said one of the Saduces the matter is plaine that according to the mindes of the Sages at their bidding he vpbrayded thée therfore they would not awarde him to die Whereat the kinge helde his peace and gaue neuer a worde to answer So all the ioye was dashed and turned into sadnesse The next day at the commaundement of the king proclamations went out to all the Cities in the kinges dominions that they shoulde stande to the ordenaunce of Sadoch and Bithus and who soeuer should refence to folow their decrees or would obserue the tradicions of the Sages and obey their wil shuld suffer death This was Ihon the hie priest whiche had the priesthode xl yeares and in th end became a Saducie Notwithstandinge the Israelites obeyed not the kinges commaundement but rather priuilye followed the orders of the sages The king him selfe and all his seruantes folowed the traditions of the Saducies making inquisition for them that stake to the constitutions of the Sages and putting to deathe as many as he coulde get knowledge of By this meanes he drue much people of Israel into this opinion The time that Hircanus reygned ouer Israell was .xxxi. yere and then he died After him reigned his sonne Aristobulus for he had .iii. sonnes Aristobulus Antigonus and Alexander This Alexander was hated of his father and banished out of his presence He went therfore and made warre vpon Tire and Sidon subdued them and compelled them to be circumcised Aristobulus regarded not the high priesthode but set light by it wherfore he wold not execute the office therof but toke the kingdome vppon him and set the crowne vppon his heade and was called the great king Besides this he banished his mother and Alexander her sonne his yonger brother and wold not suffer them to dwell in Ierusalem But he loued his brother Antigonus and made him lieuetenant generall of all his warres setting him forward into the warres againste hys ennemies Wherin the yong mā Antigonus had good fortune and prospered in al thinges that he toke in hād and returned safe to Ierusalem Wheras he entred into the house of the sanctuary to pray for his brother the king which at that time was greuously sicke and also to acknowledge before the Lorde God his goodnesse and mercye towardes him in that he aided him against his enemies Then came a certain wicked person vnto the king informed him with this tale Thy brother saith he returning from the warres inquyred ▪ of thy health when it was told him thou wast sicke he saide I will go to him to day rid him out of the world When the kinge heard this he was wrothe towarde the sages commaunded his brother to be apprehēded and caried to the palaice of Starton there to be kepte in prisonne till he hadde made inquisition of his doinges In the meane space the Quene the kinges wife commaunded him to be put to death there without knowlege of the kinges minde But when the Kinge hearde that hys brother was killed he cried mainly out and wepte smiting his brest in such a sorte with his hande that he sowned and muche blud issued out of his mouth He reigned ouer Israel .ii. yere After him his brother Alexander reigned who was also called king Ianai being broughte out of prisō where his brother had put him and made king of Israel He was a mighty man and valeante in all his warres against his ennemies preuailing against thē He had warres with the Philistines namelye Azam and Ascalon whom he put to the worsse and ouercame them This man refused not the priesthode but was his priest It chaunced on a time when he stode at thaltare to offer sacrifice one of the sages cast Ceder trée vpon him wherat he lift vp his right-righthand vpon the altare crying geue me my sword Then the Sages kneled down before him and sware they did it not of anye contempt but rather say thei that we thus sporting before the Lord would be mery vpon the hie solempne daye But the kinges seruauntes answered roughly again saiynge Althoughe ye play and reioyie yet it is not the maner of the country to vse any such dispitful custome with the king The cōtencion waxed hot amongste them til at the length the Sages spake euil of the king castinge in his tethe that he was an vnhallowed and suspended person and that his graūdmother on the fathers side was a captiue in the mount Modiit wherby her seede was steined The king was sore moued at that in so much that he commaunded all the Sages to be slaine Therefore wher so euer they founde them in the sanctuary or in the stretes of Ierusalem they killed them forthwith Then the king commaunded that euery mā should obei the gouernaunce and tradicions of the Saducies So in those daies had the Sages great tribulatiō some fel vpon the sworde some fled awaye and some taried at home with dishonor and shame After these matters the king made an expedicion into Arabia entred the country as farre as the rocke of the wildernes against Hartam kinge of Arabia and subdued his lande After that he warred vpon Medaba and the hole lande of Moab vanquishing them and bringing them vnder tribute and so retourned with honor to Ierusalem When he had after this wel bethought him of his doings it repēted him of his euil waies wherfore he altered his minde and began to make much of the Sages submitted him to their ordinaunce and estemed their tradicions There were also at that time a kinde of secte that were called * These I take to be the same that he calleth sages before Phariseis of whom such as had escaped the kinge sente to call them home again and when they wer come into his presence he spake vnto them comfortable wordes saying My brethern ye shal vnderstand that that is once done and past must nedes be termed as it is and can not be reuoked And truth it is you can excuse the reproche that ye did me nor I can not call againe the bloud that I haue shed Notwithstanding I confesse my faulte vnto you and haue chaunged my indignation to loue praiynge you to put out of your heart all rancour and malice laye awaie also your mournynge and sorowfulnesse of your mindes reioysyng in your reconciliation and atonement with me be of good cheare But they made him answere We wil not laie away our hatred and enmitie for thou speakest but disceitfully we speake that is truthe Furthermore thou hast killed our chief men and elders neither hast thou onely done vs this iniurie but also Hircanus thy father who began such mischiefe thou hast holden on and cōtinued it Wherfore this hatred betwene thee and vs hath taken some roote neither can we leaue our sorowe and mourninge tyll thou dye and God take vengeaunce vpon thee for our sakes then shal wee reioice when we see vengeaunce So they departed from his presence neither did the kinge
authority ouer the learned sort puttinge them into their handes to ordre at their pleasure Wherupon straight way they founde one Dogrus a greate man amongst the learned sort whom they stewe much people besides of the auncients of that sect so that the Sectaries were in great distresse Thei gathered them selues together therfore and came to Aristobulus the lieutenaunt of the warres and with him they came to the Quene saiyng vnto her Thou knowest the enmitie that is betwene vs and the Pharisies which hate thy busband and father in lawe yea and thy children also We were his men of warre that went with him in all his affaires and ayded him now thou hast geuen vs into their handes to bee murdered and banished out of the Lande What will Hartam kinge of Arabia dooe when he heareth this that we shall forsake thee He wâ—â— come and reuenge him of all the battaile that thy husband fought agaynst him Yea the Pharisies will take his parte and deliuer thee and thy children into his handes that there shall not be left vnto Hircanus the kynge and his sonne Alexander thy husbande anye name or remnant at all The Quene gaue them no word to answer wherat Aristobulus was angrye and letted not to vtter it to his mothers face but she would not heare him Wherefore Aristobulus counseled the Sectaries to go their waies and depart oute of Ierusalem to chuse them cities in the laÌ„d of Iuda where they mighte dwel with their honor not to suffre them selues to be slain vnder the Pharisies hands Wherfore departing from Ierusalem they dwelte in the cities of Iuda Not longe after this it fortuned the Quene fel sore sicke that she was like to die Wherof when Aristobulus heard he feared least the Pharisies wold make his brother Hircanus kinge and at length apprehende him wherefore he fled away by night to the cities of the Saducies to be their heade and make war vpon his brother if he would presume to reigne He came therefore to the Prince of the Saducies called Galustius who was a good man of war And after he had gathered a stronge armye of the Saducies his mother the Quene sent vnto him that he shoulde returne vnto her which he wolde not do but rather went to war vppon the nacions that dwelt about him where he wan .xx. cities and gate him great renowne therby Now as the Quene his mother waxed sicker and sicker the chiefe Pharisies came vnto her with her sonne Hircanus weping before her and saiyng how they were afraid of her sonne Aristobulus who if he should come into Ierusalem take it he would deliuer them vp into the handes of the Saducies Vnto whome she answered I am as you see at the point of death not able to talke much with you there is here in my house great treasure that my husbande and my fathered gathered and their pareÌ„ts kings of the posterity of Chasmonani take that vnto you and make my soÌ„ne Hircanus king ouer you If Aristobulus wil perturbe him and make warre againste him ye may wage menne of war therwith and succour him as you thinke good And euen with this she fainted and died and was buried amongst her people after she had reigned .ix. yeare ouer Israel The Pharisies therfore and priestes with all the inhabitantes of Ierusalem made Hircanus her sonne king in her stede Aristobulus hearinge tidinges of these thinges assembled his army and came toward Ierusalem to fight against his brother But Hircanus met him and encountred with him nye vnto Iordane Iericho The Saducies of Aristobulus hoste were good men of warre and to strong for the Pharises Wherfore Hircanus the Pharisies had the ouerthrow at Aristobulus and the Saduces handes who with this victorye proceded forth to Ierusalem besieged it brought it to great distres Wherfore the priestes and the aunciente of the people consulted together came forth to Aristobulus fel prostrate vpon th earth afore him and besought him that he wold not scatter abrode the inheritaunce of the Lorde He condiscended vnto their desires vpon these conditions that he should enter into Ierusalem with them and be kinge and his brother Hircanus shoulde be the hie priest Wherunto they agreed Then as Aristobulus entred into IerusaleÌ„ his brother came out of the sanctuary to mete him and with embrasings he kissed him So Aristobulus was king Hircanus executed the office of the hie priest The Lord also gaue Israell rest and peace for a while But afterward the Lord sente an euil spirite amongst them which was the cause of translating the kingdoÌ„ from the stock of Chasmonani and of the destructioÌ„ of his posteritye For the sonne of Hircanus the great and the sonne of Alexander his sonne in that they shed so much innocent blud drue Israel froÌ„ thobedience of the Prophets vnto the lies trifles of the Saduces For thus it chauÌ„ced The Saduces bet into Aristobulus heade that as long as his brother Hircanus liued he nor his kingdome could neuer be stablished Wherupon Aristobulus deuised how to make awai Hircanus Which thing a certain maÌ„ called Antipater was aware of a maÌ„ of most power in al Israel therto also a wise expert learned man in all wisdome both in the lawes in the knowledge of the Greke iust of his word prudent if ani strauÌ„ge or new matters chauÌ„ced His ofspringe was not out of the children of Israell but of those Romaines which chauÌ„ced to be vainquished became subiect vnder the dominion of the Israelits being but strauÌ„gers of no noble house in Israel Phaselus He had iiii soÌ„nes Ioseph his eldest the nexte Pasilus the third Herode the .iiii. Pheroras These had also a sister called Salumith Antipater fauoured Hircanus so intirely for his iustice vprightnes sake that he opened vnto him him his brother Aristobulus the Saducies intent geuing him counsel to flee to Hartam king of Arabia but Antipater him self went before to breake the matter to HartaÌ„ of whose comminge Hartam was very glad Then Antipater declared to him how Hircanus kinge of Hierusalem was in minde to flee vnto him because of Aristobulus his brother If thou wilt helpe him saith he and let him haue speedy aide thou shalte easilye set Aristobulus besides the kingdome for all Israel is inclined to Hircanus and fauoure not Aristobulus Hartam answered I am afraied of the Iewes and their wilines Alexander his father put mee thrise to the foile in battail by his subtiltie and toke my dominioÌ„s from me TheÌ„ Antipater sware vnto him He shal be saith he thy true trustye frend to do what soeuer thy hart desiereth Thus HartaÌ„ was perswaded they made a league together Then Antipater returnyng to Hierusalem caused Hircanus to flee in the night and they both went together to the king of Arabia who muche reioyced at Hircanus commynge and receiued him honourably When they came together to entreat of the league Hartam
all suche as remained aliue to see this daye Al these thinges when I Ioseph heard worde of I tare my bearde with my handes and cast ashes vpon my head sittynge in greate sorow vpon the ground be wailing theÌ„ miserie and calamitie of Hierusalem ANd this lamentation made Ioseph vpon Hierusalem saiyng Howe is the holy city layd wast that was wont to be more happy and more renowmed then all the prouinces vpon the earth How is the Citie that was heretofore in suche highnesse and dignitie nowe brought vnder the foote throughe the sinnes of the citizins thereof whereas sometime was the dwellynge place of the faiethfull nowe beare rule there such men as prouoke and stirre Gods wrathe agaynst it and turne it awaye from their God wastyng it as thieues In the whiche sometime remained the brightnes of the Godheade it is nowe become a by woorde and a mockynge stocke to the enemies replenished with bloud of wounded and slaine men In stede of mirthe gladnesse reioysynge harpes and psalteries is sorow sighhyng heart breakes mournynge and pensifenes commen in place Euen as heretofore the priestes executed the seruice of the Lorde in offering sacrifices so likewise now sedicious persoâ—s murther Godly and faithfull men Where was wonte to be the dwellynge place of mooste wyse and prudente menne nowe is it made a common hostrye of wicked murtherers and thieues O Lord God of Israell haue not aungels in tyme paste come downe from heauen to earthe to fyghte thy battayles haue not the floudes of the seas persecuted them that persecuted thee hath not the earth swalowed vp them that dispysed thee and the wyndes scattred a sunder that made insurrectyons agaynst thee and thunder from heauen destroyed thyne enymyes and starres haue fought agynste thy fooes What meanes thys therfore and how commeth it to passe that thou hyddeste thy â—ace from vs to whom haste thou betaken the shepe of thy pasture Loke vpon vs oure GOD and behoulde thy people and enherâ—taunce that thou broughtest oute of Egipt with a mightie power and a stronge hande with wonders and signes leadinge them vntill this daye in thy faithe take pitye vpon them in thy mercye and extende not thy wrathe against thy seruauntes Where arte thou Moyses the sonne of Amram stande vp and se thy people and flocke of shepe which thou feddest all thy life with thy wisdome see howe Wolues and Lions teare them see howe the Israelites are become foes of their owne liues soules Yea wasters and destroiers are sprong vp of their owne selues Beholde the people of God for whose sake thou liftedste vp thy staffe ouer the sea wherewith thou struckest and deuidedst it that it was made drye ground so that the Israelites passed throughe and escaped their enemies Remember thy praier when as in time of famin and lacke of soode thou obteinedst for them meate from heauen at the same time when thei were wery of their liues for thirst thou broughteâ—t water out of the moste hard rocke Come forth Aaron mooste holye prieste of God that didst put thy self betwene the liuing and the deade to tourne awaye the plague from Israel and strokest the destroyer that he should not come nie the liuinge Arise oute of thy graue thou Phinees that moued with suche feruencye didste reuenge the glory and maiesti of the lord God of Israel Come and run through these seditious in thy fury which murther the people of God his priestes Awake thou Iosua that didst throwe down the walles of Iericho with the sound and shout of thy trompets that the holy priestes helde in their handes Come now and se thi people that thou madest to enherit manye nations to conquere most puissant kinges howe they kil one an other how they furder helpforwarde the Idolater to rule haue the dominioÌ„ of thy holy laÌ„d that thou gauest thy people Israel to enherite Whye sleapest thou kinge David awake and come with the sound of thy Psalterie and harpe to singe the holy Psalmes Aske account of thy swete wordes that are ceased from the mouthes of this people and oute of all mennes mouthes because of the maliciousnesse thereof See howe their princes be transâ—oâ—meâ— into ennemyes and destroiers and do not as thou didst good kinge Dauid that diddest geue thine owne life for theirs saiynge Let thy hande O Lord be tourned against me and against the house of my father and do not fall vpon thy people to destroye them Where arte thou Eliseus come and see what thou canste do if thou canste reseue the remnaunte of Israel and finde them anye gap to scape at Didst not thou by thy praier bring the power of the Sirians to a towne of defence and preuailedste againste them withoute dinte of sworde or battaile and broughtest them downe smitinge them with blindnesse that they turned their enmity toward Israel into loue In deede thou waste he that vanquishedst the Sirians by thy praier that they fled for feare of the same Nowâ— therfore ye herdmeÌ„ of Israell assemble together listen with your eares and heare my wordes that I wil speake in your eares this day Tel me what is become of your praier the ye haue made for the people of Israel to desende and turne away from theÌ„ al wrath indignation tribulation fury immissions of euil spirits Howe is it the now ye see not the saÌ„ctuary turned into a vile sincke of blud for the dead bodies of priestes lie in the midst of it The holy citye IerusaleÌ„ is become a straung citi as though the name of the Lorde had neuer bene in it and the sanctuary of the Lorde is in that case at this present as thought the deuine Godhead had neuer dwelte therin for the temple is tourned into a den of theues a lodginge of sedicious persones a tabernacle of cruell murtherers And who so flieth thither for refuge there they be slaine as the sedicious haue murthered in the middest thereof Anani the hie prieste and Iosua a prieste also that were Princes and chiefe priestes the most reuerent emongest the people of God whom ere this kinges and nacions had besought and desyred theyr fauoure but neuer cast their slain bodies in the middest of the temple The nobilitie also of Hierusalem the elders of Iuda and sages of Israell whose frendshippe kinges and nacions haue sought and desiered to make peace with they iye now slain here and there in the middest of Hierusalem are meate vnto the foules of the ayre and beastes of the field to dogges and Rauens because there is no man to burie them These died not for their offences but because they found faulte with the Israelites when they sinned Howe are they slaine in thee O Ierusalem thou holie citie renowmed thorow out the whole earth all iust meÌ„ all holie menne whom the sedicious haue gote the vpper hande of those helhouÌ„des and bloudsuckers that haue brought all these mischiefes vppon â—hee Howe are are the priestes of the Lorde and his
