A   This Symon now ^note (of wh&obar; we spake afore) beinge a be wrayer of the money ∧ of hys awne naturall contre, reported þe; worst of Onias: as though he had moued Heliodorus vnto thys, ∧ as though he had bene a brynger vp of euel. Thus was he not ashamed to call hym an enemye of þe; realme, that was so faythfull an ouerseer ∧ defender of the cite ∧ of his people: yee &abar;d so feruent in the lawe of God. But wh&ebar; þe; malice of Sim&obar; &ibar;creased so farre, that thorow hys frendes there were certayne m&abar;slaughters c&obar;mytted: Onias considered the parell that myght come thorow this stryfe, ∧ how that Appoloni&us; (namely the chefe Lorde in Celosyria ∧ Phenices) was all set vpon tyranny, and Symons malice &ibar;creased the same: He gat him to the kynge, not as an accuser of the cytesins, but as one that by h&ibar; self intended þe; comon wealth of the whole multitude. For he sawe it was not possible to lyue in peace, nether Simon to leaue of from his folyshnesse, except þe; kynge dyd loke therto. But after the deeth of Seleucus, when Antioch&us; (which is called the noble) toke þe; kyngdome: B   Iason the brother of Onias laboured to be hye prest: For he came vnto the kynge, and promised him thre h&ubar;dreth ∧ .lx. talentes of syluer, ∧ of þe; other rentes .lxxx. talentes. Besides this he promised him yet an .C. ∧ .L. yf he myght haue the scole of the chyldren, ∧ that he myght call them of Ierusalem Antiochians. Which when the kinge had graunted, ∧ he had gott&ebar; þe; superiorite, he beg&abar;ne immediatly to draw his kynsm&ebar; to the custome of the Heathen, put downe þe; thynges that the Iewes had set vp of loue, by Iohn þe; father of Eupolemi&us; which was sent ambassitoure vnto Rome, for to make þe; bonde of frendshyppe ∧ loue. He put downe all the Iewes ∧ Lyberties of the Iewes, ∧ set vp the wicked statutes. He durst make a fyghtynge scole vnder the castell, and set fayre y&obar;ge men to lerne the maners of whores and brothels.

C   This was now þe; begynnyng of the Heathenysh ∧ straunge conuersacy&obar;, brought in thorow the vngracious ∧ vnhearde wickednesse of Iason, which shulde not be called a Prest, but an vngodly personne. In so moch that the prestes were now nomore occupied about the seruyce of the aulter, but despysed the temple, regarded not the offrynges: yee gaue their diligence to lerne to fyght, to wrastle, to leape, to daunce, ∧ to put at þe; stone not settyng by þe; honour of þe; fathers, but lyked the glory of the Grekes best of all: for the which they stroue perlously, ∧ were gredy to folowe theyr statutes, yee, theyr lust was in all thinges to be lyke th&ebar;, which afore were theyr enemyes ∧ destroyers. Howbeit to do wyckedly agaynst þe; lawe of God shall not escape vnpunyshed: but of this we shall speake here after.

D   What tyme as the ^note Olympiades sportes were played at Tyrus (þe; kynge hym selfe

beinge presente) this vngracyo&us; Iason sent wycked men, bearyng from them of Ierusalem (whych now were called Antiochians) iii.C. drachmars of syluer for an offerynge to Hercules. These had they þt; caryed them desyred vnder soch a fashi&obar;, as though they shulde not haue bene offred but bestowed to other vses. Neuertheles, he that sent them, sent them to the int&ebar;t that they shulde be offred vnto Hercules. But because of those þt; were present, they were geuen as to the makynge of shyppes. And Appolonius the sonne of Nesteus was sent into Egypte, because of the noble men of kynge Ptolomy Phylometor. Now when Antiochus perceaued, that he was put out from medlynge in þe; realme, he sought his awne profyte, departed from thence, came to Ioppa, ∧ then to Ierusalem: where he was honorably receaued of Iason, ∧ of þe; cytie, ∧ was brought in wyth torche lyght and with greate prayse: and so he turned his hoost vnto Phenices.

