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
laboured in the erecting of this engine were .xv. hundred To remoâ—e it from one place to another or from one Citâ—e to another were appointed an hundred and fiftie yoke of oxen or els 300. couple of borses and mules WheÌ„ as thei should assault any fortes or cities that stode vpoÌ„ hilles then must thei deuide it in parts and bringe it vp to the siege by piece-meele and there set it together againe Now when the Romains had battred the walles of Iorpata and Ioseph perceiued the wall to shake he toke greatâ— sackes filled them full of Chaffe and hanged them downe by the Walles that the hornes of the Ramme coulde not come nie the stones of the wall but light vpon the sacks which by the reasoÌ„ of their softnes of the chasse damned the stroke that the wal was lesse hurt For such is the nature of soft things to geuâ— back to the hard to weakeÌ„ their force But Vaspasian seinge the subtiltie of Ioseph vsed also policie for policie for he sent into the towne secretely Iewes spies which when the batteries should he might cut asunder the coardes that the sackes were tied to and with them slipt downe the walles where the Romains were ready to receiue them that they did not hurt them in the fall and immediatly they stroke the wall with the ramme There was at that present in the citie a certaine valeant man named Eleasar of the house of Anani the hie prieste that then dwelt at Hierusalem This Eleasar perceiuyng the Romains to go about to batter downe the walles as â—hey did before plucked out of the wall a mightye stone so that hee made a great hole or gappe wherat he â—idde downe the wall and light stridelinge vppon the engine made fast an fron cheine to the hornes thereof and gate vp againe quickelye and nimlye from the beame into the towne wyth the cheyne in his hande for the walle was not verye hye aboue his heade as he stode vpon the Ramme Then other tall fellowes tooke holde vppon the cheyne and fastened it to Pillers and Walles in the Towne that the Romaynes myghte rather hee constrayned to breake their Ramme then take it awaye from thence The Prieste Eleasar yet once agayne boldlye wente downe and sate vppon the beame slue fiftie menne that laboured aboute the Ramme and the rest he put to flighte then returned into the Towne beinge drawen vp againe from the beame by theim that were wythin the Towne greatlye reioyâ—ynge in his manhode After that went he vp vpoÌ„ a hie tower from whence he tuÌ„bled downe with a mighty force a great stone and a harde vppon the heade of the Ramme brake it that bothe a great parte of the heade and the bornes fell vpon the grounde For the yron that it was couered with all was olde and rustye so that it was muche wasted and eaten therwyth the ropes also were olde After that Eleasar went downe agayne toke parte of the bead that was broken and hurled it into the toune the Romains that remaiâ—ed either he flue or put to flyght The archers shotte at him wounded him with fiue arrows wherfore by the helpe of his felowes vpon the walles he climed vp otherwise he had not ben able for the griefe of his wounds The people then gaue a shout for ioye of the dictory of the worthi priest Eleasar that had slaine the Romaines and broken their Ramme wherein they put their confidence brought part of it into the toune fastned it with an iron cheine that the Romains could not pull it backe again to them nor haue thuse of it after warde Wherfore diuers of the valiantest citizens of Iorpata armed them selfes the day being stirred with the great courage that they had sene in Eleasar and went down hewed the beame into pieces brought the poyses with the ringes and two mastes with them into the towne and the same daye died Eleasar with great renowne as one that had sought for the sanctuary of the lord and for his people and countrye of Israel like a faithful seruant and souldier of the Lorde whome all the people mourned for buriyng him in the town and honoring him for his deathe worthinesse and faithfulnesse appointinge him a worthy memory also for that he had waged battail with the ennemies of the Lorde The yonge menne of the Iewes seing this and specially two of them the one called Nitra thother Polipus men of wisdome and vnderstanding therwith expert in the warres being moued with zeale for the god of Israel opened the gates issued out against the Romaines skirmished with them slue mani of theÌ„ But at length thei were slain them selues in the skir mishe for the sanctuarie of their God for Israell and their countrey When Ioseph saw the wars to encrease more and more he issued oute and made a great slaughter in the Romains tents burnt the mounte engines of warre that the Romaines had left by which meanes the warres wared yet hoater and hoater in so muche that Iosephus repulsed the Romaines for when they saw the Iewes so desperatelys geue their liues for their God and land they woulde not abide their force When Vaspasian sawe his menne shrinke he stode vp then and put them in hearte exhorting them with faire wordes and promises aswell golde and siluer as meate and drinke wherewith the Romaines allured foughte with Iosephe that day vnto the Sunne setting and as the battaile waxed hote the Iewes wouÌ„ded Vaspasian with an arrowe in his right legge which fore dismaies the Romaines when they saw the bloude run down his legge and that day was a fore fighte betwene the Iewes and the Romaines Titus seinge his father wounded fore abashed ranne to him to helpe him to whome his father saide how it is my sonne that thou art thus astonied take harte to thee and with a courage reuenge thy father of these Iewes that haue now the better hand of vs. So they fought both Titus and Vaspasian withal their hole host the day a very sore fight and many were slain of both partes yea very few were lefte on Iosephes part with whoÌ„ he returnd into the towne The nexte day the Râ—maines raised a newe mounte in stede of that that Ioseph had brent and plaÌ„ted an other iron Ram therupon betwene two postes accordingly for Vaspasian had brought .iiii. of this sortwith him froÌ„ Rome but other battering peces vpoÌ„ wheles had he with him thirti what more what lesse the bigger sort were of .xxx. cubites longe the leaste ten He broughte also ten engines to hurâ—e greate and weighty stenes with al which he placed abâ—ute the walles The Romaines therefore renued the warres assaults against the town as thei were woÌ„t afore But the town was now desolate and naked of the stoutest warlike men for they were al slain in the fightes Albeit Ioseph remained a fewe with him who went euery one the women also to defend the wals for there was almost no men lefte
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
demaunded restitution of such cities as Hircanus father had taken frō him to whom Hircanus consented in all thinges Wherfore Hartam raysed all the people of Arabia and led theim to Hierusalem to warre vppon it To Hircanus also came all the men of Iuda saue onely they that dwelt at Hierusalem So betwixt them they beset the citie rounde aboute It fortuned that in the solemnitie of the Passeouer they coulde not haue their seruice of the solemnitie in the holy place bicause of the warres Wherupon a certain iust and perfect man of the towne called Hony auriga Onias brake out priuely into the camp of Hircanus and Antipater his counseler besought thē with much prayer teares that they would graunt a truce vnto Ierusalē while the feast of swete breade lasted that they might execute the seruice of Solemnitie in the holye place To whom Hircanus saide Thou art a iust manne and often when thou hast prayed the Lord hath heard thee pray now therfore vnto thy lord God to deliuer Aristobulus into our hands and that Israel may haue rest Hony auriga answered Am I a God or able to remoue battailes that be stirred vp for manye mennes iniquities Thus when he semed to bee vnwillynge to to pray Hircanus men compelled him drawinge their swordes and saiynge If thou wilt not praye thou shalte dye for it Therefore as he sawe his life in ieopardye he cryed vnto the Lorde O Lorde euerlastyng which haste chosen thy people Israell oute of all people hast set thy name in this house maye it please thy maiestie to plant amonge the children of Israel frendshippe and brotherhode take away from amonge them this hatred which is risen of nothing let not th one of these factions preuail against thother seing thei al be thy seruantes and children of thy couenaunt When the seruantes of Hircanus heard him saie so they ranne vpon him with their swords and killed him But God deferd not his vengeance for he strake the host aswel of the Arabiās as of Hircanus wyth a greuous pestilence At the same time came frō Rome a famous captain called Pompeius Pōpeius to warre against the coūtry of Armenia This Pompeius sent one of his chiefe men to Damasco of whom as Aristobulus thus besieged had heard that an armye of the Romaines was come into Damasco he sent him a presente of .iiii. C. pound weight of golde desiring him to remoue the armye of the Arabians frō him and raise the siege In those daies all the worlde obeyed the Romaines That captain therfore writ vnto Hartam king of Arabia in this wise Depart from Ierusalem if not thou shalt vnderstande thou haste broken thy league with the Senate of Rome and the hole armye of the Romaines shall shortly inuade thy land Hartam vppon the sight of this letter raised his siege and departed frō Hierusalem Hircanus also and Antipater departed with shame and reproche Aristobulus vpon that gathered a power and pursued after them gaue the Arabians Israelites that toke Hircanus part a greate ouerthrowe and after returned to Ierusalem with ioy Shortly after Pompeius came to Damasco him Aristobulus presēted with a vine of gold merueylous artificially wrought The rotes of the vine leues clusters grapes that were vpon it wer pure gold the weight therof was .v. C pound Pompeius was very glad therof sent it to Rome to the Cōsul And the hole benche of the Senate whiche was of the nōber of .iii. C .xx. senators wondered at the cunning wit of him that made it and with great ioy they bare it into the temple of their gods placing it in the presēce of the great Idol Iupiter so called after the name of the planet Iupiter Pompeins writ his letters to Aristobulus with great thākes cōmendaciō for the same assuring him how both he the hole Senate fauored him that he shuld haue a frēd of him to speke in his cause as lōg as he liued Hircanus hearing of this was cleane dashed in dispair But Antipater cōforted him saying let not the frēdship that is betwixt Pōpeius thi brother dismay thee I wil go to him make him thy frēd Vpō that he wēt to Pompeius perswaded his minde to hate Aristobulus to fauor Hircanus informinge him thus If thou saith he defēd Hircanus al Israel wil be cōtent to be vnder thy protection for they loue him euery mā But if thou defēd Aristobulus the people wil not obei the for thei hate him Pompeius charged him that no man should be made priuy of their cōmunication For I saith he wil sende for Aristobulus to come vnto me to Damasco and then wil I cause to lay handes of him and deliuer him bound to his brother restoring the kingdō to him Aristobulus vppon the sighte of Pompeius letters resorted vnto him Hircanus also came from the rocke of the wildernesse And as they appeared together before Pompeius Antipater desired him that he woulde do iustice betwixte Hircanus the king and Aristobulus hys brother that rebelled againste him and toke hys