Ierusalem with a great power and strength whom Hircanus was not able to mete encouÌ„ter within the field suffered him selfe to be closed vp in the Citye The Kinge of the Grecians therfore raysed great Towers against the citye aparte from the wall digged a trench cast vp a mount TheÌ„ planted their engins named Rams against the gates so that the citie was hard besieged for they beat downâ—one of the turrets the stode vpon the wall wherat all Israel was afraied agreed togither to issue out skirmishe with theÌ„ whatsoeuer should come theron life or death Which although Hircanus liked not yet thei so did and slewe many of their enemies put theim also to flighte that thei were coÌ„strayned to encampe them selues furder of from Ierusalem Then the Israelites came to the towers that the Grekes had builded and raced theÌ„ to the grounde Thus they issued oute daiely skirmishynge with Pius vntill the feast of the tabernacles Then sent kyng Hircanus to Pius desierynge him that he would graunt them truice and let them be in peace while the feast lasted His request Pius graunted sent a fatte Oxe to be offered to the God of Israel coueryng his hornes with beaten golde and dressynge hym with fillets of Cristall other precious stones Clad him also in a garment of purple and diuers other precious clothes He sent moreouer plate bothe of siluer and golde full of diuers kinde of spices all to be offered vnto the Lorde When king Hircanus sawe this he went out vnto Pius and after he had made peace with him he made him and his chiefe men of warre a great feast and offred him a present of .ccc. pounde weight of golde After that he went to war with Pius in his armye to aide him againste the king of Persia that rebelled against him But sone after he was come with in the laÌ„d of Persia that time of Pentecost was at hande Wherfore kyng Hircanus and the hoste of Israel retourned but Pius and his armye of the Grecians proceaded Whom the king of the Persians met in the fielde slewe Pius hym selfe and vainquished the residue that almost none remained Whereof when tidynges came to Hircanus he was verye glad and returned to Hierusalem with peace and ioye After this Hircanus made manye great battails with the nacions aboute him and had euer the victorye He also came to the mount of Gorizim where he wanne a forte of the Sectaries and Samaritans raced downe the temple that the Sectaries hadde there as their house of Sanctuarye whiche they builded by the licence of Alexander the first king of the Grekes He that builded it was Manasse the priest brother to Schimeon the iust But Hircanus the hye priest pulled it downe .cc. yere after it was builded From thence he went to the citye of Samaria and besieged it This was the mother citye of the Samaritans and Sectaries which was brought to suche distresse by the long siege of Hircanus that they within were faine to eate the carcases of dogges The feast of Propiciation then beinge at hande Hircanus made spede to Ierusalem to execute his office in that feaste for he was the hye priest appointing for generalles of his army Aristobulus his eldest sonne and his second son Antigonus In the mean season they within the towne writ to the kinge of Grece to come to succoure theÌ„ which he did with a great power But these .ii. yong men the kings sons went to meete them with the strength of the Israelites and gaue them the ouerthrow killing them vp almost euery one to the noÌ„ber of .xxi. M. fightyng meÌ„ the rest fled That done the yong men returned to the siege of Samaria King Hircanus their father had tidings of the coÌ„ming of the Grecians against his sons so that he perceiued they shoulde haue the GreciaÌ„s of th one side of them the Samaritans Sectaries of thother But he knew nothing what was hapned for that victory chauÌ„ced the .ix. day of Tisre Septembre His hart therfore was careful for his sons for Israel Notwithstanding he proceded in his office according as the feast required So as he entred into the house of SanctuÌ„ sactoruÌ„ or the most holiest to offer inceÌ„ce to cal for mercy for his childreÌ„ for the army he heard a voice speaking vnto him Neuer trouble thy minde with thy childreÌ„ with the host of Israel for yesterday the lord of his mercy heard theÌ„ according to the greatnes of his goodnes for thi fathers sakes Let thy heart therfore be right thy haÌ„d pure So the king going out of the saÌ„ctuary declared if to the people WherupoÌ„ the next day they seÌ„t post to Samaria had word again that this was true Wherfore king Hircanus was manified greatly of all Israel for thei knewe that the blessed Lord accepted his doings inspiryng him with the holy gost and increasyng his kingdome priesthode After this he tooke his iourney to Samaria besieged it a whole yere and at length wan it slewe all also that bare life within it He raced the walles the palaice and burnt vp the citye He had warres also with the Romains and the Arabians and God prospered all that euer he toke in hande So shortly after God gaue him rest and quietnes from all that dwelt about him and from all his enemies so that Israel rested boldlye in peace tranquilitie al his time On a tyme the kinge made a feaste to all the sages of Israel that they might make good cheare with hym And being merily disposed he said I am your scholar and what so euer I do that do I bi your aucthoritie Wherfore I pray you if you see any faulte in me or if I do not as it becometh me tell me of it that I maye reforme mine euill waye Then euery man greatly extolled and commended hym saiynge Who is like vnto thee our Lorde kyng so worthye of the kingdome and priesthode so notable in good workes whose woorkes be done for the God of heauen which hast also done so much good to Israel The king was very well pleased with their aunswere and reioysed greatlye Yet was there one amongest them an vndiscrete manne called Eleaser who spake vnaduisedlye to the king And it please your maiestie it were sufficient for you to haue the crown of the kingdome ye might leaue of the crowne of â—he priesthode to the sede of Aaron forasmuch as your mother was captiue in the mount Modiit Incontinente the king was moued and soore displeased against the Sages whiche certaine of his seruauntes that hated the Sages and smelled somewhat of sectes perceiuyng one of them inâ—ourmed the king that what so euer that vndiscrete person had spoken it was not without the aduise of the Sages Whereupon the king demaunded of the Sages What law shal that man haue that in the dispiâ—e of the kinge speaketh thinges in his reproche They made answere he is worthy to be whipt Then
euer geue them any answere But when thei perceiued the kinge to be incensed against them and by that meanes the matter mighte redounde to their owne harme after consultation had they went to the king of Grece whose name was Demetrius shewed him what Hircanus and Alexander his soÌ„ne had done vnto the Phariseis and all the Israelites that bare them good will and folowed their traditions and how thei also hated Alexander for the mischiefe that hee hathe wrought them So that if any manne would come and reueng the malice of Alexander they would be ready to aide him Demetrius folowed their aduise and assembling together all his people to the number of .xl. thousand horsemeÌ„ and fotemen without number He toke his iourney and encamped against Sichem Then kinge Alexander waged .vi. thousand horsemen to aid him But the king of the Grecians writ priuilye to the auncientes of the Sectaries that they shold not aide Alexander To the mercinary souldiours also that Alexander had hired he sent rewardes golde and siluer that they returned home to their couÌ„trey aided not Alexander Wherupon he was not able to withstande Demetrius Therfore hearing that Demetrius was remoued froÌ„ Sichem toward IerusaleÌ„ entending to take him in the citie he fled by nighte with a fewe of his men to the mountains and lurked there When the menne of Israel that were in Iudea heard the king was fled out of Hierusalem and that the citye was in hasarde to come into the haÌ„des of the Grecians they gathered them selues together stode for their liues as thoughe all had bene one man to the number of .x. thousand and set vpoÌ„ Demetrius Campe killed all his beste men of warre and spoyled his whole host that he fled from them returned home into his couÌ„trey with shame dishonour This done the king toke hart vnto him returned to his kingdom but the Pharises fled to Betshemes streÌ„gthning theÌ„ selues against the king Who hauing intelligeÌ„ce therof gathered an army went against theÌ„ wan the city and toke viii.c of the chiefest Pharisies bound theÌ„ in chains brought them to IerusaleÌ„ Then baÌ„queted he al his seruants vpon the roufe of his palaice in a very hie place where the chiefe learned men eat dranke vntil he and thei were dronke And in his merye mode he commaunded those viii.c Pharisies prisoners to be brought forth to be haÌ„ged euery man of theÌ„ vppon gallowes before him at which sight he dronke laughed hartely After this he fel sick the xxiiii yere of his raigne of a greuous disease a quartan ague that held him thre yere yet for all this he shronke not nor letted to go to the war to encounter fight with his enemies what nation so euer they were of round about him as though he had ben a hole man In the xxvii yere of his raign which was the third of his sicknes he made an expeditioÌ„ into the land of Moab against a certain city called Ragaba to get it bi force At which time he was very sicke and weake wherfore his wife Alexandra the Quene wente with him fearinge least he shuld die by the waye And as be encamped him self against the city and vrged it sore with assaultes his sicknesse increased vpon him more and more Wherfore his wife perceiuinge that he was like to die wept bitterly before him said To whoÌ„ shal I be so bold as to shew my face wheÌ„ thou art once dead seing thou haste wroughte such mischief vpon the pharisies whoÌ„ all the lande fauoureth and foloweth their traditions obeiyng their institucions If they shal be disposed to wreke them selues vppon me and thy yonge children they shal haue aid of all that dwel in the laÌ„d The king answered Wepe not nor shew any reseÌ„blance of peÌ„sifnes I wil tel the what thou shalt do if thou wilt folow my counsell thou shalt prosper and raigne thou and thy children as thou woldest desire Be it that I die there is no man in the world nede know therof Tel thou euery maÌ„ therfore that aske for me that I am sick wil not that ani maÌ„ shal come at me In the meane while anointe season me with balmes fight with a courage against this city til thou win it then return to Ierusalem with ioy and beware thou put on no mourninge apparail nor weepe but bringe me into Ierusalem and laye me vpon a bedde like a sicke man and after call together the chiefe of the Phariseis bryng them where I am and speake vnto them gentilly in this sort Alexander hath bene euer your enemy I knowe it very wel wherefore take him if ye list and cast him into the fire or to the dogges or bury him it shal be at your choise I knowe wel they are pitifull men and so ful of merci that they wil bury me honorably and shall apointe some one of my sonnes whoÌ„ they like best to be king The Quene did therfore as she was instructed of the king Whan she had won Ragaba she ioyfully returned to Ierusalem after that gathered together the elders of the Pharisies and spake to them as the king had aduised her The Pharisies hearing the king was deade and that his bodye was in their handes to do withal what they liste they answered the Quene God forbid we shoulde do this vnto our Lorde the annointed of God He was the king and hie prieste what though he were a sinner yet his deathe shal be an expiation for him of al his iniquities Therfore we wil bewaile him and mourne for him yea we wil cary his coffen our selues vpon our neckes and burye him as it becommeth a kinges magnificence and so they did The time that he reigned was .xxvii. yeares After him reigned his wife Alexandra in his stede for the Pharisies after they had finished the .vii. daies of the mourning they comitted the kingdoÌ„ vnto her She had .ii. sons by the king the elder was called Hircanus the other Aristobulus Hircanus was a iust man righteous but Aristobulus was the warrioure man of prowes besides that of a familier louing countenance He fauored also the learned men folowed their instruction But Hircanus his elder brother loued the Pharisies On a time therfore when the Quene sate in the throne of her kingdom she called the auncients of the Pharisies before her honoured them commaunded to release set at liberty al such Pharisies as the king her husband her father in lawe had cast in prison and taking the pharisies by the handes she commaunded all Israel to obey their ordinaunces TheÌ„ made Hircanus her sonne hie prieste and Aristobulus lieueteuaunte of the warres She sent also to al the landes that her husbande and father in lawe had subdued and demaunded the nâ—ble mennes sonnes for pledges which she kept in IerusaleÌ„ So the lord gaue vnto the Quene quietnesse froÌ„ al that were vnder her subiection She gaue also the Pharisies
of reines very thicke powdred with precious stones cristal amethists and very many saphyres Then all his chief men of warre went about him in their coates of fence drawen swordes in their handes with helmes on their heades as in time of warre After theÌ„ came Archelaus his sonne that was made king Then folowed him all the people There were fiftie of his seruauntes that wente aboute the beare with euery man a chafing dishe of gold in his hande wherin they burnt swete woodes and perfumes euery foote casting vpon the herse pure miâ—rhe as many as went aboute hym He was borne by certayne great lordes noble meÌ„ of Israel vpoÌ„ their sholders going leasurably and with a maiestie til they came to ErodioÌ„ where they buried him with great honour that like was neuer done to any king These thinges done there resorted together suche as hated him were wery of their owne liues whiles Herode liued reioysyng that they hadde scaped his haÌ„des saying we haue loked till our eies bleared waytinge for the death of Herode that tirant and bloud sheder that oppressed vs with such heauy yokes left vs nothing to liue on for the great tributes taxes that he layd vpon vs. Yet now Archelaus his sonne is worse then he Wherfore thei coÌ„sulted together cast their mindes good willes toward Antipater the sonne of Salumith the kinges sister one of the bloud of Chasnonani and went with him to Oct. Augustus requesting him to translate the kingdom from Archelaus to Antipater but he woulde not graunt theÌ„ their sewte Yea rather he coÌ„firmed assured the kingdom to Archelaus Who wrought wickednes in the sight of the Lord for he maried his brother Alexanders wife that had children by Alexander coÌ„mitted other many great offences The .ix. yeare of Archelaus reigne it chaunced vpon a night he dreamed a dreame Him thought he saw .ix. eyres of corne very good full grow vpon one stalke theÌ„ came a great oxe and slopt them vp all at once at one bit by and by he waked and perceiued it was a dreame Therfore calling one of the Sages or Pharisies vnto him he shewed them his dreame The wise man said This is the interpretacioÌ„ of it The nine eyres freshe and ful be the .ix. yeres which hither to thou hast raigned The great Oxe is the great kinge Octauian Augustus This yeare thou shalt be remoued from thy kingdoÌ„ because thou hast neglected the worde of God hast maried thy brothers wife To this Archelaus answered him neither good nor bad Within fiue dayes after Octauian came toward IerusaleÌ„ and when Archelaus weÌ„t to mete him he put him in prison deposed him from his kingdom of Israel made Antipas his brother kinge in his stede He turned his name also called him Herode That done he returned to Rome whiles Antipas was king died themperor Octauian Augustus the .lvi. yere of his reigne Tiberius Cesar succeded him This Antipas also wroughte wickednesse and sundry abominations more then any that was afore him for he toke his brother Philips wife froÌ„ him which had al redy childreÌ„ by Philip. For this shamful deds rabbi Ihon the hie priest rebuked him Ihon baptist wherfor Antipas put him to death There was at that time one Iesus a wise man if it be lawful to cal him a man Iesus Christ for he was a worker of woÌ„derful straunge workes a teacher of such meÌ„ as gladly did heare the truth had many disciples both of the Iewes also of the geÌ„tils This maÌ„ was Christ whoÌ„ after he was accused of the chiefe rulers of our natioÌ„ condeÌ„ned bi Pilate to be crucified thei neuerthelesse ceased not to loue which loued him euen froÌ„ the beginning To these he appeared the. 3. day aliue according as the prophets by deuine inspiratioÌ„ had told before aswel of this as also of many other woÌ„derful thinges which should be done by him And eueÌ„ vnto this day the christiaÌ„ sect which toke their name of him doth coÌ„tinue Against this maÌ„ Antipas of whom we spake before came Tiberius Emperour of Rome to whoÌ„ whan Antipas resorted he appreheÌ„ded him laid him in irons sent him into Spaine where he died Archelaus also that was deposed before died in the time of this Tiberius reign TheÌ„ Tiberius made Agrippa the soÌ„ne of Aristobulus whoÌ„ Herode put to death Antipas brother king in his stede The time that Antipas reigned ouer Israel was .xi. yeres In Agrippas time died Tiberias Cesar Caius succeded him This Caius called him selfe a god and would suffer no man to worship anye thing in his empire but him self He coÌ„tinued not loÌ„g in his digniti but decaied died After him succeded Claudius Claudius beinge deade Nero Cesar was emperor Agrippa reigned ouer Israel xxiii yeares In his time Nero sore oppressed Israel by setting cruel presideÌ„ts ouer theÌ„ left them nothing to liue vpoÌ„ besides that punished theÌ„ with diuers tormentes vntill at lengthe they were constrayned to rebell agaynste the Romaine Empire and Nero Cesar to rid them selues from vnder his subiection And aboue all other one Pilus president and captaine of the Romain armye mooste greuouslye oppressed the Iewes and had done many things very wickedlye For not only had he shed innocent bloude rauished at his pleasure wifes and deflored maides in the cities of Iuda but also robbed with great cruelty euery man of his goodes It chaunced that Beronice king Agrippas sister came at that time to Ierusalem of deuotion to visit the holy place She seing Pilus violently to oppresse the people and for paiment of exacttoÌ„s and tollage to flea many of them euen at the entrance of the temple she came forthe wepinge vnto Pilus besechinge him to be fauourable spare the people for she pitied them very greatli Yet Pilus relented nothing but wheÌ„ she was departed from him he flouted mockt her although she were the kings sister that in the temple of the Lord. There was present at that time a valeant yoÌ„g man Eleasar sonne of Ananie the hie priest He whiles his father was executing his office could not abide to se the Israelites so ordered at Pilus handes but being enkindled with a ferueÌ„t zele souÌ„ded a troÌ„pet wherby there asseÌ„bled about him forthwith diuerse coÌ„panies bandes of yong meÌ„ good warriours by whose aid he raised a great coÌ„mocion encountred with Pilus the Romainsouldiours of whome he made a great slaughter preuailing much and getting at length thupper haÌ„d of Pilus ouerthrew al his host so that Pilus was constrained to fle alone out of IerusaleÌ„ vnto Egipt In the way as he fled he chaunsed to mete with kinge Agrippa coÌ„ming from Rome from Nero Cesar and going home into Iudea to whome Pilus declared what had happened him thorow the youth of the Iewes at Ierusalem And as Agrippa had passed Egipt and drue toward Ierusalem his sister Beronice directed her letters vnto him
to manye woordes in persuadinge the peace and league Vppon this Eleasar assembled the priestes and people together to go out fight with Castius Castius perceiuinge howe Eleasar and the people were affected and what mindes they were of how thei had vtterly conspired to distroy the Romaines that were there and to consume them cleane hauing a sufficient trial also of the force and valiantnesse of the rebels he determined fullye to go to Rome for he perceiued he was not able to matche with the sedicious neither his owne power to be compared with theirs Wherefore he woulde go see what ende shoulde come of this warres and what counsell Caesars maiestie would geue Taking his iourney therfore to the citye Iapho he founde there letters of the Romaines for thither was their armie come FroÌ„ thence wente hee with theim and his owne host to Rome and made relation vnto Caesar of such things as had chauÌ„ced him whereat Nero was wonderfully abashed not onely he but all the people of Rome were soore astonied to hear of the great puissant and valiantnes of the Iewes For the which cause the warres ceased for that yere so that the land of Iudea was at great rest quietnes the yere through Eleasars means the head rebel specially froÌ„ the hands of wicked Castius that had sworne to reueng the Romaines to quite the Iewes and that he would destroye all the Iewes that none shoulde be left aliue Therefore these are they that deliuered Israel in the time of the second temple oute of the handes of their ennemies what time as warres were moued against the Iewes and their countrye what time also commotions and tumultes began in Israell The first businesse was made by Antiochus the wicked kinge of Macedonia who had determined not to leaue one man in Israel His mischeuousnesse proceded so farre that he slue of the people of God the Sages wise men princes elders and yonge men children greate and smal Israelites Leuites also and priestes vntil all the chiefe men of Iuda cast their heades together and went to Matthathias sonne of Iochanan the hie prieste in the mounte of Modiith where he had him self for the iniquity of Antiochus and his rulers cryinge vpon him and sayinge Deliuer at this season the people of the Lord and neuer thinke to escape thy self whiles the moste wicked enemy rauÌ„geth thus and runneth vpon thy people sheadeth thy bloud For the bloud of all Israel what is it but thy bloude and the eies of euery man are fixed vpon thee hopinge that thou shouldest assist and aide them in this calamitie that they may finde deliuerance by thy meanes Mattathias hearyng this wept bitterly and said vnto them Feare ye not nor let these Macedonians dismay you the Lorde shal fighte for you be ye onelye quiet So theÌ„ was Mattathias stirred deliuered Israell oute of the handes of Antiochus and after he had ouercomed him he was hie priest for one yere and then died In whose roume succeaded Iudas his sonne who executed the office in the temple .vi. yeres and was slaine in battaile Then his brother Iochanan was chief in the temple .viii. yeres and died likewise in battaile After him his brother Schimeon was ruler .18 yeres whoÌ„ Ptolomae his wiues father poysoned at a banket Then Iochanan his sonne succeaded his father in thoffice that is he that was named Hircanus first of that name so called because he vanquished a king of that name called Hircanus he raigned .21 yeres and died Afterwardes raigned Aristobulus one yere he was called the great kinge because he firste put the royall crowne vpon his heade and turned the dignitie of the hie priesthode into a kingdome vnhallowing and staining the holines therof 480. yeares and .iii. monethes after the retourninge of Israell from Babilon He beyng dead his brother Alexander reigned .xxvii. yeares After whose death Alexandra his wyfe held the kyngdome .ix. yeares and died In whose stede succeded her sonne Aristobulus and reigned thre yeares In his tyme Pompei a Romain captain came against Hierusalem wan it and apprehended Aristobulus bound him in iroÌ„s and caried him captiue to Rome In whose place he ordeiued Hircanus his brother to succede who reigned fourty yeares During his reigne rebelled An tigonus forme of Aristobulus Hircanê° brother with the aide of an armie of the Persians encountred with Hircanus toke him prisoner and sent him to Babilon cutting of his eares that he should neuer after be meet either for the priesthod or for the kingdome Antigonus reigned .iii. yeres In his daies Herode fled and ioyned himselfe with the Romaines by whose helpe he slue Antigonus the .iii. yeare of his reigne reigned after him .xxxvii. yeares and then died After Herode succeded in the king dome Archelaus his sonne who was taken by the Romaines the .ix. yeare of his reigne layde in bondes and ended his life at Rome Next to him reigned Antipater his brother who chaunged his name called him self Herode he reigning fully ten yeares ouercame and vasted Spaine because the king of Spayne had rauished and taken away his brothers wyfe and there died After him folowed Agrippas sonne of Aristobulus that was his brothers son he reigned thre and twenty yeares After whose death his sonne Agrippas reigned twentye yeares This is that Agrippa of whom â–ª wee now speake of of the calamities that befel in his time vpon Israel For all the whâ—le that he raigned the warres betwene the Romains and Israell neuer ceased vntil the people of Iudea were led captiue into the prouince of the Romains what time also the temple was desolate I meane the desolation of the second temple which we saw with our eies builded and distroyed THe .xx. yere of the raigne of kynge Agrippas the .ix. daye of the fifte moneth that is called Af Nero Caesar sent a present for burnt offerings to be offred in the temple at HierusaleÌ„ â—â—ly requiring peace of thelders sages of Iudea Hierusalem that thei would receiue him into league with them saiyng My request is that you would offer my present to the Lorde your God for his sernice and religion liketh me very well so that I desire you to ioyne in league with me accordinge as you haue done with the emperours of Rome my predecessours in time past I haue hearde what Castius the captain of mine armi hath done vnto you which displeaseth me out of measure Wherfore I assure vnto you a faithful league by the consent and couÌ„sel of the Senate of Rome that hereafter there shall neuer Romaine captaine stirre hand nor fote against you but rather your heades rulers iudges shal be al Iewes and of Ierusalem Yea Agrippas your kinge shal be Lorde of all your rulers what he commaundeth ye shal do it the Romains shal only be called your lordes and haue no more to do with you So when these legates came to IerusaleÌ„ they wente and spake with Anani the priest
