kynge chose Bachides a frende of his, which was a man of greate power in the realme (beyonde the greate water) and faythfull vnto the kynge: and sent him to se the destruccyon that Iudas had done. And as for that wycked Alcimus, he made hym hye prest, and commaunded hym to be auenged of the children of Israell. So they stode vp, and came wyth a greate hoost into the lande of Iuda, sendynge messaungers to Iudas ∧ hys brethren, ∧ speakyng vnto them wyth peaceable wordes: but vnder disceate. ^noteTherfore Iudas ∧ hys people beleued not theyr saying, for they sawe that they were come with a greate Hoost.

After this came the scribes together vnto Alcimus ∧ Bachides, trustinge the best vnto them. And fyrst the Assideans requyred peace of th&ebar;, sayinge: Alcimus the preste is come of the sede of Aar&obar;, how can he disceaue vs? So they gaue th&ebar; louynge wordes, ∧ swore vnto them, ∧ sayde: we wyll do you no harme: nether your fr&ebar;des: ∧ they beleued them. But the very same daye toke they .lx. men of them ∧ slewe them accordyng to the wordes that are wrytten: ^note They haue cast the flesh of thy saynctes, ∧ shed their bloude ro&ubar;de about Ierusalem, ∧ there was no m&abar; þt; wolde bury them. C   So there came a greate feare and drede am&obar;ge the people, sayenge: there is nether treuth nor ryghteousnesse in th&ebar;, for they haue broken the appoyntement and othe þt; they made. And Bachides remoued his hoost from Ierusalem, and pytched his tente at Betzecha: where he sent forth, ∧ toke many of them that had forsaken hym: He slewe many of the people also, and cast them into a greate pytt. Then commytted he the lande vnto Alcimus, and left men of warre wyth hym to helpe hym, ∧ Bachides him self w&ebar;te vnto the kyng. And thus Alcimus defended his hye presthode: ∧ all soch as vexed Israell resorted vnto hym: In so moche that they optayned the lande of Iuda, and dyd moch euell vnto the Israelites.

Now when Iudas sawe all the myschefe that Alcimus and his c&obar;pany had done (yee more then the Heathen th&ebar;selues) vnto the Israelites: He wente forth ro&ubar;de about all the borders of Iewry, and punyshed those vnfaythfull rennagates, so that they came nomore out into the countre. So when Alcimus sawe, that Iudas and his people had gotten the vpperh&abar;de, and that he was not able to abyde them: he wente agayne to the kynge, and sayde all the worst of them that he coulde. Then the kyng sent Nicanor, one of hys chefe prynces (whych bare euell wyll vnto Israel) and commaunded him, that he shulde vtterly destroye the people.

D    ^noteSo Nicanor came to Ierusalem with a greate goost, and sent vnto Iudas and his brethren wyth frendly wordes (but vnder disceate) say&ebar;ge: there shall be no warre betwixte me ∧ you: I wyll come wyth a fewe men, to se how ye do, wyth fr&ebar;dshyppe. Upon this he came vnto Iudas, and they saluted one another peaceably: but þe; enemyes were appoynted to take Iudas by violence. Neuertheles it was tolde Iudas, that he came vnto hym but vnder disceate: wherfore he gat hym awaye from him, and wolde se hys face nomore. Wh&ebar; Nicanor perceaued that hys councell was bewrayed, he went out to fight agaynst Iudas, besyde Capharsamala: where there were slayne of Nicanors hoost .v.M. men: and the resydue fled vnto the castell of Dauid.

After this came Nicanor vp vnto mount Syon: and the prestes with the elders of the people w&ebar;te forth to salute hym peaceably, ∧ to shewe hym the burntsacrifices that were offered for the kyng. But he laughed th&ebar; and þe; people to scorne, mocked them, defiled their offeringes, ∧ spake disdaynefully, yee and swore in hys wroth, sayenge: E    ^note If Iudas and hys hoost be not delyuered now into my h&abar;des, as soone as euer I come agayne (∧ fare well) I shall burne vp thys house. With that, wente he out in a greate anger. Then the prestes came in, and stode before the aulter of the temple, wepynge ∧ say&ebar;ge. ^noteFor so moch as thou (O Lorde) hast chosen this house, that thy name myght be called vp&obar; therin, ∧ that it shulde be ^note an house of prayer and peticion for thy people: Be avenged

of this man ∧ his hoost, ∧ let them be slayne with the sweard: rem&ebar;bre the blasphemyes of them, and suffre them not to c&obar;tynue eny longer.

When Nicanor was gone from Ierusalem, he pitched his tente at Bethoron, and there an hoost met hym out of Syria. And Iudas came to Adarsa with thre thous&abar;de men, ∧ made his prayer vnto God, sayeng: O Lord, ^note because þe; messaungers of kyng Senacherib blasphemed þe;, the angell went forth, and slewe an hundred foure score and fyue thousande of them. Euen so destroye thou thys hoost before vs to daye, þt; other people maye knowe how that he hath blasphemed thy Sanctuary: ∧ punysh hym accordynge to hys malyciousnesse.

And so the hoostes stroke the felde, the thyrtene daye of the monethe ^note Adar: and Nicanors hoost was dysconfited, ^note and he him self was fyrst slayne in the battaylle. When Nicanors men of warre sawe that he was kylled, they cast awaye theyr weapens and fled, but the Iewes folowed vpon them an whole dayes iourney, from Adazer vnto Gazara, blowynge with þe; tr&obar;pettes, and makynge tokens after them. So þe; Iewes came forth of all þe; townes there aboute, and blewe out theyr hornes vpon them, and turned agaynst them. Thus were they all slayne, and not one of them lefte.

Then they toke theyr substaunce for a pray, and smote of Nicanors heade and his ryght hande ( ^note which he helde vp so proudly) and brought it with them, ∧ h&abar;ged it vp afore Ierusal&ebar;. Wherfore, the people were exceadyngly reioysed, and passed ouer that day in greate gladnesse. And Iudas ordeyned, that þe; same daye (namely þe; thyrtynth daye of the moneth Adar) shulde be kepte in myrth euery yeare. Thus the l&abar;de of Iuda was in rest a lytle whyle. ¶ The .viii. Chapter. ¶ Iudas consyderyng the power and godly pollycye of the Romaynes maketh peace with them. The rescrypt of the Romaynes sent vnto the Iewes.

A   Iudas heard also the same of the Romaynes, that they were myghtye ∧ valeaunt men, ∧ agreable to all thynges þt; are required of them, ∧ make peace &wt; al men, which come vnto them, and how they were doughty men of str&ebar;gth. Besydes þt; it was tolde him of theyr battaylles, and noble actes which they dyd in Galacia, how they had conquered them, and brought them vnder tribute: and what great thynges they had done in Spayne, how that &wt; theyr wysdome ∧ sober behauour they had wonne þe; Mynes of siluer ∧ gold þt; are there, ∧ optayned all þe; l&abar;de, with other places farre from them: how they had disconsyted ∧ slayne downe þe; kynges þt; came vpon them, from the vttermost parte of þe; earth, and how other people gaue th&ebar; tribute euery yeare. How they had slayne ∧ ouercome Philip and Perses kynges of Cethim, ∧ other mo (in battaylle) which had brought theyr ordyna&ubar;ce agaynst th&ebar;: how they disc&obar;fyted great Antiochus kyng of Asia (that wolde nedes fyght &wt; them) hauynge an hundred ∧ twenty Eleph&abar;tes, with horsemen, charettes, and a very great hoost: how they toke hym selfe alyue, ∧ ordeyned hym (with soch as shuld raygne after him) to paye th&ebar; a greate trybute. ^note yee, and to fynde them good suertyes ∧ pledge: B    besydes all thys, how they had taken from hym India, Media, and Lydia (his best l&abar;des) and geuen them to kynge Eumenus. Agayne, how they perceauyng þt; the Grekes were c&obar;mynge to vexe th&ebar;: sent agaynst th&ebar; a captayne of an hoost, which gaue th&ebar; battaylle, slewe many of them, led awaye theyr wyues and chyldren captyue, spoyled th&ebar;, toke possession of theyr lande, destroyed theyr stronge holdes, and subdued them to be theyr bonde men, vnto thys daye. Moreouer, how that as for other kyngdomes and Iles, which somtyme withstode them, they destroyed them, and brought them vnder theyr dominyon. But helped euer theyr awne frendes and those that where confederat with them, and conquered kyngdomes both farre and nye: ∧ that whosoeuer herde of theyr renowne, was afrayed of them: for whom they wold help to their kyngdomes, those raygned: ∧ whom it lyked not them to raygne, they put him downe. And how they were come to greate preeminence: hauynge no kynge among them, nether eny man clothed in purple, to be magnifyed there thorow, but had ordeyned them selues a perlam&ebar;t, where in there sat thre hundred ∧ twenty Senatours daylye vpon the councell, to dyspatch euer þe; busynesse of the people, ∧ to kepe good ordre. And how that euery yeare they chose a Mayre, to haue þe; gouernaunce of all theyr land: to whom euery man was obedient, ∧ there was nether euell wyll ner discencyon amonge them.

C   Then Iudas chose Eupolemus þe; sonne of Ihon the sonne of Iacob, and Iason the sonne of Eleazar, ∧ sent them vnto Rome for to make frendshyppe and a b&obar;de of loue with them: that they myght take fr&obar; them the b&obar;dage of þe; Grekes, for þe; Iewes sawe, that the Grekes wolde subdue þe; kyngdome of Israel. So they went vnto Rome (a very greate iourney) ∧ came into þe; perlam&ebar;t, and sayd: Iudas Machabeus with his brethren and þe; people of þe; Iewes hath sent vs vnto you, to make a b&obar;de of fr&ebar;dshyppe and peace &wt; you, ∧ ye to note vs as your louers

and frendes. And þe; matter pleased the Romaynes right wel, wherfore it was written vp: of the whych þe; Romaynes made a wrytynge in tables of brasse, and sent it to Ierusalem: that they myght haue by them a memoriall of the same peace ∧ bonde of frendshyp after this maner. God saue þe; Romaynes and the people of the Iewes both by see and by land, and kepe the sweard and enemy fr&obar; th&ebar; for euermore. If there come first eny warre vpon the Romaynes or eny of theyr fr&ebar;des thorow out all theyr dominyon, the people of the Iewes shall help them (as the tyme requyreth) ∧ that &wt; all theyr hertes. Also they shall nether geue nor sende vnto theyr enemyes vitayles, weapens, money ner shyppes: but fulfyll this charge at þe; Romaynes pleasure, ∧ take nothyng fr&obar; them therfore. Agayne yf the people of þe; Iewes happen fyrst to haue warre, the Romaynes shal st&abar;de by them &wt; a good wyll, accordynge as þe; tyme wyll suffre. Nether shall they geue vnto þe; Iewes enemyes, vytales, weapens, money ner shyppes. Thus are the Romaynes c&obar;tent to do, and shall fulfyll their charge without eny disceate.