kingedom from him without cause Whose saiynges a thousād of the elders of Israel stode vp witnessed to be true Aristobulus made answer I neuer stroue with him for the kingdom vntill such time as I saw al these that made Hircanus king to run in great obloquy to susteine muche reproche because he was so feble a person and of no great wit nor forced much of the kingdome yea til al nations that wer about him whose dominions our progenitors cōquered began nowe to dispise him to passe little for offending him to denye him tribute for his simplicitye mopishnesse with lacke of courage Whē Aristrobulus had said there stode vp a great multitude of goodlye and beautiful yong men apparailed in cloth of Hiacinth and purple with mighti tergettes vpon the same and other ornamentes of gold christall and precious stones affirming with one accord that Aristrobulus saide the truthe namelye that Hircanus forced not of the kingedome At whom Pompeius merueiled saying Happy is this people hauinge so many hansome menne true in their wordes and wise Happy also wer the Senate of Rome if they could bringe to passe that this great nation mighte be vnder their gouernance So he toke his iourney to Ierusalem with Hircanus and Aristobulus But after Aristobulus perceiued the Pompeius stode not to the promise he made him at the beginning for the vine he set light by him and fled from him to Alexandria in Egipt whether Pompeius folowed with his host and beseged Alexādria From thence Aristobulus fled againe to Ierusalem and Pompeius pursued him also thither writing to Aristobulus a letter of truce pardon So Aristobulus came forth to him Pōpeius did him at that time no harme but demaunded to be geuen vnto him all the vessels of the house of the Lord which Aristobulus refusing to do but Pōpeius in a rage caused to lay him faste in
to manye woordes in persuadinge the peace and league Vppon this Eleasar assembled the priestes and people together to go out fight with Castius Castius perceiuinge howe Eleasar and the people were affected and what mindes they were of how thei had vtterly conspired to distroy the Romaines that were there and to consume them cleane hauing a sufficient trial also of the force and valiantnesse of the rebels he determined fullye to go to Rome for he perceiued he was not able to matche with the sedicious neither his owne power to be compared with theirs Wherefore he woulde go see what ende shoulde come of this warres and what counsell Caesars maiestie would geue Taking his iourney therfore to the citye Iapho he founde there letters of the Romaines for thither was their armie come FroÌ„ thence wente hee with theim and his owne host to Rome and made relation vnto Caesar of such things as had chauÌ„ced him whereat Nero was wonderfully abashed not onely he but all the people of Rome were soore astonied to hear of the great puissant and valiantnes of the Iewes For the which cause the warres ceased for that yere so that the land of Iudea was at great rest quietnes the yere through Eleasars means the head rebel specially froÌ„ the hands of wicked Castius that had sworne to reueng the Romaines to quite the Iewes and that he would destroye all the Iewes that none shoulde be left aliue Therefore these are they that deliuered Israel in the time of the second temple oute of the handes of their ennemies what time as warres were moued against the Iewes and their countrye what time also commotions and tumultes began in Israell The first businesse was made by Antiochus the wicked kinge of Macedonia who had determined not to leaue one man in Israel His mischeuousnesse proceded so farre that he slue of the people of God the Sages wise men princes elders and yonge men children greate and smal Israelites Leuites also and priestes vntil all the chiefe men of Iuda cast their heades together and went to Matthathias sonne of Iochanan the hie prieste in the mounte of Modiith where he had him self for the iniquity of Antiochus and his rulers cryinge vpon him and sayinge Deliuer at this season the people of the Lord and neuer thinke to escape thy self whiles the moste wicked enemy rauÌ„geth thus and runneth vpon thy people sheadeth thy bloud For the bloud of all Israel what is it but thy bloude and the eies of euery man are fixed vpon thee hopinge that thou shouldest assist and aide them in this calamitie that they may finde deliuerance by thy meanes Mattathias hearyng this wept bitterly and said vnto them Feare ye not nor let these Macedonians dismay you the Lorde shal fighte for you be ye onelye quiet So theÌ„ was Mattathias stirred deliuered Israell oute of the handes of Antiochus and after he had ouercomed him he was hie priest for one yere and then died In whose roume succeaded Iudas his sonne who executed the office in the temple .vi. yeres and was slaine in battaile Then his brother Iochanan was chief in the temple .viii. yeres and died likewise in battaile After him his brother Schimeon was ruler .18 yeres whoÌ„ Ptolomae his wiues father poysoned at a banket Then Iochanan his sonne succeaded his father in thoffice that is he that was named Hircanus first of that name so called because he vanquished a king of that name called Hircanus he raigned .21 yeres and died Afterwardes raigned Aristobulus one yere he was called the great kinge because he firste put the royall crowne vpon his heade and turned the dignitie of the hie priesthode into a kingdome vnhallowing and staining the holines therof 480. yeares and .iii. monethes after the retourninge of Israell from Babilon He beyng dead his brother Alexander reigned .xxvii. yeares After whose death Alexandra his wyfe held the kyngdome .ix. yeares and died In whose stede succeded her sonne Aristobulus and reigned thre yeares In his tyme Pompei a Romain captain came against Hierusalem wan it and apprehended Aristobulus bound him in iroÌ„s and caried him captiue to Rome In whose place he ordeiued Hircanus his brother to succede who reigned fourty yeares During his reigne rebelled An tigonus forme of Aristobulus Hircanê° brother with the aide of an armie of the Persians encountred with Hircanus toke him prisoner and sent him to Babilon cutting of his eares that he should neuer after be meet either for the priesthod or for the kingdome Antigonus reigned .iii. yeres In his daies Herode fled and ioyned himselfe with the Romaines by whose helpe he slue Antigonus the .iii. yeare of his reigne reigned after him .xxxvii. yeares and then died After Herode succeded in the king dome Archelaus his sonne who was taken by the Romaines the .ix. yeare of his reigne layde in bondes and ended his life at Rome Next to him reigned Antipater his brother who chaunged his name called him self Herode he reigning fully ten yeares ouercame and vasted Spaine because the king of Spayne had rauished and taken away his brothers wyfe and there died After him folowed Agrippas sonne of Aristobulus that was his brothers son he reigned thre and twenty yeares After whose death his sonne Agrippas reigned twentye yeares This is that Agrippa of whom â–ª wee now speake of of the calamities that befel in his time vpon Israel For all the whâ—le that he raigned the warres betwene the Romains and Israell neuer ceased vntil the people of Iudea were led captiue into the prouince of the Romains what time also the temple was desolate I meane the desolation of the second temple which we saw with our eies builded and distroyed THe .xx. yere of the raigne of kynge Agrippas the .ix. daye of the fifte moneth that is called Af Nero Caesar sent a present for burnt offerings to be offred in the temple at HierusaleÌ„ â—â—ly requiring peace of thelders sages of Iudea Hierusalem that thei would receiue him into league with them saiyng My request is that you would offer my present to the Lorde your God for his sernice and religion liketh me very well so that I desire you to ioyne in league with me accordinge as you haue done with the emperours of Rome my predecessours in time past I haue hearde what Castius the captain of mine armi hath done vnto you which displeaseth me out of measure Wherfore I assure vnto you a faithful league by the consent and couÌ„sel of the Senate of Rome that hereafter there shall neuer Romaine captaine stirre hand nor fote against you but rather your heades rulers iudges shal be al Iewes and of Ierusalem Yea Agrippas your kinge shal be Lorde of all your rulers what he commaundeth ye shal do it the Romains shal only be called your lordes and haue no more to do with you So when these legates came to IerusaleÌ„ they wente and spake with Anani the priest
al their captaines thre principal most expert warriours of whome I Ioseph prieste that writ this history was one who by the deuine fauour am valeant in battaile and Anani the hie prieste and Eleasar his sonne To these thre they committed the hole land of Iudea deuidinge it to them by lot and gaue them all furniture of warre One third part therfore which was hole Galile from the land af Napththaly and beyond fel to Ioseph the prieste sonne of Gorion to his honoure and glorye whome for his worthinesse they named also Iosiphon because he was then annointed apointed consecrated to the warres The second lot came forth by the whiche fell vnto Anani the hie prieste the citie of Hierusalem and the countrey aboute it with a charge to repaire the walles of the citie to sustaine the brunt of Vaspasian if he should come so farre The thirde lot fell to Eleasar the sonne of Anani the priest to whom was ioyned captaine Iehoscua and other Iewish captaines By the vertue of this lot fell to them the whole lande of Edom from Elath vnto the redde sea The rest of the land from Iericho to Euphrates with that also that is beyond the riuer and all the lande of Mesopotamia fell to captaine Menasches lotte To other Princes also of Iudea and to the worthiest priestes they committed the fensed cities from the frontiers and boundes of Hierusalem vnto Egipt Vaspasian taking his iourney with his hoste froÌ„ Antiochia came pitched his teÌ„tes in Aram Zofa For he had deuised and determined thus with his counsel first to inuade Galile and after to try what they could do in Ivdea Ioseph the soÌ„ne of Gorion hauing intelligence of thys his purpose departed from Ierusalem to Galile built vp the townes that were destroied repaired their wals gates barres palaces Ordeined captaines ouer the people to lead gouern them some of thousandes some of hundreds tribunes and Decurians He instructed the people also in feates of warres what the soundes of trompettes signified what sound serued to fal in aray what to gather the souldioures together and what to deuide them and after he had instructed them the disciplâ—â— and feates of warre he spake vnto theÌ„ in this wife Ye shal vnderstand deare lites that ye go to fight at this present againstyour enemies Wherfore let no effeminate feare ouercome your harts nor dismaye your selues at the sight of your ennemies but play the men and take a good courage vnto you to fight for your cities for your countrye and for your selues Be not afraid of death but rather be stoute in the defence of your countrye that ye be not led away from it and to fighte for the sanctuary of the Lorde that it be not steined and polluted with thunclennesse of the gentiles Consider that it is better to die in battaile then to liue in captiuitye and bondage Therefore when as ye shall come to ioyne with your ennemies and shall see anye of theym beaten downe and attempte to rise againe who soeuer of you is by and seeth him remember the zeale