wee make amendes for this synne Who shall pray and make intercession for vs And wyth this Ioseph burste oute on weepynge abundauntlye but they laught him to scorne THen Ioseph helde vp his handes to heauen saiynge Thou Lorde almightye art our father thou hast shapened vs and by thy great mercye taken vs out of cley thou art he that leadest vs in thy faieth and the multitude of thy mercies and benignitie towards vs hath not ceassed And although our sinnes haue seperated vs from thee yet neuerthelesse we are thy handy worke euery one of vs and of longe haue ben called thy people Thou art Lorde ouer all creatures soules Thou doest what thou wilt and no man dare saye to thee whye doest thou so Thou arte our father we are cley thou hast geuen vs our shape and fashion Therefore if it please thee to take oure Soules take them by the handes of thine aungels that wee commit none euyll againste theim And if these my fellowes that be presente with mee wyll not bee partakers of my Prayer beholde my life alone for the whiche I beseche thy benigne Clemency if it please thee to take it for thou gauest it mee therefore dooe wyth it whatsoeuer shal seeme good vnto thee it is in thy handes thou lendst it mee and hast preserued it wythin me I will not distroye it my selfe or let it out of prison before thou aske for it For thou knowest that As man can not liue vvithout iudgemeÌ„t so likevvise the same can not die vvithout iudgement Vnto thee therefore do I lifte vp myne eyes thou that dwellest in Heauen to deale mercifullye wyth thy seruauntes and with mee to tourne our heartes that wee consente not vnto thys to murther our selues If thou knowe anye amongst them that entende so wycked an Acte I beseche thee O Lorde my GOD let me finde fauoure in thyne eyes geue them an hearte to heare holesome counsel that I may deliuer my self and mine owne life which I commend into thy bandes that thou wouldest receiue it vnto thee for in thy hand is the life of euerye liuinge creature Thus whan Ioseph had finished his praier he turned him vnto his felowes and saluted theÌ„ Then said they canst thou therfore encline oure mindes because thou hast praâ—ed vnto God for thy selfe for vs did not we tel the erewhile like as we tel the now the we are determined to die by one means or other wher fore say thy minde tel vs what kinde of death thou wilt ende thy life for we haue euer knowen the a iust man and a worthy prince therfore art thou worthy to die first Ioseph perceiuinge that his felowes were vtterlye determined to die and woulde geue no eare to his perswasions for he coulde by no reasons drawe them to his opinion he wente subtilty to worke with them sayinge Seinge it will be none otherwise brethren I wil shewe you my deâ—ise Ye are determined to die ye saye and that vppon your owne sworâ—es therefore there is no better waye then to do it by lot in this wise Let vs caste lottes amongste oure selues that we maye be ioyned together by couples then will we caste lottes whiche couple shall die firste after they two shall cast lottes betwene theÌ„ which shal kil hys fellowe he that remaineth shall chuse him one of the seconde couple to kil him Likewise the seconde couple shal caste lottes betwene them selues who shal die firste and he that is lefte shal chuse him one of the thirde couple whome he hathe a fansy to be killed of â–ª Then they shal trye by lot who shal die firste who beinge slaine the other maye chuse him selfe one of the four the couple to kil him and so on til al be slaine that we see not the captiuitie of oure people The laste couple that shal remaine shal do thus runne one vppon the others sworde or elsse set them caste lottes betwixte theim selues and vpon whome it falleth let him die firste But for asmuche as we are fortye and one so that we can not be iustlye ioyned in couples let vs cast lottes firste of all and see whiche of vs shal firste be slaine and when he is once oute of the waye then lette vs deuide the couples He that is to be staine firste lette him chuse oute one of the firste couple to be slain of and when he is deade the firste couple shall caste lottes and do as I haue deuised Then euery man likt his deuise which was gods doing who hard Iosephes prayer and saide all with one mouth we wil do as thou hast deuised and to the it perteineth to deuide the men and to caste the lottes Ioseph answered but let vs sweare by the name of the lord that this deuise shal stand be ratified and perfourmed Wherunto they accorded and sware all by the name of the Lorde that they woulde haue that deuise to be ratified kepte which Ioseph had inuented of casting of lottes Then Ioseph began to make lottes who should be thod man and it light vpon Iehoiada a prieste sonne of Eliakim a Galilean which was a valeant man and chiefest in euery counsell next to Ioseph and the principall perswader of this wicked fact to kill them selues After that did he craftely deuide them into couples so that the lot of his owne couple came forth last of al who loked to be saued and trusted in God beâ—eninge that he woulde deliuer him from this abhominable dede Then Iehoida chose him one of the first couple who slue him That done the first couple cast lottes betwene them so th one killed his felowe and chose him one of the second couple to kil him TheÌ„ they of the second couple caste lots betwene them selues in the presence of Ioseph and th one killed theother then he that remained chose him one of the thy de couple to flea him And in this manner did they til there were al slaine none lefte aliue but Ioseph and his felowe who said vnto Ioseph go to let vs cast lottes that we may go to our brethren Ioseph answered him we wil do so if thou be so disposed but first heare me I praye the speake a fewe thinges in thine eares Tel me haue not these sinners rebelled against god in thus murthering of them selues so shamefully nether could I by ani meanes diswade them nor haâ—e them from this opinioÌ„ Wherfore shuld we two sinne against God so greuously against our own soules if the lot should so fal that I shuid kil thee I shuld be counted a maÌ„sâ—ear that worthily it may so chauÌ„ce that I shal escape after thee and saue my life But if the lot shoulde so fal that thou shouldest flea me thou shouldest be taken also for a murtherer and perauenture thou shuldest not escape after me and althoughe thou thinkest yes Notwithstanding we lose our hope in god for that we sinne againste oure owne soules For all these men that thou seest heare dead
loe they haue sinned against their owne soules dying withoute discipline and all good order If thou wilt say how shal we do for oure othe that we haue sworne Doste thou not knowe that He that breaketh a vvicked othe do the nothing vvickedly him selfe For a man is not constreined to performe an othe vnto God but to the kepinge of his lawes and bereupon it is that Dauid saithe I haue svvorne and vvil perfourme For neither vow nor othe that is made against the commaundementes of God can be ratified before God And that more is before the we sware oure fathers sware firste a great while ago at the mounte of Sinai that they and their children woulde keepe the lawe of the Lorde Moyses also made a couenaunte with them vpoÌ„ the same and not only with theÌ„ that then were there but also with vs. Howe then dare we be so bolde to swcare to breake the law of our God and become maÌ„quellers seing it is one of the .x. commaundements expressely Thou shalt not kil Wherfore my brother thou shalt vnderstande that we nede not be sollititous nor careful for the oth that we haue made but rather to breake it for God wil neuer be displeased with vs for that for I beinge afraide of these wicked persones that lie nowe he are deade did inuente this subtil meanes and way to swear that I mighte saue my life Thou therfore my brother if thou wilte be ruled by mine aduise thou shalt saue thy life mine and I wil caste no lottes nor performe the othe that we made VVhiche is not good in the lavve if thou wilte not I wil withstande thee and fighte with thee to kill thee and skape my selfe And with this Ioseph lepte backe and drue oute his sworde standinge ouer againste him to see what his felowe woulde answer His companion hearinge this sturred neither hande nor foote againste him but saide Loe I am contente do what thou thinckest good because thou arte a manne of God And blessed be the Lorde God of Israel that bathe not withdrawne his mercye from me but made me to be in thy lotte whereby my soule is saued from goinge to helt thy lotte is a iuste lotte For the Lorde vvil not leaue the scourge of sinners vppon the lotte of the iuste Muche elsse besides this spake Iosephes companion vnto him for he was sore afraide of him leaste he shoulde haue killed him if they hadde entermedled together for Ioseph was the better man of his hands and therfore Ioseph chose him into his lot that he might be able to make his party good with him In this pointe Ioseph played the wyse mannes parte for he escaped by this meanes both from the handes of those wicked foles and also from his felow THerfore Ioseph called out of the caue to captain Nicanor and said to him in this wise Wilte thou promise mee that neither thou nor anye of thy men that be here with thee or in the Romains campe shal kyll vs before thou hast brought vs vnto Vaspasian and lâ—t hym dooe wyth vs as he thynketh good Nicanor aunswered So and so deale God with mee if I fulfyl not thy request if so be it thou wilt come forthe vnto mee together with the men that thou hast with thee Ioseph aunswered I will come forth vnto thee and so manye moe of vs as be aliue for so is it come to passe that some of vs be deade here in the caue wherefore howe can they come forthe Then said Nicanor neuer thincke frend Ioseph that I am come to deceiue thee come foorthe and trust in thy Lord God for thou neadest not to feare Ioseph said sweare vnto me this by the god of Israel although he be vnknowne vnto thee Nikanoâ— answered I sweare vnto the by that God that made the world by his wisdom that thou nedest not to fear me but boldly maist come forthe vnto me So Nikanor made a couenaunte with Ioseph and his felow coâ—firming and ratifying it in writing after the manner of the Romaines and reatched it into the caue vpon a speare holding the pointe of the speare in his owne hand Ioseph toke the writinge red it and beleued Nicanor theÌ„ came he forth to Nicanor and his felowe with him When Nicanor sitting vpon his seate of estate that was made him there in the wooâ—e nie vnto the caue sawe Ioseph come towardes him he rise vp embrasing him kissed him set him on his righthand and wept with him aboundauntly he honoured his felowe also plaringe him betwene Pohrinus and Gallicanus whom he had at that present with him Then Nicanor asked hym for the reste of the men that were wyth him willynge that they shoulde come forth and he would honour them also and dooe them no harme Ioseph declared the whole matter vnto hym what was become of theim Nicanor hearing of the pertinacious stubburnnesse of the Iewes heartes their wiâ—ked intentes was wonderfully moued So then he rose and went from thence with Ioseph and his companion vnto Vaspasian When the Romaine army sawe Ioseph they were greatly astonied and gaue a mightye shoute Some reioysed that Ioseph was takeÌ„ saiyng This is good lucke that our eyes shall see oure longe expected desire Other lamented and let teeres fal from their eyes wyth pensiue heartes saiynge Is not this that worthye manne who made all the Romayne hoste to quake for feare and whose Fame and renowne was knowen throughout all landes Howe is it come to passe that so mighty a man is taken in his owne countrey amongst his owne people If this chaunceth vnto suche a manne to be taken in his owne Lande in the middest of his family and frends How shal we escape in a straunge land Certaine euil disposed persons of the Romain souldiers went to Vaspasian and said Sir you shal do well to coÌ„maund this man to be slaine without mercye that hath ben the distruction of so many of the people of the Romains This is the self same that shot the arow and stroke you in the leg put him to death and then shal you be sure he shal neuer moue warre more against you If you do not ye shal see him one daye againe rayse an armye against vs and distroy vs. But Iosephe founde frendshippe at Titus Vaspasians sonnes handes whiche came of the LORDE Therfore when hee hearde those wycked mens wordes that desiered Vaspasian to put Ioseph to death he laught them to skorne and taunted theim saiynge Will you tell my father what he hath to dooe Will you geue him so wicked counsell to flea that man that yeldeth him self to vs vpoÌ„ the trust of our leaâ—e band of frendship which you now go about to breake and frustrate Did not captaine Nicanor in my fathers name Caesars with al the Romaines make a couenant with him Take hede what you saie Is it not treason that you go about to breake the Cesarical fidelitie Moreouer who can tel whether it may so happen that
of Iuda hadde conquered them and caused them to be circumcised bindynge suche of theim as were the best warriours amongest theim to stande in armes and kepe watche warde vpon the walles of Hierusalem day night the rest of theÌ„ to pai tribute to the Iewes Vpon a certaine night came .xxii. thousande of these Edomites all good men of warre againste Hierusalem When Anani the hie Prieste and the People that were wyth him hearde the noyse of the Edumites armie he went vpon the wais and demaunded of theÌ„ what thei were from whence they come and whither they woulde They aunswered Wee are Edomites and came out of Edomea to visite the Lord God and his teÌ„ple to see in what case his people staÌ„deth for this we come according to our accustomed maner as euer here tofore Anani aunswered You are disseÌ„blers not as your wordes do show neither come ye to seke God his sanctuarie nor yet to aide his people but rather to the succours of Iehochanan graunde captaine of thieues Were it not better for you to assist the sanctuarie of God then these sinfull sedicious persons that couet nothing els then to laye waste the house of God and to distroy his people They in the most holye citie of God do shede the bloude of iuste Godlye and innocent men thorow whose wickednesse the Romayns haue the vpper hande vppon vs because wee haue Ciuil warres at home wyth the Sedicious and externall wyth the Romaynes Yea the wickednesse of the sedicious is growen so farre that the moste parte of vs hadde rather be slaine of the Romaynes then of oure brethren the Iewes If so be it ye be come to ayde them ye shal vnderstande that ye offende our LORD God greuouslye to healpe synners and murtherers that treade the People of GOD vnder their fete like as menne treade Grapes in a wyne presse and make the temple of the Lorde a dwellynge place of maÌ„quellers and wicked persons Ye saye ye come to seeke the Lord how is it theÌ„ that ye are thus in armes after the manner of Warre Ye shall vnderstande wee shutte not the Gates of the Towne because of you least you shuld come in after your accustomed manner but because of your Armoure and Weapons that you haue wyth you whiche are instrumentes of destruction a verye vnmete fashion to come and visite the Lorde wyth Ye shoulde rather haue come wyth offeringes sacrifices confession and praise Notwithstandynge if ye wyll enter into the towne for deuotion sake ye are welcome but ye must laye awaye youre Weapons and so enter in peaceablye The Edomites aunswered Wee maruayle not a little at thee whiche arte the hie Prieste our Lorde and mediatoure and at the rest of the priestes of the Lorde wyth the Elders and Iudges of the people that be presente wyth thee and your woordes seeme straunge in our eares For wee vnderstande you take vs for your ennemies and thereupon you stoppe vs of our entraunce into the citye to visite the Lorde God after oure accustomed manner In that wee be armed as ye obiecte vnto vs do ye not knowe that Vaspasian draweth nye to come to thys holy Citye This we hearinge of was the cause that wee tooke our Weapons with vs to come to aid you and kepe the town as we haue bene wonte these manye yeares But howe shoulde ye gather this that wee come to succoure the wycked and sedicious that bee wyth you when as from the firste daye that euer wee and oure fathers were circumcised wee neuer swarued from the Lawe and commaundementes of the Lorde Tell vs if there bee anye commaundement in the Lawe that biddeth a manne to strenthen and mayntayne the power of the wicked to the whyche wee are bounde to hearken and to ayde these God forbidde wee shoulde dooe this for wee all bothe that be here and the other Edomites also bee seruauntes of the Lord and his people to mayntaine and defende the lawe the people and the house of the Lorde Whiles they were thus talkyng together there rose vp a greate cloude and lightenynges were sene wyth fire darckenesse with mightye thunder claps and showers of hail that all that saw it were wonderfully afraied Wherfore the people fled wholy left the walles forts bi Anani of God al good men of warre besides innumerable other that they killed of the common people In the morninge they laid handes on the rich men drue them before iudges and the ixx elders which otherwise be called Sanhedrine whoÌ„ they called together there wicked Iehochanan the Galilean spake vnto theÌ„ in this wise Whi condemn ye not these rich cobbes that haue made a coÌ„spiracy with the Romains determine to betray this holy city into their hands namely one Sechariahu a iust maÌ„ perfit godly and vertuous one that feared the lord oued both god maÌ„ but for his richesse onlye whiche were verye great this Iehochanan captain of the sedicious appreheÌ„ded him willing thelders to condemn him to death for that he had ioyned with their ennemies as he said to betray the city to theÌ„ The priests elders and iudges hearing his wordes perceiuing that both he and the rest of his bloudi haÌ„d desired nothing els then to make this man awaye although they knew him to be moste innocent they wept sighed greatly Iehochanan seing them wepe for Sechariahu and that they would not condemn him respecting his iustice integritie What saith he do ye begin to mourne before there be anye corse presente I would I should neuer come wher God hathe to do but if ye order vs thus in your iudgementes ye shal be the firste that we wil lay hold of and we wil sit in iudgement our selues to discern the matters of the people of god according as we thincke good Then layinge apart al shame with an obstinat minde the wicked sorte hoysed vp Sechariahu caried him oute of the place of iudgement and broughte him vp to the top of a verye hie toure at the Easte ende of the towne from whence they thruste him downe headelonge and he died there at the walles side in the vale of Iehoschaphat The priestes therefore were sore afraide of their own partes and the iudges also with the elders because of wicked Iehochanan and the reaste of the seditious For Iehochanan had geuen them warning and saied except ye geue senteÌ„ce vpon euerye man that we shal bringe vnto you according to oure mindes be ye assured ye shal al of you go the same waye that Sechariahu is gone before you After that they apprehended a iust man and a rich that was beloued of al the towne whose name was Gorinion surnamed valeanut and he was a valeant man in deâ—e moste experte in the warres therto wise and witty and a man of a pure and perfite life One that was euer the formâ—st in battaile When so euer they had any conflict against the gentils that besieged Ierusalem and this was his accustomed
