heinous offence against the Lord if I should kil my self And howe say ye you princes that sticke vnts your God to you I speake tel me who shall make intercession vnto God for vs if we should commit this sinne and eche kil other Wold not a man iudge him a slaue a foole a froward person a rebel and a stubburne man that woulde be forced with any misery to be so maâ— that because all thinges fall not oute as he woulde wishe woulde therefore hange or desperatly murther him self with his owne hands Such ye know the law thus punisheth their righthaÌ„d is cut of wherewith they forced them selues to die then they are lefte vnburied as men that haue destroied their owne soules by what reason then shall we kill oure selues I woulde wishe that we mighte be slaine of oure ennemies rather then we shoulde so shamefully murther our selues wherby euer after we shoulde be taken for manslears if anye manne flea him selfe as did Saule whome ye commended withoute doubte he committeth a heinous crime and suche a one as no satisfaction can be made for Besides that he shall be reckened fainte hearted and as one that dispaireth of his recouerye Wherefore our forefathers haue taughte vs. A man oughte not to despaire of his sauegarde and deliueraunce vvhiche commeth of God no not vvhan the knife is put to his throte to cut it For kinge Hezekia of famous memory when he heard these woordes of Esaye that worthye prophet Make thy vvil and set thy thinges in a stay for thou shalt die and not escape Neuerthelesse he fainted not nor ceassed to pray vnto God for the proioÌ„ging of his life in this worlde that he might amende his life and send a better soule vnto God Then the Lorde God of Israel seing his vnweried and strong hope with his repentaunce â–ª suffred him to liue .xv. yeares yet longer But Saul that saw he was not appointed kinge ouer Israel after the Lordes minde but alonely by the peoples that craued vppon Samuel Geue vs a Kinge to reigne ouer vs Whereuppon afterwarde God departed from Saule for he was not obediente to Goddes will but wente aboute by force to establishe his kingdome The Lorde then seynge the wyckednesse of hys hearte gaue him ouer and chose him an other to be kynge ouer hys people annointinge Dauid hys seruaunte whyles that Saule was yet liuinge Whiche Saule perceiuinge persecutinge Dauid and laboured with all his endeuoure to destrdy him because he knew God was with him and prospered all that he did whereas contrary al went backward with him For these causes I say he chose rather to die then liue and would not liue after the people of Israel was ouerthrown in the mouÌ„tains of Gilboa And in mine opinion he slue him selfe for nothinge but for that he was a â—aint harted coward and vtterli dispaired of his sauegarde For althoughe he saide Leaste these vncircumcised come and run in throughe yet if he had bene of a valeant courage he woulde haue standed to his defence vnto the death perauenture God woulde haue deliuered him But he contrary al in dispaire procured him self and his sonne a shamefull deathe But ye shall consider this He was an vnmerciful king and therfore did Gâ—â—â—rid him out of the worlde for he that wil not spare his own life and his sonnes howe woulde he spare other And where as ye alledge Aaron vnto me I woulde know of you why did he put him self betwene the liuing and the deade was it not because he would turne away the plage from Israell If he had knowen that he him selfe shoulde haue bene stricken therewith doubtlesse he woulde not haue striuen against the striker but trusting in the holines of his righteousnesse he stode before the Aungell to deliuer Israell from that miserie I am not to be compared with Aaron albeit I am one of his children and neuer yet in all my life did I shrinke to venter my life in the warres of the Lorde And nowe I am not determined to kill my selfe lest I should sinne against God and spoyle my soule of hope of saluation I know it well it were more expedient for me to be slaine of mine enemies then that I should slea my selfe And if ye say the word let vs go forth and sodainely set vpon our enemies to kill and to be killed in the battaile of the Lorde and so shall we do well peraduenture GOD will geue them into our handes For God is able to saue as vvell by a small armie as by a great Then if you see me to be afrayed of mine enemies sworde â–ª ye shal therbi know me to be a dastard and one that fawneth vppon his enemies and huÌ„teth for their fauour But you shal see me go afore you as a valiant man should nor once turn my face from death But what did ye euer see in me that ye should iudge me fearful Did ye euer knowe mee to refuse to fight In the towne of Iorpata I haue euer kept my quarter and warde and euery daie haue I fought with mine enemies whom I haue not spared but empaired and that not a little whiles I defended that little citie 48. daies against them For I thought wyth my selfe peraduenture I maye driue away the ennemyes of the LORDE out of our Lande and put theim by Hierusalem that they goe not thither and so haue I foughten with theim tyl all my valeaunt Souldioures be spente and none lefte but you I coulde no lenger withstande their force and I woulde not yelde my self as a Prisoner vnto them therfore I sledde hither with you into this Caue Now therefore brethren ye shal vnderstande that death is commodious and good in dede whiche commeth in his time But it is neither good nor godly for a manne to kill him selfe and his brother to go afterwarde â–ª for that deede into Hell and perdicion And what other thing can more clearelye set for the a mannes manhode and hautye minde wyth hys hope in GOD then Pacience for a manne to suffer pacientlye what so euer chaunseth vnto hym vntyll hys ende come Beholde the Lyons and other Beastes howe they are wonte to wythstande their aduersaries that lye in wayte for theim to the intente they maye saue their lyues Whose armoure is their Teeth and Clawes wherewyth neuerthelesse they hurte not theim selues but vse them against other that assayle theim til they ether ouâ—rcome or be ouercommed Therefore if a manne wyll wyth his owne handes let foorthe his soule oute of his closure before his tyme God will not receiue it neither shall it finde anye reaste but be destroyed And whye Because it is expulsed and thruste out of his place before his time and before God dooe call it wherfore it shall wander inconstantlye for euer Whye then my deare Brethren and frendes dooe you aduise vs to kill one another and to expell and banish our Soules from vs they not called for Howe can wee put awaye this opprobrye Howe can
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
answered nether good nor bad From that daye forwardes there was perpetual hatred betwene Alexandra Marimi and Kiparim the mother of Herode Salumith his sister that came of base seruile blud For Marimi cast in their teethe to their faces that they wer not of the sede of Israel but vnholy of base birth Notwithstāding Herode loued Marimi as his life wherfore he would neuer displease her as lōg as she liued nor say so much to her as whi saiest thou so These thinges done Marcus Antonius a noble mā of Rome next vnto Octauian Augustus kinge of kinges being sent by Augustus to war vpon the kinges of the west countries raigned in Egipt by the prouocation of his wife rebelled against Octauian Augustus made war with him both by sea land And forasmuch as Egipt is nie adioyninge to the lande of Israell Herode ioyned with him and helped him For Marcus Antonius had aided him before in such sorte that no kinge durst meddle with him for fear of Marcus Antonius Wherupon whan Marcus conspired againste hys prynce and master Herode aided him with an army with horsmen and with shippes also against Octauian In which warres Octauian gate the victorye slue Antony and all his people comming by ship to the Isle of Rhodes so into the land of Egipt Herode hearinge that Marcus Antonius was slaine and that Octauian Augustus was come into Egipte he fainted for feare of the displeasure of Octauian Yet at lengthe he tooke hearte vnto him prepared a royall presente to be caried afore him and folowed after him selfe to Octauian Augustus And setting forwardes he called Ioseph the husband of Salumnith his sister whome he made chiefe of his houshold commaundinge him that if Octauian Augustus put him to death he shuld poison Marimi his wife saying it shuld not be semely for kinges that any meane base man shuld mary with a kinges widow and sleepe wyth her vppon a kinges bedde So then he toke his iourney toward Octauian Augustus who then was at the Rhodes where he vnderstode Octauian to be displeased with him for that he had aided Marcus Antonius Therfore assone as Herode came to Octauian Augustus presence hauinge his croune vpon his head he toke it of fel down prostrate vppon the ground at Octauians feete saying Most noble emperour I confesse my trespasse against your maiesty that I loued M. Antonius my cōpanion in league who was my neighbor aided me And it is true that your maiesty sēce the time you made me king haue herd of mine affaires that haue happened vnto me but neuer succoured me This. M