D   Accordyng to these articles, the Romaynes made the bonde with the Iewes. Now after these articles (sayde they) yf eny of the parties wyll put to th&ebar;, or take eny thynge from them? they shall do it &wt; the consent of both: ∧ what soeuer they adde vnto them or take from them, it shall stande fast. And as touchyng þe; euell that Demetrius hath done vnto the Iewes, we haue written vnto hym, sayenge: wherfore layest þu; thy heuye yocke vpon þe; Iewes oure frendes ∧ louers? If they make eny c&obar;playnte of the agayne vnto vs, we shall defende them, and fyght with the by see and by lande. ¶ The .ix. Chapter. ¶ After the deeth of Aycanor. Demetrius sendeth his armye agaynst Iudas. Iudas is slayne. Ionathas is put in the steade of hys brother. The stryfe betwene Ionathas and Bachydes. Alcymus is taken with the palsye and dyeth. Bachydes retourneth agayne into the kyng. He cometh vpon Ionathas by the councell of certayn wycked personnes, and is ouercome. The truce of Ionathas with Bachydes.

A   In the meane season wh&ebar; Demetrius herde that ^note Nicanor and hys hoost was slayne in the felde, he proceded further to s&ebar;de Bachydes and Alcymus agayne into Iewry, ∧ those that were in the ryght wynge of his hoost, with them. So they went forth by the waye þt; ledeth vnto Galgala, and pitched theyr tentes before Mesaloth which is in arbellis, and wanne the cytie ∧ slewe moche people. In the fyrst moneth of the .Clii. yeare, they brought theyr hoost to Ierusalem, and rose vp ∧ came to Berea, with .xx.M. fotemen. ∧ .ii.M. horsmen.

Now Iudas had pytched his t&ebar;te at Laysa, with thre thousande chosen men. And when they sawe the multytude of the other army that it was so greate, they were sore afrayed, and many coueyed them selues out of the hoost, In so moch that there abode no mo of them but eyght hundred men. When Iudas sawe þt; his host fayled hym, and that he must nedes fight: it brake his herte, that he had no tyme to gather them together: wherfore the man was in extreme trouble. Neuerthelesse, he sayde vnto them, that remayned with hym. Up, lett vs go agaynst oure enemyes, peradu&ebar;ture we shalbe able, to fyght with them. But they wolde haue stopped hym, sayenge: we shall not be able, therfore lett vs now saue oure lyues, ∧ turne agayne to our brethren and then will we fyght against th&ebar;, for we are here but fewe. And Iudas sayde: God forbyd, þt; we shulde fle from them. B   Wherfore, yf oure tyme be come, let vs dye manfully for our brethren, and lett vs not stayne oure honoure. Then the hoost remoued out of þe; tentes, and stode agaynst them. The horssmen are deuyded in two partes: the slyng casters ∧ archers wente before þe; hoost, and all the myghtye men were formost in þe; felde. Bachides him selfe was in þe; ryght wyng of þe; battayll, &abar;d the hoost drewe nye in two partes, ∧ blewe the trompettes. They of Iudas syde blewe the tr&obar;pettes also, ∧ the earth shoke at the noyse of þe; hostes, ∧ they stroke a felde from the morow tyll nyght. And when Iudas sawe þt; Bachides hoost was strongest of þe; ryght syde, he toke with hym all the hardy men, ∧ brake þe; ryght wynge of theyr ordre, ∧ folowed vpon them vnto þe; mount Azot.

Now when they which were of the left wyng, sawe that þe; ryght syde was disc&obar;fyte, they persecuted Iudas ∧ them þt; were &wt; hym. Then was there a sore battaylle, for many were slayne ∧ wo&ubar;ded of both þe; parties, Iudas also him self was kylled, ∧ the remnaunt fled. So Ionathas and Symon toke Iudas theyr brother, and buryed hym in his fathers sepulchre in þe; cytie of Modin. And all þe; people of Israell made greate lam&ebar;tacyon for hym, ∧ mourned l&obar;ge, say&ebar;ge: Alas, that thys worthy shulde be slayne, which delyuered þe; people of Israel. As for other thinges perteynynge to þe; battaylles of Iudas, þe; noble actes that he dyd ∧ of hys worthynesse: they are not wrytten, for they were very many.

C    ^noteAnd after þe; death of Iudas, wycked men came vp, in all þe; coastes of Israel, and there arose all soch as worcke vngodlynesse. In those dayes was there a greate dearthe in þe; lande, and all the countre gaue ouer them selues and theyrs vnto Bachydes. So Bachydes chose wycked men, and made them

lordes in þe; land. These sought out ∧ made search for Iudas fr&ebar;des, and brought them vnto Bachydes: which auenged h&ibar; self vp&obar; them with great despyte. And there came so great trouble in Israell, as was not sens þe; tyme that no prophete was sene there.

Then came all Iudas frendes together, and sayde vnto Ionathas: For so moch as thy brother Iudas is deed, there is none lyke him to go forth agaynst our enemyes, agaynst Bachides, ∧ soch as are aduersaries vnto oure people. Wherfore thys daye we chose the for h&ibar;, to be oure pr&ibar;ce ∧ captayne to ordre oure battaylle. And Ionathas toke þe; gouernaunce vpon hym at the same tyme, and ruled &ibar; steade of hys brother Iudas Wh&ebar; Bachides gatt knowledge therof, he sought for to sley hym. But Ionathas and Symon his brother, perceauinge that, fled into the wildernes of Thecua with al their company, and pytched theyr tentes by the water pole of Asphar.

Which when Bachides vnderstode, he came ouer Iordane with all his hoost vpon þe; Sabboth day. Now had Ionathas sent his brother Ihon (a captayne of the people) to praye hys frendes the Nabuthytes, þt; they wolde lende them their ordinaunce, for they had moch. So the chyldr&ebar; of Iambry came out of Madaba, and toke Ihon and al that he had, and w&ebar;te theyr waye withal. D   Then came worde vnto Ionathas ∧ Simon hys brother, that the chyldren of Iambry made a greate mariage, and brought the bride fr&obar; Madaba with greate pompe: for she was daughter to one of þe; noblest prynces of Cana&abar;. Wherfore they remembred the bloude of Ihon their brother, and w&ebar;te vp and hid th&ebar; selues vnder the shadowe of the mountayne

So they lift vp theyr eyes, and loked, ∧ beholde, there was moch a do, and great repayre: for the bridegrome came forth, ∧ hys frendes and hys brethren met them &wt; tympanyes, instrum&ebar;tes of musicke, and many weapens. Then Ionathas and they þt; were with him, rose out of their lourkyng places against them, and slewe many of them. As for the remnaunt, they fled into þe; mountaynes, and they toke all theyr substaunce. Thus the maryage was turned to morninge, and the noyse of theyr melody into lam&ebar;tacyon. And so when they had auenged þe; bloud of theyr brother, they turned agayne vnto Iordane.

E   Bachides hearynge thys, came vnto the very border of Iordane with a great power vp&obar; þe; Sabbath daye. And Ionathas sayd to hys companye, let vs get vp, and fyght agayne our enemyes: for it st&abar;deth not with vs to daye, as in tyme past: Beholde, oure enemyes are in our waye, the water of Iordane vpon the one syde of vs, wyth bankes, fennes and woddes of the other syde, so that there is no place for vs to departe vnto.

^noteWherfore crie now vnto heauen, that ye maye be delyuered fr&obar; þe; power of your enemyes. So they stroke þe; battaylle. And Ionathas stretched out hys handes to smyt Bachydes, but he fled bactwarde. Then Ionathas ∧ they þt; were with him leapte into Iordane, and swymmed ouer Iordane vnto hym, and there were slayne of Bachydes side that daye, a thousande men.

Therfore Bachydes wyth his hoost turned agayne to Ierusalem, and buylde vp þe; castels and strong holdes that were &ibar; Iewrye, Iericho, Emaus, Bethoron, Bethell, Thamnata, Phara and Topo, &wt; hye walles, with portes and with lockes: ∧ set men to kepe th&ebar;, that they myght vse theyr malyce vp&obar; Israel. He walled vp Bethsurath, Gazarah and the castell at Ierusalem also and prouided th&ebar; wyth men and vitayles. He toke also the chefest mens sonnes in the countre for pledges, and put them in the castell at Ierusalem to be kepte.

Afterwarde in the hundred fifty ∧ thre yeare in þe; sec&obar;de moneth, Alcimus c&obar;maunded, that þe; walles of the ynmost Sanctuary shuld be destroyed, and the buyldinges of þe; prophetes also. And when he beganne to destroye them, þe; thynges þt; he w&ebar;te aboute, were hyndered, for he was smytt&ebar; &wt; a palsey, and his mouth shut, so that he coulde nomore speake ner c&obar;maunde eny of his house concernynge his busynesse. Thus dyed Alcimus in greate mysery at þe; same tyme. And wh&ebar; Bachides sawe that Alcim&us; was deed, he turned agayne to the kyng, and so þe; l&abar;de was in reast two eyares. F   Then all the vngodly men held a councell, sayeng: Behold, Ionathas and his company are at ease, and dwell without care. Wherfore let vs br&ibar;ge Bachides hyther, and he shall take them al in one nyght.