to Schimeon to bring him into the town But Schimeon craftily refused it alledginge what shoulde I come into the towne to you that hate me and of late banished me your towne Yet they ceased not so but sent the same Amittai to him again to intreat him in the name of al the people to come vpon a certain nighte so he entred into the town with his hole army Notwithstanding he was no soner within the town but he brake his promise and league that he had made with the citizens and whereas he had promised to succour them and aid theÌ„ now he was altered and became their ennemie ioyning him selfe with Iehochanan And they two rebelles reigned in the city of Ierusalem by course one one moneth and an other another so where before Schimeons coÌ„myng they thought much to bear the yoke oppressioÌ„ of one sedicious persoÌ„ now wer thei coÌ„strayned to hold down their shoulders bear the yoke of two Yet with in a few daies after ther fel a variance discord betwene Iehochanan and Schimeon about Eleasar priest the sonne of Anani the hye Priest This Eleasar was the beginner and first sower of sedicion amongst the Israeliâ—s whom Schimeon wold now haue put to death to be wroken of his father that banished him out of Hierusalem but Iehochanan toke Eleasars part and defended him For Eleasar was alwayes Iehochanans frende aided him His father was hie priest and bare a great rule in Hierusalem wherfore Eleasar was of great estimation and aucthoritie with the elders so that they durst not reprehend him and his father also loked negligently vnto him let him do what he list because he had no moe sonnes but him So he was the first that assembled naughtye persons together helde euer on Iehochanans side from his first comming to Hierusalem And for his sake fel deuision and dissention betwene Iehochanan and Schimeon so that thei became enemies and warred the one vpon thâ—ther euer after as we shal declare hereafter IN this while Vaspasian had sent Antoni and Mankiminus two noble meÌ„ and of his counsel to Rome againste Vitellius that thei might make him out of the way and then woulde be come to Rome to receiue the imperial crowne there Those .ii captains went therfore raised an army bi whose aide thei set vpon Vitellius slew him not without much ado for there were slain that day at Rome 80. M. good meÌ„ of war WheÌ„ Vasp had word that he was dispatcht he made spede to Rome to his coronatioÌ„ deuiding first his army in .ii. parts wherof he toke th one with him to Rome as a sauegard for him self whatsoeuer shold happen the other he left with Titus his son to besiege IerusaleÌ„ withal So departing he left his son Titus at Alex andria coÌ„mauÌ„ding him to remain there ill suche time as he should signify vnto him otherwise by his letters shewe him what he should do and that in no wise he should medle with the siege of IerusaleÌ„ in the mene space Titus answered I shal do dear father according vnto your coÌ„maundemeÌ„t for to you it belongeth to coÌ„maunde to me to obey Vaspasian toke with him king Agrappas Munabas his son for he feared left they would rebel me Ioseph priest also as prisoner fast bouÌ„d in chains for so had his couÌ„sel moued him saying we caÌ„not say the coÌ„trary but the we haue fouÌ„d no sign of rebellioÌ„ in Ioseph hitherto nether thinke we that he hath gon about any but who can tell whan we are gon hence whither he wil flie to IerusaleÌ„ help to set theÌ„ at vnity and concord theÌ„ they make him their king after he be the sorer enemy vnto vs. Besides this you shal haue nede of him in this iourney he being a maÌ„ of such greate prudeÌ„ce wisdo that whosoeuer foloweth his couÌ„sel shal briÌ„g his maters to good fortunate successe Vaspasian thought their couÌ„sel good and toke me prisoner with him together with king Agrippas his soÌ„ne albeit they had no irons vpoÌ„ theÌ„ nether of haÌ„d nor fote but only had their kepers appointed them that they shuld not step aside And as Vaspasian drue nie Rome all the citizens came forth to meâ—e him receiued him with great ioy mighty shouts Then commaunded he me to be put in prisoÌ„ but Agrippas his sonne he let go at liberty The nerte daye assembled all the Senate of Rome to create Vaspasian emperour after the manner of the Romaines with whoÌ„e was Agrippas and his sonne I also entreated the iaylor to let me haue kepers with me and so to bringe me to the place where he should be crowned and created Cesar which the iaylour grauÌ„ted me went with me him self to the place brought me where I mighte see all that was done Within fewe daies after Vaspasian tooke displeasure with Agrippas vppon the information of certain euill disposed persones that had slaundered him and perswaded Vaspasian that he went about to rebel how he had sent letters to Ierusalem concerninge the same matters Wherefore Vaspasian put bothe him his sonne Munabas to death This befel .iii. yeres and a half before the destruction of Ierusalem Moreouer before this dede the continual sacrifice ceased for a. M. CC. and ninetie daies as it is written in Daniel Capitu. 12. And from the time that the continual sacrifice shal be taken avvaye and abomination shal be put into desolation a thousand 290. daies The same yeare and moneth that Agrippas was put to deathe God moued the minde of Vaspasian to remember me with his mercy wherfore he commauÌ„ded that I should be fetched out of prisoÌ„ brought to his presence And as I stode in irons before him Cesar had me welcom and spake comfortably vnto mee sayinge Thou knowest well that I haue euer loued thee from the daye I firste sawe thee and although I haue kept the coÌ„tinually in duraunce do not thincke I did it of ani euiâ— wil or malice towards thee but rather maiste thou perswade thy selfe I did it leaste the Romaine princes shoulde disdaine or enuy thee saye See here this felow that in our warrs hath endomaged vs so greatly nowe goeth he checkmate with vs in as great fauour as we Let vs kil him and put him oute of the waye But my frende Iosephe be thou of good cheare I will deliuer thee from these iron bondes and thou shalt be with me in no worsse case then as one of mi chiefe princes And I will sende â—hee into Iewrye to my sonne Titus to whome thou shalt be as a father and a counselloure Thou knowest Titus was be that tooke pitye on thee and woulde not suffer thee to be putte to deathe Yea he hathe soundrye times moued me to release thee of thy boÌ„des and to honoure thee whiche I haue differred to do onlye for this cause that I shewed thee I made him aunswere But howe canne I bee quyet or
I beseche you the thinges that grow vppon the earth and al liuyng creatures beastes wormes that crepe vppon the grounde fowles of the ayre and fisshes of the sea Doe you not see howe euer the stronger hathe the dominion ouer the weaker neither is it anye rebuke or shame for the weaker to geue place and obeye that whiche is stronger For the Ore and Goate are in awe of the Lyon the Ramme and the Ewe of the Woulfe the cowe and the lambe feare the beare the goate the libarde the hauke is afraied of the egle the doue of the hauke Wey the maner of Beastes and birdes amongest their owns kinde you shall see euer the bigger and stronger to be master ouer the lesss weaker And so in all other thinges the stroÌ„ger set theÌ„ selues before the weaker alwaies Wherfore ye mortal men learne ye hereat did not one God make al things he him selfe hath dominioÌ„ ouer theÌ„ al notwithstanding all things are so knit together amoÌ„gst theÌ„ selues that no one thing can staÌ„d without another But he the holdes vp al things is the blessed god who if he list caÌ„ bringe theÌ„ al into dust againe his name be extold for euer Take example I pray you of the parts of the hole world you shal se one part to be in subiection an other to bear rule Be not theÌ„ so stiffe necked to pernert the natural courses of the world but rather let your election folowe the causes euents of the same which if you do you shall be estemed for wise men Now then my dear couÌ„try men neuer think it shame for you to serue the Romains it is time for you now to return to the lord with your hole heart then eueÌ„ you also shal haue the dominioÌ„ ouer other nacions according to your desire This shal then come to passe wheÌ„ you folow your lord God with al your streÌ„gth Therfore neuer thinke that the Romaynes whiche haue rule ouer you at this day are of lesse power then other people that heretofore hane had the domiuion ouer you For they are a mighty nacion their Empire and rule ouer other people they haue from aboue as I haue proued to you by the similitudes of brute beasts which accordyng to nature beare rule one ouer an other Notwithstandinge in mankinde it shoulde neuer haue come to passe that the bigger shoulde so haue the dominion ouer the lesse vnlesse for their sinnes for the which thei are so punished the one is coÌ„pelled to bow his neck vnder anothers yoke Nowe therfore my deare people take humilitie and mekenes vnto you neuer couet to alter the lawes of nature but rather receiue my wordes folow my counsell obey the Romains prest ready to make a leage with you accordyng to their bountifulnesse that you may liue do full well When Ioseph the prieste hadde spoken these thinges in the hearyng of the Citizins of Hierusalem they burste oute and wepte gnasshed wyth theyr teeth rayled at Ioseph ouer the walles hurling stones and dartes at him to haue killed him Therfore when Ioseph sawe that they woulde not folowe his counsaile but were so stiffe necked he begaÌ„ to rebuke them most sharpely criyng vnto theim in this wise Woe to all frowarde People and suche as rebell againste the LORD GOD what meane ye you wretches what haue ye to leane vnto that ye are so stubburne when as neuertheles the Lorde is gone from you For you are wicked people haue sinned againste him Howe can your sinnes be purged which ye haue committed in the Temple of the Lorde by sheadinge of innocente bloude without all mercse Ye are moste giltye for ye haue fought in the temple and sanctuarye of the Lord ye haue defiled it with the dead bodyes of theim whom ye haue slayne in the midst thereof Besides that ye haue suspended and vnhalowed the name of the Lords with youre fightinges making warres vpon your Sabboth daie vpon your solemne and festiual daies Tel me now ye frowarde rebels whether did euer your forefathers preuaile against their enemies with speare and shilde or rather with prayer penaunce and purenes of hearte wherwith they serued GOD and he againe deliuered them But you what haue ye to truste vnto when as ye are vnfaithful Your shadow and protectioÌ„ is departed from you and your Lorde God aydeth your enemies whose power he mainteyneth to distroye you If you imagine to be deliuered with your swords speares you are foulie disceiued whereas God would not that you shoulde escape the hands of your enemies OpeÌ„ your eies and se what Dauid the anointed of the lord said For the lord vvill saue neither by svvorde nor speare Call to your remeÌ„brance ye very foles Abraham your father which begat you by what meanes he ouercame Pharao the kinge of Egipt who violently had taken away Sara his wife froÌ„ him surely nonother way did he obteine the victory then by praier vnto the lord who stirred the spirit of Pharao and put him in minde to restore him his wife Sara clene vndefiled AbrahaÌ„ was quiet in his bed at reste from al troubles but Pharao that greate Lorde and ruler he was punished in the meane season with greate plages bicause of Sara whoÌ„ he had takeÌ„ to him by violeÌ„ce to defloure her which God wold not suffer but rather vncouered Pharaos flesh that he was fain to shewe the secrete partes of his bodye to phisitions to se if thei coulde he ale theÌ„ But who can cure thinfirmities which god sendes or who knowes his enteÌ„ts For who knewe that Ieschaciahus biles could be healed with a plaster of figs or Naman Syrus lepry with the waterê of Iordan or the bitter waterê with wormwode Wherefore when as no man could cure Pharao he was glad faine to speake Abraham faire to intreate him to pray vnto god to take away froÌ„ him this plage so by his prayer Pharao recouered Then Pharao apparaled Sara in precious garmentes gaue her giftes bothe golde and siluer and preous stones sent her home honest pure and holy to Abraham liyng then in his owne house Isaac also when hee was driuen oute by Abimilech kinge of the Philistines and had with him the bonde seruauntes of his fathers housholde to the number of .8 hundred .18 wyth whoÌ„ Abraham had discoÌ„fited fiue kinges befide many other mo of his family so that he had ben stronge inough to to haue inuaded the Philistines yet he would not do it but with all mekenes humilitie he vsed him self toward the king of that countrey Notwithstandynge after he was driuen out of that lande the Philistines came vnto hym and entreated hym saiynge we perceiue the Lorde God is with thee c. as it is written in the Scripture What shal we saye of Iacob when he fled froÌ„ the preseÌ„ce of his brother Esau he caried nothing with him but a bare staffe wherwith he passed ouer the riuer Iordan as it is written Wyth my
staffe passed I this Iordane Hys necessaries tooke wyth him for his iourney was praier wherwith he made al his wars That was it for the whyche God assisted him when he went away to Laban and when he returned from him when also he was deliuered out of the hands of hys brother Esau that sought to kyll hym Moreouer by the way as he returned when he wrasteled with a certaine man and ouercame him Oh lorde who is able to number the mercies of the Lord the maruails which he wrought wyth our fathers of worthye memorie Abraham Isaac and Iacob What should I speake of Moyses our shepeherd the man of god that feared the cruelty of Pharao vntil he writ in the law that he had called the name of his son Eliasar for he said the god of his father helped him deliuered him out of the handes of Pharao And when he came before Pharao to deliuer Israell oute of hys handes and to leade thē out of Egypt what thing els ouercame he the tyrāt withal thē with praier Did he not ouerthrow the prid of Pharao his charmers only with the rod of the Lord which he had with him Wherwith also he smote Aegipt with ten plages deuided the sea into twelue pathes And at the red sea Moyses resisted not Pharao and hys hostes wyth force of armes but with prayer wherfore Pharao all his ware drouned in the botom of the sea But Moyses sang a song of prayse vnto oure God whyle the souldiers of the Aegiptians perished that came agaynste Moyses and the people of Israell with weapons horses chariotes notwithstāding by the meanes of Moyses prayer they wer ouerwhelmed al in the sea so that not one of thē escaped Who is ignorant of this that prayer is of more force then all instrumentes of war that it spedeth and hasteneth the help of the Lorde and his sauing health Do you not know whā Iosua the minister of Moyses passed ouer Iordan that he was a warlyke man and had with him very manye moste valeant souldiers Neuertheles he destroyed not the seuen walles of Iericho by force of war but all onlye with prayer and with the showtes noyse of the preestes of the Lorde our forfathers Knowe ye not howe that prayer auayled Gedeon when as he with 300. men vanquished the hole hoste of Median Amalek the people of the east if prayer had not helped him I praye you what had 300. men ben able to do against so great a multitude Mark ye fond people what chaūsed in the arke of the couenant of the Lorde that the Philistins toke away Our fathers truly were not able to recouer it by theyr swordes force of armes But with the prayer that the iust men of that adge made the ark was brought agayn vnto his place Cōsider the times of Hezekia king of Iuda when as Sennacherib king of Assur came vp blaspheming rayling vpō the sanctuary of the Lord God of hostes vttering the pryd malice of his hart by what meanes was he ouerthrone did our fathers ouercome him by force of armes Nay without doubte but with prayer supplication For Hezekia the king went put on apparail mete for prayer in sted of a shild he toke sack cloth for a helmet he cast dust vpō his heed in steed of arrowes a sword he set hand vpon prayer and supplieatiō And the prayer the Hezekia made mounted vp so far as no arrow had bene euer able to flee so that hys one petition and prayer ouerthrou 185. thousand most valeāt men of the hoste of Sennacherib Forthermore the king of Iuda king of Israell king of Edom ioyning their powers together inuaded the Moabites in a wildernes an vnoccupied barē dry lād they wer in great peril for thyrst what profited thē their artillery furniture of war Did there not issue out for thē at the instant praier of Eliseus a prophet mā of God plēty of waters in the desert a broke in the wildernes Came it not to passe also by the praier of the same Eliseus that a wonderful hurlybucly a rūbling ratling of chariots of war of horses was hard in the camps of the Sirianes besedging the citie of Samaria with the which noyse the Sirianes being a ferd fled noman pursuing nor folowing thē ye know also the by the prayer of the forsayd prophet the famin and lack of victuales that was in the toune of Samaria was turned into great abundaūce and plenty in so much that thirty Ephas or mesures of fine meale were sold for one piece of siluer Do you not see most folish men how our forfathers had the victory euer by prayer But let vs come to the beginning agayn and speak of Moyses what tyme as he held vp his handes toward heauen had not Israell the vpper hand of the Amalekites by his prayer Iosua also by hys prayer stayed the sunne and mone in the sight of the people of Israell the sunne stode stil in Gibeon the moone in the valey of Ailon that the euening was chaūged into monday and so Israel vanquished their enemies Sampson also that moste valeant gyant vntill such time as he had sinned did not God euermore heare his praier euer he gat the victory therby After he had once sinned he decayed as any other meane person Lykewyse also kynge Saule al the while he walked perfectly and purely his prayer encreased hys valeantnes and strenght but after he had once sinned God left hym gaue him ouer Dauid also king of Israel of famous memory from the time of his youth till his laste end his valiantnes neuer fayled him and why bycause he alwayes was helped bi his praier neither wolde he euer fight agaynst hys coūtry men and natiue people whan as Saule persecuted him Wherefore he preuayled agaynst his enemies and bycause he absteyned to lay his hādes vpon hys brethern therfore afterward all nations feared him Dyd not Assa king of Iuda accompanied with a smal numbre of men make an expedition againste the Aethiopianes and praing to the Lorde God sayd on this wyse VVe in dede knovve not vvhat to do but oure eyes are bente vpon thee c. Which prayer the almighty dyd hear and the victory followed so that Assa slew in the campes of the Aethiopians tenne hundreth thousand men Deboras a prophetyse by her prayer brought to pas great health in Israel What shal I tel of diuers other iuste godly wemen which by theyr prayers obteined many thīgs Tel me ye mad mē know ye not what Amaziahu king of Iuda did He hauing warres wyth the Edomites vāquished them and led them prysoners with their wyues and children idoles also to Ierusalē then fell to worshipping of the same idoles that he had taken from the Edomites saing vnto thē you ar they which haue saued me by the reason Iworship you therfore haue I ouercomed the Edomits
To whome wheÌ„ a prophet of the Lord came asked him why sekest thou and seruest the Goddes of that people that were not able to deliuer theÌ„ out of thy hand By by he taunted the prophet agayne sainge who made the of the kinges counsel wherfore after that he was no moar repreheÌ„ded of the prophet for the lord had determined to distroy him as it is writen in the bokes of the chronicles of the kinges of Iuda Ther fore he was taken prisoner afterward like a fore when as he fought agaynst Ioas king of Israel in Bethschemesch so was he compared to a lowe vyle thorn or shrub And Ioas vnto the noble hye ceder tree Yea all the euilles that euer happened vnto vs in any age it came of our selues for our lord God is ryghteous in all his workes that euer he wrought vpon vs. Oure enemis did vs neuer so much harm as we did to our selues to our owne liues Ye wote the geÌ„tiles toke our precious vessels of our saÌ„ctuary away to babel brought vs theÌ„ agayn vndefiled but we polluted defiled them our selues the teÌ„ple also with innoceÌ„t blud which we shed abundantly within it adding sinnes to sinnes euer mo mo breking the lawe with our euil actes For who brought the Romains first against the city of IerusaleÌ„ but Hircanus Aristobulê° for they being at dissentioÌ„ betwixt theÌ„ selues one hating the other called the to mains against this city who brought Antoni Sosius princes of the Romains agaynst Ierusalem but Herod beyng at variance for the kingdom with the house of Chasmonanites who also called Nero Caesar to reygn ouer vs dyd you it not your selues Nowe therfore why rebel ye against the empyre dominion of the Romaines If you will saye bycause the Romayn presideÌ„t Edomaeus ordered you to bad had it not ben mete rather to complain of him to the Emperour then to rebel agaynste the Romaynes and to make warre against them But you wyll say we rebelled agaynst Nero Caesar because he did vs to muche wronge Wherefore then rebell ye now against Vaspasian Caesar a moste merciful man and one which neuer hurt you Or why make ye not peace with his son to be vnder him accordinge as other nationes be that ye might lyue and not peryshe Haue ye not a sufficient profe of hys clemencie and mercifulnes when as he hath cause to be cruel vpon no man so much as vpon me whiche drew out my sword agaynst the Romaines and killed many of them notwithstanding neyther he nor the reste of the Romains haue done me any harme Yea rather they haue bestowed many benefites vpon me and although I was in their handes yet they haue saued my lyfe Yea I coÌ„fesse that before they had me prisoner I wolde gladly many times haue fled to theÌ„ but I could neuer do it for I was euer aferd of my wicked coÌ„paions least they shulde haue killed me so my death had bene to no purpose But now I prayse the lorde God without ceassing bycause that for his vnmeasurable mercies sake he wold not suffer me to be entaÌ„gled in the same mischieues the you be in Nether wold I wish to be a coÌ„panion of such loste vnthriftes castawayes as you be which haue shed the bloud of innoceÌ„tes in the teÌ„ple of the lord In deed if I had bene with you I shuld haue ben voyd of al hope as ye be seinge ye spare not your owne liues your owne coÌ„tumacie stubbernes is made a snare for you See I pray you with how great mischiefes you are laden First the lord is not emongst you insomuch the through the warres whiche you haue made emoÌ„gst your selues almost the waters of Schiloach ar dried vp which her tofore wheÌ„ the nations made war against you flowed in great abuÌ„dance ran ouer the bankes on both sydes But you are oâ—erth wart rebelles that haue euer prouoked the lord God vnto wrath you haue made slaughteres one vpoÌ„ an other in the midest of the teÌ„ple of the lord how can then the glory of the lord dwel emongst you Knowe ye not bycause of Korach his coÌ„gregatioÌ„ the lord sayd vnto Moyses to his people Separate your selues froÌ„ emoÌ„g this coÌ„gregatioÌ„ and I shal coÌ„sume theÌ„ in a tvvinkling of an eye But you are far worse then they for without all remors or pitie â—e pull doun the teÌ„ple of the lord with our own haÌ„des you your selues set fyre on the sanctuary which most noble kinges most holy prophets builded besyds al this ye nether spare your sonnes nor doughters And although I be in the Romains caÌ„p yet I am not absent froÌ„ you for my moste dearly beloued wife is with you the wife of my youth whoÌ„ I can not set lightly by at this present although I neuer had childreÌ„ by her but rather loue her moste entierly bycause she came of a most honest godly house My dear father mother ar also with you very aged persones for my father is at this day a hundreth three yeres olde my mother four score and fyue but the yeres of my life ar very few euil ful of tribulacion sorowe about threscore seuen nether haue I lyued yet so long that according to nature I shuld desire to dye Now therfor if so be it you trust not me but suppose I haue proposed these thinges to you deceytfully and that ther is no trust of Titus coueuant and bonde or that his league shuld be to your hinderaÌ„ce and discoÌ„moditie go to if it come so to pas it shal be leeful for you to kil my father mother my wife yea I swere vnto you by the lorde our God that I shall deliuer my lyfe also into your handes that you may do with me what ye list and by that meanes shall the bloud of my parentes my wyues myne be in pledge Therfore let the auncieÌ„t of the city come forth I wil make a league betwixt them and our lord Titus And doubt ye not but as hytherto the lorde God wold you shuld be afflicted punished by the gouernement of the Romaynes so hereafter he shall benefyt you therby and doo you good if so be it you wil once acknowledg and coÌ„fesse that al dominion is chaunged and altered at his coÌ„mandement that God humbleth whome he lyste and agayn whom he list he setteth aloft But persuade your selues of this that as longe as ye refuse to be subiect vnto the Romaines so long ye styre agaynste your selues Godes wrath and hye displeasure and besydes that differ the lengar and prolong your redemption and deliuerance not only to your selues but also to your posteritye Nowe therfore my brethern I thought it my parte to declare al these thinges vnto you and it is in your power to chuse whyther ye lyste for who so will let him geue eare vnto me and who not let him absteyn from my