Antonius did not so I cōfesse therfore that in his warres against your maiesty I aided him with an army with horsmē ships Neyther went I out with him for ani warres vpō mine own borders but when so euer I wente with him I holp him to the vttermost of mi power When he was falling I bolsterd him vp whā he stōbled I raised him again Emongst al these thinges I cōfesse also that I wolde not be counted of your maiestye a breaker of leage but nowe M. Antonius is deade Wherfore whither that it shal please your maiesty to restore me to my former estate or no forasmuch as I haue kept touch with M. Antonius against your maiesty amōgst other if you put me to death you shall do me no wrong but iustice because I haue deserued death When Octauian August herd him speake so he said vnto him Arise thou kinge of Israell in peace be of good comfort and fear not for thou art worthy to be nie yea next to my person I knowe that Marcus Antonius was set on by his wife and would not folow thy counsel for if he had I dare saye he woulde neuer haue conspired against me So he commaūded the croune to be set againe vppon Herodes head and made a leage with him Then they went both together to ward Egipt to be reuenged vpō Cleopatra But that wicked woman whan she saw her city to be ouercome put on her moste precious apparaile and sitting vpon the throne of her kingdom commaūded a vipor to be brought vnto her which assone as she had suffred to sting her brest she died As Octauian August came to her palaire sawe her sit there he reioyced that he mighte be reuenged of her and commaunded to thruste her from her throne but when they that came to her founde her dead Octauian was pensife and verye sore greued In this while Ioseph Salumithes husbande disclosed vnto Marimi that the kinge had commaunded if it so fortuned him to be put to deathe by Augustus that he shoulde poyson her Wherupon Marimi conceiued yet a greater hatred towarde the kinge in so muche that when the kinge was retourned in safetye sounde and with honoure also from Octauian and that all his menne and whole houshoulde reioysed greatelye Marimi shewed no countenaunce of gladnesse no not when the kinge him selfe told her how greatlye he was magnified and honored of Octauian but alwaies she was sadde Salumith the kinges Sister perceiuing that Marimi so vexed the king she toulde him howe Ioseph her husbande had line with Marimi whiles he was with Augustus Herode saye what she could gaue no credite to her wordes knowing that she enuied Marimi vntill at length he asked the cause of Marimi whye she reioysed not as other did when he returned in safetye from Augustus but was euer sad whiche shewed her to haue some rancoure and malice in her heart to wardes him She answered Thou haste saide heretofore that thou louedst me aboue all thine other wiues and concubines yet thou didst will Ioseph thy sisters husbande to poyson me Whan Herode hearde this he was exceadinglye abashed that Ioseph had disclosed his secrete began to mistrust with him self that which Salumith had told him that he had slept with his wife in dede and vpon that had detected that secret Therfore he departed out of his palaice in a greate anger and rage wherby Salumith perceiued that he detested Marimi and therefore she accused her further hyring false accusars and forgers of lies to witnes that Marimi woulde haue poysoned the kinge whereof she had diuers argumētes also by her coūtenaunce She added moreouer if thou saith she to the king let her scape thus she wil spedely destroy thee and bereue thee of thy kingdom The lawe geueth a man this counsell If any man gooe aboute to murther thee preuent hym slea him first With this and suche like wordes she so moued the king that he commaunded to bring Marimi forthe and to be beheaded in the hie streate of the citie And as she was brought forth vnto the market place of the citie all the women of the citie folowed her Alexandra her mother also cursed and rayled at her saiyng come oute thou that haste abhorred thy husbande and conspired against thy lorde Alexandra wepte also as thoughe it hadde
therfore to his house with a heuy hart hanging downe his head and hidynge his face There his mother toâ—de hym how their counsaile concerning the viall of poyson was bewraied and howe the king was wonderfully incensed towardes him that encreased yet his fear more and more The next daie by the kings coÌ„mauÌ„dement he was broughtâ— forth before al the chief of Israell asseÌ„bled together the king sate to iudge Antipaters cause There rehearsed the king vnto theÌ„ his sons lewdnes lies how he had seduced him stirred him to kil his children that wer of the king bloude farre better and more vertuous then he in so much that with a loude voice the king burst out and bewailed his wife Marimi whoÌ„ he put to death without a cause and his two Sonnes that they that were far of might heare him Then Antipater lift vp his head and began to speake craftely and subtilly First he forgote not to geue gentle words to pacifie his fathers wrath but that he coulde not do After he fel to intreatie in such sort that all the nobles were moued to pity and bewailed his euill Fortune not without teares saue only Niraleus the kings serretary who loued the kinges children that were put to death He rebuked them al that were sory for the calamity of Antipater crying with al his might wher are ye Alexander Aristobulus that were slaine giltlesse Lift vp your heads behold this bloudy wicked man fal into the pit which he him self made see how how his foote is catched in the net that he laid his selfe for other Marke ye not how your maker reuengeth your death and requireth yourbloude at his hande in the time of his destruction For the wicked man is spared vntil the time of his death So the king him selfe verye much infensed sent to fetch a condemned person oute of prisone who beinge brought before them and tasting a litle of the poison in the Vial fel down starke deade forthwith Then the kinge commaunded Antipater to be caried to prison to be laied in the strongest irons The .xl. yeare of his reign which was the .lxx. yere of his age kinge Herode fel sicke no remedy no phisicke could be found to helpe him Nether his seruauÌ„tes nor phisiciaÌ„s could procure him any rest so greuously came his disease vpoÌ„ him with lacke of breth through the anguish of the manifold euils that had happened vnto him by his owne folke Wheâ—upon he cried out saiyng Woe may he beâ— that hathe none left to succede him in his kyngdome nor none to go before his Coffin and mourne for him at his death Then called he to his remembraunce his wyfe Marimi and his two sonnes rehearsynge them by name howlyng and wepyng styll continually Vpon a certaine daye when his sicknes came sore vpon him he called to his seruauntes to fetche him some pleasaunt apple to see if he myght comforte his hearte and when they had brought it he axed for a knife to cut it one was brought hym Then he gathered his strength vnto him and rered hym selfe vp vpon his left arme and perceyuyng his lyfe to bee full of sorowe and lamentacion he tooke the knyfe with his right hande and fetched his way to thrust it into his bely But his seruauntes stept to him and caught his arme holdyng his handes and woulde not suffer hym to dooe it Then wepte he sore and all his seruauntes that the voyce was heard out of the courte and shortly all the cytie was in a sturre sayinge the kynge is dead the kynge is dead Antipater being in the prison heard the noyse and asked what busines is this they aunswered hym the kynge is dead Then was he glad and reioyced wonderfullye saiyng vnto the Iayloâ—â—â—â— Strike of mine irons and let me dute that I may go the palaice and Iwyll remember thee with a good turne â–ª The keper answered I feare least the kinge be yet altue I will go therfore know the truthe and come againe by and by Antipater saw he coulde not get loose wept for anger at the keper So the keper came to the court which as it was tolde to the king he commaunded him to be brought to his presence Then the kinge asked him What did Antipater I pray thee when he heard this mourning and that I was dead The keper answered He was verie glad thereof and when I woulde not smite of his irons and let him out he wept for anger The king crted out vnto his lords See howe he hateth me beinge yet in prison if he were here he would dooe what he could to kill me He would not doe as my seruauntes did make haste to wrest the knife out of my hande As true as God liueth he shal neuer haue that he gapeth for So the king commaunded he shoulde bee put to death And there was neuer a maÌ„ that wold intreatâ— for him or desier the kinge to the contrary but euery man was glad of his destruction The king commauÌ„ded the kepar to bring him forth to the market place whiche dooen his head was smiten of and so he lepte besides his purpose The kinge commaunded moreouer his body to be taken and caried to the citie of Ankalia there to be buried and not in the citie That done HircaniuÌ„ and the people returned from the buriall the king sent to call al the nobles of Israell together and enforsinge his strength he sat vp in his bedde and