So they wente and gaue Bachides this councell, which arose to come with a greate hoost, and sent lettres preuely to his adher&ebar;tes whych were in Iewrye, to take Ionathas ∧ those þt; were &wt; hym: but they myght not for þe; other had gott&ebar; knowledge of theyr deuyce. And Ionathas toke fyfty m&ebar; of þe; countre (whych were þe; ringleaders of th&ebar;) and slewe th&ebar;. Then Ionathas and Sim&obar; wyth theyr c&obar;pany departed vnto the cyte Bethbessen whych lyeth in the wyldernes, ∧ repayred þe; decaye therof, ∧ made it str&obar;g. When Bachides knewe thys, he gathered all hys hoost, and sent worde to them that were of Iewry. Then came he and layed sege to Bethbessen ∧ fought agaynst it a l&obar;g G    season, ∧ made instrum&ebar;tes of warre. Now Ionathas left his brother Sim&obar; in þe; cytie,

and wente forth hym selfe into the co&ubar;tre, ∧ came with a certayne n&obar;bre, ∧ slewe Odares and his brethr&ebar; and the children of Phaseron in theyr tentes: so that he beganne to be stronge, and to increase in power.

As for Symon and hys companye, they wente out of the cytie, and brent vp the instrum&ebar;tes of warre, ∧ fought agaynst Bachydes, and disc&obar;fyted hym. And Bachides was sore vexed, because his councel and trauayl was &ibar; vayne. Wherfore he was wroth at the wycked men (that gaue hym councell to come into theyr l&abar;de) and slewe many of them. Then purposed he with hys company to go awaye into his awne countre: wherof wh&ebar; Ionathas had knowledge, he sent embassitoures vnto hym, for to make peace &wt; hym, and that he shuld delyuer hym his presonners agayne. To the whych Bachydes c&obar;sented gladly, and dyd accordynge to hys desyre: yee and made an othe, that he shulde neuer do hym harme al the dayes of his lyf. So he restored vnto hym al the presonners that he had taken out of the l&abar;de of Iuda, ∧ then turned and wente his waye into hys awne l&abar;de, nether proceded he eny further to come vnto the borders of Iuda. Thus Israel had nomore warre. And Ionathas dwelt at Machemas, and beganne there to gouerne the people, and destroyed þe; vngodly men out of Israell. ¶ The .x. Chapter. ¶ Demetrius desyreth to haue yeare with Ionathas Alexander moueth warre agaynst Demetryus. Demetryus is slayne. The frendshyppe of Ptolomeus ∧ Alexander.

A   In the h&ubar;dred and thre score yeare came Alexander þe; sonne of noble Antiochus and toke Ptolomays, whose cytesyns receaued him, and there he raygned. ^note When Demetrius herde therof, he gathered an exceading great host, and went forth against him to fyght. Wher fore Demetry&us; sent lettres vnto Ionathas with louyng wordes, and praysed him greatly. For he sayde: we will first make peace with him, before he bynde hym selfe wyth Alex&abar;der against vs: els he shall remembre þe; euell that we haue done agaynst hym, his brother ∧ his people. And so he gaue Ionathas leue to gather an hoost, to make weapens, and to be confederat wyth hym, ∧ comma&ubar;ded the pledges that were &ibar; the castell, to be deliuered vnto hym.

Then came Ionathas to Ierusalem, and red the letters in the audience of all the people, and of them that were &ibar; the castell. And therfore were they sore afraied, because they herde, that þe; kynge had geuen hym lycence to gather an hoost. B   Thus were the pledges delyuered vnto Ionathas, whych restored th&ebar; to theyr elders. Ionathas also dwelt at Ierusalem, and beganne to buylde vp ∧ to repayre the cytie: comma&ubar;dyng the worckmen, to wall it, and the mount Sion round aboute with fre stone, to be a stronge holde, and so they dyd. As for þe; Heathen that were &ibar; þe; castels which Bachides had made vp they fled: so that euery man left þe; place, and w&ebar;t into his awne countre. Only at Bethsura remayned certayne of þe; Iewes, whych had forsaken þe; lawe and commaundementes of God, for Bethsura was theyr refuge.

Now when kyng Alexander herde of the promyses that Demetrius had made vnto Ionathas, and when it was tolde hym of þe; battels and noble actes, whych he and hys brethren had done, and of the greate trauayles that they had tak&ebar;, he sayde: where shall we fynde soch a man? well, we wyll make him our frende, and be c&obar;federat wyth hym. Up&obar; this he wrote a lettre vnto hym, with these wordes: kynge Alex&abar;der saluteth hys brother Ionathas. We haue herde of the, þt; thou art a valea&ubar;t man, and mete to be our frende: wherfore thys daye we ordeyne the to be the hye preste of thy people, and to be called the kynges fr&ebar;de. (Upon this, he sent hym a purple clothynge, and a crowne of golde) that thou mayest consydre what is for oure profyt, and kepe frendshyppe towarde vs.

C   So in the seuenth moneth of the h&ubar;dred and thre score yeare vp&obar; the solempne feast daye of the tabernacles, Ionathas put þe; holy rayment vpon him. Then gathered he an hoost, and made many weap&ebar;s. Which wh&ebar; Demetrius herde, he was maruelous sory, ∧ sayde: Alas, what haue we done, that Alexander hath preu&ebar;ted vs in gettyng þe; fr&ebar;dshyppe of the Iewes, for hys awne defence? Yet will I wryte louyngly vnto them also, yee and promyse them dignites add rewardes, þt; they maye be of my syde. Wherupon he wrote vnto th&ebar; these wordes. Kinge Demetrius sendeth greting vnto þe; people of þe; Iewes. Where as ye haue kepte your couenaunt towarde vs, ∧ c&obar;tynued in our frendship, not enclyning to our enemyes, we were glad, when we herde therof. Wherfore remayne styll, ∧ be faythfull to vs: ∧ we shall well rec&obar;pense you for þe; thinges, þt; ye haue done on oure partye: we shall release you of many charges, &abar;d geue you rewardes. And now I dyscharge you ∧ all þe; Iewes fr&obar; tributes, I forgeue you þe; customes of salt, and release you of þe; crowne taxes, of the thyrde parte of sede, ∧ half of þe; frute of trees, which is myne awne dewtye. These I leaue for you, fr&obar; this daye forth: so þt; they shal not be taken of the lande of Iuda ner of the thre cyties whych are added ther vnto out of Samaria D    and Galylee, from thys daye forth

for euermore. D   Ierusal&ebar; also with al thinges be longing therto, shal be holy and fre, yee þe; tythes and trybutes shall pertayne vnto it. As for the power of þe; castell which is at Ierusal&ebar;, I remyt ∧ geue it vnto þe; hye preste, that he maye set &ibar; it soch m&ebar;, as he shal chose to kepe it. I frely delyuer al the Iewes that are presonners thorow out all my realme: so þt; euery one of th&ebar; shalbe fre from paying any trybute, yee euen of their catell.

All the solempne feastes, Sabbathes, new moones, the dayes appoynted, the thre dayes before ∧ after the feast, shalbe fre for all the Iewes in my realme: so that in them no man shall haue power to do eny thynge, or to moue any busynesse agaynst any of th&ebar; in any maner of cause. There shall thyrty thousande also of the Iewes be wrytten vp in the kynges hoost, and haue theyr wages payed, as all other men of warre of the kynges shulde haue: and of them shalbe ordeyned certayne, to kepe þe; kynges strong holdes: yee and some of th&ebar; shalbe set ouer the kynges busynesse, that they maye faythfully deale &wt; the same. The Iewes also shall haue princes of theyr awne, and walcke in theyr awne lawes, as the kynge hath commaunded in the lande of Iuda.

And the thre cyties that are fallen vnto Iewry from þe; countre of Samaria ∧ Galylee: shalbe taken as Iewry, and be vnder one: nether be subiecte to any stra&ubar;ge Lord, but to the hye preste. As for Ptolomais and the lande perteynyng therto, I geue it vnto the Sanctuary at Ierusalem, for the necessary exp&ebar;ces of the holy thynges. Moreouer, I wyll geue euery yeare fyftene thousand Sycles of syluer out of þe; kynges checker (which pertayneth vnto me) to the worke E    of the temple: yee and loke what remayneth (which they þt; had oure matters in h&abar;d in tymes past, haue not payed) þe; same shall they geue vnto them also. And besydes all thys, the fyue thousand Sycles which they toke yearly of the rentes of the S&abar;ctuary, shall belonge vnto the prestes that do seruyce.

Item, whosoeuer they be that fle vnto þe; temple at Ierusalem or within the liberties therof, where as they are fallen into þe; kynges daunger for eny maner of busynes, they shall be pardoned and all the goodes that they haue in my realme, shalbe fre. For the buyldyng also and repayring of the worcke of the Sanctuary, expenses shalbe geuen out of the kynges Checker: Yee and for the makynge of the walles rounde aboute Ierusalem, for þe; breakyng downe of the olde and for the settynge vp of þe; stronge holdes in Iewry, shall the costes and charges be geuen out of the kynges Checker.

^noteBut when Ionathas and the people hearde these wordes, they gaue no credence vnto them, nether receaued them: for they remembred the greate wyckednesse that he had done vnto Israell, and how sore he had vexed them. Wherfore, they agreed vnto Alexander, for he was a prynce that had dealte frendly wyth them, and so they stode by hym all waye. ^noteThen gathered kynge Alexander a greate hoost, and brought hys armye agaynst Demetryus. So the two kynges stroke bataylle together, but Demetryus host fled, and Alexander folowed after and fell vpon them. A myghtye sore felde was it, contynuynge tyll the Sonne wente downe, and Demetrius was slayne the same daye.