was hard harted and wolde not be intreated for it was Gods will that Amittai shuld be punished bycause he was the bringer of Schimeon into Ierusalem therfore fel he into his handes which for good rewarded him with euill Schimeon commaunded a sorte of murtherers to place Amittai vpon the walles in the syght of the Romaynes and sayde vnto hym seest thou Amittai why doo not the Romaynes delyuer and rescue the oute of my handes the I say whyche woldest haue fled away vnto them Amittai answered nothing to thys but still besought hym that before hys death he might kisse hys sonnes bid them fare wel but Schimeon vtterly denied hym Wherfore Amittai wept a loude sayng to hys sonnes I brought deare chyldren I brought thys thiefe into thys toun wherefore I am counted nowe for a thiefe my selfe all thys mischyefe whyche is comed vpon me and you it is myne own doynge bycaufe I brought this seditious villain into this holy City I thought then perauenture he wil be a helpe to the toune but it is nowe proued contrarye for he hathe bene a moste cruell enemy of the same It was not enough for vs to kepe one seditious person Iehochanan I mean whyche tooke vnto hym Eleasar the fyrste begynner of sedition but I muste bringe in also thys wycked Schimeon whyche is ioyned to oure fooes to destroye vs. In deed I neuer brought him in for any loue that I bare vnto hym but all the Priestes and the hoole multitude of the people sent me to fetche hym notwithstanding I am worthy of this iuste iudgement of God bycause I tooke vpon me suche an ambasage What shoulde I speake of thee thou moste wycked Schimeon for whyther so euer thou turnest thee thou bringst all thinges out of frame In deed thou dealest iustly with me bicause I haue sinned vnto God to his people and his citye in that I haue brought the in to be a plage to it Wherefore I were worthy to be stooned notwithstanding it had bene thy parte thou wycked murtherer to deliuer me and my sonnes frome the haÌ„des of the other seditions for I haue wrought them displeasure but to thee haue I done good Howbeit our God will not altar nor chaunge his iudgmentes whyche is that I shuld fall into the sword of thy hand for that I made thee to enter into this city wher in I offended God greuously If euer I had purposed to flee vnto the Romaynes could I not haue done it before euer I brought in thee for at that tyme barest thou no rule ouer vs. And before we called in thee Iehochanan with his sedition was an offence vnto this city wherfore wee perswaded all the anuncient of the toun that thou shuldest be an ayde vnto vs to dryue out our foes but thou in whom we put our trust arte become our enemye yea thou haste been worse then they for the other put men to death pryuily thou doest it openly Who is he that hath strengthened the power of the Romains art not thou he which hast killed the souldiers of God in the middest of thys citye Ierusalem for fewe haue bene slayn wythoute Titus woulde haue made peace with vs taking pitie vpon vs but that same didest thou let and hinder euery daye mouing new warres and stiring new battailes Titus gaue charge to hys souldiâ—rs to laye no handes vpon the temple but thou hast polluted and defyled the temple of the Lorde sheding bloud without measure in the middes thereof Titus went back from vs vpon the holy daye of the Lorde and ceased from fighting saying go and obserue your holy feastes in peace but thou vnhalowedst the feast of the Lord and leshedst out the continuall fyre wyth innocent bloud Al these euilles which thou hast committed thou murtherer at imputed vnto me bicause I brought the into the toune Now therfore this bengeaunce is appointed to mine age of the lord God and by thy haÌ„des shall I goo to my graue with sorow bicause I by my foolishnes was a doar in this mischief that is wrought by thee Albeit now thou wicked Schimeon in this that thou killest me before mine eyes may see the burnynge of the temple it pleaseth me very well but whanedeth thee thou murtherer to put my sonnes to death before my face whye doest thou not spare mine age Would God that like as I shall not se the burning of the temple so also I might not see the bloud of my children shed before my face But what shal I dooe when God hath deliuered me into the hands of a most wicked man Wee that were the auncients of Hierusalem abhorreâ— Iehochanan because he murthered olde men without al reuerence but he slew no yonge men thou destroyest â—ld and yonge greate and small without anye pitte or mercye Iehochanan mâ—uâ—ned for the dead and buried them also thou playest vpon instrumentes at their burials singest to the Lute and seundest the trumpet Then spake he to Schimeons seruaunte who was ready with a swerde in his hande and an are to kyll hym and to cutte of his heade saiynge Goe to nowe and execute Schimeons thy masters commaundement be head Sonnes in sighte of their father and let mee heare the voyce of cruelrye in my sonnes whyche notwithstandynge I forgeue thee For as I shall see and heare that againste my wyll so I dare saye thou killest them not willynglye Woulde God that Schimeon woulde suffer mee to kysse my Sonnes and whyles I am aliue to embrace theim or they dye But thou gentle minister in one thinge shewe thy pitie towards me that when thou hast put my soÌ„nes and mee to execution seperate not our bodies nether ley in sunder their corses from mine but so that my bodye mayâ— lye vppermost and couer theirs to defende them from the foules of the ayre lest they deuour my sonnes bodyes for it maye fortune they maie be buried I beseche thee also that my mouth and tongue when I am deade may â—ouche my sonnes faces that so I maye both embrace and kysse theim But what do I delay or tarye any lenger seynge the enemy denyes me this to kisse theÌ„ whyles we are yet aliue See thou therefore that our bodies be not seuered and if Schimeon will not permit this that our bodies may be ioyned in this world yet can he not let our souls to be ioyned for after I shal be once dead I doubt not but I shall see the lyght of the Lord. His sonnes hearing their fathers wordes began to wepe very sore with theyr father who sayd vnto them Alas my sonnes why wepe ye what auayleth teares why doo ye not rather go before me and I wil folow as I maye for what should I do now seyng God hath geuen me into the handes of a moste cruel tirant who spareth nether mine age nor youre youthe But I truste we shall lyue together in the light of the lord and although I can not be suffred now to see you enough yet when we shall come
do it for thy sake So the messenger brought the aunswer secretly vnto Herode wherupon he sent streight to the place in whiche he vnderstode Maloces men to lurke waiting for Hircanus and caused to apprehende them aliue Herode coÌ„maunded to cal together the elders before whome he willed also Hircanus to be brought and of him the king demaunded Tell me if thou writtest any letters to Maloc king of Arabia he aunswered I wrote none TheÌ„ was Restius the messenger brought in as his accuser and the meÌ„ of war also of Arabia that were apprehended which declared the hole matter before the couÌ„sel so that Hircanus was quite dasshed Then the king coÌ„maunded him to bee put to death and so was the kingdome establisshed vnto Herode The tyme that Hircanus reigned was fourty yeares and sixe monethes After the death of his mother he reigned thre yeares and Aristobulus his brother remoued hym makynge hym priest Agayne thre yeares after he returned to his kingdome and raigned fourty yeares Then Antigonus sonne of Aristobulus deposed hym cuttynge of his eare banishing him out of the holy citie So after when Herode his seruaunte came to the kingedome Herodes ingratitude he returned to Ierusalem and Herode shed his bloud without cause Yet he notwithstaÌ„dyng had deliuered Herode froÌ„ the hands of the elders who would haue put him to death for the death of Hizkias From that time Hircanus wrought none euil in the sight of the Lorde nor offended him in any great matter saue onely in this that he bare to much with Herod in sheadyng the innocent bloud wherfore his owne life wente for the other Therfore happy is he that neuer forget teth any part of his dutye Marimi the daughter of Alexander the Sonne of Aristobulus the wyfe of Herode had a brother whose name was Aristobulus hym Herode woulde in no wise promote to the hye priesthode because he feared the children of Chasmonany althoughe his wyfe sued harde and laye sore vppon him for the same matter But the kyng made hye priest one that was nothing of the kinred of Chasmonany whose name was Haniel Notwithstandynge when he had once made awaye Hircanus his wiues progenitour father of Alexandra his mother in lawe then he deposed Haniel the hie priest and promoted his wiues brother Aristobulus to the dignitie although he were but a child yet he was wise and of good vnderstandyng and beautifull withall so that in al Israell was not a goodlier nor hansomer yong man theÌ„ he was And this Haniel was the first that euer was deposed froÌ„ that office of the hie priesthode by any king of Israel afore Herode who did this to quiet his wyfe and to fulfil his mother in lawes minde NotwithstaÌ„ding this Alexandra his wyfes mother was not coÌ„tent nor satisfied for the death of her father was suche a griefe but alwaies spake snappishly to the kynge that he sent her to warde Then she writ to Cleopatra Quene of Egypt wyfe vnto Marcus Antonius a noble manne of Rome declaryng vnto her all the mischiefe that Herode had dooen to the posteritie of Chalmonani and desiring her of aide To whom Cleopatra made this answer If thou caÌ„st finde the meanes to come to me secretly thou shalt perceiue what I will dooe for thee WheÌ„ Alexandra had red the letter she sent to Aristobulus her sonne the hie priest shewing him that she wold flee to the sea Iapho and from thence wold take shipping into Egipt perswading him also to flee with her We wil saith she make two great coffers one for my self the other for thee we wil with rewardes procure our seruauntes to cary vs oute priuily wherby we may flee to saue our liues This their deuise was perceiued of one of Herodes seruauÌ„tes who forthwith made the king priuie vnto it The king coÌ„maunded his seruaunt that bewraied them that when they did coÌ„uey the coffers they shoulde bring them to him whiche the seruauntes did So when the coffers were broughte to the kinges presence he caused them to bee opened and tooke out Alexandra her sonne Aristobulus to whom the kynge spake sharpely and rebuked them sore But Alexandra aunswered him again as short in somuch that the king moued with anger flang away from her into his chamber saiyng It is better to sit in a corner of the house then with a brawling skolding womaÌ„ in an open place The king dissembled the matter shewed no great displeasure A yeare after as Aristobulê° the hie priest apparailed in his ponticall vestures stode in the the teÌ„ple nie vnto the alter to offer sacrifices the Israelites beheld his beautie his wisdome behauiour in the ministery wherat euery maÌ„ reioysed praising God that had not taken al away but left one to reuenge that iniuries done to the house of Chasmonani The kyng hearyng this was sore afrayed and not a litle displeased thinking to him selfe the Israelites woulde restore the kyngdome of their fathers vnto hym He perceiued euery maÌ„s hart to be inclined towards him Wherfore he deliberated a while in the feaste of the tabernacles he weÌ„t to Iericho withal his seruaÌ„ts wheras he made a great feast to al his nobles and seruaunts placing them euery man after his degree before him Aristobulus the hie priest he set vpoÌ„ his righthand And as they eate dronke made mery the kinges seruants were disposed to go and swim in Iordane To these the king had geuen secret coÌ„maundemente that they shoulde desire Aristobulus to go and bathe with them in Iordane and then to drown him So when they were goinge they came to Aristobulus desired him to go bathe with them which he would not vnlesse the kinge gaue him leaue wherfore he asked the king leaue but he denied him at the first yet at length the yong man intreated him so instaÌ„tly that the king bad him do what he would He wente therfore with the other yong menne to swim The king toke his horsse straitwaye and returned to Iericho withall his traine leauinge the yonge men behinde which continued swimming till Sunne setting and as it began to be darke they drowned the prieste Aristobulus emongst them Wherof when tidinges came to the kinge and it was knowen that he was deade the people wept and made great lameÌ„tacion considering his vertue nobility and beauty euery man was ful of sorow that he should haue so short a life and they bewailed so much that it was harde a far of But Marimi chiefly and Alexandra the yonge mannes mother could in no wise be comforted Yea the kinge also wept and made great moane for it repented him that he had done so wicked an acte Yet all the people knewe well inough that the thinge was procured by the king In so much that Alexandra his mother in law letted not to tell it him to his face that he was the murtherer of her husband and her father now last of al of her sonne to whoÌ„ the king
more glad and al his people The same also commaunded he to be done in all the prouinces of his kingdom sending his letters by his poastes to the noble men captaines presideÌ„tes of the prouinces that they shuld obserue the dai after the same maner euery yeare The people also that were flitted into their enemies couÌ„tries their head rulers captains came out of eueri couÌ„tri far ners to see the house and the kinge for they could neuer beleue it til they had seene it and when they had seene it it excâ—aded farre that they hadde hearde of it These thinges done the kinges two Sonnes Alexander and Aristobulus whiche he had by Marimi came home from Rome to Ierusalem in a greate heate and fury with a stronge company yea their hartes were verye hautye also for Alexander the elder had maried the kinge of Capadocies doughter and Aristobulus the doughter of Salumith the king his fathers sister These comminge to Ierusalem wente not to the court to do their duety to the kinge their father neither wold se him wherby the king gathered they went about some mischief against him Moreouer all his men gaue him warning to take hede of them and to kepe his power or gard about him He had had a wife of base stocke out of the country before he came to the kingdome by whome he had a soÌ„ne named Antipater And wheÌ„ he had put Marimi his beloued wife to death he called home his wife which he had disdained before to his courte Wherfore now seinge the two sonnes of Marimi hated himhe appointed Antipater his soÌ„ne to be his heir apparaÌ„t and to raise his estimacion gaue him al his treasure made him Lord and ruler of all that he had affirminge that he shuld reign after him This Antipater had a subtile witte and a crafty for he said dailye to his father If it like your maiesty wherto should you geue me al these thinges when as these two lions shal be euer in my top and ready to destroy me By such surmised meanes he raised discord and hatred betwene them and their father Albeit the kinge was lothe to hurt his two sonnes Not long after he toke his iourney to Rome to Octauian his soÌ„ne Alexander waited vpoÌ„ him hoping the Octauian wold be a meanes for him to turn his fathers hatred froÌ„ him put al malice oute of his minde When the king was come thither Octauian reioysed much of his coÌ„uring saying I haue thought loÌ„g to se thee To whom hast thou left the land of Iuda Herode answered for the obedience that I owe vnto my Lorde the Emperour I am come to declare him my chaunces with this my sonne his seruaunte So he tolde him the whole matter from the beginning to the end Then Octauian Augustus blamed the yonge manne because he hated his father The yong man answered Howe can I otherwise do How can I forget the mooste chaste wombe that bare me whiche was of the holye stocke If I forget my mother that was slaine giltlesse and withoute crime then let me forget my righthand These and suche like spake the yonge manne not withoute teares in the presence of Octauian so that his bowels was muche moued and the noble menne also that were aboute Octauian coulde not abstaine from wepinge but lamented greatlye Octauian firste reproued Herode for his greate transgression and crueltie then labored to pacify the yoÌ„g manne wyth comfortable woordes and biddinge him honoure his father submit him selfe vnto him When he had done as he was willed for he wold not striue against the Emperoures coÌ„maundement Octauian toke the yong man by the hande and put it into Herodes bosome Then his father kissed him and embrased him so that they wepte eche of them After that they toke their leaue and departed from Octauian who comforted them and gaue them a gifte committinge it into Herodes hands Herode yet perceiued that the hatred of the children of Marimi woulde not be apeased Whereupon when he came home to Ierusalem he called together al thelders of Israell said vnto theÌ„ I had determined once to place one of my soÌ„nes captain ouer the people of the Lord but I might not do it without the consent of Octauian Augustus Now therfore I haue appointed my .iii. soÌ„nes haue deuided my kingdoÌ„ equally emongst them Helpe ye theÌ„ against their enenmies but in no wise shal ye help one of theÌ„ against another And if ye perceiue any breach of trendship betwene them do that lieth in you to take it awaye Whereunto he made them sweare presentlye in Ierusalem and the bonde made eche man departed home to his house But for all this the hatred betwene Antipater and his two brethren was nothinge diminished for he feared them because they were of the house of Chasmonani and alied with kinges of greate power he suborned therfore false accusers to say vnto the king that the yong men soÌ„nes of Marimi were determined to destroy him Likewise he set variance betwene Salumith and theÌ„ for she was in greater estimacion then he in so muche that the kinge did nothinge withoute her counsell The same wroughte he also betwene Pheroras the kinges brother and them But to Salumith he saied doest thou not consider how the sonnes of Marimi knowe that their mother was put to death by thy counsel Therfore if they maye bringe to passe to make the king away they wil hew thee to peces But when the yong men herd of this they came before the king sware thei neuer entended to hurt their father and with weping they perswaded the king that he beleued them and they gote his fauour again Wherat Antipater was not a litle displeased wherfore he hired fals witnesses to say they saw Alexander the kinges sonne vppon a certaine night with his sword drawn before the kinges palaice mindinge to murther Antipater He suborned also certaine of the kinges seruauntes to witnesse againste Alexander that he should geue them great rewardes to allure them to his pleasure and to abuse them in filthy buggery which they refused More ouer that he desired them to poison the king which they wold not also agre to do Wherupon the kinge was sore displeased towarde him commaundinge not only him but al that toke his parte or defended his integritye to be apprehended and put in prison that execution mighte be done vppon them Then Alexander writ vnto Archelaus his father in lawe desiring him to come to HierusaleÌ„ to his father Herode This Archelaus was a very wyse man and a notable counseler When he was come to Hierusalem Herode was very glad of his comming and demaunded what matters brought hym thether at that present He aunswered I haue hearde that Alexander thy sonne and my sonne in lawe hath attempted to rebel against thee it is not possible but my doughter his wife shoulde be accessarye of this thinge and yet she hathe not shewed it vnto the wherfore I vtterly detest