coÌ„maunded to call his sonne Archelaus vpon whome he layde his handes and made him kinge ouer Israell Then showted euery maÌ„ God saue the king god saue the king The king liued .v. dais after the execution of Antipater then fainted died The time that he reigned ouer Israel was fourty yeres He was a worthy warriour a wise a prudent man a goodly man of persone hauing God on his syde He loued euer the sages Hillell and Samai with their companies He enriched the seconde house more then all other kinges and was more liberall then all the kynges that were before him His giftes and rewardes were ryche for he counted gold and syluer as chaffe stones He kepte Israel in quiet and peace from al their enemies He buylded also a more royal temple then did kyng Salemon But he made the yoke of tribute and exaction in Israell heuier and gaue open eare to euill tonges He was a cruell bloudshedder of poore and innocente persones He willed before his death that they should bury hym in the citie Erodion twoo daies iourney and a halfe from Hierusalem So they put him in a coffin couered with gold sette here there with precious stones The bed vnder him was wrought with gold ful of precious stones Likewise vpoÌ„ his head was a cloth of reines powdred with precious stones vpon that a royall crowne made fast to the left syde of the coffin vpoÌ„ the right side was the regall scepter Vpon the beare was also a clothe
him and kissed him after that ledde him to his pauilion and set hym vpon his seate◠of honour Kinge Iudas also after he returned from the campe made vnto Nicanor a greate feaste callyng him and his noble men with him into Hierusalem where they eate and dranke at the kinges table Kynge Iudas was yet vnmaried wherfore Nicanor moued him to take a wife that hee might haue issue and not lose his succession whose counsaile Iudas alowed This done the lewde pickethanke Alkimus declared to kynge Demetrius the league that Nicanor hadde made wyth king Iudas Whereat Demetrius being wrothe writ vnto Nicanor that he had intelligence of his traiterous practises Nicanor was in Hierusalem when this letter was deliuered him When Iudas hearde of the contentes of the letter he fled out of Hierusalem into Samaria where he sounded a trumpet gathered Israel together Nicanor vpō these letters entred into the house of the lord to seeke Iudas but he founde him not Then he examined the Priestes who sware they knewe not where he was become After he had now sought him in euerye corner throughout Hierusalem and could not finde him in a fume he sware he woulde beate downe the temple And gathering together ai his hoste he made spede againste Iudas When he hearde of Nicanors cōming he issued out of Samaria to mete him and after they hadde stroke the battail Iudas slewe of the Grekes to the number of .xviii. thousande horsemen toke Nicanor aliue and was minded to kyll him But Nicanor besought him of pardon alledgynge that the kinge knewe well inough that he beganne not this battaile with his good will but lest he shoulde traunsgresse the commaundement of the king his maister Wherefore saieth he I humblye beseche your maiestie not to kill mee and I sweare vnto you that I wyll neuer beare armour againste you nor anoye you in any wise Vpon this the kynge made a league with hym and dimissed him So he returned to the king his master with shame inough After this Demetrius dyed and Lisia his sonne raigned in his stede Yet the wicked men ceased not but moued againe Kinge Lisia to make a voyage in his owne Persone with a puissant armye againste Iudas but hauinge the ouerthrowe of kynge Iudas he fled vnto Asdotum till he had repaired againe his armye strongelye Then came he the seconde time vppon Iudas in whiche conflicte the Israelites were put to flight King Iudas notwithstandinge fled nother one waye nor other but called to his men exhorted them to returne and sticke by him yet they would not obeye him So he abid alone with his drawen sworde in hys hand vnto whom none of his enemies durst approche nie but with charettes and horsemen they enuironned hym and archers shot at him woūding him sore till he fell downe deade vppon the ground and they that were about him were taken alyue The tyme that he raigned ouer Israel was .vi. yere Manie of the Grekes captains were slaine also in that battaile and the king him selfe so wounded that he was faine to get him into his countreye to be cured of his woundes After he hadde recouered his health he returned again came to Hierusalem and to all the cities of Israell wyth the power of the Grekes wherwith he so afflicted them at that tyme for the space of foure monethes after the death of Iudas that the like tribulation was neuer sene in Israell In the meane season the Israelites resorted to Ionathas the sonne of Mattathias and made him king in Iudas stede and were sworne vnto hym This Ionathas foughte diuers greate battails against the Grekes hauynge the aide of one Sauinus of the kinred of kyng Alexander the first who had made a league with Ionathas toke his part againste Grecia wasted and spoyled it sore till at length the king of the Grecians slewe Ionathas by a traine His raigne ouer Israel dured .vi. yere Then was Schimeon his brother king in his stede Against him Antiochus the secōd kinge of the Grecians came to warre But Schimeon met him and laied first an ambushe to entrapte the Grekes then ordered his battayles in araye against Antiochus After that he wyth his whole hoste made a face fayninge as though they fledde and retired tyll thei perceiued Antiochus who pursued them to be within their daunger then the ambushe brake foorthe vppon the Grekes made a very great slaughter After this Schimeon returned to Ierusalē with great ioye Then sent Ptolome king of Egipt an imbassage to Scimeō king of Israel offering him his daughter in mariage To his request when king Schimeon had cōsented Ptolome came to Ierusalē where was made a great feast they were alied together Whereupō Antiochus king of the Greciās writ to Ptolome king of Egipt priuily to murder Schimeō king of Israel Whō Ptolomee durst not but obey for at that time the king of Egipt was in subiection to the Grekes Therefore when Schimeon came into Egipt to se his father in lawe Ptolomee he was receiued with greate feastinge but in the same he had poyson geuen him that he died thereof Besides this also his sonne which came with him Ptolome cast in prisō These things iustly chaūced vnto Schimeon for that he hadde traunsgressed the worde of the Lorde that forbade all aliance with the Gentiles The time that he raigned ouer Israel was .xviii. yeres Then Iohn his sonne raigned in his steede who was called Hircanus in the Greke tongue The same Ptolomee king of Egipt inuaded Israel with al the power that he coulde make But Iohn the sonne of Schimeon mette him and the Lorde ouerthrewe Ptolomee wyth his whole hoste that they were slaine of the Israelites and pursued to the citye Dagon about the whiche the Israelites made trenches and beseged it Nowe within the towne thei had the mother of kyng Hircanus whom Ptolomee caused to be sette vppon the Walles and to bee scourged with whippes in the sight of her sonne When Hircanus sawe the great affliction of his mother he wold haue raised his siege and departed frō Ptolomee But his mother called vnto him and said My deare sonne Iohn regarde not my tribulation for all chasteninges come from GOD. Procede manfully with thy siege againste thys citye for it is in great distresse and reuenge me thy father and brother murdered by Ptolomee The king folowed her aduise manfully raysed a mount from the which he battered the walles with engynes of yron like charrettes till it began to shake Wherfore many of the souldiours of the towne fledde and their companies began to scatter Ptolomee seinge this commaunded to afflict hys mother yet more and to encrease her scourgynges vntill the entrails of Hircanus was moued that he could abide no lenger to see his mother so cruelly handled but left the siege let Ptolomee escape who neuerthelesse killed his mother and fled into Egipt In the fourth yeare of kinge Hircanus raigne Pius king Grece came and besieged
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 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
