A   Not longe after this, Lysias þe; kynges stewarde ∧ a kynsman of hys (whych had the gouerna&ubar;ce of hys matters) toke sore displeasure for þe; thynges that had happened: &abar;d wh&ebar; he had gathered .lxxx.M. men of fote wyth all the hoste of þe; horsmen, he came agaynst the Iewes, thynckynge to wynne þe; cytie, to make it an habitacyon for the Heathen, ^note and þe; t&ebar;ple wolde he haue to be an house of lucre, lyke as the other goddes houses of the Heath&ebar; are, ∧ to sell the prestes offyce euery yeare: Not c&obar;sydering the power of God, but was wylde in his mynde, ^note trustynge in þe; multitude of fote men, in thousandes of horsmen, and in his .lxxx. Elephantes.

B   So he came into Iewry ∧ then to Bethsura (a castell of defence) lyinge in a narow place .v. furlonges from Ierusalem, ∧ w&abar;ne it. Now when Machabeus and hys c&obar;pany knewe that the stronge holdes were taken, ^note they fell to their prayers with wepynge ∧ teares before the Lorde. And all þe; people in lyke maner besought him, þt; he wolde send a good angell to delyuer Israel. Machabeus hym self was the fyrst that made him ready to the battayll, exhorting þe; other that were wyth hym, to ieoperde th&ebar;selues, ∧ to helpe their brethren. And when they were goynge forth of Ierusalem together wyth a redy ∧ wylling mynde, ^note there appeared before th&ebar; vpon horsbacke a man in whyte clothynge wyth harnesse of golde, shakyng his speare. Then they praysed the Lorde all together, which had shewed them mercy, ∧ were comforted in their myndes: in somoch that they were ready, not only to fyght with men, but wyth the most cruell beastes, yee ∧ retourne thorow walles of yron.

Thus they wente on willyngly hauynge an helper fr&obar; heauen, and þe; Lorde mercyfull vnto th&ebar;. C   They fell myghtely vp&obar; their enemyes lyke ly&obar;s, brought downe .xi.M. fote men .xvi.C. horsm&ebar;, put all þe; other to flight many of th&ebar; beyng wounded, and some gat awaye naked. Yee Lysias h&ibar;self was fayne to fle shamefully, and so to escape. Neuerthelesse, þe; m&abar; was not without vnderstanding, but c&obar;sydered by hym self þt; hys power was mynished, and p&obar;dred how the Iewes being defended by þe; helpe of Almighty God, were notable to be ouercome: wherfore he sent th&ebar; worde, ∧ promysed, þt; he wolde c&obar;sente to all thynges which were reasonable, and to make þe; kyng their fr&ebar;de. To þe; which prayer of Lysias Machabeus agreed, sekynge in all thynges þe; comen wealth ∧ whatsoeuer Machabeus wrote vnto Lysias concerning the Iewes, the kyng graunted it. For there were letters wrytt&ebar; vnto the Iewes from Lysias, conteynynge these wordes.

Lysias sendeth gretynge to the people of the Iewes. D   Ihon and Absalon whych were sent from you, delyuered me wrytynges, ∧ requyred me to fulfyll the thynges concernynge theyr earande. Therfore loke what might be gra&ubar;ted, I certified þe; kyng therof: ∧ whatsoeuer was c&obar;uenient. I agreed therto. If ye now will be faythfull in þe; matters I shall endeuer my selfe herafter also to do you good. As concernynge other thinges by euery article therof: I haue c&obar;mytted th&ebar; to youre messaungers, ∧ to those whom I sent vnto you, to com&ebar; &wt; you of þe; same, fare ye well. In the .C. and .xlviii. yeare, the .xxiiii. daye of the moneth Dioscorinthius.

Now þe; kynges lettre c&obar;teyned these wordes. Kyng Antiochus sendeth gret&ibar;ge vnto his brother Lysias. For so moch as oure father, ^note is now deed, oure wyll is, that they which are in oure realme, lyue wythout eny insurreccion, ∧ euery m&abar; to be dilig&ebar;t in hys awne matters. We vnderst&abar;de also, þt; þe; Iewes wolde not consent to oure father, for to be brought vnto þe; custome of the G&ebar;tyles, but styfly to kepe their awne statutes: for þt; whych cause they requyre of vs also, to lett them remayne styll by their awne lawes.

E   Wherfore, oure mynde is, þt; this people shalbe in rest: we haue concluded ∧ determyned also, to restore them their t&ebar;ple agayne: that they maye lyue accordyng to the vse ∧ custome of their forefathers. Thou shalt do vs a pleasure therfore, yf þu; sende vnto them and agre with th&ebar;: that when they are certifyed of oure mynde, they maye be of good chere, and loke to their awne wealth.

And this was the lettre, that the kynge wrote vnto þe; Iewes: kyng Antiochus sendeth gretyng vnto the councell and þe; other people of þe; Iewes: If ye fare well, we haue our desyre: as for vs, we are in good health. Menelaus came and tolde vs, how ∧ youre desyre was to come downe to youre people, whych are wyth vs.

F   Wherfore those that wyll come, we geue th&ebar; fre lyberte, vnto the .xxx. daye of the moneth of April, þt; they may vse þe; meates of þe; Iewes and their awne lawes, like as afore: ∧ none of th&ebar; by eny maner of wayes to haue harme, for thynges done &ibar; ignora&ubar;ce. Menelaus wh&obar; we haue s&ebar;t vnto you, shal com&ebar; &wt; you at large, fare ye wel. In the .Cxlviii. yeare, the .xv. daye of the moneth of April.

The Romaynes also sent a lettre, c&obar;teynynge these wordes: Quintus Mennius ∧ Titus Manilius embassitours of the Romaynes, sende gretinge vnto the people of the Iewes. Loke what Lysias the kynges kynsman hath graunted you, we graunte you the same also. But as concernynge the thynges whych he referred vnto the kynge, sende hyther some with spede, and p&obar;dre the matter diligently amonge your selues, that

we maye cast þe; best to youre profyte, for we must departe now vnto Antioche. And therfore write shortly agayne, þt; we maye know your minde: Fare well. In þe; h&ubar;dreth .xlviii yeare, the .xv. daye of the moneth of Aprill.

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