F   And Alexander sente ambassitoures vnto Ptolomy the kynge of Egypte with these wordes, sayenge: For so moch as I am come agayne to my realme, and am set in the trone of my progenytoures, and haue gotten the domynyon, ouercomed Demetrius, conquered the lande, and stryk&ebar; a felde wyth hym, so that we haue disconfyted both hym and hys hoost, and syt in the trone of hys kyngdome. Let vs now make fr&ebar;dshyppe together, geue me thy daughter to wyfe: so shall I be thy sonne in lawe, and both geue the rewardes, and her greate dygnite. Ptolomy the kynge gaue answere, sayenge: Happy be the daye wherin thou arte come agayne to the lande of thy progenytoures, and set in the trone of theyr kyngdome. As now wyll I fulfyll thy writynge: but mete me at Ptolomais, that we maye se one another, ∧ that I maye mary my daughter vnto the accordynge to thy desyre. So Ptolomy wente out of Egypte wyth hys daughter Cleopatra, and came vnto Ptolomais in the .Clxii. yeare: where kynge Alexander met him, and he gaue Alexander his daughter Cleopatra, ∧ maried th&ebar; at Ptolomais with greate worshyppe, lyke as the maner of kynges is to be. Th&ebar; wrote kyng Alexander vnto Ionathas, that he shulde come and mete hym. G   So he wente honorably vnto Ptolomais, and there he mete the two kynges, and gaue them greate presentes of golde and syluer, and founde sauoure &ibar; theyr syght. And there came together agaynst Ionathas certayne wycked men ∧ vngracious personnes of Israel, makyng complayntes of hym, but þe; kynge regarded th&ebar; not. As for Ionathas, the kinge commaunded to take of his garmentes, and to clothe hym &ibar; purple: and so they dyd. Then þe; kyng appoynted hym to syt by hym, and sayde vnto his princes: Go with hym into þe; myddest of the cytie, and make a proclamacyon, that no man complayne agaynst him of eny matter, and that no man trouble hym for eny maner of cause.

So it happened, that when hys accusers sawe the worshyppe which was proclamed of hym, and that he was clothed in purple: they fled euerychone. And the kynge made moch of hym, wrote hym amonge hys chefe frendes, made hym a duke, and partaker of hys domynion. ^noteThus Ionathas went agayne to Ierusalem with peace ∧ gladnes. In the .Clxv. yeare came Demetri&us; the sonne of Demetrius fr&obar; Creta &ibar;to hys fathers lande: wherof wh&ebar; Alexander herde tell, he was ryght sory, and retourned vnto Antioche. And Demetrius chose ^note Appollonyus, (whych had the gouernaunce of Celosyrya) to be hys captayne.

So he gathered a greate hoost and came vnto Iamnia, and sente word vnto Ionathas the hye preste, sayeng: Darrest þu; withst&abar;d vs thy self alone? As for me, I am but laughed to scorne and shamed, because thou prouedst thy strength agaynst vs in þe; mo&ubar;taynes. Now therfore, yf thou trustest in thyne awne strength, come downe to vs into the playne felde, H   and there let vs proue our str&ebar;gth together: thou shalt fynde, that I haue valeaunt m&ebar; of warre wyth me and shalt knowe wh&obar; I am, and the other that stande by me.

Which saye, that your fote is not able to st&abar;de before oure face, for thy fathers haue bene twise chaced &ibar;to theyr awne l&abar;de. And now, how wylt þu; be able to abyde so greate an hoost of horssmen and fotemen in the felde, where as is nether rocke, stone ner place to fle vnto?

When Ionathas herd the wordes of Appolloni&us;, he was moued &ibar; hys mynde: wherfore he chose tente thousand men, and wente out of Ierusalem, and Symon hys brother met hym for to help hym: And they pitched theyr t&ebar;tes at Ioppa, but þe; cytie kepte hym forth, for Ioppa was an holde of Appollonius. Then Ionathas layed sege to it, and they that were in the cytie, for very feare let hym in: and so Ionathas wanne Ioppa. Appollonius hearinge of thys toke thre thousande horssmen, with a greate hoost of fote, and wente as though he wold go to Azotus, and came immediatly &ibar;to the playne felde: because he had so many horssmen, and put hys trust in th&ebar;. So Ionathas folowed vpon hym to Azotus, and there they stroke the battaylle. Now had Appolonius lefte a thousand horssm&ebar; behynde them preuely in the t&ebar;tes. And when Ionathas knewe that soch wayte was layed behynde them, they went rounde aboute the enemyes hoost and shot dartes at the people fr&obar; the mornynge to the euenynge. As for Ionathas people, they kepte theyr ordre as he had commaunded them, and the enemies horses were euer labouringe

I   Then brought Tymon forth hys host, ∧ set them agaynst the fote men. For the horsmen were wery all ready. So he disc&obar;fyted them, and they fled. And they that were scatred in the feld, gat th&ebar; to Azotus, and came into the temple of Dagon theyr Idoll, þt; they myght there saue theyr lyues. But Ionathas set fyre vpon Azotus and all the cyties ro&ubar;de aboute it, and toke theyr goodes and ^note brent vp the temple of Dagon, wyth all them that were fled into it.

Thus were slayne and brent well nye .viii M.men. So Ionathas remoued the hoost from thence, and brought them to Ascalon: Where the men of the cytie came forth, ∧ met hym with greate worshyp. After this w&ebar;te Ionathas and hys hoost agayne to Ierusalem, with greate substaunce of good. And when kyng Alexander herde these thynges he thought to do Ionathas more worshype and sent hym a colar of golde, as the vse is to be geuen vnto soch as are of the kynges next bloude. He gaue hym also the cytie of Accaron (with the landes belongynge therto) in possession ¶ The .xi. Chapter. ¶ The dissencyon betwixt Ptolomes and Alex&abar;dre hys sonne in lawe. The deeth of Alexander. Demetrius raygneth after the deeth of Ptolomeus. Syon is beseged of Ionathas. Demetrius seynge that no man resisted hym, sendeth his armye agayne. Iriphom moueth Antiochus agaynst Demetrius. Demetrius is delyuered by the succour of Ionathas. After hys delyueraunce he breaketh hys couenaunt that he had made

A   And the kynge of Egypte gathered an hoost (lyke the sande that lyeth vp&obar; þe; see shore) and many shipes: ^note ∧ w&ebar;t aboute thorow disceate to optayne þe; kingdome of Alex&abar;der, ∧ to ioyne it vnto hys awne realme. Up&obar; thys he toke hys iourney into Siria, ∧ was lett&ebar; into the cyties, and m&ebar; came forth to mete hym: for kyng Alexander had commaunded them so to do, because he was hys father in lawe. Now wh&ebar; Ptolomy entred into eny cytie, he lefte men of warre to kepe it, and this he dyd thorow out all the cities. And when he came to Azotus, ^note they shewed hym the temple of Dag&obar; and Azotus that was brent vp, with the other thynges whych were destroyed, the deed bodyes cast abrode, ∧ þe; graues that they had made by þe; waye syde, for soch as were slayne in þe; felde. And tolde þe; kyng that Ionathas had done all these thynges, to þe; int&ebar;t they might get hys euell wyll. But the kynge sayde not a worde therto. And Ionathas met the kynge wyth greate honour at Ioppa, where they saluted one another, and toke theyr rest. So wh&ebar; Ionathas had gone &wt; þe; kyng vnto the water that was called Eleutherus he turned agayne to Ierusalem.

Nowe Ptolomye had gotten the domynion of the cyties vnto Seleucia vpon þe; see coast, ymaginynge wycked councels agaynst Alex&abar;der, and sent ambassitours vnto Demetrius, saying. Come, let vs make a bond betwyxte vs, B   so shall I geue the my daughter that Alexander hath, and thou shalt raygne in thy fathers kyngdome. I repente that I gaue Alexander my daughter, for the goeth aboute to sley me. And thus he sclaundred Alexander, because he wolde haue had hys realme.

Thus he toke hys daughter from hym, gaue her vnto Demetrius, and forsoke Alexander, so that his malyce was openly knowne. And Ptolomy cam to Antioche, where he set two crownes vp&obar; hys awne head: the crowne of Egypt and of Asia. In the meane season was kynge Alexander in Cilicia, for they that dwelt in those places, had rebelled agaynst him. But when Alex&abar;der herde of thys, he came to warre agaynst hym. So kynge Ptolomy brought forth hys hoost ∧ met hym with a myghty power, and chased him awaye. Then fled Alexander into Araby, there to be defended, and kynge Ptolomyes honoure increased. And Zabdiel þe; Arabian smote of Alexanders head, and sent it vnto Ptolomy. But the thyrde daye after, dyed kynge Ptolomy hym selfe: and whom he had sett in the str&obar;ge holdes, were slayne of those that were wythin the cyties. C   And Demetrius raygned in the hundred and seuen and syxtie yeare.

At the same tyme gathered Ionathas th&ebar; that were in Iewry, to laye sege vnto the castell whych was at Ierusalem, and so they made many instrumentes of warre agaynst it. Then wente there certayne vngodly personnes (whych hated their awne people) vnto kynge Demetrius, and tolde hym that Ionathas beseged the castell. So wh&ebar; he heard it, he was angrie, and immediatly came vnto Ptolomais, and wrote vnto Ionathas, that he shulde not laye sege to the castell, but come and speake wyth him in all the haste. Neuertheles, when Ionathas herde this, he commaunded to besege it. He chose also certayne of the elders and prestes of Israel, and put him selfe in the parell, and toke with him golde, syluer, clothynge, and diuerse presentes: ∧ wente to Ptolomais vnto the kynge, and founde hym gracyous.

And though certayne vngodly men of hys awne people made c&obar;plaintes vpon him, yet þe; kynge intreated hym, ^note lyke as hys predecessours had done before: and promoted hym in the syght of all his frendes, c&obar;fyrmed hym in the hye presthode with all þe; worshyp þt; he had afore, and made him hys chefe fr&ebar;de. Ionathas also desyred the kyng, that he wolde make Iewry fre, ^note &wt; the thre head cyties of Samaria and the landes pertaynynge therto: vpon thys dyd Ionathas promyse hym thre. C talentes. Where vnto þe; kynge c&obar;sented, ∧ gaue Ionathas wrytinge of the same, conteyning these wordes: Kinge Demetrius sendeth gretyng vnto his brother Ionathas ∧ to the people of the Iewes. We sende you here a copy of the lettre which we dyd wryte vnto oure elder Lasthenus, concernynge you that ye shulde knowe it.