wery of their liues for feare of them Wherefore the king of Siria sent vnto Herode ruler of Galily desiring him to kil that Hizkias his complices Wherupon Herode prepared him selfe and wente to meete with Hizkias as he returned from the spoil of Siria came vpoÌ„ him at vnwares and slue him and his menne Whereof when the kinge of Siria was certified he sent a noble reward vnto Herode of siluer gold and precious stones bi whiche and by like meanes he became very famous The noble men of Iuda made their complainte vnto Hircanus vpon Antipater and his soÌ„nes for their sore oppressing of the lande of Iuda desiring that Herode might be called froÌ„ Galily to appere in iudgment and answer with other for the killing of Hezkias The king therfore sente for him he vpon that came to Ierusalem appered before the iudges princely apparelled with a gilt sword gird aboute him whose pride an aunciente man called Samai blamed and repreheÌ„ded also his stoute hearte but he woulde not geue eare vnto him nor yet regarde the iudges When Hircanus perceiued that the iudges had almoste determined to geue iudgement agaynste the younge man to make him away he toke pitie vpon him said We wil not geue senteÌ„ce to day to morow is a new day and by that meanes deliuered him out of their hands Herode knew not afore that it was a matter of life and death That night therfore he fled to the king of Siria declaring all what had happened vnto him The kinge of Siria let him haue a strong army came with him him self purposing to besiege Ierusalem But his father Antipater and his elder brother Phaselus came forthe vnto him and rebuked him saiyng Is this the rewarde that thou rendrest to kinge Hircanus that toke pitie vppon thee and woulde not haue thy bloude shedde Therefore they willed him to depart from Ierusalem vnto whom he condiscended after he had once let the inhabitauntes of Hierusalem knowe what he could do and had shewed theÌ„ his power Iulius Emperour of Rome aboute that time as he was worshippinge in the house of his GOD was murdered by the conspyracye of certaine of theim whiche hadde serued Pompeius that was slaine as is afore mencioned The name of one of them that killed him was Cassius of the couÌ„trey of Macedonia who fledde thither beinge afraied to tarie at Rome This Cassius had great dominions in Macedonia Antipater also of whom we spake was a greate scourge to the noble men of Iuda and a great deale forer man then was Hircanus him self Yea Hircanus could do nothinge in comparison of him for he had no rule him selfe but Antipater and his sons bare all the swaye throughoute the whole realme Moreouer Antipater was in great estimation amongest all the Kinges of that time And for asmuch as he so sore oppressed the Iewes thei therfore hated him and conspired to kil hym There was a man in great aucthoritie about Aâ—rcanus by whose meanes thei wrought this matter He corrupted the kinges Butler with rewardes to put poyson in Antipaters cuppe which as he had dronke he died These things his sonnes Phaselus and Herode dissimuled and winked at as though they knew nothing Notwithstandinge they priuely writ vnto Cassius that raigned in Macedonia certifiynge him of this deede Sone after came Cassius to Tyrus from whence he sente messengers to Hircanus to come vnto him who came with hym Malchias Phaseus and Herode Cassius entertainynge them all in his lodgynge willed his men that whatsoeuer Herode had them thei should do it Herode willed them to kill Malchias they slew him therfore sittyng hard by Hircanus side Hircanus demauÌ„ded of the soÌ„nes of Antipater the cause hereof who answered Is it not manifest that Kynge Cassius seruauntes slew him and wee knowe not whye Therfore Hircauus stode in feare of Phaselus and Herode being certain that this was their dede Wherfore he saide vnto theim This Malchias was worthy of such a death for he was a crafty man and an vserer These thinges done Octauian Augustus brothers sonne vnto Iulius that was murdered came vnto Rome and the people of Rome made hym their Emperoure He had a felowe in office named Marcus Antonius his Vncle. Octauianus therefore seinge to the gouernement at Rome sent Marcus Antonius to warre vppon Cassius and to reuenge Iulius death Vnto him Hircanus sent a presente a crowne of golde in whiche were set sundrye precious stones praiyng him to strengthen his Kingedome in his handes and to be a means of a league to be made betwen Octauian Augustus king of kings and him as there was betwene him and Iulius which Antonius graunted Pacorus About that time Antigonus fonne of Aristobulus writ to Pagurus kyng of the Persians to aide him against Hircanus to remoue him and to restore the kingdome to him self and he agreed to geue him for his trauail fiue hundreth pouÌ„d weight of gold and a hundreth Israelitish virgins So Pagurus gathered an host against Israel and Antigonus departed oute of Ierusalem with muche people of Israel that toke his part and foyned them selues to Pagurus These came to Ierusalem besieged it fought many skirmishes gaue many greate assaultes vnto it til at lenght they vndermined the city Then toke they Hircanus and slue Phaselus And to the intent Hircanus shuld be cleane remoued from the priesthod Antigonus that had depriued him now of his kingdom cut of besides that one of his eares But Herode escaped fled to August emperour of Rome Pagurê° therfore hauing made Antigonus king of Ierusalem returned home into Persia cariynge Hircanus as prisoner with him But Augustus appointed Herod to be king ouer al Iuda geuing to him a very strong army of the Romaines to obtein it withall In the way thither Herode met with Alexandra Hircanus doughter and Marimi her doughter thou she had by Alexander soÌ„ne of Aristobulus and brought theÌ„ again into the land of Israel where he tooke Marimi to wife and was maried with her in the mount of Galile For ther the chiefe of al Israel dwelte with whome he toke peace Marcus Antonius companion in office vnto Octauian Augustus aboute that time made a voyage through all the East countries to subdue them vnto the Romaines together with Egipt Damasco and Siria Him Herode accompanied to the flud of Euphrates and helped him not a litle For the Arabians lay in wait for him in the way and slue all that would aide Marcus Antonius But Herode mette with them and slue them Wherefore Antonius was verye gladde of Herodes valiauntnesse and brought him again into Israell together with Cassius his captain and lieuetenant of his warres hauinge also his letters to all the captaines of Siria after this tenure Ye shall vnderstand that our Lord and maister Octauian Augustus kinge of kings hath appointed Herode the soÌ„ne of Antipater to be kinge of all the land of Iuda Therefore assone as these letters shall come
her as one that hath conspired against thee Yet neuertheles I know wel that for the loue thou bearest vnto me thou wouldest spare her for this cause am I come vnto thee that wheÌ„ thou hast put thy sonne to death I also may slea my doughter For it is better that we should make them away then they vs. Herode hearing this was veri glad and gaue credit to his frendship WheÌ„ Archelaus perceiued that Herode had a good opinion of him he altred his communication sayinge to the kinge Firste let vs diligentlye examine and wel try the cause forasmuche as there are manye false witnesses and lyinge persons in the worlde let vs not shed innocent bloud vpon an vncertaintye For Archelaus knew that Herode had geuen to light credite howe he was ready to heare an euil tale which was the cause of all the mischiefe that befell to the people of his house Well Herode thoughte his counsel good One of them that accused the kinges children was Pheroras the kinges brother and to say the truthe he was the chiefe of all Herode loued Archelaus the kinge of Cappadocia as him self whithe Archelaus perceiuinge tourned his talke to rebuke the kinge sayinge Thou arte nowe waxen olde and wel striken in yeares thou suffrest these backebiters to rule thee who stirre thee to worcke all these mischiefes in thy house Yea Pheroras thy brother hathe falslye prouoked thee agaynste thy sonnes When Pheroras heard these wordes he was sore afraide for in dede he had seduced the king Therfore came Pheroras to Archelaus and besought him to saue his life Archelaus aunswered him if thou wilt obtaine pardon for thy wyckednes come and fall before his feete and coÌ„fesse that thou hast spoken falsly against his sonnes then wil I promise thee that he shal be merciful vnto thee and to his sonnes Pheroras did so confessed that he had falsly accused the kinges sonnes Then Archelaus besought the king for pardon and he graunted it After that he intreated him that the yong men might be dismissed and deliuered out of pryson whiche the kynge commaunded to be dooen The yonge men therfore came to the kinges presence and fell downe before his feete the king was louing vnto them embrased them and kist them He made great ioy also that Archelaus came in so good an houre vnto him to whome he gaue for a gift .vii. huÌ„dreth poundes weight of gold many precious stones and concubines and dimisâ—ed him But Antipater againe suborned false accusers and write counterfaite letters in the name of the kinges sonnes to one of the captaines declaringe howe they would conspire and kil the kinge and by suche meanes he encreased the enemities betwene them and their father diuers waies that the king commaunded them to be put in prison and most strong irons to be laid vpon them Besides this Antipater had surprised and won the hartes of the kinges chief rulers and seruantes that they suborned his barber to beare false witnesse againste Alexander howe that he hired him to kil the king at such time as he should shaue his beard WhaÌ„ the king heard his barbar speake he was wonderfullye troubled in his minde in so much that he said I am wearye of my life to heare these pickthanckes that open mine eares and fil my head with tales I can do no waye better then to geue charge that who soeuer bringes me ani such tales hereafter of any