A   It happened also þt; there were .vii. brethre (wyth theyr mother) taken, ∧ compelled by the kynge ^note aga&ibar;st þe; lawe, to eate swynes flesh: namely &wt; scourges and lethren whyppes. And one of them whych was þe; chefe, sayd: what sekest thou, and what requyrest thou of vs? As for vs, we are ready rather to suffre death, then to offende the lawes of God and the fathers. Then was the kinge angrye, and bad heate cauldrons and brasen pottes. Whych when they were made hote, &ibar;mediatly he c&obar;ma&ubar;ded the tonge of hym that spake fyrst, to be cut out, to pul the skinne ouer hys heade, to pare of the edges of hys handes and fete: yee and that in the syght of his mother ∧ the other of hys brethren. Now when he was cleane marred, he commaunded a fyre to be made, ∧ so (whyle there was eny breath in hym) to be fryed in the caudr&obar;: In the which wh&ebar; he had bene longe payned the other brethr&ebar; with theyr mother exhorted him to dye manfully, say&ebar;ge: The Lord God shall regarde the treuth, and conforte vs, lyke as Moses testifieth ^note ∧ declareth in hys songe, sayenge: and he wyll haue compassyon on hys seruauntes.

B   So when the fyrst was deed after thys maner, they brought the seconde to haue h&ibar; in derysy&obar;, pulled the skynne wyth the hearre ouer hys heade, ∧ asked hym, yf he wolde eate swynes flesh, or he were payned in the other membres also thorow out hys body. But he answered boldly, and sayde: I wyll not do it. And so was he torm&ebar;ted lyke as þe; fyrst, and when he was euen at the geuynge vp the goost he sayde: Thou most vngracyous pers&obar;ne puttest vs now to death, but þe; kyng of the worlde shal rayse vs vp (which dye for his lawes) in the resurrecci&obar; of euerlastynge lyfe.

After hym, was þe; thyrde had in derysyon and when he was requyred, he put out hys tonge, and that ryght soone, holdynge forth hys h&abar;des manfully, and spake wyth a stedfast fayth: These haue I of heau&ebar;, but now for the lawe of God I despyse them: for my trust is, that I shall receaue them of hym agayne. In so moch that the kynge and they whych were wyth hym, marueled at þe; yonge mans boldnesse, that he nothynge regarded the paynes.

C   Now when he was deed also, they vexed the fourth wyth tormentes in lyke maner. So wh&ebar; he was now at hys death, he sayed It is better that we beynge put to death of men, haue oure hope and trust &ibar; God for he shall rayse vs vp agayne. ^noteAs for the, thou shalt haue no resurreccyon to lyfe.

And when they had spoken to the fyfth, they tormented hym. Th&ebar; loked he vnto þe; kyng, ∧ sayd: thou hast power amonge men for thou art a mortall m&abar; also thy selfe, to do what þu; wylt, but thynke not, that God hath forsaken oure generacyon. Abyde the, tary styll a whyle, and thou shalt se þe; great power of God, how he wyll punysh the and thy sede. After hym they brought the syxte, whych beynge at the poynte of death, sayd, Be not disceaued (O kyng) for this we suffre for our awne sakes, because we haue off&ebar;ded our God, ∧ therfore maruelous thynges are shewed vpon vs. But thynke not thou, whych takest in hande to stryue agaynst God, that thou shalt escape vnpunyshed.

D   This excellent mother (worthy to be well reported of, and had in remembra&ubar;ce) sawe her seuen sonnes dye in one daye, and suffred it paci&ebar;tly, because of the hope that she had in God: yee, she exhorted euery one of th&ebar; in especyall, and that boldly ∧ stedfastly with parfyte wysdome, wakynge vp her wyuysh thought with a manly stomacke, and sayde vnto them: I can not tell how ye came &ibar; my w&obar;be, for I nether gaue you breth ner soule, no nor lyfe. It is not I þt; ioyned the membres of youre bodyes together, but the maker of the worlde, which fashyoned þe; byrth of man, and beganne all thynges. Euen he also of hys awne mercy shall geue you breath and lyfe agayne, lyke as ye now regarde not your awne selues for his lawes sake.

Now thought Antyochus that she had despysed hym, therfore he let her go wyth her reproues, ∧ beganne to exhorte the yongest sonne (which yet was left) not only &wt; wordes but swore vnto hym wyth an ooth. that he shuld make hym a rych and welthy man (yf he wolde forsake the lawes of hys fathers) yee, and that he shulde geue hym, whatsoeuer were necessary for hym. E   But when the yonge man wolde not be moued, for all these thynges, he called hys mother, ∧ counceled her to saue her sonnes lyfe. And when he had exhorted her wyth many wordes, she promysed hym þt; she shulde speake vnto her s&obar;ne. So she turned her vnto hym (laughynge the cruell tyraunte to scorne) ∧ spake wyth a bolde voyce: O my sonne, haue pytie vpon me, that bare the .ix. monethes in my wombe, that gaue the sucke, norished the ∧ brought the vp vnto thys age.

I beseche þe; (my sonne) loke vpon heauen ∧ earth and all that is therin, and c&obar;sydre, that God made them and mans generacyon of naught: so shalt thou not feare thys hangman, but suffre death stedfastly, lyke

as thy brethren haue done: that I maye receaue the agayne &ibar; the same mercy with thy brethren.

Whyle she was yet speakynge these wordes, the yonge man sayd: whom loke ye for? Wherfore do ye tary? I wyll not obeye the kynges c&obar;maundement, ^note but the law that God gaue vs by Moses. As for thou that ymagynest all myschefe agaynst the Iewes, thou shalt not escape the hande of God, F    for we suffre these thynges, because of oure synnes.

And though God be angrye wyth vs a lytle whyle (for oure chastenynge and reformacyon) yet shal he be at one agayne wyth his seruauntes. But thou. (O shamefull ∧ most abhomynable personne.) Pryde not thy selfe thorow vayne hope, in beynge so malycyous vp&obar; the seruauntes of God: for thou hast not yet escaped the iudgement of the God whych is almyghtye, and seyth all thynges. My brethren that haue suffred a lytle payne, are now vnder the couena&ubar;t of euerlastynge lyfe: but thorow the iudgem&ebar;t of God, thou shalt be punished ryghteoussly for thy pryde.

As for me (lyke as my brethren haue done) I offre my soule ∧ my body for the lawes of our fathers, callynge vpon God, that he wyll soone be mercyfull vnto our people: yee and wyth payne and punyshement ^note to make the graunte, that he only is God. In me now ∧ in my brethren þe; wrath of almyghty God is at an ende, whych ryghteously is fallen vpon all oure people.

Then the kynge beynge kyndled in anger, was more cruell vpon him then vpon all þe; other, and toke indygnacy&obar;, that he was so lyghtly regarded. So thys yonge man dyed vndefyled, ∧ put hys trust styll in the Lord Last of all after the s&obar;nes, was the mother put to death also. Let this now be ynough spoken, concernynge the offerynges, and extreme cruelnesse.

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