D   Kynge Demetrius sendeth gretynge vnto Lasthenus hys elder. For the faythfulnesse þt; oure frendes the people of the Iewes kepe vnto vs, and for the louyng kyndnes which they beare towarde vs: we are determyned to do th&ebar; good. Wherfore we ordeyne all the coastes of Iewry with thre cyties, Lydda ∧ Ramatha (whych are added vnto Iewrye from Samaria) and all the landes pertaynynge there vnto, to be frely separated for soche as do sacrifyce in Ierusal&ebar;: both concernynge the paymentes which the kynge toke yearly afore tyme, and the frutes also of the earth and trees. As for other tythes and tributes that belonged vnto vs, we discharge them therof from thys tyme forth. In lyke maner we graunte vnto them all the customes of salt and crowne taxes, whych were brought vnto vs. And this fredome shall they haue fyrme and stedfast, from thys tyme forth for euermore. Therfore se that ye make a copy of these our lettres, and delyuer it vnto Ionathas: that it maye be kepte vp&obar; the holy mount in a conuenient place.

E   After thys, when Demetrius the kynge sawe that his lande was in rest, and that no resysta&ubar;ce was made him: he sent awaye all his hoost, euery man to hys awne place, excepte an army of stra&ubar;gers, wh&obar;he brought from the Iles of the Heathen, wherfore all hys fathers hoost had euell wyll at hym. ^note Nowe was there one Triphon (that had bene of Alexanders parte afore) whych when he sawe that all þe; hoost murmured agaynst Demetrius: he wente to Emalcuel the Arabian (that brought vp Antiochus the sonne of Alex&abar;der) and laye sore vpon hym, to delyuer hym this y&obar;ge Antiochus: þt; he myght raygne in hys fathers steade. He tolde hym also, what great euell Demetrius had done, and howe his men of warre loued him not: ∧ so remayned there a longe season.

And Ionathas sent vnto kynge Demetrius, to dryue them out whych were in the castell at Ierusalem, and in the other refugyes, for they dyd Israel greate harme. So Demetrius sent worde vnto Ionathas, sayeng: I wyll not only do thes thynges for þe; and thy people, but at tyme conueni&ebar;t I wil do both the and thy people great worshippe. F   But nowe thou shalt do me a pleasure, yf þu; wylt sende me men to helpe me: for all myne

armye is gone fro me. So Ionathas set him thre thousand stronge men vnto Antioche, ∧ they came vnto þe; kynge, wherfore the kyng was very glad at their comming. But they that were of the cytie (euen an hundred and twenty thousande men) gathered th&ebar; together, and wold haue slayne the kynge, which fled into his court, and the cytesins kepte the stretes of the cytie, and beganne to fyght.

Then the kynge called for the Iewes helpe, whych came vnto hym all together, and wente abrode thorowe the cytie, and slewe the same daye an h&ubar;dred thousande men: set fyre vp&obar; the cytie, gat many spoyles in that daye and delyuered the kynge. So wh&ebar; the cytesyns sawe that the Iewes had gotten their wyll of the cytie, ∧ they them selues disapoynted of their purpose, they made theyr supplicacion vnto the kynge, sayenge: Gra&ubar;t vs peace, and let the Iewes ceasse fr&obar; troublynge vs and the cytie, and vpon this they cast awaye theyr weap&ebar;s. Thus they made peace, and the Iewes gatt great worshyp in the syght of the kinge, and in the syght of all that were in hys realme, and were spoken of thorowe out the kyngdome: and so they came agayne to Ierusal&ebar; wyth great goodes.

G   So the kynge Demetrius sat in the trone of hys kyngdome, and had peace in his l&abar;de. Neuerthelesse, he dyssembled in all that euer he spake, and wyth drewe hym selfe fr&obar; Ionathas, nether rewarded hym accordyng to the benefites which he had done for him, but troubled hym very sore. After thys came Tryphon agayne wyth yonge Antiochus, whych raygned and was crowned kynge. Then there gathered vnto hym all the men of warre, wh&obar; Demetrius had put awaye: these fought against Demetrius, which fled and turned his backe. So Triphon toke the Eleph&abar;tes, ∧ w&abar;ne Antioche. And y&obar;g Antiochus wrote vnto Ionathas, say&ebar;ge: I confyrme the in thy prestode, and make the ruler of .iiij. countres, þt; thou mayest be a fr&ebar;de of the kynges.

Upon thys he sent hym golden vessels to be serued in, and gaue hym leue to drynke in golde, to be clothed in purple, and to were a colar of golde, He made hys brother Sym&obar; also captayne, fr&obar; the coastes of Tyrus vnto the borders of Egypt. Then Ionathas toke his iourney, and w&ebar;te thorowe the cyties beyonde the water of Iordane, ∧ all the m&ebar; of warre of Syria gathered them vnto him for to helpe him. So he came vnto Ascalon, and they of the cytie receaued hym honorably, and from thence wente he vnto Gaza, but they wolde not lett hym in: wherfore he layed sege vnto it, burnynge vp and spoylynge the places that were aboute the cytie.

H   And the cytesyns of Gaza submytted th&ebar; selues vnto Ionathas, which made peace &wt; th&ebar;, but toke of theyr sonnes to pledge, sent them to Ierusalem, and wente thorowe the countre vnto Damascus. Nowe wh&ebar; Ionathas herde that Demetrius princes were come into Cabes (which is in Galilee) wyth a greate hoost, purposynge to put Demetrius out from medlynge in the realme: he came agaynst them, and lefte Symon hys brother in the lande: whych came to Bethsura, and layed sege to it a longe season, and discomfited th&ebar;. So they desyred to haue peace with hym, whych he graunted them, and afterwarde put them out from th&ebar;ce, toke the cytie, and sett men to kepe it. And Ionathas &wt; his hoost came to the water of Genesar, and by tymes in the mornynge gatt them to the playne felde of Azor.

And beholde, the hoostes of the Heathen met them in the felde, and layed watch for them in the mountaynes: so that when Ionathas came against them, the other (which were layed to watch) rose out of theyr places, and fought, and they that were of Ionathas syde, fled euery man: and there was not one of them left, except Mathathias the sonne of Absalomus, ∧ Iudas the sonne of Calyhi the captayne of the hoost. Then Ionathas rente his clothes, layed earth vpon hys head, made hys prayer, and turned agayne to th&ebar; in the felde: where they fought together, ∧ he put them to flyght. Nowe wh&ebar; his awne m&ebar;, that were fled, sawe thys: they turned agayne vnto hym and helped him to folowe vpon all their enemyes vnto their tentes at Cades. So there were slayne of the Heathen the same daye thre thousande men, and Ionathas turned agayne to Ierusalem. ¶ The .xij. Chapter. ¶ Ionathas sendeth Embassitoures to Rome and to þe; people of Sparta to renue their couena&ubar;t of fr&ebar;shyp. Ionathas putteth to flyght the princes of Demetrius. Tryphon taketh Ionathas by deceate.

A   Ionathas seyng that þe; tyme was mete for hym, chose certayne men and sent th&ebar; vnto Rome for to stablish ∧ to renue ^note the frendshyppe with th&ebar;. He sent lettres also vnto Sparta, and to other places in lyke maner. So they wente vnto Rome, and entred into the councell, ∧ sayde: Ionathas the hye preste and the people of the Iewes sent vs vnto you, for to renue the olde fr&ebar;dshyp and bonde of loue: Up&obar; thys the Romaynes gaue them fre pasportes, that men shulde lede them home into the l&abar;de of Iuda peaceably. And thys is the copy of the letters that Ionathas wrote vnto the Spartians.

Ionathas the hye prest &wt; the elders, prestes, ∧ the other people of the Iewes, sende gretynge vnto the Spartians their brethr&ebar;. There were lettres sente longe a goo vnto Onias the hye preste, fr&obar; Arius, whych than

raygned amonge you: that ye are oure brethren, as the wrytinge made ther vpon, specifyeth. And Onias entreated the embassitoure that was sent, honorably, and receaued the letters: where in there was mencyon made of the bonde of loue and frendshyppe. B   But as for vs, we nede no soche wrytinges: for why? we haue the holy bokes of scripture in oure handes to our comforte. Neuertheles, we had rather sende vnto you, for the renuynge of the brotherhode and frendshyppe: lest we shulde be straunge vnto you: for it is longe, sens the tyme þt; ye sent worde vnto vs. Wherfore in the sacrifyces that we offre and other cerimonyes vp&obar; the hye solempne dayes and other, we alwaye remembre you without ceassynge (lyke as reason is, and as it becommeth vs to thyncke vpon our brethren) yee and are ryght glad of youre prosperous honoure.

And though we haue had great troubles and warres, so that the kynges aboute vs haue foughten against vs: yet wolde we not be greuous vnto you, ner to other of our louers and frendes in these warres. For we haue had helpe from heauen, so that we are deliuered, and oure enemies subdued. Wherfore we chose Numenius the sonne of Antiochus and Antipater the sonne of Iason, and sent them vnto the Romaynes, for to renue the olde bonde of frendshyppe and loue with them. We c&obar;maunded them also to come vnto you to salute you, and to delyuer you oure lettres, concernynge the renouacyon of oure brotherhode. And nowe ye shall do ryght well, to geue vs an answere there vnto.

C   And thys is the copy of the wrytynge, which Arius the kynge of Sparta sent vnto Onias. Arius kynge of the Spartians sendeth gretynge vnto Onias the hye prest. It is founde in wrytynge, that the Spartians and Iewes are brethren, and come out of the generaci&obar; of Abrah&abar;. And nowe for so moch as this is come to oure knowledge, ye shall do well, to wryte vnto vs of youre prosperitye. As for vs, we haue wrytt&ebar; oure mynde vnto you: Oure catell and goodes are yours, ∧ yours ours. These thynges haue we commaunded to be shewed vnto you.