bodi he shall suffer death for it Wherfore he commaunded the barber to be slain his two sonnes to be brought forthe and hanged vpon gallowes sheading their innocent bloude Then reioysed Antipater supposing him selfe to be as sure of the kingdome as though he had it in his handes When as he was not aware that although he vvere neuer so hie aloft yet vvas there one aboue higher then he vvho considered his doinges Alexander had two sonnes Thigarum and Aristobulus And Aristobulus had thre sonnes Tigraues Herode Agrippa Alexander Whan the kyng returned to Hierusalem for he was in Samaria by the lake syde whan his sonnes were put to execution he commauÌ„ded that his nephewes shoulde be brought to the courte and taking pitie of them embrased and kissed them weping very sore both he and all his seruauntes For it greatly repented him of the heinous dedes that he had done But whaÌ„ the tyme of the mourning was past he caused to call all the chief of Israell together and said vnto them I am now growen in age and waxen grey headed certaine how shortely I shall die I se here before me these litle fatherles children whiche I neuer can beholde without great anguishe of my minde For when I loke vpon them I call to my remembrance what great domage I haue done vnto their fathers in my rage and headlong furiousnes Nowe therfore I woulde commit them to the fuicion and custody of some man that might be a patron as father vnto theÌ„ to succour them continually to his power All the people aunswered that he had wel spoken He spake therfore vnto his brother Pheroras Thou shalt be their patrone and defendour and shalt geue thy doughter to Thigarus Alexanders sonne He commaunded also his sonne Antipater to geue his doughter to Herode the sonne of Aristobulus And the mariages were made in the kynges presence When Antipater marked the loue that the kynge bare toward his nephewes he begaÌ„ to be in great care for Thegarus Alexanders sonne had a graundfather by the mother side a kinge of greate power namely Archelaus king of Cappadocia He falles down therfore at the kinges feete to dissolue and breake the frendship that he bare towards his nephewes and to leaue speaking in their cause as he had done but he preuailed nothing Therfore he left his father and wente to Pheroras the kinges brother made a confederacie with him Then desired him to frustrate the bond that was betwene him selfe and Herode and also betwene him and Thigarus the sonne of Alexander that was hanged So Pheroras came to the kinge tourned his minde and dissolued the mariages This done Pheroras and Antipater that sate vpon the kinges throne were become great frendes banketting one the other day and night and deuisinge their matters When this came to the kinges eare he was sore afraid of their traines and commauÌ„ded that his brother Pheroras should neuer more come in his sighte Antipater his sonne was sent to Octauian Augustus to establishe the kingdome vnto him and to enter in league with him For Herode was so olde that he could not go Antipater iourneying towards Rome passed through Egipte desirous to see it before the death of his vncle Pheroras And as he trauailed by the hie waies of Egipte there came a certaine marchaunte hauinge a Vyall in his hande close couered which cried saying who wil bie a thing at a great price before he see it or know what it is Antipater meruailed at his words and asked him what was
in his Vyal But the seller tolde him not what it was before he hadde bought it and paide deare for it Then whispered he in his eare tellinge him that it was a strong poison that would kil one out of hand This Vyal Antipater sente to Pheroras to be kepte vntill he retourned from Rome In the meane season Pheroras died and his wife hidde the Vyall After when Antipater came home againe from Rome Pheroras wife and he fel at variance insomuche that she obiected vnto him that he was the cause that Pheroras was banished the kinges presence the sorow wherof was his death On the other side Antipater went aboute to accuse her sowinge discorde betwene her and the king to stirre him against her He suborned also a certain Ennuch or gelded parson to go vnto the king and informe him howe that at what time as he tooke displeasure with Pheroras his brother and banished him his presence Pheroras procured a strong poisō and gaue it to his wife commaunding her to destroy the king therewith The king hearinge this was wrothe with the Ennuche and saide I searched for that venom longe a go when it was noysed that my housholde seruauntes would geue it me to drinke but I could not finde the thinge to be true Yea I haue bene to rashe in such matters for I put my wife Marimi to deaths without a cause and Alexandra my mother in law with my two children When Antipater heard that the king credited not the Ennuche he made sute to the king to send him to Octauian the secōd time for he was a fearde for the Viall that was in Pheroras wifes house He had writen also with his hande howe that he sent it intending therewith to poison the kinges sonnes children But he that prepareth a pit for another oft times falleth into it him self So desiring the kinge to sende him he let him go After this the kinge commaunded to make searche if the Ennuches woordes were true or no he sente firste for all Pheroras housholde seruauntes examined theim whether euer they coulde perceiue that Pheroras was in minde to hurte him They all sware no. Then the king cōmaunded to scourge them verye fore but they confessed nothynge althoughe some dyed vnder their handes in the examination Some he ordered with diuers kinde of torments of some he caused to pluck oute all their teethe And as he hade scourge a certaine woman seruaunt which hadde bene verye trusty to Pheroras at length when she could no lēger stand for strokes she cried out and said The holy blessed God reuēg vs of Rostios the kings wife Antipaters mother Dosis Antipaters mother which is cause of this The kinge hearyng these wordes bad let her alone she will disclose all Then spake shee Antipater made feasts euerie foote for thy Brother Pheroras and him selfe and as thei eate and dranke they deuised how to poyson thee specially when as Antipater was going to Octauian For thei said Except we destroy him he wil destroy vs as he hath done al the children of his house Moreouer he loueth the children of his sonnes that were put to deathe whiche grow apace and it is possible he maye chaunge his minde and make one of them kinge Antipater also said to thy brother The king makes as though he were much my frende but I trust him not He gaue me saith he a. C. pounde weight of golde but all that satifieth not me When the kinge heard this he told how he had geuen Antipater this gold secretely The woman said moreouer There is yet a Vyal of strōg poison in Pheroras house that thy sonne sent out of Egipte Streightwaye the king sent to Pheroras wife that she shoulde bringe him the Vyall of poison her own self When she espied the kings Ennuches come to fetche her whether she woulde or no she gate her vp to the top of the house and cast her self downe headlonge to kil her selfe because she would not see the kinge nor abide his tormentes But she died not therof whereuppon the kynges messengers brought her in a horse litter and set her afore the king Then she confessed vnto him how Antipater his sonne had cōspired with Pheroras to kil him with a strong poyson that he had bought in Egipte and sente to Pheroras when he want to Octauian And how that Pheroras being at the point of death repēted him therof charging that we shuld neuer geue that venome to Antipater but poure it out vpon the ground that the king mighte not be poisoned therewith and I did as he bad me cast it out al saue a litle that I kepte in the glase botome for I euer feared that whiche is now come to passe Then at the kinges commaundement the Vyall was broughte forthe before him and there was a litle of the venome left wherefore they gaue better creadite to her wordes so that the king was contente with her and bad his Phisitions heale her and she recouered This done the king write to Antipater to come home with spede because I am old saithe he weake vncertain how shortly I shal dye The kinge had yet also two other sonnes at Rome Archelaus Polimus So whē Antipater writ to answer his fathers letters he signified vnto him that his .ii. sōnes had diffamed the king and slaundred him vnto Octauian But the king answered him come and brynge them with thee I wil order them as thou thinkest good Notwithstandinge Antipater dalied delaied for the space of .vii. monethes to se if he might learn somwhat of his fathers doings but he could heare nothing The messengers that his father had sent lay vpon him euery day drged him to make spede Therfore at the .vii. monethes ende he toke his iourney towardes Iudea and came to Cesarea There hearde he that his father had taken displeasure with his mother and banished her the court◠but he coulde not learne what shoulde be the cause therfore he was strokē in such feare that he woulde haue gone backe again and left his iourney But they that waited vpon him beinge desirous to go home to their houses family crafted with him and perswaded him that if he shuld now return backe out of his waye he shoulde iustifye his enmies saiyngs to be true But if thou come once to thy fathers presence saye they who loueth the so intirelye thou shalt preuaile againste thy foes and get the vpper hande of them that trouble thee So he folowed their counsell and came to Ierusalem Whē he entred into the city no mā came forth to meete him nor once to bid him welcome home For al the people hated him for his lies slaūders peruers wicked coūsel but chiefly for fear of the king Yet went he forward to the court although with a fearful heart When he came to the kinges presence he fell downe and did his dutye but the Kinge turned away his face and could not abide to loke vpon him He went home