E   After .iii. yeare Iason sent Menela&us;, the foresayde Sim&obar;s brother, ^note to beare þe; money vnto þe; kyng, ∧ to bringe hym answere of other necessary matters. But he (wh&ebar; he was praysed of the kyng for magnifying of his power) turned þe; presthod vnto him self, layinge vp .iii.C. talentes of syluer for Iason. So wh&ebar; he had gotten c&obar;maundem&ebar;tes from the kyng (he came hauynge nothinge þt; bec&obar;meth a preste) but bearinge þe; stomack of a cruel tyra&ubar;t, ∧ þe; wrath of a wilde brute beest. ^noteTh&ebar; Iason (which had disceaued his awne brother) seinge that he him selfe was begyled also, was fayne to fle into the lande of the Ammonites, ∧ Menelaus gat the dominion. But as for þe; money þt; he had promysed vnto þe; kyng, he dyd nothinge therin, when Sostratus the ruler of the castell requyred it of him. For Sostratus was þe; m&abar; that gathered the customes: wherfore they were both called before þe; kyng. Thus was Menelaus put out of the presthode, ∧ Lysimachus his brother came in his steade. Sostratus also was made Lord of þe; Cypri&abar;s.

F   It happened in the meane season, that þe; Tharsi&abar;s ∧ Mallaci&abar;s made insurreccion, because they were geuen for a present vnto kynge Antiochus c&obar;cubyne. Then came the kynge in all the haste, to styll them agayne, ∧ to pacyfie þe; matter, leauyng Andronicus there to be his debyte as one mete therfore. Now Menelaus supposing that he had gotten a ryght conuenient tyme, stole certayne vessels of golde out of the temple, and gaue them to Andronic&us; for a present: ∧ some he solde at Tyrus and in the cyties therby.

Which when Onias knewe of a suertye, he reproued him: but he kepte him in a Sanctuary beside Daphnis, that lieth by Antioche. Wherfore Menelaus gat h&ibar; to Andronicus, ∧ prayed h&ibar; þt; he wold slaye Onias. So wh&ebar; he came to Onias, be co&ubar;celed him craftely to come out of the Sanctuary geuynge hym his hande with an othe (how be it he suspecte hym) ∧ then he slew Onyas, wythout any regarde of ryghtuousnesse.

For the whych cause not only the Iewes, but other nacyons also toke indignacyon, ∧ were displeased for the vnryghtuous death of so godly a man.

G   And when the kynge was come agayne from Cilicia, the Iewes and certayne of þe; Grekes wente vnto hym, c&obar;playninge for the vnryghtuous death of Onias. Yee Antiochus him selfe was sory in hys mynde for Onias, so that it pityed him, ∧ he wepte, remembrynge his sobernesse ∧ manerly behauoure. Wherfore he was so kyndled in hys mynde, that he c&obar;ma&ubar;ded Andronicus to be stryped out of his purple cloth&ibar;ge, ∧ so to be led thorow out the cite: yee, ∧ the vngracio&us; man to be slayne in the same place where he c&obar;mitted his wickednes vp&obar; Onias. Thus the Lorde rewarded him his punyshm&ebar;t, as he had deserued. Now when Lysymachus had done many wycked dedes in the temple thorow the councell of Menelaus, and the voyce came abrode: the multitude gathered them together agaynst Lysymachus: for he had caryed out now moch golde.

So when the people arose, and were full of dyspleasure, Lysymachus armed .iii.M vnthriftes to defende hym: a certayne tyraunte beyng theyr captayne, which was growen both in age and woodnesse. But when the people vnderstode the purpose of Lysymachus, some gat stones, some good str&obar;ge clubbes, ∧ some cast ashes vp&obar; Lysimachus Thus there were many of th&ebar; wounded, some beyng slayne, ∧ al þe; other chaced awaye, But as for the wycked churchrobber hym selfe, they kylled h&ibar; besyde the treasury. H   Of these matters therfore there was kepte a courte agaynst Menelaus. Now when the kynge came to Tyrus, they made a complaynte vnto him of Menelaus, c&obar;cerning this busynesse, and the ambassytours were thre. But Menelaus w&ebar;t ∧ promised Ptolomy, to geue hym moch money, yf he wolde persuade þe; kyng. So Ptolomy w&ebar;t to the k&ibar;g into a courte (where as he was sett to coole hym) ∧ brought hym out of þe; mynde. In so moch that he discharged Menelaus fr&obar; the accusacyons, that not wythstandynge was cause of all myschefe: and those poore men, whych yf they had tolde their cause, yee, before the Sciti&abar;s, they shulde haue bene iudged innocent, them he condemned to death.

Thus were they soone punyshed, whych folowed vpon the matter for þe; cytie, for the people, ∧ for the holy vessel. Wherfore they of Tyrus toke indignacy&obar;, and buryed th&ebar;

honorably. And so thorow þe; couetousnesse of them that were in power. Menelaus remayned styll in aucthorite, increasyng &ibar; malyce, to the hurte of the citesyns.

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