When Ionathas hearde, that Demetrius prynces were come forth to fyght agaynst him, with a greater hoost then afore, he went from Ierusalem, and met them in the lande of Hemath, for he gaue th&ebar; not space to come into his awne co&ubar;tre. And he sent spyes vnto their t&ebar;tes, which came agayne and tolde him, that they were appoynted to come vp&obar; him in the nyght season. Wherfore when the sunne was gone downe, Ionathas commaunded his men to watche all the nyght, and to be ready &wt; weapens for to fyght: and set watchmen rounde aboute the hoost. D   But when the aduersaryes herde that Ionathas was ready with his men to þe; battayll, they feared, and were afrayed in their hertes, and kyndled fyres in their tentes, brake vp, and gat th&ebar; awaye. Neuertheles Ionathas and his c&obar;pany knewe it not tyll the mornynge, for they sawe the fyres burnynge.

Then Ionathas folowed vp&obar; them, but he myght not ouertake them, for they were gone ouer the water Eleutherus. So Ionathas departed vnto þe; Arabi&abar;s (which were called Zabadei) slewe th&ebar;, and toke their goodes. He proceded further also, and came vnto Damascus, and wente thorowe all þe; co&ubar;tre. But Sim&obar; his brother toke his iourney and came to Ascalon and to the nexte str&obar;ge holdes: departynge vnto Ioppa, and wanne it. For he herde that they wolde st&abar;de of Demetrius partye: wherfore he set m&ebar; of warre in the cyte, to kepe it. After this came Ionathas home agayne, and called the elders of þe; people together: and deuysed with them for to buylde vp the stronge holdes in Iewry ∧ the walles of Ierusal&ebar;, to set vp an hye wall betwixt the castell and the cyte, for to separate it from the cyte, that it myght be alone, and that men shulde nether bye nor sell in it.

Up&obar; this they came together for to buylde vp the cytie, and for so moch as the wall vpon the broke of the west syd (called Caphetah) was fallen downe, they repayred it. And Simon set vp Adiadah in Sephelah, ∧ made it str&obar;ge settynge portes ∧ lockes vp&obar; it. E   Nowe when ^note Triphon purposed to raygne in Asya, to be crowned, and to slaye the kynge Antiochus: he was afrayed that Ionathas wolde not suffre hym, but fyght agaynst him. Wherfore he wente about to take Ionathas, and to kyll hym.

So he departed, and came vnto Bethsan. Then wente Ionathas forth agaynst hym to the battayll with fourtye thousande chosen men, and came vnto Bethsan also. But when Triphon sawe that Ionathas came wyth so greate an Hoste to destroye him, he was afrayed: and therfore he receaued him honorably, comm&ebar;ded him vnto all hys frendes, and gaue hym rewardes, and commaunded his men of warre to be as obedient vnto him as to him selfe.

And sayde vnto Ionathas: why hast thou caused this people to take soch trauayle, seynge there is no warre betwyxte vs? Therfore sende th&ebar; home agayne, and chose certayne men to wayte vpon the, and come thou &wt; me to Ptolomais: for I wyll geue it þe;, with the other stronge holdes, men of warre and their officers: As for me, I must departe, this is onely the cause of my c&obar;mynge. F   Ionathas beleued him, and dyd as he sayde, puttynge awaye hys host, which wente in to the lande of Iuda. He kepte but .iij.M by him, wherof

he sent .ij.M. into Galile, and one .M. wente with him selfe.

Nowe as soone as Ionathas entred into Ptolamais, the cytesyns sparred the gates of the cytie, and toke him, and slewe all them with the swerde, þt; came in with him. Then sent Triphon an Host of fote men and horsmen into Galilee and into the greate playne felde, to destroye all Ionathas c&obar;pany. But when they knewe that Ionathas was tak&ebar;, and all they slayne that wayted vpon hym: they toke councell together, and came forth ready to the battayll. So when they whych folowed vpon th&ebar;, sawe that it was a matter of lyfe, they turned backe agayne. As for the other, they wente into the lande of Iuda peaceably, ∧ bewayled Ionathas, and them that were with hym ryght sore. And Israel made great lamentacion. Then all the Heathen that were rounde aboute th&ebar;, sought to destroye them. For they sayde: nowe haue they no captayne, nor eny man to helpe th&ebar;. Therfore lett vs ouercome them, and rote out their name from amonge men. ¶ The .xiij. Chapter: ¶ After Ionathas was taken. Symon is chosen captayne, of whom Triphon takynge hys chyldr&ebar; and money for the redempcyon of Ionathas, kylleth hym and hys chyldren. The graue of Ionathas. Triphon kylleth Antiochus, and possesseth the realme. Demetrius taketh truce wyth Simon. Simon wynneth Baza. He possesseth the tower of Syon. He maketh his sonne Iohn Captayne.

A   Nowe when Simon herde þt; Triphon gathered a great Hoste, to come into the lande of Iuda, ∧ to destroye it: and sawe that the people was in great fearfulnesse and care: He came vp to Ierusal&ebar;, and gathered the people together, and gaue them exhortacy&obar;, sayinge: Ye knowe what greate battayls I and my brethren and my fathers house haue fought for the lawe and the Sanctuary, and what maner of troubles we haue sene: thorow occasyon wherof ^note all my brethren are slayne for Israels sake, and I am left alone. And nowe lett not me spare myne awne lyfe in eny maner of trouble, for I am no better then my brethren: but wyll auenge my people and the Sanctuary, oure chyldren and oure wyues: for all the Heathen are gathered together, to destroye vs of very malyce.

At these wordes the hertes of the people were kyndled together, so that they cryed &wt; a loude voyce, sayinge. Thou shalt be oure captayne in steade of Iudas and Ionathas thy brethr&ebar;, ordre thou oure battell, ∧ whatsoeuer thou commaundest vs, we shall do it. So he gathered all the men of warre, makynge haste to finyshe all the walles of Ierusal&ebar;, which he made stronge ro&ubar;de aboute. B   Then sent he Ionathas the sonne of Absalomus with a fresh hoste vnto Ioppa, which braue them out that were in the castell, and remayned there him selfe. Triphon also remoued from Ptolomais &wt; a greate armye, to come in to the lande of Iuda, and Ionathas &wt; him in warde. And Simon pytched his tentes at Addus before the playne felde.

But when Triphon knewe that Simon stode vp in steade of hys brother Ionathas, ∧ that he wolde warre agaynst him: he sent messaungers vnto hym, sayinge: where as we haue kepte Ionathas thy brother, it is for money that he is owynge in the kynges accompte, concernynge the busynesse that he had in hande. Wherfore sende now an .C. talentes of syluer and his two sonnes for suertye, that when he is letten forth he shall not forsake vs: and we shall sende hym agayne. Neuerthelesse Simon knewe, that he dissembled in his wordes: yet commaunded he the money and chyldren to be delyuered vnto him: lest he shulde be þe; greater enemye agaynst the people of Israel: and saye, because he sent him not þe; money and the chyldren, therfore is Ionathas deed.

C   So Symon sent him the chyldren and an h&ubar;dreth talentes, but he dissembled, ∧ wolde not let Ionathas go. Afterwarde came Triphon into the lande, to destroye it, and went rounde about by the waye, that ledeth vnto Ador. But where soeuer they w&ebar;te, thyther w&ebar;te Symon and his hoste also. Nowe they that were in the castell, sent messa&ubar;gers vnto Triphon, that he shulde make haste to come by the wyldernesse, and to sende them vytayles. And Triphon made ready all hys horsm&ebar;, to come that same nyght. Neuerthelesse it was a very greate snowe, so that he came not in Gaaladithim. And wh&ebar; he drewe nye Baschama, he slewe Ionathas and his sonnes there, and then turned for to goo home into his awne lande.

Then sent Symon for to fet his brothers deed coarse, and buryed it in Modin hys fathers cytie. So all Israel bewayled hym &wt; greate lamentacyon, and mourned for hym very longe. And Symon made vpon the sepulchre of his father and his brethr&ebar;, a buyldynge hye to loke vnto, offre stone behynde and before. ∧ set vp seu&ebar; pyllers, one agaynst another (for his father, his mother and foure brethr&ebar;) and set great pyllers ro&ubar;de aboute, with armes vpon them for a perpetuall memory, and carued shyppes besyde the armes: that they myght be sene of men saylynge in the see. Thys sepulchre which he made at Modin, standeth yet vnto this daye.

D    ^noteNowe as Triphon w&ebar;t forth to walke &wt; the yonge kynge Antiochus, he slewe hym trayterously, ∧ raygned in his steade, crowned hym selfe kynge of Asia, and dyd moch euell in the lande. Symon also buylte vp the

castels in Iewry, makynge th&ebar; strong with hye towres, great walles, portes and lockes and layed vp vitayles in the strong holdes. And Simon chose certaine men, ∧ sent them to kynge Demetrius: to desyre him, that he wolde discharge the lande from all b&obar;dage, for Triph&obar; had spoyled it very sore. Where vpon Demetrius the kynge answered him, and wrote vnto hym after thys maner.

Demetrius the kynge sendeth gretinge vnto Symon the hye prest hys frende, with the elders and people of þe; Iewes. The golden crowne and precious stone that ye sent vnto vs, haue we receaued: and are ready to make a stedfast peace with you, yee and to wryte vnto oure officers, for to release you, concernynge the thynges wherin we made you fre: and the appoyntement that we make with you, shalbe firme and stable. The stronge holdes which ye haue buylded, shall be youre awne. As for eny ouersyght or fawte commytted vnto this daye, we forgeue it, ∧ the crowne taxe that ye ought vs also. And where as was eny other tribute &ibar; Ierusalem, it shal now be no tribute: and loke who are mete among you to be in oure courte, let them be wryten vp, that there maye be peace betwyxte vs.

E   Thus the yock of the heathen was taken from Israell, in the hundreth and seuentieth yeare. And the people of the Iewes beganne to wryte in theyr lettres ∧ actes on this maner. ^noteIn the fyrst yeare of Symon the hye prest, and prince of the Iewes.

In those dayes went Symon vnto Gaza, and beseged it rounde aboute, where he set vp ordynaunce of warre. And wanne a towre, which he toke. So they that gatt into the towre leapte into þe; cytye, whych was in a greate feare: In so moch that the people of the citye rente their clothes, and clymmed vp vpon the walles with theyr wyues and chyldren besechyng Sym&obar; to be at one with them sayinge.