of your GOD wherewith it becommeth you to reuenge his quarell and beinge moned therewith strike him that he neuer rise agaiene But if you shal se any of your selowes downe being enkindled with the zeale of your God rescue him from the handes of the enemies and if he be not yet slaine cure him If he be dead ye shall do what ye can to burie him in the Israelites burial And so if we shal chuse rather to die then to liue we shall prospere in our warres we shal die for the couenaunt of our God and deliuer our soules bringinge them to the light of life in heauen After he had said this he chose out of the Iewes .ix. thousand fotemen and but fewe horsemen And out of these he chose .vi. hundred of the beste suche as one of them woulde not shrinke from ten ten from an hundred a hundred from a thousande a thousaÌ„d from ten thousand With them Ioseph went to the cities of Agrippas that were in Iehudea to winne them For Agrippas stucke to the Romaines were it right or wronge with al the power he could make He went firste to Tiarua a greate citie that belonged to Agrippa where as both his treasure and municion of warre was WheÌ„ he came theâ— ther he spake to the people vppon the walles and offered them peace on condicion that they should open the gates and deliuer vnto him all the treasure of Agrippas and all his iewels Thus if they would do he then would spare them and flea none of them Were it not better for you saith he to take part with them that defende the sanctuary of God his inheritance then to ioyne your ayde with Agrippas which is coÌ„federate with our enemies and assayleth vs augmenting the power of theÌ„ that hats vs so that he refuseth not to fight against the sanctuary of the lord and the people of his inheritaunce The men of the toune condescending to Ioseph openeth the gates and he â—niring the toune made peace with them and they deliuered him al the kinges treasures for they liked Iosephs woordes consented to take such part as he toke At that time came newes vnto Ioseph that troubled him sore namely that Tiberias had rebelled were reuolted from the people that dwelt at Hierusalem and were chaunged from his lot to become Vaspasianus subiectes who had set a Romaine captaine ouer theÌ„ For reformation wherof he left his armie at Tiarua and toke those six hundreth yong men with him to Tiberias commyng vpon it sodeinly and at vnwares And as he stode vpoÌ„ the bankes of Genosar he espied the nauy of the Romaines that laye there at road to aide Vaspasian whiche Ioseph coÌ„maunded to be brooken in peaces and to be scattered abrode in the sea laake The meÌ„ of Tiberias therefore seinge the shypbordes dispersed in that fashion they conieciured it was done by some of Iosephs hoste wherfore the bandes of the Romaines fled to the towne gate in shytte the gates Ioseph notwithstanding came to one gate of the citie and â—â—tes that the people myght heare saiyng What meaneth this coÌ„spiracie of yours against me yea not against me but rather againste the Lorde God whose couenaunt ye haue transgressed and brooken the bonde that we made with hym ye haue also violated your othe that ye sware by the GOD of Israell that we shoulde altogether fyght againste oure enemies to abate their pryde The people aunswered from the walles wee beseche thee oure Lorde heare thy seruauntes speake God forbidde we shoulde aide the Romaines and not rather the people of the Lorde God of Israell and his sanctuary with the people of his enheritaunce Howbe it there be amongest vs certain proude meÌ„ vngodly persoÌ„es that haue made a league with Vaspasiane and haue broughte into the towne one of his chieftaynes Wherefore and it please thee our Lorde to enter the cytie with
fyt for the warre Then the Romaines flonge with thengines stones into the towne on euery side from the mount munition It chaunced that a greate stone hit a woman with childe wyth such a violence that it passed through her body and caried the childe with it for the space of halfe a mile They cast vp and raised yet other munites also from whence they slinged stones and another like chauÌ„ce happened A stone came and hit one of Iosephes men of warre a valeant man in suche a sort that it deuided his head from his body and made it flie a large mile of AT the same time one of the Romain souldiours diuised with him selfe howe to strike Ioseph with a venomed arrow and gate him vnder the walle where Ioseph was to accomplishe his purpose But Ioseph espied him and cried vnto him hold thy haÌ„d thou wicked felowe and do not kil me With that the felow start somwhat aside being afraid at Iosephs voice and sodeÌ„ly the Iewes oute of the towne poured hote oyle vpon him from the wal that his skin was skalded of and he ran away naked howlinge and yellinge to the Romaines campe where he dyed Vaspasian and his Sonne Titus were fullye determined to continue the assaulte vntill the .xlviii. daye notwithstandynge the walles were so hie that they could not winne the towne Yet at leÌ„gth the men being so spent within the towne and they that remained a liue so weried with toyling that they were not able anye longer to furnishe their watch vpon the walles vpon a certaine nighte Vaspasian and Titus skaled the walles at a quarter wherâ— watchmen were lacking and after theÌ„ many other of the Romain souldiours folowed which went downe on the in side and brake open the greate gate of the towne wherat entred the hole army of the Romaines And being within the towne sounded their trompets and shouted vnto battall The Iewes with the alarme tumulte and hurlye burly of the Romaines awaked out of their slepe and were sore afraied Notwithstanding euerye man toke him to his weapon and into the market place as fast as they might They had made the market place of the towne so large of purpose that if anye busines should happen there might come together the hole city if they would So lokinge about them they saw the Romaine army entring into the town by the way that came from the greate gate Then fought thei with the Romains died eueÌ„ in the market place where they stode exhorting one an other and saiyng let vs die here fightinge and neuer suffer ourâ—solues to be taken aliue But Ioseph and fortye men with him worthye menne al fled out of the towne in to a woode where they founde a certaine caue and hid them selues therin All the reste of the citizens were slaine in that conflicte for they woulde not yelde nor commit them selues vnto the Romaines they trusted them so little For on a tyme a certayne Iewe besoughte a Romaine souldioure to saue his life and the Romaine sware vnto him sayinge God deale thus and thus with me if I slâ—a thee therefore yelde and come hither to me The Iewe required him to geue him his righthand that he might truste him and the Romain retch him his left haÌ„d The Iew beinge dismaied in that greate feare markte not that it was his left hande But when the Romain had once hold of him he kept him fast with that haÌ„d and with his right toke his sword and slue the Iewe that then was naked hauing cast awaye his weapon vpon trust of the Romaine When the Iewes sawe howe the Romaine regarded not his othe but slue the Iewe that vpon truste of his promisse and the othe had yealded him selfe vnto him they determined to dye all together and neuer to truste the Romaines Whereuppon they resolued with them selues vtterlye to die for the holinesse of the Lorde God of Israell But in so doinge they fie we muche people of the Romainesâ— and farre moe then they had done in anye other battaile So at the lengthe the Citye was taken When Vaspasian hadde knowledge where Ioseph was become and of his company he sent Nicanor Pilerimus and Gallicanus with him to Ioseph to wil him to come forth and he should haue his life and not be slaine Then Ioseph debated the matter with them that were with him in the den asking them what say ye to this For my part ye wil folow my counsell I thinke best we go oute vnto them but vpon this conditioÌ„ that they wil make vs a formal assuraunce effectuallye as we shall require them which done I doubt not but Vaspasian when we come vnto him will be appeased towardes vs. When those men perceiued Ioseph to be enclined to yeld vnto the Romaines they saide vnto him We maruaile at the Prince Ioseph thou that waste chosen oute of thousandes of people and promoted vnto the priesthode and kingedome to sanctifye and halow the LORDE God of Israell waste also appointed graund captaine of so huge an hoste haste seene with thine eyes the shameful reproche of thy people with the displeasures and damages of thy sheepe that thou hast yet any desire to liue in this dishonoure What seest thou that thou wouldest desire to liue for shouldest thou not rather desire deathe then life PeradueÌ„ture thou perswadest thy self they cal thee to saue thy life or for thy commodity but without dout this were a vain perswasion For they cal thee for none other in tent then to take thee aliue to bragge how they haue ken Ioseph that was consecrated and addict to the warres and make that an argument their power prospereth and is exalted Now therfore our dear brother and oure prince consider that this thei wil do yea if thei saue thi life But put the case they put thee to death wer it not better for the to die of thine sword then of theirs Yea if it were for nothing but for this it is better forthe to die then to liue leaste thou shouldest heare their reproches their vpbraidinges and their quarrellinges And if they preserue the aliue neuer thinck they do iâ— for thy good but rather for thine ignominy shame whiche is far greuouser then death it self Wherfore our dear brother and our prince what cometh in thy minde that thou purposest to liue after that thou hast loste thy people and thy brethren and to what purpose serueth thi life after thei be gone Marke and consider diligentlye what Moyses of worthy memory oure master did howe he spake before God touchinge the people of Israell O pardone their sinnes saithe he or elsse blot me quite out of thy boke that thou hast written howe he would not liue after the destruction of his people although the almighty said vnto him let me alone that I may wreake mine anger vnon them and consume them Where is nowe Aaron with thee his brother that wente betwixte life and deathe in withstanding the angel that plaged the