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
mouing him to toyn with the Iewes and to aid them The people also came wholly the space of .lx. miles out of the city of Ierusalem to mete him and fell down flat before him crying God saue our king Agrippa But the king studied al he might to procure quietnes and peace to the city people So he entred in to Ierusalem accoÌ„panied with a couple of noble meÌ„ of Rome worthy captains whoÌ„ he brought with him in his train And wheÌ„ he came into the midst of the city the people cried mainlye out vpon him saying Deliuer vs o king and let thy hand help be on oure side to succoure vs for we wil neuer more be vnder the Romains subiection The king hearinge this pitied the people verye muche not withstandinge he was not content that they were mineded to rebell againste the Romaine Empire Wherfore he called together the people at thentrance of the courte of the temple where were presente the elders of Israel and all the chiefe men with the hie priest Anany declared vnto theÌ„ the power of the Romaines the strengthe of their kingdome and what nations rounde aboute them they had subdued in suche sorte as no remayne of them was left Wherfore he besought â—them not to prouoke the Romaines nor to destroye the people remaining of Israel He added moreouer HarkeÌ„ my brethren saith he I knowe well inoughe that there reasteth in your heartes a greate griefe and I my selfe am ful of sorowe and anguishe that we are not of power able to withstande the Romaines All be it if ye wil be ruled by my counsell ye shall finde a redresse for this matter For vvhere as counsell is and good deliberation there is safetye and things come to prosperous successe Ye shall susteine for a while the yocke of the Romaine captaines til I maye certify Nero of the matter by mi letters and intrete him to ridde vs of these rulers I beseche you be not to hastye of libertye Manye sekinge libertye haue fallen into further captiuitie and greater bondage There be amongste oure people manye euell disposed persones whose delite is in warres for it is their whole study amongst whoÌ„ many good meÌ„ do also pearish Wherfore hear my wordes as for them that be wise maye perceiue the matter them selues they that lacke experience let them learne wisdom at my sayinges Kepe therfore silence whiche shal be as well to mine as to your owne commodity for I shal not nede to streine my selfe but speake the softlier with lesse pain and ye on the other side may the better heare and vnderstand what I say If ye holde not your peace ye shall haue two discommodities ye shall interrupte my communication and let your selues from hearinge But nowe to the purpose ye shal be content and suffer til I write to Rome of these matters that Cesar mai remoue these euill rulers and sende vs theÌ„ that be more humain and geÌ„tle If ye may haue once such then shal ye not thinke your selues in bondage but in libertie and worthilye for then only is seruitude greuous whan as the ruler is an vniuste manne and wicked Now therfore stay your selues quarell not with them for althoughe they bee wicked yet wyll they be ashamed to do wrong openly as that that they do thei do it secretly But if ye shuld accuse theÌ„ to much thei would rub their foreheads and do it openly without all shame so shoulde you make of your iudges and rulers your open enemies But it vvere farre better to suffer an vniust gouernour then a iust enemie For the one robbeth men priuely the other is an open destroier prouoke them not therfore Consider the wylde beastes that be vnder mans power and be kepte in cheynes as Lions Beares and Leopardes if a man lette them alone they are quiet and harme no man But if a man go to their dennes and anger theÌ„ then they will flee vpon hym worry him and other to that be present The same ye maye perceaue in a seuer and an agew which if a man wil go about to cure at the beginning he shall make it more greuous but if he will remedy it by leasure the seruencie of it wil easly be quenched Nowe therfore refrayne your selues take hede ye set not Caesar in your toppes the hole Romain empire Caesar coueteth not your harme neither sent he vnto you these rulers to hurt you His eies can not see froÌ„ easte to west nor his hand reatch froÌ„ Rome hether for it is flesh and bloud But if ye will abide til I may sende embassadours to Caesar I doubt not but I shal remoue these rulers and rid you of theÌ„ peaceably without any warre or bloud shed If ye be vtterly determined to resist the Romaine Empire you shal vnderstand you be in no wise able to dooe it for god is euery where on their side so that they be Lordes throughout all the worlde and all people serue them and shall till their ende also come But if ye will not dooe this for your owne sakes yet do it for your own countreis sake your children and wifes the sanctuary priestes whome ye are bouÌ„den to loue and spare least ye caste awaye and vndoe all them at once I beseche you take my wordes in good parte for I haue spoken nothyng but that that is for your wealth and that may further oure peace with the Romaines whiche I moste wishe If you will be ruled and chuse peace I will take your parte and dooe the beste I can for you but if ye wyll nedes haue warres ye shall haue it alone for me I will not medle with you With this Agrippas fell on weping and so did also all the elders with him and the men of moste wysdome the chiefe in all Israell yea Ananie the hie priest also coulde nor refreine from teares NotwithstaÌ„ding Eleasar his stoute soÌ„ne with his routes of warlike yonge men about him they wepte not at all nor would harken or geue any eare to holsom couÌ„sell but all at once with their drawen swoordes violently rushed vpon the Romayne capitaines that came with Agrippas slue theÌ„ their men al the multitude that was with him in Hierusalem Iudea The elders in Iudea with the wisest godliest Israelites seynge what was done departed froÌ„ Hierusalem fearing Nero the crueltie of the Romaines Therfore they toke the toure of Sion remained there For they woulde not be taken of the Romaines to be of the same confederacie with the other The sedicious seing that tooke the temple of the Lorde So dissention and ciuyll warres fell betwene the sedicious and the auncieÌ„tes For when Eleasar heard the elders and heades of the people were fled to the mount Sion he and his company set vpon them preuailed against them and slew a great meany of them Agrippas perceiuing the power of the sedicious grewe apace he sent oute of his campe where he laye without the towne twoo valeaunt captaines one named
some of vs be taken by the Iewes like as Iosephe is prisoner at this present with vs When Vaspasian heard his sonnes wordes it pleased him and he spared Ioseph not sufferyng him to be slaine but committed him to a certaine capitaine of his and earied him about with him through the cities together with kinge Agrippa After this Vaspasian remoued his caÌ„pe to Talmida which also is called Acho and from thence he went to Caesaria a great citie When thei of the citie saw Ioseph thei cried vnto Vaspasian kyll him kyll him or else he will one daye be an occasion to stirre great Warres against thee But Vaspasian woulde not heare theim Tidynges came to Vaspasian that they of Iapho inuaded the Isles that were subiecte vnder hys dominions with a nauie roauynge to spoile them Vaspasian therfore commaunded to laye in wait for them that they might be met withall So there was an ambushe laied withoute the towne and it came to passe that when the pyrates were gone out a roauyng Vaspasian entred the towne and toke it because their Souldiours were absente When the Citizins retourned with their Nauie and sawe the Romaines in the Citie they laboured to arriue and set a lande but by and by a huge tempest and a mightye storme droue all their Shippes againste the Rockes that were in the Sea shoare for there was no Hauen for Shippes and there they were loste manye of of them suche as swamme to Lande the Romaines slue them They that were drowned in the sea and slaine by the Romaines were in noumber .iiii. thousande good men of warre besides them were slaine in the town .xl. thousand all Iewes THis done Vaspasian set forth Valericus and Taribus two Romain captaines with his sonne Titus who wente besieged and wan the townes of defence that were in Galile And thus did Titus vse them