O rewarde vs not after oure wickednes, but be gracious vnto vs, and we shall do þe; seruyce. Then Sym&obar; for very pytie, wolde fyght nomore agaynst them, but put them out of the cytie, F   and caused the houses (wherin the Images were) to be cl&ebar;sed, and so entred the cytye wyth Psalmes of prayse, geuyng thanckes vnto the Lord. So when he had cast all abhominacyons out of the citie, he set soch m&ebar; in it as kepte the law of God, and made the cytie stronge, and buylded a dwellynge place for him selfe.

Now when they in the castell at Ierusalem were kepte so straytly, that they coulde not come forth into the countre, and myght nether bye ner sell: they were very hungrye, and many of them famyshed to death: In so moch that they besought Sim&obar;to be at one with them, which he graunted them. So he put them out from thence, and clensed the castell from fylthynesse. And vpon the .xxiii. daye of the seconde moneth in the .C.lxxi. yeare they entred into it wyth thanckesgeuynge and braunches of palme trees, wyth harpes, crowdes, cymbals, and lutes, syngynge psalmes, and songes of prayse vnto God, for that the greate enemy of Israell was ouercome.

And Symon ordeyned, that þe; same daye shuld be kepte euery yeare in gladnesse, and made stronge the hyll of þe; temple that was besyde the castell, where he dwelt hym selfe with his company. Symon also perceauing that Ihon his sonne was a myghtie man of armes, made him captayne of all the hostes and caused him to dwell at Gaza. ¶ The .xiiii. Chapter. ¶ Demetrius is ouercome of Arsaces. Sym&obar; beyng captayne there is greate quyetnes in Israell. The couenaunt of frendshyp with the Romaynes and with the people of Sparta is renued.

A   In the .C.lxxii. yeare gathered kynge Demetrius his host, and departed vnto Media, to gett hym helpe for to fyght agaynst Triphon. Now when Arsaces the kynge of Persia and Media herde, þt; Demetri&us; was entred wyth in hys borders: he sent one of his princes to take him alyue: and to brynge hym vnto hym. So he wente and slewe Demetrius hoste, toke hym selfe, brought hym to Arsaces, whych kepte hym in warde. And all the lande of Iuda was in rest, so longe as Simon lyued, for he sought the wealth of his people, therfore were they glad to haue hym for theyr ruler, and to do hym worshyppe allwaye.

Symon w&abar;ne the citie of Ioppa also for an hau&ebar; towne, and made it an entraunce into the Iles of þe; see. He enlarged the borders of his people, and c&obar;quered them more land: He gathered vp many of theyr people that were presoners: he had the dominion of Gaza, Bethsura and the castell, whych he clensed from fylthynes, and there was no man that resisted him: So that euery man tylled hys grounde in peace, the lande of Iuda and the trees gaue their frute and encreace. B   The elders sat all in iudgement, and toke theyr deuice for the wealth of the lande: the yonge men put on worshyp and harnesse vpon th&ebar;. He prouyded vytalles for the cytyes, and made goodly stronge holdes of them: so that the fame of hys worshyp was spoken of vnto þe; ende of the worlde. ^noteFor he made peace thorow out the land, and Israel was full of myrth and ioye.

Euery man sat vnder his vyne and fygg trees, and there was no man to fraye them awaye. There was none in þe; lande to fyght agaynst th&ebar;, for then the kynges were ouercome.

He helped those that were in aduersyte among his people, he was diligent to se þe; lawe kepte: as for soch as were vngodly &abar;d wycked, he toke them awaye. He set vp the Sanctuary, and encreased the holy vessels of the temple.

When the Romaynes and Sparcians had gotten worde, that Ionathas was deed they were right sory. But when they hearde that Sym&obar; his brother was made hye prest in hys steade, ∧ how he had wonne the lande agayne with the cities in it: they wrote vnto him in tables of brasse, to renue the fr&ebar;dshyp, and bonde of loue, which they had made afore wyth ^note Iudas and ^note Ionathas hys brethren. Which writinges were red before the congregacyon at Ierusalem.

C   And this is the copy of the lettres, that the Sparci&abar;s sent: The Senatours and citesins of Sparta sende greting vnto Sim&obar; the great preste, with the elders, prestes, &abar;d the other people of the Iewes their brethr&ebar;: When youre ambassytours that were sent vnto oure people, certyfied vs of youre worshyppe, honoure and prosperous wealth: we were glad of theyr c&obar;ming, and haue wrytten the eara&ubar;de which they spake before the councell of the people: namely, that Numenius the sonne of Antiochus, And Antipater þe; sonne of Iason þe; Iewes ambassitours are come vnto vs, for to renue the olde fr&ebar;dshipe with vs. Upon this the people consented, that the men shuld be honorably intreated, and that the copy of theyr eara&ubar;de shulde be writt&ebar; in the speciall bokes of the people, for a perpetuall memory vnto þe; Sparcians: yee and that we shulde sende a copy of the same vnto Symon þe; great preste. D   After this dyd Sim&obar; sende Numenius vnto Rome, &wt; a golden shylde of a thousande po&ubar;de weight, to c&obar;firme the fr&ebar;dship &wt; th&ebar;: which when þe; Romaynes vnderstode, they sayde: what th&abar;ckes shall we rec&obar;p&ebar;ce agayne vnto Sym&obar; ∧ his childr&ebar;? For he hath stablished his brethr&ebar;, ∧ ouercome þe; enemies of Israel. Wherfore, they graunted him to be fre. And all this wrote þe; Iewes &ibar; tables of brasse, ∧ nayled it vnto þe; pillers vpon þe; mounte Syon. The copy of the wrytinge is this.

The .xviii. daye of þe; moneth ^note Elul in the Clxxii. yeare in þe; third yeare of Sim&obar; þe; hye preste, in þe; great c&obar;gregacion the prestes, rulers of þe; people, ∧ elders of þe; co&ubar;tre at Asarame, were these wordes openly declared.

E   For so moch as there was moch warre in our land, therfore Simon the sonne of Matathias (come of the children of Iareb) and his brethren put them selues in parell, and resisted the enemyes of theyr people: þt; theyr Sanctuary ∧ lawe myght be maynteyned, and dyd theyr people great worship: Ionathas in lyke maner, after that he had gouerned hys people ∧ bene their hye preste: dyed, and lyeth buryed besyde hys elders.

After that wold theyr enemyes haue trodden their holy thinges vnder fote, destroyed their lande, and vtterly waisted their Sanctuary. Then Symon withstode them, and fought for his people, sp&ebar;t moch of his awne money, weapened the valeaunt men of hys people, gaue them wages, made stronge the cyties of Iuda, wyth Bethsura that lyeth vpon the borders of Iewry (where the ordinaunce of theyr enemies laye somtyme) and set Iewes there for to kepe it.

F   He made fast Ioppa also, which lyeth vp&obar; the see, ∧ Gaza that bordreth vpon Azotus (where þe; enemies dwelt afore) ∧ there he set Iewes to kepe it: and whatsoeuer was mete for the subduyng of the aduersaries, þt; layed he therin. Now wh&ebar; the people sawe the noble actes of Symon, ∧ what worshyppe, he purposed to do for th&ebar;, his godly behauoure, ∧ faithfulnesse which he kepte vnto th&ebar;, and how he sought by all wayes þe; wealth of his people, because he dyd all this, therfore they chose him to be theyr pr&ibar;ce ∧ hye preste. And in his tyme they prospered well by him, so þt; the Heathen were tak&ebar; out of theyr lande: ∧ they also which were in þe; cytie of Dauid at Ierusalem in the castel (where they w&ebar;t out and defyled all thinges that were about the Sanctuary, ∧ dyd greate harme vnto clenlynes) and Symon put men of the Iewes in it, for the defence of the lande and cytie, and set vp the walles of Ierusalem.

G   And kyng Demetrius confirmed hym in his hye presthode, made him his fr&ebar;de, ∧ dyd him great worshippe. For he herde that the Romayns called the Iewes theyr frendes, louers ∧ brethr&ebar;: how honorably they receaued Sym&obar;s ambassitours: how the Iewes ∧ prestes consented that he shulde be theyr pr&ibar;ce ∧ hye prest perpetually (tyll God raysed vp the true prophet) ∧ that he shulde be theyr captaine, to care for the Sanctuary, ∧ to set officers vpon the worckes therof, ouer þe; land, ouer the weapens, ouer the houses of defence, to make prouision for the holy thinges, ∧ to be obeyed of euery m&abar;, ∧ all þe; wrytinges of the land to be made in hys name: þt; he shulde be clothed in purple ∧ golde, ∧ that it shulde be laufull for none of the people nor prestes to breake eny of these thynges, to &wt; stande his wordes, ner to call eny congregacion in the land without him: that he shulde be clothed in purple, ∧ weare a colar of gold: And yf ther were eny which disobeied or brake this ordinaunce, þt; he shulde be punyshed.

So all the people consented to alowe Simon, and to do accordynge to these wordes: Symon also him self toke it vpon him, and was contente to be þe; hye prest, the captayne and prince of the Iewes and prestes, and to

gouerne them all. And they comma&ubar;ded to make this wrytinge in tables of brasse, and fasten it vnto the compasse of the Sanctuary in an open place: and to laye vp a copy of the same in the treasury, that Symon ∧ hys posterite myght haue it. ¶ The .xv. Chapter. ¶ Antiochus maketh a couenaut of frendshyp with Symon, ∧ Triph&obar; is persequuted. The Romaynes wryte letters vnto kynges and nacyons in the defence of the Iewes. Antiochus refusynge the helpe that Symon sent hym, breaketh hys couenaunt.

A   Morouer, kyng Antiochus þe; sonne of Demetrius sent letters fr&obar; þe; Iles of the see, vnto Symon þe; hye prest and prince of the Iewes, and to all þe; people conteyninge these wordes: Antiochus þe; kynge sendeth gretynge vnto Sym&obar; the hye prest and to the people of the Iewes. For so moch as certayne wicked m&ebar; haue gotten þe; kyngdome of oure progenitours, I am purposed to chalenge þe; realme agayne, and to restore it to the olde estate.