people and offered him selfe to die for his people that the plage mighte cease from Israell Where is kinge Saule and his sonne Iehonathan that fought for the people of God and died in the fielde Coule not Saule haue saued his life and his Sonnes bothe if he hadde bene so disposed But hee when he sawe Israell haue the ouerthrowe in the battaile hadde no desire to liue anye lenger but chose rather deathe then life and woulde not be seperated from his brethren nother in life nor death as wel hee as Ionathan his Sonne those dearlye beloued and moste amiable menne as the scripture termeth theim Why doest thou not remember our deare Prince the righteousnes of Dauid the anointed of the Lorde who seinge a moste greuous pestilence to rage vppon the people of Israel saied Let thy hande O Lorde I beseche thee be tourned vpon mee and my fathers house For I am hee that haue sinned I haue transgressed as for these thy sheepe what haue they done What haue they offended Where is the holye Lawe smothered and stifled in thy hearte Arte not thou an annoynted Prieste that haste declared and taughte vs the holye Lawe wherby we might learne how to loue our Lord God withal our hart with al our soul and withall oure strength If it be so that the seruice of God consisteth not in this that we should loue whome he loueth and die for his couâ—uaunt and saÌ„ctuary together with his seruaunts that be slain for the vnity of the name of the Lord Wherin staÌ„deth it then Hast not thou oft times taught and proued vnto vs howe that euerye man that dieth in warres for the lord his sanctuary his people and his law he is to be counted in the Lordes lot made worthye to goe vnto the greate light and shal not see euerlasting darknesse Arte not thou that Ioseph the priest that hast cried so ofteÌ„ in battail I am Ioseph the prieste consecrated to battaile that haue vowed my life for the people of the Lord his sanctuarye and his lande But nowe when thou baste yealded thy selfe vnto them and they order the dispitfullye what wilte thou say vnto them or what amendes canst thou haue at their handes I put the case they cast in thy teeth say thy wordes be but lies How shalt thou auoid that reproche Arte not thou he that saidst men shoulde fighte for the people of God vntil they die in the conflicte and in so doinge their deathe shoulde be a raunsome for their sinnes and that they were sure to go to that great light that is the light of life Which if it be true according as thou hast said whye then wilt thou shun deash and not folowe thy people that are gone before thee to that same lighte Euer hitherto thou hast had the vpper hand wher so euer thou camste in so muche that they that hearde of thee trembled for feare and nowe wilte thou yelde thy life into captiuity to the Romaines as a vile slaue Shall not this thy dishonoure redound also vnto the people of God Thou that arte a prince a kinge and priest wilt thou be bound in cheines Euerye man shall saye this is he that hathe geuen his souldioures and the reaste of his people to die but hath â—â—ued him selfe and his owne life So when they hadde made an ende of talke eche manne drew out his sword and came vnto him in the middest of the Caue sainge Hearest thou thou Iosephe oure Prince if thou wilte be ruled by vs firste we shall slea thee as a Lorde and a greate Prince and thou shalte chuse what deathe thou wilt die on that thou maiest die honourablye But if thou refuse to dye honestlye assure thy selfe of this that we will euerye manne set vpon thee and slea thee Ioseph aunswered In deede I knowe my Brethren that your woordes are iuste and true For who is so madde to desire to liue in this hurlye burlye and woulde GOD that hee woulde call my Soule vnto him and receyue it vnto hym also For I am not ignoraunt that it were more expediente for mee to die then to liue for the great troubles that haue passed through my braynes But hee knoweth the secretes of mannes hearte and he it is that geueth life vnto menne It is God that closeth soules within the bodies and letteth theim oute againe bicause he is the liuinge GOD in whose handes remaine the Soules and Spirites of all liuinge creatures He hath left with vs a Spirite of life and closed it vp within oure bodies What is hee then that will open that that he hath shut How shall we loose that that he woulde haue bounde and knitte fast within vs Dooe ye not al knowe that the life is a thinge that he hath left with vs to kepe and that wee are his seruauntes If then we cast awaye life before that GOD take it shall he not worthelye bee displeased with vs and make that we shall not find life in the place of the liuing with Abraham our father of famous memorye and wyth other iuste and godlye menne our forefathers Dooe you not knowe that they wente not vnto God before they were called and when they were called they came and soo dealt GOD with all holye and Godly men To Moyses our master of worthie memorye the electe of GOD ye knowe that the Lorde God of Israell said get the vp vppon this mountaine Abarim and so he did But he woulde not haue done it of him selfe had not God called him Wherby ye may see it is not lawful for a maÌ„ to surrendre his life vnto God excepte he require it againe Take example I praye you of Iob. What time he curst the daye that he was borne in mighte not he ether haue hanged him self or haue run vppon a knife or at the least haue folowed his wifes counsel to cursse God and die Not withstanding he abode paciently in most extreme paine waitinge til God demaunded again his life and then restored it vnto his Lord god and would not restore it vndemaunded but taried till hys appoynted ende came King Dauid also of famous memory saide Leade thou my life oute of his pinfolde and prison For he knew that the life was inclosed in the bodye and that none mighte let it forth but God I wot wel that death is a greate commodity so be that the soule may return in his due time vnto God that gaue it vs. I knowe also that he that dieth in the warres of the lord he shal come to the greate lighte But I knowe not what can appease gods wrath toward the soul of that man that killeth him self maketh hast to restore his soul before his time and withoute the Lordes calling Wherfore my frendes brethren I would ye shoulde knowe it I am no more cowarde then you and I do not disagree with you because I am of a fainte heart for feare of these presente calamities but that I know I shoulde commit a
of Iuda hadde conquered them and caused them to be circumcised bindynge suche of theim as were the best warriours amongest theim to stande in armes and kepe watche warde vpon the walles of Hierusalem day night the rest of theÌ„ to pai tribute to the Iewes Vpon a certaine night came .xxii. thousande of these Edomites all good men of warre againste Hierusalem When Anani the hie Prieste and the People that were wyth him hearde the noyse of the Edumites armie he went vpon the wais and demaunded of theÌ„ what thei were from whence they come and whither they woulde They aunswered Wee are Edomites and came out of Edomea to visite the Lord God and his teÌ„ple to see in what case his people staÌ„deth for this we come according to our accustomed maner as euer here tofore Anani aunswered You are disseÌ„blers not as your wordes do show neither come ye to seke God his sanctuarie nor yet to aide his people but rather to the succours of Iehochanan graunde captaine of thieues Were it not better for you to assist the sanctuarie of God then these sinfull sedicious persons that couet nothing els then to laye waste the house of God and to distroy his people They in the most holye citie of God do shede the bloude of iuste Godlye and innocent men thorow whose wickednesse the Romayns haue the vpper hande vppon vs because wee haue Ciuil warres at home wyth the Sedicious and externall wyth the Romaynes Yea the wickednesse of the sedicious is growen so farre that the moste parte of vs hadde rather be slaine of the Romaynes then of oure brethren the Iewes If so be it ye be come to ayde them ye shal vnderstande that ye offende our LORD God greuouslye to healpe synners and murtherers that treade the People of GOD vnder their fete like as menne treade Grapes in a wyne presse and make the temple of the Lorde a dwellynge place of maÌ„quellers and wicked persons Ye saye ye come to seeke the Lord how is it theÌ„ that ye are thus in armes after the manner of Warre Ye shall vnderstande wee shutte not the Gates of the Towne because of you least you shuld come in after your accustomed manner but because of your Armoure and Weapons that you haue wyth you whiche are instrumentes of destruction a verye vnmete fashion to come and visite the Lorde wyth Ye shoulde rather haue come wyth offeringes sacrifices confession and praise Notwithstandynge if ye wyll enter into the towne for deuotion sake ye are welcome but ye must laye awaye youre Weapons and so enter in peaceablye The Edomites aunswered Wee maruayle not a little at thee whiche arte the hie Prieste our Lorde and mediatoure and at the rest of the priestes of the Lorde wyth the Elders and Iudges of the people that be presente wyth thee and your woordes seeme straunge in our eares For wee vnderstande you take vs for your ennemies and thereupon you stoppe vs of our entraunce into the citye to visite the Lorde God after oure accustomed manner In that wee be armed as ye obiecte vnto vs do ye not knowe that Vaspasian draweth nye to come to thys holy Citye This we hearinge of was the cause that wee tooke our Weapons with vs to come to aid you and kepe the town as we haue bene wonte these manye yeares But howe shoulde ye gather this that wee come to succoure the wycked and sedicious that bee wyth you when as from the firste daye that euer wee and oure fathers were circumcised wee neuer swarued from the Lawe and commaundementes of the Lorde Tell vs if there bee anye commaundement in the Lawe that biddeth a manne to strenthen and mayntayne the power of the wicked to the whyche wee are bounde to hearken and to ayde these God forbidde wee shoulde dooe this for wee all bothe that be here and the other Edomites also bee seruauntes of the Lord and his people to mayntaine and defende the lawe the people and the house of the Lorde Whiles they were thus talkyng together there rose vp a greate cloude and lightenynges were sene wyth fire darckenesse with mightye thunder claps and showers of hail that all that saw it were wonderfully afraied Wherfore the people fled wholy left the walles forts bi Anani of God al good men of warre besides innumerable other that they killed of the common people In the morninge they laid handes on the rich men drue them before iudges and the ixx elders which otherwise be called Sanhedrine whoÌ„ they called together there wicked Iehochanan the Galilean spake vnto theÌ„ in this wise Whi condemn ye not these rich cobbes that haue made a coÌ„spiracy with the Romains determine to betray this holy city into their hands namely one Sechariahu a iust maÌ„ perfit godly and vertuous one that feared the lord oued both god maÌ„ but for his richesse onlye whiche were verye great this Iehochanan captain of the sedicious appreheÌ„ded him willing thelders to condemn him to death for that he had ioyned with their ennemies as he said to betray the city to theÌ„ The priests elders and iudges hearing his wordes perceiuing that both he and the rest of his bloudi haÌ„d desired nothing els then to make this man awaye although they knew him to be moste innocent they wept sighed greatly Iehochanan seing them wepe for Sechariahu and that they would not condemn him respecting his iustice integritie What saith he do ye begin to mourne before there be anye corse presente I would I should neuer come wher God hathe to do but if ye order vs thus in your iudgementes ye shal be the firste that we wil lay hold of and we wil sit in iudgement our selues to discern the matters of the people of god according as we thincke good Then layinge apart al shame with an obstinat minde the wicked sorte hoysed vp Sechariahu caried him oute of the place of iudgement and broughte him vp to the top of a verye hie toure at the Easte ende of the towne from whence they thruste him downe headelonge and he died there at the walles side in the vale of Iehoschaphat The priestes therefore were sore afraide of their own partes and the iudges also with the elders because of wicked Iehochanan and the reaste of the seditious For Iehochanan had geuen them warning and saied except ye geue senteÌ„ce vpon euerye man that we shal bringe vnto you according to oure mindes be ye assured ye shal al of you go the same waye that Sechariahu is gone before you After that they apprehended a iust man and a rich that was beloued of al the towne whose name was Gorinion surnamed valeanut and he was a valeant man in deâ—e moste experte in the warres therto wise and witty and a man of a pure and perfite life One that was euer the formâ—st in battaile When so euer they had any conflict against the gentils that besieged Ierusalem and this was his accustomed