thy souldiours come vnto vs that we maye liue with thee rather then to pearishe in the handes of theim that hate vs. So they opened the gates that Iosephe wente in and tooke the towne Then he caused to apprehende those vngodly persones that were there aboute sixe hundred men and laid them in irons sending theÌ„ to Tiarua whiche â–ª he had afore taken the other wicked men that had aided Vaspasian he put to the sworde But the chiefe gouernor of the towne he apprehended aliue caried him out of the city and commuuÌ„ded one of his souldioures to cut of his handes forthwith Then the captaine besought Ioseph saying I beseche the my Lorde let but one of my handes be cut of and thother to be left me This sute Ioseph and his souldiours loughe to scorne iudgeging him to be no valeaunt man nor of any hautye courage Yet Ioseph hade his souldiour to gâ—ue him the sword in his owne hande and let him cut of whither hand he list and leaue him whiche he will So the Romaine captaine toke the sword and cut of his left hand him self leauinge him the right so was he let go He came therfore vnto Vaspasians caÌ„pe to shew what shame was done him After thys the citizens of Zippori rebelled also making a league with Vaspasian and the Romaines host Ioseph being certified of this made thither with his hole host to besege it but the town abid the brunt of the assaulte that Ioseph coulde preuaile nothing against it Wherfore he besieged it a long season ABout that time it was signified also to theÌ„ of IerusaleÌ„ that the Askelonites had entred in frendship with the Romaines They sente therfore Neger the Edomite Schiloch the Babilonian Iehochanon with a power of the coÌ„moÌ„ people these came to Askalon be seged it a great space Within the town was a Romain captain called Antonius a valeant man a good warriour he vpon a certain night in the morning watch issued out of the town with his companye to geue a camisado to the Iewes that besieged the town entred their campe and made a great slaughter continuing the same iâ—l it was day lighte so that aboute ten thousand of the Iewes were slaine The reaste neuer moued out of their place saying it is better for vs to die in this battayle then to flie from our enemies therfore they toke a good heart vnto them and stode manfullye in their stations and places trustinge in the Lorde God of Israell And when it was daye they also sette them selues in araye againste Antony slue manye of his menne not withoute losse also of their own parte for Schiloch the Babilonian and Iehochanan of Ierusalem were bothe slain by the Romaines with other also of the Iewes to the noumber of eyghte thousande fightingmen that were vnder Schiloh and Iehochanan And neuer a one of the Iewishe captaines escaped that conflicte saue onlye Neger the Edomite whiche hid him self in a certaine sepulchre that was there in the plaine whome the Romaines in their pursuts soughte but founde him not Wherefore they set afire the wod that it burnte rounde aboute the sepulchre wherein he laye hid and consumed all the trees shrubs and bushes but came not nie the sepulchre for Neger had called vnto the Lord with his hole hart to deliuer him this once from his enemies lest he should be shamfully handled of theÌ„ promising at another time to be ready to die valeantly in his quarel So Neger escaped the Romaines by the helpe of the God of Israell in whome he put his truste Shortlye after sente the Ierosolimites muche people to Askalona to the nâ—mber of .xviii thousand good men of war to buri the body of the Iewes that were there slaine in the coÌ„flictes by Antoni they sought also the bodye of Neger the Edomite but they founde it not til at lengthe he cried vnto them oute of the sepulchre sayinge I am here for God hathe deliuered me oute of the handes of mine ennemies to the intente I maye yet be auenged of them in the warres of the LORDE So Negar declared vnto them at large all thinges howe they chaunced vnto him Wherefore the Iewes reioysed wonderfuâ—lye that that they had found him aliue that he was saued by such a miracle that the Lord had deliuered him Therfore thei put their confidence in the Lord beleuing that God wold be presente with them to aide them wherof this deliuerance of Neger they toke for a sure sign and token The Romaines kept them within the towne for feare of the multitude of the Iewes that were come to bury the bodies So the Iewes buried all the bodies of their owne parte that wer slain in bothe battails for the Romaines were not able to prohibit and let them but helde them in the towne And wheÌ„ the burial was finished they toke Neger with them to Ierusalem to geue God thankes there for his deliueraunce at that present TheÌ„ Ioseph the priest gathered his strengthe and came vpoÌ„ Askalon with his hole army assaulted them gate thupper hand and wan the towne after slue Antony and al his people with the sword that of al the valeante men of warre that were with him not one escaped Besides this all the villages and hamlets that were there aboute without the towne he burnt them euery one And in like maner serued he all the townes villages there aboute that had entred in league with the Romains fleaing both Iewes and Romaines that dwelte in them with the sworde as manye as be founde and their houses he brente This done Ioseph returned again to Zippori sought with them gate the vpper hande there shed he much bloud of the people that had conspired with the Romaines vtterlye destroyed theÌ„ burnt also their cities and villages led their wiues and children prisoners awaye to Ierusalem and what Romaines so euer he founde there hee slue them with the sworde Whan as Vaspasian and Titus his sonne hearde of all that Iosephe had wroughte againste the Romaines bothe howe he slue their garisones as manye as he coulde finde in Galile and also all the Iewes that hadde made anye league with him and his sonne they were wonderfull wrothe and in a greate rage They toke therfore their iourny came to Apitelma otherwise called Acho where as at that present Agrippas kinge of Iudea was abidinge and fortye thousande menne with him all good menne of warre and archers euerye one these ioyned them selues with Vaspasians armye by whyche meanes the Romaines campe became verye huge Moreouer oute of other nations rounde aboute Iudea good menne of warre withoute noumber ioyned with Vaspasian He had aid also of all the best menne of warre oute of Mesopotamia Aram Zofa Assur Sinear Persia Chaldea Macedonia and oute of the prouinces of the people of the East yea the people of Mizraim Lob Dedam and Seba with all prouinces farre and neare that were from vnder the subiection of the Iews caste of the
people and offered him selfe to die for his people that the plage mighte cease from Israell Where is kinge Saule and his sonne Iehonathan that fought for the people of God and died in the fielde Coule not Saule haue saued his life and his Sonnes bothe if he hadde bene so disposed But hee when he sawe Israell haue the ouerthrowe in the battaile hadde no desire to liue anye lenger but chose rather deathe then life and woulde not be seperated from his brethren nother in life nor death as wel hee as Ionathan his Sonne those dearlye beloued and moste amiable menne as the scripture termeth theim Why doest thou not remember our deare Prince the righteousnes of Dauid the anointed of the Lorde who seinge a moste greuous pestilence to rage vppon the people of Israel saied Let thy hande O Lorde I beseche thee be tourned vpon mee and my fathers house For I am hee that haue sinned I haue transgressed as for these thy sheepe what haue they done What haue they offended Where is the holye Lawe smothered and stifled in thy hearte Arte not thou an annoynted Prieste that haste declared and taughte vs the holye Lawe wherby we might learne how to loue our Lord God withal our hart with al our soul and withall oure strength If it be so that the seruice of God consisteth not in this that we should loue whome he loueth and die for his couâ—uaunt and saÌ„ctuary together with his seruaunts that be slain for the vnity of the name of the Lord Wherin staÌ„deth it then Hast not thou oft times taught and proued vnto vs howe that euerye man that dieth in warres for the lord his sanctuary his people and his law he is to be counted in the Lordes lot made worthye to goe vnto the greate light and shal not see euerlasting darknesse Arte not thou that Ioseph the priest that hast cried so ofteÌ„ in battail I am Ioseph the prieste consecrated to battaile that haue vowed my life for the people of the Lord his sanctuarye and his lande But nowe when thou baste yealded thy selfe vnto them and they order the dispitfullye what wilte thou say vnto them or what amendes canst thou haue at their handes I put the case they cast in thy teeth say thy wordes be but lies How shalt thou auoid that reproche Arte not thou he that saidst men shoulde fighte for the people of God vntil they die in the conflicte and in so doinge their deathe shoulde be a raunsome for their sinnes and that they were sure to go to that great light that is the light of life Which if it be true according as thou hast said whye then wilt thou shun deash and not folowe thy people that are gone before thee to that same lighte Euer hitherto thou hast had the vpper hand wher so euer thou camste in so muche that they that hearde of thee trembled for feare and nowe wilte thou yelde thy life into captiuity to the Romaines as a vile slaue Shall not this thy dishonoure redound also vnto the people of God Thou that arte a prince a kinge and priest wilt thou be bound in cheines Euerye man shall saye this is he that hathe geuen his souldioures and the reaste of his people to die but hath â—â—ued him selfe and his owne life So when they hadde made an ende of talke eche manne drew out his sword and came vnto him in the middest of the Caue sainge Hearest thou thou Iosephe oure Prince if thou wilte be ruled by vs firste we shall slea thee as a Lorde and a greate Prince and thou shalte chuse what deathe thou wilt die on that thou maiest die honourablye But if thou refuse to dye honestlye assure thy selfe of this that we will euerye manne set vpon thee and slea thee Ioseph aunswered In deede I knowe my Brethren that your woordes are iuste and true For who is so madde to desire to liue in this hurlye burlye and woulde GOD that hee woulde call my Soule vnto him and receyue it vnto hym also For I am not ignoraunt that it were more expediente for mee to die then to liue for the great troubles that haue passed through my braynes But hee knoweth the secretes of mannes hearte and he it is that geueth life vnto menne It is God that closeth soules within the bodies and letteth theim oute againe bicause he is the liuinge GOD in whose handes remaine the Soules and Spirites of all liuinge creatures He hath left with vs a Spirite of life and closed it vp within oure bodies What is hee then that will open that that he hath shut How shall we loose that that he woulde haue bounde and knitte fast within vs Dooe ye not al knowe that the life is a thinge that he hath left with vs to kepe and that wee are his seruauntes If then we cast awaye life before that GOD take it shall he not worthelye bee displeased with vs and make that we shall not find life in the place of the liuing with Abraham our father of famous memorye and wyth other iuste and godlye menne our forefathers Dooe you not knowe that they wente not vnto God before they were called and when they were called they came and soo dealt GOD with all holye and Godly men To Moyses our master of worthie memorye the electe of GOD ye knowe that the Lorde God of Israell said get the vp vppon this mountaine Abarim and so he did But he woulde not haue done it of him selfe had not God called him Wherby ye may see it is not lawful for a maÌ„ to surrendre his life vnto God excepte he require it againe Take example I praye you of Iob. What time he curst the daye that he was borne in mighte not he ether haue hanged him self or haue run vppon a knife or at the least haue folowed his wifes counsel to cursse God and die Not withstanding he abode paciently in most extreme paine waitinge til God demaunded again his life and then restored it vnto his Lord god and would not restore it vndemaunded but taried till hys appoynted ende came King Dauid also of famous memory saide Leade thou my life oute of his pinfolde and prison For he knew that the life was inclosed in the bodye and that none mighte let it forth but God I wot wel that death is a greate commodity so be that the soule may return in his due time vnto God that gaue it vs. I knowe also that he that dieth in the warres of the lord he shal come to the greate lighte But I knowe not what can appease gods wrath toward the soul of that man that killeth him self maketh hast to restore his soul before his time and withoute the Lordes calling Wherfore my frendes brethren I would ye shoulde knowe it I am no more cowarde then you and I do not disagree with you because I am of a fainte heart for feare of these presente calamities but that I know I shoulde commit a
comditions of peace whether whē he was come he sente his embassadours to the citizens to intreate the peace with thē Whereunto the Cityzens accorded and were readye to enter in league with Titus When as this wicked Iehochanan perceiued the auncient men of the towne and the heades wolde receiue peace he commaunded his companions to kepe the walles to let them from speaking with the Romaines and that they woulde geue the Romaines their answer So therfore seditious Iehochanā made answer to the embassadoure of Titus saying to morow haue we a solempne feast to the Lord God tell thy master Titus therfore that he graunte vs truce for two daies and the thirde day we wil geue him answer Wherwith Titus was contente and lefte the assaulte for two daies These thinges were done vpon Whitson euen which was called the feaste of weakes and haruest The night afore the third day appointed was come Iehochanan and his complices gate them oute of the towne and fled toward Ierusalem ere Titus knew therof On the morow he sent his embassadour to demaūd their answer what they would do They answered we desire to entre in a league with you for we are yours to do you what pleasure your hart desireth vpon this condicion that none of the Romaines hurt ether our bodies or goodes Titus vpon this made peace with them confirminge it by writinge sealed for the better assuraunce therof So they opened the gates and Titus came into the town with his hole armi the Iewes receiued him with great ioy honoring him very much Then Titus inquired for Iehochanan and his confederates the citizens declared vnto him how he fled by night withal his towards Ierusalem Titus hearing that sent after to pursue him yet they found him not he had made such spede Notwithstanding many of the people that wēt out of the town with him that they might escape the daunger both men wemen children old and impotent persōs they enertoke slue them euery one and returned with a great spoyle After this Titus wan all the cities in Galile and set rulers in them Then Vaspasian dislodged from thence and came to the mount Tabor which hath snow vpon it continually the height therof is .xxx. furlonges and vpon the top is a plaine of .xxiii. furlong◠broade Thither sent Vaspasian one of his Captaines called Palgorus whiche tooke the mountaine and the towne that stode thereon But here I will leaue of the historie of the rest of the battails that were fought in other places in the lande of Israel and Galile and speake no more of them in this boke for they be almoste innumerable and we haue made mencion of them in the historie of the Romains ⧠The Historye of the siege of Hierusalem NOwe wyll wee discribe the battails of Hierusalem howe the city was besieged by the Romains wherin we will declare all thinges truelye as our maner is faithfullye accordynge to the veritie of that was done It came to passe therfore as Iehochanan the Galilean was fled to Hierusalem he found there men mete for his purpose iniurious persons wicked menne murtherers disceiuers bloudsheaders an infinite number for out of all countreys within the land of Iuda there repared thither all men of warre to defende the sanctuarie of our God and Anani the hie priest receiued al that came These seinge Iehochanan and his valeantnesse fell from Anani the hie priest and claue vnto him deuising with him of al their affaires So Iehochanan conspired with those cutthrotes to laye handes vppon the rich men of the city and to spoile them of their goodes and this was their maner when they espied any notable rich man of the city they woulde after this sort quarrel with him Art not thou he that hast sent letters to the Romains and to Vaspasian to betraye the citye vnto them Thus woulde thei examin him before the people and when he woulde answer God forbid I shoulde so do then woulde they bringe in lims of the Deuil of their owne companye to beare false witnesse againste him that he might be condempned to death by the law for a rebel Thus dealt thei with Antipas and Lohia bothe noble men and of the chiefe of the citye and their goodes withal their iewels the seditious ceased for them selues They quarels also to the hie priestes thruste them from their charges that thei could not execute their seruice Moreouer thei cast lottes who should haue the priests office and who should be no priest For they helde the priesthode and seruice of God for ioyes gaudes and trifles So the lotte fel vpon one that was called Pani the sōne of Peniel a carterly husbandman ignorant what belonged to the priestes office so that he was vtter lie vnworthy of the priesthode yet thei made him hye priest for all the so light a matter made they of the priest hode The good Godlye men of Hierusalē seing the power of these Ruffians and wicked persons beare suche swinge they stack together and determined to with stande them by force The people therfore earnestlye moued with anger set vpon them and encountred with them in suche sort that the fight was greate on bothe sides in the streates in the market place in the temple and in the entraunce of the Temple till all the citye was filled full of dead bodies and slaine men For there was not so much as one streate but there was some skirmishes in it The people at length gat the vpper hand of the Ruffiās for thei were eigerly set earnestly bēt against thē The sedicious therfore seing thē selues not able to make their party good with the people fled euerie man into the temple of the Lorde shutte it after them and there remained But Anani the hie Prieste seinge the wicked to be fledde to the temple willed the people to cease their fightynge vpon theim in the holie temple of the Lorde least they shoulde pollute it with the bloude and dead carcases of these wicked persons The people therefore left of the fight Then Anani beset the temple rounde about with a vs thousande of the beste and pickedst men of the people wel armed all of them wyth iackes and Sallettes and as well weapened with euerye manne a sworde a Target and a Speare or Pyke to keepe the Temple that they shoulde not come foorthe Moreouer Anani caste in his minde that besides the settynge vppon theim in the Temple whiche were in no wise semelye it shoulde also bee as greate a dammage if the people of the Lorde shoulde one riue and sticke an other in the verye Temple For these causes he sente Embassadours to Iehochanan the Galilean chiefe Capitaine of the the sedicious and thieues offerynge hym peace but Iehochanan refused it For the Sedicious had sente for the Edomites to come and ayde them These Edomites hadde bene euer from their firste beginnynge verie hardye and Valiaunte menne and warrelyke yet were they subiecte to the Iewes For Hircanus kynge