Wherfore I haue gathered a great host, ∧ made shippes of warre: þt; I maye goo thorow the countre, ∧ be auenged of th&ebar; which haue destroyed oure land, and wasted many cyties &ibar; my realme. And therfore now I make the fre also fr&obar; all the tributes, wherof al kinges my progenitours haue discharged þe; and fr&obar; other customes (wher fr&obar; they haue released þe;) whatsoeuer they be: Yee I geue þe; leaue to smyte money of thyne awne &wt; in thy lande. As for Ierusalem, I wyll that it be holy and fre: ∧ all the weap&ebar;s and houses of defence which thou hast buylded ∧ kepest in thine h&abar;des, shall be thyne. B   Where as eny thing is or shall be owynge vnto the kynge, I forgeue it þe;, fr&obar; this tyme forth for euermore. And wh&ebar; we haue optayned our kingdome, we shall do þe;, thy people and the t&ebar;ple great worshippe: so þt; your honoure shall be knowen thorow out the whole worlde.

In the .Clxxiiii. yeare wente Antiochus into his fathers lande, ∧ all the m&ebar; of warre came together vnto hym, so that fewe were left &wt; Triphon. So þe; kynge Antiochus folowed vp&obar; h&ibar;, but he fled vnto Dora, which lieth by the see syde: for he sawe þt; there was mischefe comming vnto him, ∧ that his host had forsak&ebar; him. Then cam Antiochus vnto Dora with an hundreth and tw&ebar;ty thousande m&ebar; of armes vpon fote, ∧ eyght thousande horsm&ebar;. So he c&obar;pased the citie ro&ubar;de about, &abar;d þe; shippes came by the See. Thus they vexed the citie by land ∧ by water, in so moch þt; they suffred no m&abar; to go in nor oute.

In the meane season came ^note Numenius (∧ they that had bene with him) from þe; citie of Rome, hauinge lettres written vnto the kynges and prouincies, wherin were c&obar;teyned these wordes: C   Lucius þe; Mayre of Rome sendeth greting vnto Ptolomy þe; kyng. The embassitours of the Iewes our frendes beyng sent from Symon the hye prest and from the people of the Iewes, came vnto vs for to renue the olde frendshippe, and bonde of loue, brought a shylde of golde weyeng a thousande pounde, which we were contente to receaue of them. Wherfore we thought it good to wryte vnto the kynges and prouincies, to do them no harme, nor to take parte agaynst them, theyr cityes ner co&ubar;trees, nether to maintene their enemies agaynst th&ebar;. If there be eny wycked personnes therfore, fled from their countre vnto you, deliuer th&ebar; vnto Symon the hye prest, that he maye punish them according to theyr awne lawe.

The same wordes wrote the Romaynes also vnto Demetrius þe; kynge, to Attalus, Araba, Arsaces ∧ to all regions: as Samsanes, to th&ebar; of Sparta, Delo, Mido, Sid&obar;, Caria, Samos, Pamphilia, Lycia, Alicarnassum, ∧ to the Rhodes, to Faselis, Coo, Sida, Arado, Gortina, Gnyd&ubar;, to Cypres and to Cyren. D   And of euery lettre they sent a copy to Simon þe; hye prest and to the people of the Iewes. So Antiochus the kynge brought his host vnto Dora þe; seconde tyme to take it: where he made diuerse ordinaunce of warre, ∧ kepte Triph&obar; in, that he shuld not come forth. Th&ebar; sent Symon to Antiochus two thousande chosen men to help him with gold, syluer and other plenteous geere: Neuerthelesse, he wolde not receaue them, but brake all þe; couenaunt which he made &wt; Sym&obar; afore, ∧ withdrewe him self fr&obar; him.

He sent Athenobius also a frende of hys vnto Sim&obar;, for to reason with him, saying: Ye witholde fro me Ioppa ∧ Gaza (with the castell that is at Ierusalem) which are cyties of my realme, whose borders ye haue destroyed, ∧ done greate euell in the lande, hauyng the dominacyon in many other places of my kyngdome. Wherfore delyuer now þe; cyties which ye haue taken, with þe; trybutes of the places that ye haue rule vp&obar; without þe; borders of Iewry: Or els geue my fyue h&ubar;dreth talentes of syluer, yee and for þe; harme that ye haue done in þe; cyties ∧ for the tributes of þe; same, other fyue hundreth talentes. If no, we shall come and fyght agaynst you.

E   So Athenobius the kynges frende came to Ierusalem, ∧ wh&ebar; he sawe the great worshyp and honoure of Symon in gold, syluer ∧ so great plenty of ornamentes: he marueled, and tolde Symon as þe; kyng commaunded hym. Then answered Symon and sayd vnto hym: ^note As for vs, we haue nether tak&ebar; other mens l&abar;des, ner withhold&ebar; th&ebar;, but onely oure fathers heritage, which oure enemyes had vnryghteously in possession a certayne tyme. This heritage of oure fathers haue we chalenged in processe of tyme. And

where as thou c&obar;playnest concernyng Ioppa and Gaza, they dyd great harme to oure people and in oure lande, yet wyll we geue an .C. talentes for them.

Neuertheles Athenobius answered hym not one word, but turned agayne wrothfully vnto the kyng, ∧ tolde him all these wordes, and the great dignite of Symon, with all that he had sene, and the kynge was very angrie. In the meane tyme fled Triphon by shippe vnto Orthosaida. Then the kyng made Cendebeus captayne of the see coast, ∧ gaue him an host of fote men and horsmen, commaundynge him to remoue the host towarde Iewry, and to buylde vp the cytie of Cedron, to make vp the portes, and to warre agaynst the people of the Iewes. As for þe; kyng hym selfe, he folowed vpon Triphon. So Cendebeus came vnto Iamnia, and beganne to vexe the people, to treade downe Iewry, to take þe; people presoners, to slaye them, and ^note to buylde vp Cedron: where he sett horsmen and other men of warre, that they myght come forth and go thorow the stretes of Iewry, lyke as the kyng had commaunded hym. ¶ The .xvi. Chapter. ¶ Cendebeus the captayne of Antiochus hoste is put to flight of the sonnes of Symon Ptolomeus þe; sonne of Adobus kylleth Symon ∧ his .ii. sonnes at a banket. Iohn kylleth them that lye in wayte for hys lyfe.

A   Then came Ihon vp from ^note Gaza, and tolde Symon his father, what Cendebeus had done amonge theyr people. Upon thys called Symon two of hys eldest sonnes, Iudas and Ihon, and sayd vnto them: I and my brethren and my fathers house, haue euer fr&obar; our youth vp vnto this daye, foughten agaynst the enemyes of Israel, and God gaue vs good fortune to delyuer Israell oft tymes. And now for so moch as I am olde, be ye in steade of me ∧ my brother, to go forth and fyght for oure people, ∧ the helpe of God be with you. So he chose. xx.M. fighting men of þe; countre, with horsmen also, which wente forth agaynst Cendebeus, and rested at Modin.

In the mornyng they arose, and went into the playne felde: and beholde, a myghtye great host came agaynst them, both of fote men and horsmen. Now was there a water broke betwyxte them, and Ihon remoued þe; host towarde them. And when he sawe that the people was afrayed to goo ouer the water broke, he wente ouer fyrst hym selfe: and the men seinge this, folowed hym.

B   Then Ihon set his horsmen and fote men in ordre, the one by the other, for theyr enemies horsmen were very many. But when they blewe vp the prestes trompettes, Cendebeus fled &wt; his hoste, wherof many were slayne, and the remnaunt gat them to theyr stronge holde. Iudas also Ihons brother was wounded at the same tyme. And Ihon folowed styll vpon the enemyes, tyll he cam to Cedr&obar; ^note which he buylded. The enemyes fled also vnto the towres that were in the feldes of Azotus, and those dyd Ihon burne vp. Thus there were slayne .ii.M. men of them, and Ihon turned agayne peaceably into Iewry.

And in the felde of Iericho was Ptolomy the sonne of Abobus made captayne: which because he had aboundaunce of syluer and golde (for he had maried þe; daughter of Symon þe; hye prest) waxed proude in hys mynde, and thought to conquere the lande, ymagening falshed agaynst Sym&obar; and his sonnes, to destroye them. C   Now as Symon was goyng aboute thorow the cyties, that were in the countre of Iewry, and caring for th&ebar;: he came downe to Iericho with Mathatias and Iudas his sonnes, in the .Clxxvii. yeare in the .xi. moneth called ^note Sabat. Th&ebar; Ptolomy the sonne of Abobus receaued th&ebar; (but with disceate) into a stronge house of hys called Doch, whych he had buylded, where he made them a bancket.

So when Symon and hys sonnes were mery and had dr&obar;cken well, Ptolomy stode vp with hys men (whom he had hyd there) and toke their weapens, entred into þe; bancket house, and slewe Symon with his two sonnes, and certaine of his serua&ubar;tes. Soch great vnfaythfulnesse dyd Ptolomy in Israell, and recompensed euell for good. Then wrote this Ptolomy þe; same vnto kyng Antiochus, requyringe him, D   that he shuld sende hym an host to helpe him: and so shuld he delyuer hym the lande, with the cyties and tributes of the same. He sent other men also vnto Gaza, for to take Ihon: and wrote vnto the captaynes to come to him, and he shulde geue them syluer, golde and rewardes. And to Ierusalem he sent other, to take it, ∧ the Sanctuary.

Then ranne there one before, and tolde Ih&obar; in Gaza, that his father ∧ his brethren were slayne, ∧ how that Ptolomy had sent to slaye hym also. When Ihon herde this, he was sore abashed, and layed handes of them that were come to destroye hym, and slewe them: for he knewe, that they went aboute to kyll hym.

As for other thynges concernyng Ihon: of hys warres, of hys noble actes (wherin he behaued hym selfe manfully) of the buyldinge of walles which he made, and other of his dedes: They are written in the cronicles of hys presthode, from the tyme forth that he was made hye prest after hys father. ¶ The ende of the fyrst booke of the Machabees.

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