stintted betwene Schimeon Iehochanan and Eleasar For the Lorde the same yeare had sent amongste them of Ierusalem a tourne sicke spirite of giddinesse that the people were deuided into .iii. partes wherof the first and best folowed Anani the priest who at the time had steined vnhalowed suspended his office of priesthode An other part folowed seditious Iehochanan the third most cruel Schime on So that in the midste of IerusaleÌ„ was ciuill warres and withoute the Romaines army made roades from Cesaria euen to Ierusalem by the meanes whereof no man durste go forthe for feare least he shoulde fal into the ennemies handes nor enter into the towne to bring any necessaries thither Anani being a perfite godlye man and seinge the common weale of Ierusalem to be gouerned by the plesure of the seditious gaue ouer his third parte that stake to him to Eleasar his sonne which was the first author of sedicion and he the gaue the first occasion that was cause also of al the mischief that befell in Ierusalem and in the hole lande of Iudea For he began a conspiracye againste the Romaine garisons and prouoked Israell to rebel against the Romaines and to lay hands vpon them Wherfore there assembled vnto Sedicious Eleasar Iehudah Chezron Schimeon Chiskiahu yong men of the nobles of Ierusalem Eleasar with his companye toke the temple and the courtes aboute it appointing of his meÌ„ some to be spies some to kepe watch ward aboute the teÌ„ple of the lord But Iehochanan who because of the great resort of people vnto him was stronger then Eleasar he toke the market place and streates the lower part of the city Then Schimeon the Ierosolomite toke the highest parte of the town whereby his men anoyed Iehochanans part fore with slinges and crosse bowes Betwene these .iii. therfore was most cruel battail in Ierusalem for the space of .iiii. daies without ceasing or any breathing euery day very many were slain so that the blud of the Iewes that were slaine ran euerye where abouÌ„oauntly through the market place stretes yea euen to the temple of the Lord like vnto a floude that had come of greate shoures And vnto the thresholdes of the gates of the temple the deade bodies ouerwhelmed one an other by heapes for no man buried them Iehochanan hauinge the middle part of the town had Schimeon on the one side him Eleasar on thother But Schimeon had the best place froÌ„ wheÌ„ce he might anoye bothe Iehochanan and Eleasar Eleasar did also what he coulde to endomage Schimeon And IehochanaÌ„ that was in the midst encoÌ„bred theÌ„ both notwithstanding to litle purpose For Schimeons company slang stones and shot at them sore but when as Iehochanans part slange likewise at theÌ„ the stones redounded again vpon them selues Thus amongst these .iii. the bataile was sore and encreased eueri day that all men were in greate terroure and feare therof Then assembled to the temple much people of the priestes and elders besechinge these inwarde ennemies not to pollute and defile the temple with their slaughters and wer almoste al slain for their laboure The same daye was slaine the prieste Agani and Iosua a prieste bothe of the chiefest Priestes and Sechariahu the mooste faithful Prophet of the Lorde Then had the continual sacrifice ceased sire and thirtye dayes for euer vntill that time was there some good men or other at Ierusalem that offered alway sacrifice to the Lorde But nowe when they woulde haue continued it and the priestes laye the sacrifices vppon the altare the sedicious woulde runne vpon them kil them that the priestes bodies and their cattel that they wold haue sacrificed shoulde fal all deade to the grounde together They that resorted also oute of the countrye to Ierusalem for deuocions sake the seditious slue and vtterlye destroyed them that almoste no one of them was lefte aliue Moreouer the deade bodies of men laye caste in the temple and that withoute noumber treade vnder the feete Yea the deade body of the priest that was offeringe sacrifice laye vpon the earthe together with his offering And whan anye manne woulde offer any sacrifice straite waye one or other of the sedicious would step to him and kil him that the bloud of the sacrifice and sacrificer should be mingled together In so muche that the pauemente of the temple being al of marble was made so slipperye with the bloude fat of them that were slaine that no man could go vpon it without falling And the priest should not soner lay hand vp on the sacrifice but he was slaine and strait an other dead body shuld fal vpoÌ„ him straunger and other they spared none So thus the deade bodies of the good bad clean and vnclean wicked vertuous thefe true man laye one vpon an other and their bloud mixt together in the midst of the temple with out respect of anye man what degree or condition so euer he wer of Wherfore the fight slaughter waxt greate both in the towne and in the temple For whom soeuer the sedicious ouercame they set fire on their houses also where throughe the fire tooke into the greate mens houses that were nye the temple and into the store houses wheras againste times of necessitie and besiegynges of the towne were layed vp in store corne wine and oyle to the nuÌ„ber of a thousand and .iiii. hundred store houses all filde ful of vitâ—ailes For the Elders and other Godlye menne what time as Vaspasian was in Galile thei made vp the dores of those garner houses and laied in victuals into them sufficient for .ii. hundred thousand men for xx yere and now in this one battail of the sedicious they were brente euerye one sticke and stone which was a spedye cause of famin and honger in Hierusalem At the same tyme also the sedicious pulled downe and raced all the faire houses and goodlye buildynges that there shoulde be no monument of anye noble house left to anye of the citizins of Hierusalem So this you see at that time the Lorde visited the citizins of Ierusalem with foure kinde of plagues sworde pestilence hunger fire besides this a fift also was added the ruin and decay of all beautiful and gorgeous buildings And wher soeuer a man turned him there was nothing but desolation pollucion namely of the temple and all holye thinges vproars without al reast and refuge no helpe no succour but euery corner of Ierusalem was ful of howling and yellinge wailinge and wepinge sobbinge and sighinge of women and childreÌ„ Here should ye heare the roaring and groaning of wounded men not yet thorow deade there the mourninge and lamentacion for the Elders that then were slaine by the sedicious yonder children crying oute for hunger to be short most sorowful oppressioÌ„ of them that liued done by the seditious Such voices wer made euery wher that happye and fortunate was he that before this daye died and vnhappye and in a woful case were
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
temple had on a garmente of .iiii. coloures Skarlet Violet Bisse and Purple Skarlet in respecte of the heanens that be aboue the firmamente Violet and Bisse coloures whiche be made of flaxe because of the earthe of which they come finally purple in respect of the sea where purple is gotten Therfore when as the priest came into the temple to minister apparailed in these .iiii. colours he saide before the almighty God I come to presente my self here in thy sighte O Lorde of the world in .iiii. kindes of coloures that do represent the partes of thy worlde and in suche wise do I appeare before theâ— as though I shoulde bring all the hole world into thy sight Moreouer the foresaid apparail was garnished with pure gold and precious stones after the likenesse of the tribes of the sonnes of Iacob who was called Israell that in that garment he might haue the souerainty before the angels that be aboue and by them preuail to bringe the vertue of the holy ghost by the which they should obteine wisdome that dwell in thee and prospere in their study and faith that they mighte haue wisdome and vnderstandinge together Hys loines also were girded with linnen sloppes wherewith he couered his secrete partes for it becommeth priestes most of al other persons to be shamfast and bashful specâ—ally when he should minister in the two sanctuaries For there are .ii. sanctuaries the vtter and thinnar which is the sanctum sactoruÌ„ or the holiest of all In the vtter the priestes minister as the hie priest commauÌ„deth theÌ„ but into the inner that is the sanctuÌ„ sanctoruÌ„ entreth no maÌ„ saue the bie priest only that but once a yeare For in it was the arcke of the couenaunt of the Lord in the which were laid vp the .ii. tables of thecouenaunt the God made with the people of Israell in the mount Sinai There is also the rod of Aaron that florished broughte forth leaues All these were in the first temple whiles it was yet standing Ouer against that saÌ„ctuary were .xiiii. stairs or steppes vpon the which apeared the miracle to kinge Chiskiahu And thou Ierusalem at that time was stronger then other cities Lady of al prouinces for greate kinges and princes builded thee Kinge Herode much exalted thee raising thy walles on height besides that also defenced thee with an other wall Antochia that he named Antochia of Antiochas a Romain who liberally gaue much mony toward the repairinge of the ruines decaies that were in thée How commeth it to passe therfore that thou art broughte thus lowe the gentils haue the rule ouer thee now and besiege thee racing thee casting thee down yea they are now in the midst of thee Wo be to vs for our sinnes for the hautines of thy strength is dashed thy sanctuary is troden vnder the fote and made a sinck of the bloud of slain persons Drinke now of thy cup O Ierusalem with thy daughter Sion drinke I say the cup of veration and grief together with her for yet the time shall come that visions shall be reueiled and redemption also it selfe that thy children shal retourne to their coastes with the healthe of their redeamer Then shal be the time of frendshippe and then shalt thou drincke the cuppe of health and consolation After this Titus wente to vewe what waye he might best assault the citye and as he deuised with him self he espied a plain on that side where the sepulchre of Iochanan the hie priest was whereas he staied a while and sent one of his captaines that were there with him called Nikanor to common with the Iewes that were vppon the walles to moue them to peace willing him to say thus vnto them Frendes my Lord Titus is desirous to spare you and to make a league with you that ye mighte be at quiet and oute of this daunger of desiruction And if you be so disposed to consent thereunto Titus shall make a league with you yet before night Nikanor wente and spake with the people in such wise as Titus hadde willed him The Iewes gaue him no word to answer but held their peace wherfore Nikanor spake vnto them againe and as he was talkynge vnto them one froÌ„ the walles stroke him with an arrowe and killed him Wherat Titus was exceadyng wrathe that they should shout at his captaine offerynge theim peace and his death grened him marueilously Wherfore he commaunded ladders brakes slynges yron rammes and other engins of warre to be brought to assaulte the towne So the souldiours brought an yron Ramme to batter the walle and planted it vppon a mounte accordynglye The