in the Edomites hartes that they shall flie also whiche done thou maist pursue to slea them at thy pleasure ouercome them and enter the towne Then that town great Asa once taken thou shalt quicklye win all the reaste When Schimeon had harde this he went and deliberated with his owne counsel and they likt the last deuise best wherfore that they concluded vpon So Iacob the Edomite returned by nighte to Asa and declared to the auncientes of the towne howe he had bene in Schimeons camp and had vewed his army wherby he had conceiued good hope that he should deliuer Schimeon into their handes shortlye The elders therfore made him graund captaine and chief of al their men of war charging euery man in this wise For somuch as none of you are so expert in the knowledge of warfare as is Iacob therfore behoueth it you to folow him in all thinges if he set forwarde set ye forwarde wheras he pitcheth his tent pitche ye also if he staye staye ye when as he flieth flie ye to be short when he returneth then returne ye and go not one heere breadth froÌ„ that that he shal commaunde you neither one way nor other Vppon the nexte morowe Schimeon issued oute of his campe with all his armye and vppon that assembled Iacob his men and wente out to mete him But when they came at the point ready to ioyne and Schimeon with his companye had charged their stases againste them by and by Iacob lefte the fielde tourned his backe and fled and the chiefe souldioures that were about him fled with him The reaste of the people see their captaine flie they â—oke them selues like wise to flighte euerye manne then Schimeon pursuynge made a greate flaughter of them and wanne the towne brynginge them vnder his subiectioÌ„ And whan he had sacked the houses of them that were slain of the Edomites and spoiled their goodes whiche was verye muche the rest that he toke prisoners and kepte aliue he made peace withal and ioyned theÌ„ vnto his own campe After that he departed from theÌ„ce accompanied with xl thousande good fightynge men part Edomites and parte Iewes and came to Chebron whiche he wanne and destroted al their graine and corne feldes Yet afterwards he repaired their wals and suche of theim as were lefte aliue made peace with Schimeon who receiued them into league with him they became his men and folowed hym in his warres So he disloged from thence with his whole armye whiche by the accession of the Chebronites was now wonderfullye encreased and determined to go to Hierusalem And when he came nie the citie he raunged here and there vpon the fruites that were vpon the grounde and distroyed their corne Captaine Iehochanan hauynge intelligence of Schimeons commynge to besiege the Towne and howe he hadde distroyed the fieldes thought to haue gone out of Hierusalem and to fyghte wyth hym but he durste not for hys spyes had tolde him that he should not be able to ouercome him he hadde so puissaunt an Armye and so well apappointed Yet neuerthelesse he issued out and laye in an ambushe for Schimeon In the meane space by chaunce Schimeons wise that was fledde out of Hierusalem wyth her menne and women feruauntes towarde her husband for feare least she shoulde be slayne for her husbandes sake if she should haue taried at Hierusalem passed by where be laye in his ambushe â–ª Her he tooke and brought again to Hierusalem not a little proude of suche a praye thinkynge nowe shall we haue Schimeon at oure pleasure seinge wee haue hys wyfe our prisoner he lousth her intirelye therefore wyll he dooe for her sake whatsoeuer we will haue him Thys came to Schimeons eare who also had taken manye of Iehochanans men and cut their right hands of sendyng them so home with shame to Hierusalem to their maister He sente moreouer Embassadoures to Iehochanan willinge him to send him his wise in such sorte that she mighte come to him with all that was hers or if he refused to do it he should be the extremelyer handeled for he woulde take the towne or it wer longe and to Iehochanans shame cutte of the handes and legges of all them that did inhabite it Iehochanan hearinge this was soore afrayed and all they that were wyth hym â–ª and therefore they sente hym hys wyse Wherupon Schimeon kept hym without the towne And as Schimeon plaied the tyrant wythout so likewise did Iehochanan within the towne For Iehochanans souldiours rauished the Israelites wiues and shedde innocente bloude Shortlye after Schimeon lefte the towne for a space and returned into Edomea for he hadde woorde that the men of mooste power and the richest forte of that countrye rebelled Wherupon he sacked spoiled all the townes of Edomea and lefte them nothing in so much that he was become very rich and then returned to Ierusalem bringing the Edomites wholly with him that were mets for the warâ— and manye of the Iewes resorted vnto him also and with his power he besieged IerusaleÌ„ euen at the hard gates Yet the tirannye of Iehochanan and his complices ceased not but increased more and more dailye in Ierusalem in so muche that they taughte the citizens of Ierusalem to murther their neighboures and to commit adultrye with their wiues by whiche meanes fornication was rife and common in the citye Yea manye of the people and youthe shaued their beardes lettinge their heere of their heades grow and accompaned them selues with wemen that thereby they mighte exercise their adultery the safer and not be espied Whiche sinne did wonderfullye defile the towne of Ierusalem and without doubt furthered the desolation therof The gates also of the town were closed vp that no man mighte go in nor oute Yet who so wente oute fel into the handes of Schimeon was slaine they that taried within wer coÌ„strained to see before their faces their shame in euery strete and corner And if any man founde any faulte he was slaine streight by Iehochanan the most cruel captain of the seditious rebelles The citizens therfore seinge the tiranny of Iehochanan to be without measure they assembled altogether and encountred with Iehochanan were slain a wonderfull sort of them in that conflict And except the Edomites that were fled to Ierusalem for the tiranny of Schimeon had succoured the citizens the hole people of Ierusalem had beneÌ„ vtterly destroied and slaine euerye mothers sonne by Iehochanan his power was so greate Then Anani the hie priest and the other priestes with the aunciente faithfull and sages and the reaste of the people of Ierusalem seing the wickednes of Iehochanan and that they coulde not suffer it any longer consulted together to deliâ—er vp the town to Schimeon to bring him in and make him their kinge to helpe them againste Iehochanan whoÌ„ they toke to be farre more wicked then Schimeon hoping that it might come to passe that Schimeon should flea Iehochanan at length They sente therefore Amittai the priest
almost semed to couer the earth This done he toke his iourney from Caesaria with his power and came to Samaria where the Citizins receiued him with great ioye and did him much honoure Wherefore he spared them and did them no harme From thence he came Aielona xxx furlonges from Hierusalem there he pitched his tentes and leauynge them there toke sixe hundreth horsmen with him and came to Hierusalem to viewe the towne to knowe what height the walles were what strength there was in the towne speciallye of the sedicious of whom euerie where great rumoure was finallye to receiue peaceablye all such as were desierous of peace So as he came to the wall he saw no manne nether go out nor in for the gates wer shut vp the sedicious had laied an am bush without the toune to trappe Titus who went somewhat before accompanied with a fews the rest folowynge a pretye way behinde Whiles therfore he was in vewing the walles the sedicious issued out of their ambushe that they had layed nye vnto Aielonia and set vpon the back of Titus men behind Then issued an other forte out of the towne so that they had Titus betwene them and runnynge vpon him seperated him from his men and enuironed him on euerye side where they slue lx of his men and might haue slaine him also saue that they coueted to take him aliue Titus seinge him selfe beset and forsaken of his own men that thought it was impossible for him to escape perceiuyng also that they went not about to kyll him but to take him aliue more ouer that he could in no wise escape except he woulde make an irruption and runne through their bandes he toke a good hearte vnto him and valiauntly brake throughe sleaynge whomsoeuer came in his waye to laye holde of him and so escaped If they had entended to haue slaine him they might haue done it but beinge desierous to take him aliue as is saied they absteyned from strikynge him and so they loste hym And GOD woulde not deliuer hym into their handes that by hym hes myght scourge Israel But the Iewes seinge hym to be thus escaped repented fore that they hadde not killed him saiynge one to another What meant we that we killed hym not whyle wee might it is yll handeled of vs. Therfore they pursued him hurlinge and shootinge after hym with engines of Warre but they coulde not ouer take him for God preserued him that he◠might afterwarde deliuer Hierusalem into his hands So he returned to Aielona and perceiued the heartes of kinges to be in the handes of GOD. The nexte morowe brought Titus all hys armie to Hierusalem determininge to encampe hym selfe vpon the mount Oliuet wherefore he firste spake vnto his souldiours in this wise This daye ye go to fyght against a most mightye nation whose warriers be strong as lions valiant as liberdes and nimble as townes that run in the mountaines to ouerturne chariots and such as sit vppon thē Now therfore take good harts vnto you and be couragious for so it standes you in hande Dooe not thinke theim to be like the nations that heretofore ye haue had to do withall I my self haue experience otherwise of their dalianntnes and sleightes of warre This saied he marched in araye moste strongly that they shold not be scatred asunder and gaue them charge speciallye to the vawarde to take heede of stumbling vppon Welles or Cesterns whereby they might be hindred for as yet the daie was scarce broken and besides that Titus had knowledge howe the Iewes fearing of his comming had digd secrete trēches pitfals Wherfore to auoid thē he led his host by the mount Oliuet in which place it neuer came in their mindes to digge Therfore when he came to the mount Oliuet he encamped there againste Hierusalem ryght ouer agaynste the Brooke Cedron that ran betwene the citie and the hyll and many times ranne very shalowe Titus campe was about sixe furlongs from the towne The next morow thei of the towne seing Titus to be encamped vpon the mount Oliuet the capitaines of the sedicious with their companies assembled together and fell at agrement euerye man wyth an other entendynge to turne their crueltye vppon the Romains confirmyng and ratifiynge the same attonement and purpose by swearyng one to an other and so became peace amongst them Wherfore ioynyng together that before were three seuerall partes they set open the Gates and all the best of them issued out with an horrible noyse and shoute that they made the Romayns afrayed withall in suche wise that they fled before the sedicious which sodainlye did set vpon them at vnwares But Titus seinge his men flee rebuked them saiinge Are ye not ashamed of this timerious cowardnes when ye are so many and a hundreth for one of thē What ignominye is it so manye to be repulsed of so few Wherwithal Titus staied them and brought theim manfullye to withstand the Iews so that very many were slayne on bothe sides But the Romaynes were not able longe to abide the force of the Iewes albeit that Titus wyth his elect and most valeant Souldiours did manfullye keepe their grounde and neuer reculed Titus also laboured to encourage the rest to fyght but they were so dismayed that they wiste not what to do For to forsake Titus they were ashamed and to resist the vyolence of the Iewes they were not able Notwithstandyng Titus and his companye made their partye good against the Iewes who at length left the fielde and withdrewe them selues toward the towne Then Titus being wroth with his souldiers that they had fled frō the Iewes saied vnto thē Shal I not be auenged of these Iewes shall so fewe of them put vs to flight not able to stande in their handes and will ye flee or recule seinge mee abide by it The next daye Titus toke all his at my saue a few that he lest in his campe to kepe the baggage and wente downs the Mount Oliuet settinge his men in battaile ray euen against the gates of the city Then exhorted he thē to plays the men and although they were come downe the hil yet they should not fear the Iewes for their cāpe that they had left behind them for the broke Cedron saithe he is betwene oure campe and the Israelites with these wordes they were encouraged and determined to encounter with the Iewes vnder the walles hard at the gates of the citye trusting to the sauegarde and defence of the brooke Cedron The captaines of the seditious likewise vsed pollicye For they deuidinge their men sente one company to passe sodenli the broke Cedron to inuade and spoile the Romaine campe that were lefte in the Mounte Oliuet These therfore wente and foughte with the Romaines vppon the Mounte and droue them oute of their campe Titus lokinge behinde him and perceiuinge that the Iewes had gotten ouer the broke and were in hande with his menne he was wonderfullye afraide seinge him selfe so enuironned with
you and hym Oh my deare children and brethren let neuer this imagination enter into youre heartes for it shall nothinge auail you Why will you my deare brethren and frendes make war vpon the Romains when as they are lords ouer nacions haue pearced the straightes of India of al Isles of the sea euen to the great Ocean sea froÌ„ thence to al the parts of the East whose dominion extendeth to the extreame parâ—es of the earth Yea euen to Brytayn ouer al Scotlande whiche is enupronned on cuerye syde wyth Seas whose people is huge like Gyantes of a bigge stature and of a mightye courage most expert archeâ—s valiant souldiers in battail To whom when the Capitaine of the Romayns came they gaue him the repulse and would not be subdued but when the Prynces of the Romaines came they brought them into subiection and seruitude vnder the Romayns But you saye my brethren frendes you wyll rather all dye then serue the Princes of the Gentyles and that death is better for you then lyfe to be driuen to see with youre eyes the calamities of the sanctuarye and people of GOD. Search the histories and chronicles frome the tyme of youre auncestours When was there euer anye tyme wherin you were free frome the yoke of the Gentils Do you not know that Iacob our father of worthy memorye who was alwayes wyth GOD and God with hym toke his iourney into Egypte to bee a straunger in a straunge land amongst a proude kinde of people least he his children housholde and cattell shoulde pearish with honger There he hadde wyth hym his twelue sons whiche he had begotten and dwelt there also with his smal familie for fear of the greuous famine that was at that tyme. Remember you not when that Iudas wyth hys brethren wente downe into Egypte howe Iosephe was moued as a straunger to pycke a quarell agaynste hys brethrene to brynge theim into bondage bearynge yet in hys minde what iuiurye they hadde done hym Wherefore some of theim he caste in Prisone and â—handeled theim at hys pleasure with crafty accusations especially Iuda who was the chiefe amongest them of whom all the Iewes toke their name whoe if he hadde bene so disposed hadde bene able to laye Ioseph at hys foote a thousande tymes not knowynge hym to bee Iosephe Wherefore when he was so roughlye and so sharpelye taunted of hym hee myghte haue killed hym in hys rage For he was a verye bolde manne and a hardye and of a noble courage whiche surely hadde not forced a rishe to haue slayne that Egyptian and moe to of his fellowes Notwythstandynge he did not soo vut contrary submitted hym selfe vnder the yoke of Iosephe called hym his Lorde and good master supposing him to be some Egiptian humbled him self before him to obtain his peticion to get corne least his father his brethren and other familye should die for honger What should I saie of Ioseph so beautifull so wise wittye a man was not he faine to serue in Pharoos house wherein although his wisdome was well knoweÌ„ insomuch that Pharao set more by him then by al the noble meÌ„ that were then aliue was also called lord greatmaster and Pharaos father neuertheles he huÌ„bly besought Pharao that he might sustaine his father and brethrene wyth bread knowyng that at the time the dominion belonged to Pharao his people beinge geuen theim of God And although if Iosephe had list to returne into the lande of Canaan wyth all hys fathers whole housholde without Pharaos leaue no man coulde haue letted hym to do it for he bare the greatest rule at that tyme in Egypte yet did he not so Beniamin also who was likened to a reuenynge woulfe for hys fearcenes when he was fetched agayne by force of Iosephes Stewarde faynyng a lye vppon hym howe chaunced he did not kyll hym Or els when he alone pursued Beniamin and hys other brethren coulde not be if he hadde list haue slayne the felowe and buried him so that the matter shoulde neuer haue come to light Notwythstandyng they did nothinge so nor so but Iudas wiselye waiynge the eraltations and deiections the promocions and disgracynges wyth the common courses of the worlde retourned agayne wyth his brethren into the Citye wente to Iosephe and besought hym vntyl his bowels were moued to pitye and hee was knowen of his brethren All these thinges doth the most holy lawe of the Lord rehearse vnto vs putteth vs in minde of for this intent that we maye learne to beare for necessities sake the yoke of him that hath the preeminence rule for his time Nether let any iudge or thinke the Ioseph offended god in that he submitted him selfe vnder the yoke of Pharao for it is no shame for a wise maÌ„ to crouch vnto him whose helpe he staÌ„deth in nede of whatsoeuer he be much more if he be a kyng or a Lorde Do ye not knowe that oure fathers were in bondage to king Pharao in Aegypt But after the lorde remembred the couenaunt that he made with our fathers and had determined to lead them out of Aegipt he sent Moses our maister of famous memory his Angel his chosen who knew the lorde to be with hym wherby he was able to destroy who soeuer dyd ryse against him neuerthelesse when he came to Pharaos presence who then bare rule in Aegipt he showed not hym felfe in armes but rather wyth thunder and hayle that Pharao mighte well perceyue and knowe God was the Lord. But at what tyme as Pharao oppressed the Israelites to sore oure master Moyses by godes helpe brought them out of Aegipt with a strong hand and a stretched forthe arme agaynste the Aegiptianes whom he punished with continuall plages by that meanes deliuering the Israelites out of the handes of their Lordes and Maisters and bringing them to the mount of God made them heyres of all goodnes that is to saye of the moste holye lawe of God And after Iosua had subdued the holy lande to the Israelites and that they inhabited it there chaunsed vnto oure fathers times of aduersitie as it is meÌ„tioned in the bookes of the Prophetes so that they were constreyned to serue the king of Aschur a long season and the kinges of Persia to the Chaldees also were we in bondage althoughe not very greuous but tollerable More ouer with other kinges of the gentiles we had warres and sometimes we were put to foyles sometimes we had the vpper hand Nowe therefore my brethern tell me what shame were it to you if you were subiecte to the Romaines or what ar you to be coÌ„pared to other nations that be vnder theyr dominion Do you not see that the Romaines reigne ouer your enemies and beare rule ouer them that sometimes were your maisters and haters were it not reason rather that you shuld loue them whiche haue brought doun your enemies and reuenged you of them whych notwithstanding you haue nothing at all dooen but rather haue
sincere seruice vnto god wil I set vpon theÌ„ Eleasar therfore chose an hundred valiant souldiours with them he issued oute of the towne before day The same night the Romains hadde made fires about their engines where thei watched bicause of the cold The artificers souldiours that kept watch and warde about the Ramms were in number a hundreth and fifty The daye was the. 27. of the moneth of Kislef NoueÌ„ver which was the ninth moneth that Titus had besieged Ierusalem Eleasar his companye thus beinge issued out came found some of the Romains snorting about the fires other watching in their wardes killed theÌ„ all that not one remained Then some of Eleasars coÌ„pany set fire vpon the Rams burnt the standinge postes roapes cheynes other instruments of warre The artificers that were there they catched aliue and burnte them so that no man escaped When it was daye Titus was aware of the Smooke of the fire mountyng vp very foule and stinking of the woode men together he drew towardes the place therfore with his hoast to see what the matter was Eleasar in the meane season and hys company toke as they might get euerye man a piece of the engines oute of the fyre or some of theyr heades that they hadde killed and retourned with great ioy flouting the Romaines and laughing them to skorn by the waye til they came to the gates of IerusaleÌ„ wher they were receiued of Schimeon and Iehochanan with great honor SOne after this came many soldiors great bandes of meÌ„ out of all nations that were subiect to the Empyre of the Romains to ayd Titus to whome Titus declared what had hapened him in the siedg the stoutnes of the Iewes how they had anoyed many waies the Romain army adding moar ouer and asking them dyd ye euer see four men withstaÌ„d ten thousand fyue hunderd so that they al together could nether ouer throw theÌ„ nor take theÌ„ prisoners but the four slew the other lyke as it had ben tops of cucumers smiteÌ„ of with most sharp swordes when they hard this they woÌ„derd all very much Then Titus spake vnto his hoste to theÌ„ which wer newly repaired vnto him to shew their aduise best couÌ„sell what was to be don least we shuld be shamed saith he before al theÌ„ the shall herafter heer of our wars The grauist most auncieÌ„t of the nations that were newly come to his ayde answered If it plese your maiestie let the Romains breath a while take theyr rest which are now weried with the sundry batayls of the Iewes we who are not so brokeÌ„ with labor but freshe and lusty shall try what the Iewes caÌ„ do we caÌ„ not think that they arable to withstaÌ„d so great a multitude But the princes of the Romains desired Titus that he wold not permit them this lest he shuld encrese theyr oune sorowes if peradueÌ„ture they shuld be discoÌ„fited say they of the Iewes the matter redound vnto our shame For if we which are acquainted with theÌ„ know their maner of fight can not susteyne their violence how shal they do it the neuer had profe of the strength force of the Iewes They shal be to theÌ„ like Isop which groweth vpoÌ„ the walles in coÌ„parison of the ceder trees of Libanus Thother said nay thei shuld do wel enough with theÌ„ they vrged Titus so instaÌ„tly dishonor retourned vnto Titus who reprehended them bycause they would not beleue the Romaines The nexie day folowing the Iewes brought forth the thre thousand nobles and gentlemen that thei had taken prisoners and plucked out of euery one of them an eye and cut of of euery man the toon hand after sent them back with shame reproche to Titus camp Then Titus consulted with all hys princes what were best to doo with the Israelites when euery man had sayd his mind he liked neuer a mans couÌ„sel but said vnto them Well I haue deuised thys with my selfe whyche I will folow and no man shall bring me frome my purpose we will kepe the siedge withoute any assaulte or skermishe for theyr victuales fayled them long agoo and so they shal be famished Besides thys when they shall see vs cease to fyght wyth them they wyll fall at variaunce emongst them selues and kyll one an other Thys counsell was thought good of all Titus Prynâ—es wherfore they beseged the toune as Titus commaunded and closed vp all the wayes of the Cytye rounde aboute leaste the Iewes shuld as they had done before come vpon them at vnwares They appoynted more ouer watche daye and nyght to take heed that no man shoulde come out of the towne to gather herbes for theyr sustenance Then encreased the hungar in Ierusalem whych if it had not bene so greuous the Citye had neuer bene wonne for the souldiors of the toune were lyghter then Egles and fearcer then Lyones There dyed therefore of the famin wonderfull manye of the Ierosolomites so that the Iewes coulde not fynde place to burye them in they were so manye in euery place of the toune Many caste theyr dead folkes into theyr welles and tumbled in them selues after and dyed many also made them selues graues went into them alyue where they taried day and nyght and dyed vnmourned for For all mourning and customed lamentacion for the dead was lefte of bycause of the vnmesurable famin which was so great that it can not be tolde and I can not reherse the thousand parte of the mischief that folowed of the hungar Titus seyng the innumerable carcasses of the dead that were cast into the broke Kidron lyke dong was wonderfully amased with feare and stretched out his handes toward heauen saing lord God of heauen and earth whome the Israelites beleue in clense me from this sinne whyche surely I am not the cause of for I required peace of them but they refused it and they theÌ„ selues are longe of thys mischeif they haue sinned againste their owne soules and lyues I besech thee reken it not to me for a sinne that the Iewes dye on this fashion AT that tyme certain wicked persones of Ierusalem slaundered Amittai the priest falsly saing to captain Schimeon behold Amittai the hye priest which did let thee into the citye goeth aboute to flee to the tenâ—es of the Romaines Thou haste experience of hys great wit and craft how he also knoweth al the secret wayes vnto the toun temple and sanctuary and who can tell whyther he wil bring the Romaines some night at midnight into the city Therfore Schimeon sent certayn to fetch Amittai and his foure sonnes vnto him They thou were sent brought Amittai but three of his sonnes for one was fled to the Romaines came to Ioseph Amittai with the other when he came to Schimeons presence he besought hym not to lyue but that he might be put to death by by least he shulde lyue to see the death of hys childreÌ„ But Schimeon