they that yelded vnto him he saued their liues and who soeuer withstode him he slewe More ouer all the cities that belonged to Agrippas in Galile he restored them vnto him againe only Tiarua excepte which he vtterly raced and slue all the mankind specially such as were apt to the warres sold also their wiues children And this was the only city in all Galile that Titus shewed such rigor extremity vnto Vaspasian departinge thence toke his iorny to Gamala whiche is a citye vpon the top of a mountain The name therof is called Gamala of an Hebrue worde Gamal that signifieth to quite or to do a good turn because it is the best citye that belonged to Agrippas and the inhabitantes thereof were all verye riche The citye also called Selencia was not farre from it situated a country replenished with good townes Gardens brookes and all kinde of frutefull trees Agrippa besoughte Vaspasian that he woulde not destroye this citye let me go firste saithe he and offer them peace peraueÌ„ture they will take it that they may saue their liues from destruction Vaspasian was intreated sayinge vnto him go and do as thou wilte for to honoure thee I will doâ—e so muche for thy sake So Agrippa wente to them and spake frendlye and peaceablye vnto them and they receiued him in lyke manner but they mente deceite sayinge Thou arte oure LORDE and kinge to whome therefore dothe all that is of anye price to be desired in all Israell belonge but vnto thee therfore come neâ—e vnto vs and debate the matter with thy seruaunts Agrippas crediting their wordes came harde to the citye and as he listened to them that talked with him one cast a greate stone froÌ„ the wal which light iust betwene his shoulders and brake his backe with one of his armes also with suche violence that it stroke him prostrate to the grounde But his seruauntes stepte to him toke him vp and caried him to Vaspasian Who seinge him so sore hurte sware he woulde neuer go from thence til he had taken the city ordered them in like manner as he did Tiarua to leaue neuer a maÌ„ a liue ther in The Romaine Phisitions did bestow suche diligence aboute Agrippas that they cured him Vaspasian in this rage against the Selucians because thei had wounded the kinge besieged and assaulted them The Iewes within the towne encouraged one an other saâ—ing let vs sticke to it nowe and playe the men for we haue none other hope to saue our liues seinge we haue thus ordered the king Certain stout men of theÌ„ therfore issued encountring with the Romaines made a great slaughter amongst theÌ„ After that the Romains addressed their engines planted their iron Rammes that they brought with them against the walles and by that time night came battred a great parte therof down to th earth that Vaspasian and much people with him might enter at their pleasure But Vaspasian gaue commaundement to his armye that they should not enter that nighte into the towne but stande and coÌ„passe the walles vntil morow that they might see howe to win it Notwithstandinge they wold not be ruled by him but entred then the Iewes came vpon them drue the stretes with chaines and closed the waies of the city entrappinge them in such a sort that they coulde go nother one way nor other after set vp on them and bette them downe euen there so that they were all slaine saue a ten men that fled with Vaspasian a captaine named Butius one of the best men of war in all the Romaines army him the Iewes pursued and slue But Vaspasian his fled to the mountaines that he might be there in sauegarde And from thence he sent to Titus his sonne that was in Siria for the Romaine army that he had sent with him into Persia whiche Titus led into Iewrye SHortlye after Vaspasian gathered souldioures and repaired his armye ioyned with Agrippas companye and returned to Selencia wan it slue them euerye manne leauing none aliue and afterwards wente to other Cities of Galile and tooke them seruinge them in like sorte After that he came to the citye called Nascela whiche was a walled towne and of all the townes of defence throughe oute all Galile none lefte but it Thus he besieged because thither were resorted manye cutthrotes and wicked persones withoute all feare of GOD suche as were Robbers and rouers of the lande of Iudea Emongste whome was a certaine manne named Iehochanan learned wise and prudente speciallye to do mischiefe a wittye counselloure and of suche eloquence that he coulde perswade cunninglye and disswade menne from that they had purposed Besides this he was a murtherer readye to shedde bloude and to do any mischief a great robber and one that euer gaped after other mens goodes By whiche meanes he was become verye riche wherefore there resorted vnto him all vaine persones mansiears rebels and ruffains like him self geuynge hym large rewardes that they mighte be of his fraternitie his brethren and adherentes and he to be their heade Titus was sente to this citye by his father to offer them
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
the .iii. time ye haue approched the wals this is the .iii. time ye haue ben slain for your labours And al this coÌ„meth bicause ye wil not be ruled by me but transgresse your generall lords coÌ„mauÌ„dmeÌ„t But now mi brethreÌ„ take hede what ye do herafter it becometh you not to rebel agaiÌ„st mi words which yet ye haue done ofteÌ„times Do ye not remeÌ„bre a certain nâ—ble man of our couÌ„try in the wars of Augustus Caesar against the Persians how he put his own son to death bicause the contrary to his fathers commaundemeÌ„t who was grand captain of the army vnder Augustus he had fough with his enemies yea although he kild iii. PersiaÌ„s But what speke I of once ye haue oftentimes set life by my coÌ„maundemeÌ„ts skirmishing dayly with the Iewes that without al discretioÌ„ rashly out of order wherthrough your coÌ„flicts can haue no good successe If you coÌ„tinue these maners it shall redownde vnto your owne dishonours Wherefore it were better for you to leue of this and lay away your pryde contumaâ—ye and stubburunesse whiche if ye dooe thinges shall be in better sauegarde Muche more spake Titus to his men rebuking them sharpely not mencioned here but declared at large in the volume that wee writ vnto the Romains When he had said his princes and captains fel euery one prostrate to the earth besought him of pardon for their rashnes in that they had so vnaduisedlye and without order against his mind encofitred with the Iewes Then Titus taking pitie of theÌ„ pardoned them requesting theÌ„ to be ware herafter that they coÌ„mitted nothing agaiÌ„st his coÌ„maundmeÌ„t nother in word nor dede so doing theâ— shold haue his fauour auoid his displesure dauÌ„ger of deth for the coÌ„trary But if thei refused to do it whatsoeuer he wer the shold traÌ„sgres his coÌ„maundmeÌ„t he wold not spare him but put him to death geue his body to be eateÌ„ of the fouls of thayre They aunswered all with one voyce We are content with these condicioÌ„s and wil do what so euer thou shalt coÌ„maunde vs. After this Titus considering howe earnestly the Ierosolimites were set one againste an other howe they were become such cruel and morâ—al enemies that eche of them conspired others death he caused the pittes cesterns and trenches that were about Ierusalem to be damde vp and stopte with earthe that the waies mighte be leuilled for his army That don he enâ—aÌ„pt him self nearer the wals Against whiche attempte the Iewes issued not out of the town after their accustomed manner to put them backe from the walles For Schimeon was otherwise occupied he had enterteined ten thousande men of the best of the seditious Iewes and ioyned him selfe to Iacob the Edomite captaine of .ix. thousande Edomites with whome he had made a conspiracy vtterly to destroye captaine Iehochanan And settinge vppon him they coÌ„pelled him to flie into the courte of the temple where he remained in the gate of thentrance of the temple with eight thousand and .iiii. hundreth good men of war al wel appointed in â—acks Eleasar also was against him and ioyned with Schimeon becomming an enemy to him that before had saued his life and so they both together aâ—â—ailed Iehochanan neglectinge the defence of the towne By this meanes the Romaines encamped them selues aboute the walles at their pleasure raisings toures and castinge trenches to plante their iron Rammes vpon to batter the wals The coÌ„mon people of the Iewes that were vnder the rule and gouernment of the three seditious captaines namelye Schimeon Eleasar and Iehochanan which although they were ill inough al yet the tiranny of Iehochanan far passed Schimeon Schimeon was far worsse then Eleasar thoughe Eleasar was the head author and firste beginner of sedicion in al Israel were amongst them as she pe redy to be killed For the forsaid sedicious captains slew the people at their pleasures and deuided them into bandes casâ—yng lots vpon them who should haue which so that one had anothers men another man his And this did they not onelye with their owne men but also with al the rest of the people in suche wise that when the Romains made any assault then ioyned they together as one man to resist the Romayns wheÌ„ they had