Iewes seinge that were soore afrayed wherfore the three capitaynes of the sedicious sell at one and openynge the gates issued out and beat the Romaynes from their pieces and engyns that were nowe ready addressed settynge fire on them and burnyng them the ram slings al thother engines a few excepted which Titus his men saued from the fire In this coÌ„flicte the men of Alexandria that serued Titus behaued them selues like tall fellowes in the rescuinge of the slinges from the Iewes yet the Iewes preuailed and gate the vpper hand of them till Titus came with a stronge power of picked men to succoure the Alexandrians whereas twelue of the stoutest Iewes were slaine In the same skirmishe Iehochanan a captain of the Edomites that came to aide the Iewes was slain by an Arabian that came behinde him and stroke him with an arrowe whiles he was talkinge with the Romains that had entreated him to come vnto them For whome the Edomites mourned and lamented sore for he was a good man of warre The nexte nighte certaine of the seditious chieflye of Iehochanan and Schimeons companye issued oute and came to the three wodden towers that Titus hadde crected before the Walles and sette a greate Garrison of valiaunt Souldiours aboute theim to defende theim and to viewe also the toune oute of them to see what the Iewes dyd And whosoeuer were nye the touâ—es those the Iewes slew the other fled to Titus campe But the Romayns that were within the towers wiste nothing of the matter trustinge to them that were set about the toures for theyr sauegarde and therfore slept all the night The Iewes after they had slayne the Romayne watche and put them to flyght they came to the toures wyth sawes and cut the feyt a sonder so that they fell sodenly together wyth them that were wythin them whyche were very manye and slewe them euery one Titus hearynge the alarme and the crasshing of the fallynge of the towres was sore afrayed and all hys hole armye and not knowing what the matter was they durst not sturre toward it so the Iewes returned clere into the toune On the morowe Titus brought his hole power to the walles and whyles the Iewes were at their coÌ„tenciones in the toune he addressed an other Iron Ramme wherwith he sodenlye strake the vtter wall and battered it through whervppon
thyther we shal be satisfied with beholding one another Go ye therefore my dear sonnes and prepare vs a place O that I might goo before you the lorde knoweth I would doo it gladly But ye my sonnes maruell neuer at thys that is chaunced vnto vs for it is no new thing suche lyke hath happened before this in the time of the Chasmonanites when as Antiochus bi his wickednes put to death the seuen brethern yong men in the sight of theyr mother whiche was a righteous and a godly woman who chaunced to find this mercy at the lordes handes that she might kisse her sonnes and embrase them as they also kist one an other before they died Al thei wer put to death by the crueltye of the vncircumcised king of the Macedonians yet obteined they that which is denied at this daye to vs the are put to death by Schimeon who hathe the name of an Israelite who beareth also the couenaunte of oure father Abraham in his flesh And would God it mighte fortune vs to liue in their inne or place of reast whiche al be it it wil not be graunted yet we shal be their neighboures seinge that we also die for the law of the lord Therfore be of good comfort my soÌ„nes and lament not for my sake for I iudg this my miserie easier and not so great as the calaâ—itie of Zidkiahu whose sonnes were firste killed then his eyes put out by the king of Chalâ—ea and he liued manâ— yeres after we are so much the more happier in my minde because we shal dye together Then said Amittai to Schimeons seruaunte whiche should kill him Make spede I pray thee and kil me first before my children die then after kill them also that we maye die together for so it is more expedient for vs then to se the temple of the lord tourned into a butcherye or slaughter-house to slea men in After cryed he vnto God saiyng I beseche thee O Lord God most high whiche dwellest in the hyest iudge this Schimeon accordynge to his works reward him according to his deseruings For thou art the god almighty dreadful let not this thief die therfore amongst the people of thy pasture but that his death maye be seuered froÌ„ the death of other men let him dye a horrible and a sodayne death that he haue no time to confesse his sinneâ— and to returne him selfe to thee that thou maiest receiue him for thou art wontâ— to receiue theim whiche turne to thee by repentaunce for he is not worthy of repentaunce which hath spoyled wasted many goodly thinges in thy teÌ„ple besides that hath murdered most holye men in the same To thintent therfore that thy iudgementes may be declared in him I beseche thee make him to be taken of his enmies together with his wife children and family al that euer loue him Nether geue vnto his soul any part with the people of god nor let his porcion be with the iust men in thy sanctuary for he is vnworthy of theÌ„ bicause he hath not only sinned him self but hath caused Israel to sinne Wherfore let his iudgmeÌ„t sentence go forth froÌ„ thy sight that he may se his wife children his hole house led into captiuity boÌ„dage before his face Afterward let him die a straunge death such as neuer maÌ„ herd of let him be kild of must cruel men which wheÌ„ thei haue smiteÌ„ him may after quarter him also whiles he is yet aliue and that he may see his go into bondage Let him also be a curse before al that shall see him More ouer let him perceiue that my wordes and desteny is better then his when as I go vnto thee in that great light which he shal be depriued of After these wordes Amittai said to the seruaunt who was appointed to kill him I beseche thee let me finde so much fauour atthy handes that when thou hast slain my Sonnes thou wouldest kill me with the same sworde while it is yet wet with the bloud of my sonnes that our bloud may be mingled and this maye be a recreation to my soule Kil me also in the sighte of the Romaines that they maye auenge me and my sonnes vpon this most cruell Schimeon they shal be witnesses againste him that I was not their frende But would God my matters were all in that state as they were before for then should they perceiue me to be an ennemye of Schimeons and a frend of theirs â–ª Woulde God I had withstanded Schimeon at the first so earnestly as I made warre vpoÌ„ the Romaines that I might haue auoided his cruelty from the people of God when he had said al these things he prayed before god almighty saying O God which dwellest in the highest thou only art most mighty and fearful open now the eyes of thy iudgements consider and iudge betwixt me and seditious Schimeon whose malice is be comen vnmeasurable vpon the people of God that he whiche sheadeth the bloude of them that feare thee in the midst of the temple may be rebuked of thee with thy rebukinges according to his workes make spedy vengaunce prolonge not and that for the deathes sake of thy saintes for thy iudgemeÌ„tes are the iudgementes of truthe Then Schimeon gaue commaundemente to four cut throtes of his that thre of theÌ„ should kil Amittais thre sonnes before their fathers face the fourth shoulde kil Amittai him self and so the blud of the sonnes was mixte with the blud of their father Afterwarde Schimeons seruaunte tooke the bodye of Amittai and layde it vppon the bodyes of hys sonnes as his desire was then tumbled them ouer the walles After that commaunded Schimeon that Chananehu the hie priest shuld be put to death whose bodye was caste vnto the bodies of Amittai and his sonnes Aristius also the scribe one of the noble men of Ierusalem was killed at the same time and ten mo iust men of his kinred and house because they murned for the deathe of Aristius It fortuned while Schimeon was a killing of those ten certaine substantial rich men passed by and were wonderfullye amased when they sawe the thynge sayinge one to an other Howe longe wyll God suffer the malice of Schimeon and wyll not searche oute the bloude of iuste menne nor reuenge them Certain seditious persons hearinge this tolde it vnto Schimeon who commaunded them to be apprehended and murthered the same daye After this there passed by a leuen of the noble men of Ierusalem whiche seinge two and fortye innocentes to be put to deathe by Schimeon they lift vp their eyes to the heauens and said O Lord god of Israel how longe wilt thou hold thy hande and kepe in thine anger againste these transgressoures of thy wil whiche whan Schimeon heard of he commaunded them to be apprehended and killed them with his owne handes Eleasar the sonne of Anani the prieste seinge the malice wickednes of Schimeon to be great that he made away the iust and godly
handes They agreed broughte him to Schimeon who commaunded his seruauntes assone as he was come to flea him But while he that was apointed to this businesse made delay and killed him net by and by he whipt downe of the hill escaped and came to Titus who commaunded him oute of his sighte being wroth with him that he had not sought vnto deathe rather then to be taken quicke But with the Iewes was he wonderfullye displeased that they had so dispitefullye ordered his men wherfore he commaunded to kil all the Iewes as many as could be founde in the streetes of the â—â—ye whome he woulde haue spared before and caused proclamation to be made throughoute all hys campe for theyr safetye Then died many of the Iewes so that euerye place was full of deade bodies The menne of warre of the Edomites whythe were wyth Schimeon perceiuinge howe the matter wente they sente Embassadoures to Titus to desire peace and to saue theyr lyues which when it came to Schimeons ear he wente vnto them and slue the chiefe of them and their noble men the rest of the people of the Edomites fledde vnto Titus From that time forthe Titus commaunded his men to vse no more truelty vpoÌ„ the Iewes Sone after fled Iehochanan and Schimeon and hid theÌ„ selues in certain caues The rest of the chief meÌ„ of the Iewes that were with them seing them nowe to be fled came nowne from the Mounte vnto Titus set downe vpon their face before hym vpon the ground whome Titus receiueâ— gentlelye As for the sedicious that were with Schimeon Iehochanan they fought till they al died together TheÌ„ cam forth vnto Titus one Iosua a priest sonne of Schaftai the hie prieste bringing with him two candelstickes of gold which were in the sanctuary and the tables of gold with other vessels of siluer and gold and also the holye vestures decked with golde and precious stones all those he gaue vnto Titus who made him chiefe priest ouer them that remained nexte vnder Ioseph the priest for Titus gaue Ioseph authority as wel ouer the priestes and Leuites as ouer the whole people of the Iewes Then was Gorion the father of Ioseph that writ this history brought oute of the prison with his wife and children among whoÌ„ was one Bonian Iosephs yonger brother he was a verye wise a godly priest by whome god bestowed many benefites vpoÌ„ the Israelites For Titus lefte him at Ierusalem and tooke him not with him as he did Ioseph Iosephes father liued after the city was taken twenty moneths died They tooke then also one Phmeas a prieste who was keper of the treasure house he bewraied and vttered to the Romains al the treasures of the priestes and their vestements he gaue also vnto Titus a moosse precious oyle wyth swere oâ—ours and perfumes and garmentes also of purple which