bold to kil those that are escaped vn to it how dare ye shede the bloud of the vncircumcised therin whom ye abhor and yet mixt their bloud with yours The Lord your God is my witnesse that I woulde not haue this house destroyed but your owne wicked workes your owne handes pull it downe And wold god you wold receiue our peace which if it were once done done we wold honour this house of the sanctuary temple of the Lorde yea we would depart away from you But your heartes are hardened like yron your neckes and foreheds are become obstinate as brasse to your owne vndoing For ye shal carie your owne sinnes die in the land of the Romaines I and my fathers house are innocent and gilties of your death as the Lorde and his temple in whose presence we stand shal beare vs witnes this day But wheÌ„ he saw that none of the sedicious gaue any regard to his words he chose out of his Romain xxx M. valiaÌ„t fighting men gaue theÌ„ coÌ„maundemeÌ„t to take occupy then try of the teÌ„ple which is a holy court determined to go with theÌ„ him selfe but his nobles wold not suffer him but wil led him to remain vpoÌ„ a hie place wher he might behold his sodiers fight And when theâ—se thee a farre of their hâ—â—ts shalâ—e coÌ„forted they shall fight accâ—rding as thou wilt wishe theÌ„ but come noâ— at then try of the teÌ„ple thy selfe lest thou be destroied amongst other Titus folowed the couÌ„sel of his capâ—ains and went not at the time with his meÌ„ to the battel He made chiefe captains of that host of .xxx. M. one Karilius Rostius iâ— noble men whoÌ„ he coÌ„maunded to set vpoÌ„ the Iewes the night wheÌ„ thei shold be a slepe with wearines The Romains therfore doing after his coÌ„maundemeÌ„t set vpoÌ„ the Iewes But the Iewes hauing intelligence of the matter kept diligeÌ„t watch withstede the Romains valâ—auntly al that night But the Romaynes were not hastye to fyghte in the darke fearinge lest it might turne to their owne harme Assone therfore as it was daye the Iewes deuided theim selues and bestowed their companies at the Gates of the entraunce and foughte lyke menne Karilius and Rostius beset the Temple roundâ— aboute that not one of the Iewes might escape out and so the battail increased betwene theim for the space of vâ—â— dayes sometime the Romains gettynge the vpper hande of the Iewes driuynge them within the entraunce sometime the Iewes encouraging theÌ„ selues made the Romaines retire and pursued them to the walles of the Antochia in this maner fought they these vii dayes Afterwarde the Romaynes retourned backe from the Iewes and woulde not fight hande to hande with them any more Then Titus coÌ„maunded the Walles of the Antochia to bee pulled downe further that there might be place for his whole hoaste to enter The famine in the mean season grew more greuous so that no fode was nowe left For the Iewes began now to issue out and steale horses asses and other beastes what soeuer they coulde catch euen out of the Romayns campe that they might dresse them some meat and susteine their liues Which they doing often tymes at length the Romaynes perceiued it were wonderfulfye â—â—â—pleased with the matter Wherefore they set watch and ward round about the caÌ„pe lest by the disceit of the Iewes they should be spoyled of their cattel so after that the Iewes could steale no more from thence After warde notwithstanding they armed them selues and issued out at the East gate and brake the wal that Titus had raised for his owne safety lest the Iewes should issue oute vpon a sodayne and come vpon him at vnwares â–ª A sort of tall felowes therefore of the you the of the Iewes issued out by the breaches of the wall gate vp quickly to the mount Oliuet wheras they found horses mules asses and much other cattel and fleyng their kepers they driue them before them with great shoutes into the toune The Romayns perceyuing that pursued them to fyghte Wherefore the yonge men deuiâ—eâ— theim selues into two bandesâ— the one to dryue the bootye and the other to resist the Romaynes So there was a sore â—yght betwyxt theim but the Iewes gate the vpper hande and went their wayes cleare with the 〈◊〉 towarde Hierusalem For the 〈◊〉 came for the constrayned by the necessitie of honger and foughte for their liuynge the Romaynes had no cause to fyghte saue onelye for shame to â—â—e their cattell driuen awaye before their eyes for otherwise they put not their liues in ieopardye to fight vnto drathe as the Iewes did yet was there many of the Komaynes slaine in that â—ighte The Iewes whyle the Romayns pâ—â—sued theim in dayne they gate into the towne with their spoyle and 〈◊〉 and straight waye tourned vpponâ—â—â— Râ—maines and driue theâ—â—n backe paâ—suynge theim agayne tyl they â—â—the aâ—most to Titus â—ampe whiche when the other Romaynes sawe the â—â—ame to the rescue of their felowes â–ª 〈…〉 ed agayne those yong men to 〈…〉 to take theÌ„ albeit theâ— scaped 〈◊〉 without any haâ—the saue that 〈◊〉 toke a boy and brought him vnto 〈…〉 that toke this lad 〈…〉 So the Romaynes 〈…〉 the Iewes at that tyme and for a certaine token of victory they hadde this yâ—g Iewe prisoneâ— Pornas the toke hym was hadde in great estimation for that act of Titus and all the Romayâ—s Titus appareled the boye and committed hym to Iosephus to kepe This Boye had a brother amongest theim that escaped into the toune a vyle personage euil fauoured and of a lowe stature hys name was Ionathan He seyng his brother taken coÌ„meth forth to the toÌ„be of Iochanan the hie priest ouer against Romaines and cryed vnto Titus and to all the armye saiynge If there bee euer a manne amongest you let hym â—ome forthe vnto mee here wyll I abyâ—â— hym and fyght with hym vppon thyâ— grounde and ye shall knowe this daye whether the Romaynes or the Iewes be the better menne The Romaynes dispised hym yet durste they â–ª not meddle wyth hym but said if wee kyll hym wee shall neuer bee counted the better menne for such an acte and if he shoulde kyll anye of vs it shoulde be a great dishonoure to be slayne of a wretche Ionathan sayde to to the Romaynes howe muche is the manhode of the Romaynes to bee regarded in our eyes Haue not you bene flayne and put to flyght by vs What were you then if that bandes and companies of the Gentils came not euerye daie to ayde you If they had not helpt you we had longe agoe eaten you vp We haue destroyed our selues â–ª one an other with ciuil warres so that we are but few left but what are you Who is so hardy of the best of you alâ—o come and declare his strength and to fyght with me I am one of the meanest and outcastes of the Iewes picke you onte the chiefest and vale antest man amengest you
handes They agreed broughte him to Schimeon who commaunded his seruauntes assone as he was come to flea him But while he that was apointed to this businesse made delay and killed him net by and by he whipt downe of the hill escaped and came to Titus who commaunded him oute of his sighte being wroth with him that he had not sought vnto deathe rather then to be taken quicke But with the Iewes was he wonderfullye displeased that they had so dispitefullye ordered his men wherfore he commaunded to kil all the Iewes as many as could be founde in the streetes of the â—â—ye whome he woulde haue spared before and caused proclamation to be made throughoute all hys campe for theyr safetye Then died many of the Iewes so that euerye place was full of deade bodies The menne of warre of the Edomites whythe were wyth Schimeon perceiuinge howe the matter wente they sente Embassadoures to Titus to desire peace and to saue theyr lyues which when it came to Schimeons ear he wente vnto them and slue the chiefe of them and their noble men the rest of the people of the Edomites fledde vnto Titus From that time forthe Titus commaunded his men to vse no more truelty vpoÌ„ the Iewes Sone after fled Iehochanan and Schimeon and hid theÌ„ selues in certain caues The rest of the chief meÌ„ of the Iewes that were with them seing them nowe to be fled came nowne from the Mounte vnto Titus set downe vpon their face before hym vpon the ground whome Titus receiueâ— gentlelye As for the sedicious that were with Schimeon Iehochanan they fought till they al died together TheÌ„ cam forth vnto Titus one Iosua a priest sonne of Schaftai the hie prieste bringing with him two candelstickes of gold which were in the sanctuary and the tables of gold with other vessels of siluer and gold and also the holye vestures decked with golde and precious stones all those he gaue vnto Titus who made him chiefe priest ouer them that remained nexte vnder Ioseph the priest for Titus gaue Ioseph authority as wel ouer the priestes and Leuites as ouer the whole people of the Iewes Then was Gorion the father of Ioseph that writ this history brought oute of the prison with his wife and children among whoÌ„ was one Bonian Iosephs yonger brother he was a verye wise a godly priest by whome god bestowed many benefites vpoÌ„ the Israelites For Titus lefte him at Ierusalem and tooke him not with him as he did Ioseph Iosephes father liued after the city was taken twenty moneths died They tooke then also one Phmeas a prieste who was keper of the treasure house he bewraied and vttered to the Romains al the treasures of the priestes and their vestements he gaue also vnto Titus a moosse precious oyle wyth swere oâ—ours and perfumes and garmentes also of purple which the kinges of the second temple had geueÌ„ Wherfore both this Phineas and Iosua whoÌ„ we mentioned afore transgressed the couenaunte of the Lord and offended God in that they deliuered his iewels to the ennemies of his people whiche thei ought not to haue done but rather to haue died for the glory of the Lord as the other priestes did whiche caste them selues into the fire Thus was the city of Ierusalem takeÌ„ with al the precious thinges that were therein and Titus went vp to the mount Sion â—â—ke it and raced the walles therof Vpon a three daies after Iehochanan sore vert with hunger leste his place where he lucked and came to Titus fell downe afore him and kissed his feete sayinge saue me O Lord king Titus commauded him 〈◊〉 be fettered with iraÌ„ cheins when he had caused him to be carted about the campe so bound to be mocked of al men by the space of .vii. daies he commaunded to hanâ— him so gate he a iuste ende and fit rewarde for his cruelty After ware came Schimeon also forth of his den being driueÌ„ with famin he had out on king ye apparel shewed him self a far of to the Romaine host who seing him were afraide to go to him but he called vnto theÌ„ askt foâ— sâ—me captaine Then one came forth sâ—id vnto Schimeon tel me who the art I wil not kil thee Schimeon answered therefore tolde him I am Schimeon that sedicious Captaine of the Iewes whiche haue made you so muche a not now I beseche thee shew me so muche sauour as to bring me to Titus thi master which he did Titus therfore when he saw Schimeon he coÌ„maunded him to be fast bound and to be â—ed about the whole host that he might be deluded mâ—ckt Afterward he was put to a fore death first his head was striken of theÌ„ he was cut in many peces and cast vnto dogges so he died an abhominable death being punished for his iniquity THe number of the Iewes aswell citizens as other that came vnto the feast to Ierusalem whiche were flaine partly by the Romaines partly by the sedicious duringe the whole tyme of those warâ—es was knowen to be thus many eleuenth hundreth thousand besides them whose noumber was not knowen Onlye they were counted which were slaine buried besides theÌ„ also that after the death of Iehochanan Schimeon died with Eleasar the sonne of Anam the priest whiche were not reckened Thei that were led prisoners by Titus to Rome were .xvi. M. men Titus therfore with Ioseph wente to Rome leauing Bonian Iosephs brother at Ierusalem who was appointed the chiefe priest of them that abode there for that did Ioseph request of Titus whiche he perfourmed The sedicious were all slaine in that battaile whiche they toke in hand for the peoples sake and the temple of the Lord â–ª They also that Titus toke prisoners were put to vile deathes For he reserued many to be mocking stocks in euery 〈…〉 whâ—re he passed by in his way is Rome and in euery towne he commaunded some to be brought forthe and caste vnto the Lions til they were al confumed THere was a certain people 〈◊〉 that time dwelling amongst the moutaines of Arat that were called Alamites whose power Alexander king of Macedonia fearinge closed them in on euery side This people although they had no knowledge of the vse of yron nor armour yet this was their maner that one of theÌ„ with a great poal burnt a little at the ende would put to flight a hundred good souldiours were they neuer so well appointed and armed Vntill this yeare they were alwayes shut in but now being oppressed with a great dearth and famine throughout al their land they sent Embassadours to the People of Hurkan their neighbours requiring them that thei would open the straightes of the mountayns that they might come forth with their wiues and children to seke theim fode The Hurkans grauÌ„ted their requests opened them the entrances of the mouÌ„tains So they came forth wanderyng here and there and spoilynge diuerse countreis til at lengthe they toke
to dye And woulde God we had bene dead before the we might not haue seene in thee thy reproch or who would bring to passe the we might lacke eyes that we shuld not be compelled to see these mischeues the are in the mids of thee And behold we liue a most sorowful life for our enemies eueÌ„ now afore we be dead cast lots vpon our sonnes daughters to deuide theÌ„ amoÌ„gst theÌ„ to be their seruaÌ„tes handmaids When Eleasar had ended this lamentacion he spake to the people that was w e him thus NOw therfore brethreÌ„ frends take pitye of your selues your wiues children with old men which he with you let theÌ„ not be led into boÌ„dage with out al merci the they be not coÌ„streined to mourn vnder the haÌ„ds of their enemies for if ye do this ye leese withoute all doubte all places that are prepared for you in the world of rightousnesse neither shall ye haue any part in the light of life But rather with your owne handes kil them thus if ye wil do they shal be couÌ„ted as sacrifices most accdptable vnto God and that done we wil after issue out vpon oure enemies and fight against them till we vse valeaÌ„tly for the glory of the lord for we wil nener suffer them to bind vs with boÌ„des and cheins as bond slaues in the handes of the vncircumcised Nether wil we se our aunciente men to be haled by the berdes before our eyes most miserably nor yet oure maides wifes and doughters to be vnhalowed and defloured nor oure sonnes criynge to vs and we can not helpe them for what shal oure life auaile vs after that our land is desolate our sanctuary pulled downe the Romains rauishe our wiues doughters before our eyes and oppresse oure sonnes with a most greuous and hard yoke Nowe therfore it is better for vs to kil al our wiues and childreÌ„ whose bloud God shal accepte thankfullye as the blud of burnt offerings after â–ª we wil issue out vpon the Romains fight til we be al destroyed die for the glory of the Lord our God These menne therfore wente and gathered together their wiues and doughters embrased 〈◊〉 and kissed them saying is it not better for you to die in your holy country honorabli then to be led away into houdage with great ignomini shame into the landes of your ennemies and be compelled to die before the idols of the gentiles These saiynges wheÌ„ the people had beard thei droue forth that night in great sorow and pensifenesse weping and makinge great lamenâ—â—cion but they all confest with one accorde that they had rather chuse to die then liue Therefore assone as it was daye â–ª Eleasars companions killed their wines and children caste their bodies into the â—esterns and welles that were in Mezirah couering and stepving theÌ„ with earth Afterward issued Eleasar the priest forth of the town withal his meÌ„ and â—orced a battel vpon the Romains of wheÌ„ the Iewes killed a great forte and fought so long till they al died maÌ„fully for the Lord God BUt Titus left a remnaunt of Israel in the citye Iafnah and the villages thereabout and in the estye Bitter and Aossa their villages in whiche place Rabban Iochanan sonne of Sakkai was appointed chief Bonian the priest yonger brother to Iosephe the Prieste was put in authority by Titus for Iosephs sake ouer al the Iewes which were at Ierusalem At the same time was Rasch bag a prince of Israel put to â—â—ath â–ª and Ischmael soÌ„ne of Elischa the 〈◊〉 priest Moreouer Titus was minded to haâ—â— put Rabban Gamaliel father of Raâ—chbag to deathe but Rabban Iochanan sonne of Sakkai made sute for him and obteined to saue his life This Rabban Iochanan was he that came forthe of Ierusalem in the beginning wheÌ„ Vaspasian father of Titus came firste against Ierusalem whoÌ„ Vaspasian honoured greatly in so much as when he returned to Rome he commended this Rabban Iochanan to his sonne Titus comaunding him to honor him for he perceiued he was a verye wise man Titus reigned two yeares after he had taken Ierusalem and died He was a very eloquent man expert in the Latin and Greke tong writ diuers workes in both the tonges He loued moste intirely iustice and equitye for he wasted the city of Ierusalem against his wil being compelled therunto Yea all the mischiefe that came vpon it happened through the malice and noughtinesse of the sedicious as we haue touched before And thus far of the warres of the second house ¶ Thus endeth the destruction of Ierusalem Nn. ii ⧠The ten Captiuities of the Ievves i. THE Israelites were ten times led into captiuitie foure times by the handes of Sanherib and foure times by Nabuchadnezar once by Vaspasian and once bi supersticious Adrian First inuaded them Sanherib â—â—ennache â—â—b and traunsposed the Rubenites the Gadites and the halfe tribe of Manasse He toke awaye also the golden calfe whiâ—he Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat had made He ledde them into Halah Habur to the floud of Gozan and to the cities of the Medes This captiuitie was in the time of Pekah the sonne of Remaha ii The second Captiuitie Hoscha the sonne of Ela remained and slew Pekah the sonne of Remalia Afterwarde he became the seruant and subiect of Sanherib seuen yeares Then came Sanherib the seconde time and caried awaye the tribes of Aâ—ar Isachar Zebulon and Naphtali of whom he let go free onely one of euery eight He tâ—ke away also an other calf that was in Bethel iii. After the death of Ahaz raigned Hiz kiahu his soÌ„ne in his steede four yeres Hezekia the fourth yere of whose rain Sanherib came and entrenched Samaria beseging it .iii. yeares and at lengthe roke it in the vi yeare of the raigne of Hiskijahu So led he awaye the Israelites that were in Samaria the tribe of Ephraim and Manasse This is the .iii. captiuity iiii When Nabuchadnezar had reigned viii yeares Sanheriâ— perauenture he made warres againste Ierusalem bringynge wyth hym the Chuteans heretikes out of Babilon E. thiopia Hemates Auim and Sepharuauim and as he warred vpon Iudea he toke in that countrye a. C and. l. cities in the which there were .ii. tribes Iuda and Simeon whome he toke with him caused them forthwith to be led into Halah Habur vntil the king of the Ethiopians rebelled againste him whose kingdoÌ„ was on the hinder parts of Egipt Then taking Iuda Simeon with him he made war with the king of Ethiopia So the holye and blessed God placed them in darke mountains He re was foure captiuities whereby ten tribes went into crile by Sanherib There remained yet of Iuda Cx. thousand and of Beniamin Cxxx. thousand in Ierusalem ouer whoÌ„ raigned Hizkiahu Moreouer Sanherib came out of Ethiopia againste Ierusalem the fifte time leading with him Cx. thousand but the holye Lorde ouerthrewe hym there as it is written And the angell of the