geuen them a repulse then wouldthey returne to their câ—uel warres fal together by the eares among them selfes Extreme and dreadfull was the ciuyll conflict at that season betwene the thre foresaid captains and so sore that the bloude streamed downe the chanel out of the gates of Hierusalem like as a broke that runneth out of a fountayne and well sprynge The Romeynes seinge it were moued with much pitie that they wept bitterly But Ioseph that was amongst theÌ„ was striken with so great heauinesse that he burst out into a sorowful lamentation liftyng vp his woful voyce in this wise ALas alas Ierusalem the citie of the great kinge howe shail I now call thee at this daye or what name shal I geue thee Sometyme thou wast called Iebus of Iebusaeus that builded thee first in all thys lande After that thy name was Zedek that is iustice wherupon thy kinge Iehoram was called Malkizedek for hee was a ryghteous kyng and because he raygned in thee wyth sustice therefore was thy name Zedek Then ryghtuousnesse hadde his abidyng in thee and thy bright starre that shined in thee was Zedek Moreouer in his time was thou called Schalem as the Scripture witnesseth and Malki zedek king of Schalem and that because the iniquitie of the people that dwelte in thee was then fulfilled For at that tyme chose Abraham oure father of worthye memorye to worship god in thee and to take thee to his enheritaunce to plant in thee the rote of good woorkes Whereupon the tabernacle of God remayneth in thee to thys daye as it was reuealed vnto the same our father Abraham In the say His the sanctuarye of the Lorde For in that place did Abraham binde his onlye Sonne vpon the toppe of one of thy hilles that is called mount Moriah holy and halowed and therfore art thou called Ierusalem because oure father Abraham of famous memory called the place of thy sanctuary Adonai ijreeh the Lorde shall see Then thy late name beinge Schelem this ioyned to it made it Ijreshalem For the Lord God shall behold the place of thy sanctuarye at what time as it shal be Schalem that is pure vncorrupte without lacke or spot but wheÌ„ so euer it is polluted and defiled as it is at this daye then wil he turne awaye his face from it Furthermore thou arte also called Ierushalaim therfore because that who so vnderstande the dignity and worthinesse of the place wherin thy sanctuary is shall bid the angelles of heauen to teache in it the doctrine of the holye ghoste and the spirite of wisdome and vnderstanding wherwith litle childreÌ„ and the vnlearned in thy lande may be made wise He also that ministred in thy
haâ—â—d them as men voyd of all perceyuing without weying considering that sence the timeye were vnder theÌ„ ye haue alwayes liued in most quietnes and peace I my self when I withstood the Romains in Gahle knew very wel that I shuld be ouercomed at lenght but I cold do nothing for the seditious persones that were with me whyche wolde in no wyse folowe my counsel yea it stode me in hand to take heed of myne owne person that I wer not killed of them after I had once counseled and moued them to geue vp the toune Wherfor seyng the matter stood soo and God knew my hart I thought beste to fight agaynste the Romaynes as I mought and when occasion serued to escape to the Romaynes to take it Further whan I was in the caue wyth my forty coÌ„pamoÌ„s I had ben lost vndone had not God geueÌ„ me couÌ„sel making me away to escape saue my â—yfe For they had almooste slayne me bycause I gaue them councell to yeld them selues to the Romaynes and to obey them For I sawe this was the tyme for the Romaynes to beare rule and that God had appointed them to be Lordes ouer all nacions For this is hys manner lyke as aboue he hath made some to be rulers ouer other some euen so benethe also he hath set rulers ouer the kinges of the earthe Who can iudge him that is stronger then he The Romaynes at thys presente haue the dominion ouer all landes and people ouer the Aegiptians Assirians Persians and Chaldeis to euery one of these you haue bene in bondage and ouer other nationes also whych neuerthethelesse till theyr ground sawe mawe plante and gather in theyr fruytes who hath the profyte of thys goodes and labour but the Romaynes who whyles the other toyle and trauayle liue in peace rest theÌ„ selues wherfore mark this also my brethrn the king of Macedonia but at this daye theyr empyry is taken frome them and they ar become subiectes to the Romaines They whan the Romaines fyrste fet vpoÌ„ them were very hautye and coye determined to resist the Romaynes Notwithstanding they were ouer come of the Romaines and are vnder there subiection at this daye What shuld I speake of the people of Philistins Which her to for alwayes haue vexed anoyed you doth not the meanest amongst al the Princes of the Romaines bear rule ouer them what hope then haue you to escape when ye know the Philistins were euer stroÌ„ger then you you were oftentymes ouercome of them as for example Saul your kinge was slayn by them But you wyll saye Dauid the annoynted of the Lorde of Israel pulled them doun and brought them into subiection Wote ye what then God loked vpon you with a favourable contenauÌ„ce and fought your battayles him selfe but at thys day he is in no wyse present with you for he hath turned away his countenauce of saluacion from you bycause you haue sinned against hym And which of you can say he hath intelligence of the secrete of the Lord or hath receiued any such watche word as god gaue at that tyme vnto Dauid 2. Samuel 5. VVhen thou shalte heare a sound of mouing in the toppes of the Mulbery trees then shalt thou set forvvarde for then shall the Lorde goo forth before thy face to smite the tentes and campes of the Philistines Whosoeuer I say hath knoledge of any such token let him vtter it to hys neyghbour and I cold wel consent to folow it But seyng there is no suche thinge herken vnto me my deare brethren come serue the Romaines in peace tranquillity It shal be no dishonesty for you with the kinges of Persia to be subiecte to the Romaines they that somtyme were your maysters shal be now your felowes and companiones If you wyll perseuer stande in your opinion still I will reason the matter with you thus Tell me I praye you when were euer your auncetors free when were they not entangled with the wars of the gentiles and the dominion of other natioÌ„s had you not euer the victory froÌ„ the tyme you came out of Aegipt vntyll the reign of Saule the sonne of Cis. So long as the lord was your king you were in bondage to no maÌ„ you serued god as your only king But after that your euyll and corrupt desyre stired you to be yrk of the lorde and lest he should reygn alone to chuse a man to haue the dominion ouer you according as the custome was in other nationes I meane Saul the son of Cis and the other kinges euery one then serued you him you your sonnes the chefest of you became his ministers your goodliest doughters were made his coÌ„fectionaries his cookes his bakers After Saule reygned Dauid of worthy memory who ruled ouer manne nations But euen he also brought you into bondage and put dyuers of you to death to satisfie hys pleasure withall He beyng dead you serued Salomon his sonne who neuer a whit lesse them the other euen as he listed exercised dominion ouer you he also toke vp your sones and doughters and made them his slaues After thys came other moste wicked kinges so the from that tyme your cuntrye began to go to wrecke and he that was the beste amongst them was Rehoboam whyche sayde vnto you my father corrected you with whippes but I will scourge you wyth scorpions And so dyd the reste of the kynges whyche reigned after hym very fewe of them pleased God All thother wrought abomination not one of them did any good or reygned in the feare of the Lorde And in this maner remained the Empyre longe tyme with you vntyll the kinges of Chaldea came and led you captiue into Babilon where as you were kept vntill Coresches tyme king of Persia who seÌ„t you agayn into your cuntrey wyth a woÌ„derful deal of gold and siluer with great honour which was couÌ„ted vnto him for rightousnes After Coreschs death rose against you the most wicked kinges of Grece who warrynge vpon you gaue you greate ouerthrowes vntill God stirred vp the spirites of certaine sage priestes of the stocke of Chasmonani that reuenged your iniuries At that time were you brethren and frendes of the Romayns and frendship grew betwixte you manie yeares After that you fell from the stocke of Chasmonani which had deliuered you and chose one whose name was Herode who oppressed you grenouslye After him succeaded Archelaus his sonne he yet layed a sorer yoke vpoÌ„ you wherfore falling from him ye protested neuer after to serue the Kynges of Iuda So goynge to the Romayns willinglye you submitted youre selues vnder their subiection to serue Augustus themperour who ordred you gentilly Him you serued as other nacions did and it was to your prayse because ye were vnder a good gouernoure Therfore nowe my brethren and children of my people what meane you at this present that you haue determined to dye and dooe not rather spare your selues and your children Consider