the kinges of the second temple had geueÌ„ Wherfore both this Phineas and Iosua whoÌ„ we mentioned afore transgressed the couenaunte of the Lord and offended God in that they deliuered his iewels to the ennemies of his people whiche thei ought not to haue done but rather to haue died for the glory of the Lord as the other priestes did whiche caste them selues into the fire Thus was the city of Ierusalem takeÌ„ with al the precious thinges that were therein and Titus went vp to the mount Sion â—â—ke it and raced the walles therof Vpon a three daies after Iehochanan sore vert with hunger leste his place where he lucked and came to Titus fell downe afore him and kissed his feete sayinge saue me O Lord king Titus commauded him 〈◊〉 be fettered with iraÌ„ cheins when he had caused him to be carted about the campe so bound to be mocked of al men by the space of .vii. daies he commaunded to hanâ— him so gate he a iuste ende and fit rewarde for his cruelty After ware came Schimeon also forth of his den being driueÌ„ with famin he had out on king ye apparel shewed him self a far of to the Romaine host who seing him were afraide to go to him but he called vnto theÌ„ askt foâ— sâ—me captaine Then one came forth sâ—id vnto Schimeon tel me who the art I wil not kil thee Schimeon answered therefore tolde him I am Schimeon that sedicious Captaine of the Iewes whiche haue made you so muche a not now I beseche thee shew me so muche sauour as to bring me to Titus thi master which he did Titus therfore when he saw Schimeon he coÌ„maunded him to be fast bound and to be â—ed about the whole host that he might be deluded mâ—ckt Afterward he was put to a fore death first his head was striken of theÌ„ he was cut in many peces and cast vnto dogges so he died an abhominable death being punished for his iniquity THe number of the Iewes aswell citizens as other that came vnto the feast to Ierusalem whiche were flaine partly by the Romaines partly by the sedicious duringe the whole tyme of those warâ—es was knowen to be thus many eleuenth hundreth thousand besides them whose noumber was not knowen Onlye they were counted which were slaine buried besides theÌ„ also that after the death of Iehochanan Schimeon died with Eleasar the sonne of Anam the priest whiche were not reckened Thei that were led prisoners by Titus to Rome were .xvi. M. men Titus therfore with Ioseph wente to Rome leauing Bonian Iosephs brother at Ierusalem who was appointed the chiefe priest of them that abode there for that did Ioseph request of Titus whiche he perfourmed The sedicious were all slaine in that battaile whiche they toke in hand for the peoples sake and the temple of the Lord â–ª They also that Titus toke prisoners were put to vile deathes For he reserued many to be mocking stocks in euery 〈…〉 whâ—re he passed by in his way is Rome and in euery towne he commaunded some to be brought forthe and caste vnto the Lions til they were al confumed THere was a certain people 〈◊〉 that time dwelling amongst the moutaines of Arat that were called Alamites whose power Alexander king of Macedonia fearinge closed them in on euery side This people although they had no knowledge of the vse of yron nor armour yet this was their maner that one of theÌ„ with a great poal burnt a little at the ende would put to flight a hundred good souldiours were they neuer so well appointed and armed Vntill this yeare they were alwayes shut in but now being oppressed with a great dearth and famine throughout al their land they sent Embassadours to the People of Hurkan their neighbours requiring them that thei would open the straightes of the mountayns that they might come forth with their wiues and children to seke theim fode The Hurkans grauÌ„ted their requests opened them the entrances of the mouÌ„tains So they came forth wanderyng here and there and spoilynge diuerse countreis til at lengthe they toke
take hede that thou maist auoid the like Cōsider more ouer and marke well the Iewes were counted Gods people the Romaines contrary his ennemies as without all doubt hauing no knowledge of God being Idolaters as they were at that time they could not be gods people yet for al this God wold they should preuaile against the Iewes and subdue them vnder their yoke Wherbi we mai learn how greatly God is infensed against iniquitie in so much that he will rather bring in vpon his own children a nation more wicked then to leaue them vnpunished to run forward in their wicked race Suche proffitable ensamples and lessons are in this history without number whiche if I shoulde recite all I shoulde bringe the whole booke into the preface We will therfore be content with these fewe at this presente neither as all nor as the chiefe desieryng and wisshynge chiefly good Reader that thou maiest finde out not the chief only but all and not only finde thē out but note them and imitate them in thy liuyng and orderyng of thy doynges which if thou do then haue we the expected end of our paines and trauail and thou the profite wherwith all parties may iustly or wil gladly be contented and satisfied ⧠The siege of Hierusalem ⧠The state of the common vvealth of Iury from the Machabees vnto the vtter destruction and subuersion of the same ACcordynge vnto those things that we haue founde in the Booke of Ioseph the priest the sonne of Gorion in other bokes writtē accordyng to the most certain veritie we will drawe forthe and rehearse some thinges for the comfort that may come therof especially seing all the prophets haue bent and directed their prophecies of things to come to this that the kingdome of the house of Dauid shoulde returne and florishe in time to come Therfore if there had bene any kinges of the house of Dauid duringe the time of the seconde house or seconde temple then should wee haue ben in suspence yea euen now already our hope hadde bene dasht But there was no kingedom of the house of Dauid in that age saue onely a certain dominion that Zerubabel and Nehemia had Yea rather the kingdome remained at that time to the house of the Machabees and them that were toward them But nowe to the purpose When Alexander the first king of the Grekes hadde fortified and established his kingdom he died being yet but a yong man and his kingdome was deuided amonge foure of his captaines Daniel as it is written VVhiles he is yet aliue his kingdome shal be broken and deuided into four coastes of the heauens He left behinde him a sonne of tēder yeres called Arkolas whose tutour or keper perceiuing him to be toward gaue him impoisoned drinke and made him away Those captaines made war one vppon another of whom one that was named Ptolomie procured Moses lawe to be translated into Greke to the entent he might finde some occasion to picke a quarell against Israel For by their lawe he sought meanes to withdrawe them from their religion according to the Psalme Psal 129. Many a time haue thei fought against me fro my youth vp may Israel novve saie There were seuentye auncient men that translated the lawe whom Ptolomye the kynge seperated one from an other puttynge euery mā apart in a house by him self And thei all agreed in sence albeit thei chaunged thirtene places whiche was not done without miracle that they all agreed together in the meaninge as thoughe one alone had writ it Those xiii places be these First Gene. 1. GOD hathe made in the beginninge whereas no worde or thing is put before the name of God also for that in the Greke tong the thing that doth is put before and that that is made is placed after least this worde Bereschith shoulde be taken for a Creatour and Elohim for a creature The seconde Gene. 1. I for wee I vvill make man accordinge to the image and likenesse that it should not be heard as though he were one that consulted with other The third Gene. 2. Sixt for seuenth And God finished in the sixt daye and rested on the seuenth Least it shoulde seme as though he had made ani thing in the seuenth daye and in it ended his workynge Gene. 2. I for wee The fourth Go to I vvil go doune and there vvill confounde their language least by speakinge in the plurell number they shoulde haue bene thought to be many Gene. 18. With thē that stode by hir for to her self The fift And Sara laughed speaking vvith them that stode by her Because Ptolomye the kinge shoulde not mocke them and saie who shewed you what she saide to her selfe The sixt Because in their furie they killed an oxe Gene. 49. Crib for an oxe and in their vvill they brake the cribbe Lest the kinge should mocke and saie what hath a man to do wyth an oxe Exod. 4. That that could bear a man for an Asse The seuenth And Moses tooke his vvife and his sonnes and set them vpon that that could beare a man Lest the king should mocke our master Moses because he rode vppon an asse And that he should not saye how should an asse beare a woman and two children He would neuer haue done it if he had not bene a begger or base person The eight Exod. 12. And the dvvelling of the childrē of Israel in Egipt and other landes vvas cccxxx yeres Notwithstandynge they abid not in Egipt but .ccx. yeres that is that their father Iacob tolde theim Descende ye the letters of the whiche worde in Hebrue signifie .ccx. thither Furthermore the cōputation of ccccxxx yeres is from the yere that Isaac was borne Exod. 24. little ons for Princes which was the holye seede vnto Abraham The ninthe And vnto the little ons of the children of Israel stretched he not his hande As who woulde saye yea also vnto their little ones he stretched not his hande Euen bicause he should not saye the great men escaped but the children of the sonnes of Israel escaped not The tenthe Num. 16. Of valure for an asse Deute 4. That thei may shine is added I toke of them nothing of valure least he shoulde saie he toke not an asse but he toke one rewarde The eleuenth VVhich thinges thy Lorde God hathe deuided that they may shine vpon all people Lest he shoulde take an argument thereof and saie Loe the holye and blessed Lorde hath deuided them to all people hath geuen them licence to worshippe them The twelf Deu. 17 He vvent and vvorshipped straunge Gods vvhiche I commaunded not to vvorshippe To worship is added Lest he should saie now hast thou called them to straunge worshippinge of Gods The thirtenth They translated an Hare little fete bicause the kinges wife was called hare lest shee should saie the Iewes mocke me When these seuentie elders hadde translated the law into
