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.

Previous section

Next section