been for the wickednes that her doughter had coÌ„mitted thinking suerly to please the king by that meanes and to bleare his eies if peraduenture he might suffer her to liue til she might haue oportunitie to poison him Marimi thus going to execution helde her peace and looked nether to the right hand nor to the left nor yet feared death any thing knowing that she was innoceÌ„t in dede and thought and therfore God would reÌ„der her a good rewarde in the world to come Wherfore she bared her necke without feare and thei cut of her head sheding the innocent bloud But God made no delay in punishing the same for there fell a sore plague and pestileÌ„ce in the house of Herode so that his chief seruauntes his noble women and concubines died sore therof Yea throughout all Iudea reigned the pestilence vehemently whiche affliction all Israell knew well ynough chaunced vnto theÌ„ for the bloude of Marimi They cried therefore vnto the lorde saiyng Wilt thou forthe offence of one man deale so cruelly with the hole congregacion The lorde toke pitie therfore vpâ—â— the lande and withore we the plague from the people The king repeÌ„ted him also that he had shed bloud without cause and loue so grew in his harte that he was sicke and at deathes dore Then Alexandra Marimies mother soughte meanes how to poyson hym Whiche being vttered vnto the kynge he commaunded to apprehende her and to kil her In this maner dealt Herode with all the posteritie of the Machabees leauing none aliue that were called by the name He put to death also Ioseph the busband of Salumith The king hadde two sonnes Alexander and Aristobulus by Marimi his wyfe They were both at Rome when their mother suffered for their father the king had sent them thither to learne the Romain toÌ„gue When thei heard tidinges of their mothers death they wepte and mourned for her hating their father for his rcueltie Sone after the king their father recouered of his sickenes was established in his kingdome builded stronge cities and rose to great prosperitie In the. â—iii yeare of his reigne there fell a great dearth in the lande wherfore the kinge tooke out of his treasure muche gold and siluer and precious stoones wherwith he sent into Egipt and procured plentie of corne and refresâ—hyng with bread all that lackt and was in distres of huÌ„ger yea he spared not his owne propre goodes And not onely to the Israelites shewed he this liberality but also to all that came vnto him out of other straunge nations hearing of his renoume Moreouer in all his warres he had good fortune Besides thys he thought it good to renew the house of the sanctuary wherupon he deliberated with the Israelites to haue their aduise for the building of it after the same quantitie and measure that Salolomon king of Israel builded it For the Iewes returning from captiuite in the time of Coresch Cirus began to build it after the measure the Coresch prescribed theÌ„ not as it was afore The people of Israel hearing that the king was purposed to pul down the teÌ„ple to the grouÌ„d and buylde it a freshe they made hym none aunswere fearing left whan he had pulled it downe he would not bee so hasty to builde it vp againe But the the king perceauing what they feared in their mindes saide he woulde not flack the matter nor reste till he hade brought it to passe He said moreouer that he would take out of his treasure plentie of gold and syluer and geue it to grauing also precious stones stones of Thasies marble To the carpenters also and masons he would deliuer timber stones gold siluer brasse iron to make all thinges necessary to the woorke Wherefore if he pulled downe the house he was able to builde it streight waies again So he pulled downe the house and repaired it again and finished it in length a hundred cubites in bredth lykewise a hundreth cubites and in height a hundreth cubites all of white marble so that the whole height of the stone work was in all a hundreth and .xx. cubites For the foundacion was .xx. cubites within the grounde and a hundreth aboue The breadth of euery stone was .xii. cubites and the thicknes thereof .viii. cubites euery stone was of like bignesse The gates of the house he couered with fine gold and precious stoones finely sette therin the thresholdes were of siluer the tops also He made also a vine of gold a marueilous cunning pece of worcke the armes therof or bigger braunches were glittering gold the lesser braunches slips or latest shutes of gold sumwhat red al aboue was yelow gold wherupon hong clusters of cristal The vine was so great that it weied a thousaÌ„d pound weight of pure gold In all the world was not the like to be seen He made also a porche before the porche ii walles of siluer marueilous cuÌ„ningly wrought Behind the house toward the west he made a court of .c. l. cubites loÌ„g and a. C. in bredth whiche was paued with pure marble Toward the south north the length of the court was also Cl. cubites a. C. in breadth He erected in it also C. l. pillers of white marble in foure orders The length of one order was fortye cubites and euerye piller was .xl. cubites hie and three cubites thicke The pillers were all of like measure as the court of the north side and of the South was also of like measure with al the pilloures thereof Toward the east the court conteined D. ccxx cubites euen to the broke Cedron No man euer se the like building in all the world In the extreme partes of the courts he made also walkes and and galeries of such height that they the walked therin might easily se the waters running in the broke Cedron by the space of a cubit Betwene the porch and the house also as though it were a vaile or perticion the king made a wal of siluer of halfe a handful thicke In the which was a dore of beaten golde and vpon the gate a sword of golde of xii pound weight There were certain poses grauen in the sworde as this VVhat straunger so euer approcheth nie her let him die for it So the things that Herode made in the temple were wonderful nether was there euer hard of in all the worlde any king that was able to make suche a building When the worke was finished the king sente to Sarons his pastures for his Cattell from whence were broughte him thre hundreth yonge Bullâ—ckes and verye many shepe accordinge to his Princelye estate So then they dedicated and and halowed the house with great â—oy and gladnesse There was one certain day in the yeare when as the kinge was euer accustomed to make a greate feast to all his court to al his nobles sages in Israel Against that self same daye the kinge was mineded to finishe his workes whiche made bothe 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
informed him of Neroes minde shewed him his preseÌ„t placing it afore him The present was this a bull for a burnt offring with a great crown of gold vpoÌ„ his head his hornes also were couered with gold vpoÌ„ him was a cloth of purple poudred with precious stones there weÌ„t certain afore him the caried .x. talentes of gold behind folowed verye many shepe for peace offringes WheÌ„ Eleasar Ananies sonne heard therof he came cast out of he temple of the Lord Nero Caesars presentes saiyng we will not suspend vnhallow the sanctuary of our Lord with the offerings of straungers For oure Lorde God will â–ª accept nother their burnt offeringes nor their peace offerynges When he had so fayd he sounded a trompet set hys men in araye againste the hoste of the Romaines that kepte watche warde in the citie of Hierusalem and flewe manye of them that daie with one of their capitaines also and another they toke aliue He beyng a valiaunt man and seyng the routes of the Iewes to vrge him greuously sayde vnto them saue my life and I will yelde me Vnto whome Eleasar the rebell sware that he would not slea him but spare him for his manhede for he has slayne verye many of the Iewes afore whereupon he yelded him selfe Then Eleasar sayde vnto him like as thi sword hath made many women childles so shall thy mother be made childles of thee aboue all other and therewith contrarye to his othe he commaunded his seruaunt to kyll hym and so he died Kyng Agrippas seing this was wonderfull sorye therfore as he stoode in one of the stretes he cried O thou rebell Eleasar I praye God that this mischief whereof thou art cause and thy actes may light â—poÌ„ thee and thy fathers house which when it comes to passe we shall neuer bewayle nor be dismaied at It appeareth they shall haue sumwhat to dooe that study to make peace and tranquil litie in thy daies for they are sure to be destroied with thee Howe longe wilte thou coÌ„tinue to bring vs into the breares thou enemie hater of the Lorde Why doest thou destroy waste the vinyard of the Lord God of hostes Eleasar answered him what takest thou vpon thee the name of a king for if thou be a king why coÌ„maundest thou not vs to be punished Where be thy valeaÌ„t soudiours let see come thou they together chasten me that it may be tried whether thou be a king in dede or no. Thou staÌ„dest a loofe of and wheÌ„ thou speakest thy fete are readye to run away like as though a dogge should set him selfe againste an armed man and barke at him bleatinge out his tonge With this he wincked vppon the rebels his complices to run vpon Agrippas and take him whiles he helde him in talke But that was perceiued of one of Agrippas seruaunies whome he had appointed for the same purpose to stand ouer against him as nie as he might to marke and espy if the rebels should make any stour towardes him and to let him haue knowledge He thâ—rfore laying his hand vpon his hed gaue a signe to the king to â—lie saying Away away for if thou tary neuer so litle the sedicious will slea the and vs together Which Agrippas perceiuing he gate him thence with all the spede he might and the rebels pursued him but in vaine â—â—r they coulde not euertake him So he gate to Iapho a town vnder the Romaines where he was in sauegard FroÌ„ thence he fled to Rome and declared to themperoure Nero the mischiefe that befel at Ierusalem and al that seditious Eleasar had done to his offring also how his commaundement toke no place Wherefore Nero ioyned vnto him againe Castius with a huge army wherwith they both entred Iudea and wanne manye walled townes amongst which they raced Iapho For the Romaines perceiuinge the power of the Rebels to encrease were afraid least they should get it into their handes wherby it might be anoyaunce in time to come to the Romaines chiefly seinge it was a notable hauen for their shippes to arriue at in Iudea After this bothe Agrippas and Castius led their army towardes Ierusalem to warre vpon the Rebels and vtterly to destroy them Eleasar and other priests with much people hearing this they issued out against them and found them encamped in the waye betwene Ierusalem and Iapho but after they had ioyned their battail many of the Iewes were slain bi the Romains the residue Castius and Agrippas put to flight pursued the chase vnto the gates of Ierusalem besieged also the city for the space of thre daies The fourth day the priestes and the people issued oute sodenlye vnwares to the Romaines set vpon their campe and slue .v. thousand fote men and one thousand horâ—men Castius seinge that nether be nor his coulde wel escape he chose oute .xl. thousand of his best souldioures placed them betwixte his campe and the priestes commaunding them to stande al the night soundinge their trompets and making of fires that he Agrippas might escape and that they should not remoue oute of their place till the morowe The Iewes harkeninge to the sound of the trompets and musing what it should meane pursued not the Romaines but perceiuing in the morninge that they were departed toward Cesaria thre daies iourney of Eleasar with the people folowed and in the waye founde their baggage strawed that the Romaines had cast from them to runne the lightlier and escape the easilier whiche they let lie and pursued them to the gates of Cesaria But Castius and Agrippas gate safe within the towne and from thence went both together to Rome where they declared vnto Nero the Emperoure howe they sped at Ierusalem And as they were makinge relation of this vnto the Emperoure There came also a poste oute of Perfia with tidinges that the kinge of Persia was reuelted from the Romaines Empire these thinges troubled the Emperoure sore to se almoste all fall from him that heretofore hadde obeyed the Empire of the Romaines AT the same time retourned Vaspasianus captaine of the hoste that Nero had sente into the West partes as Germauie Britaine and Spaine whiche landes he hadde subdued and broughte vnder the subiection of Nero To him Nero declared what mischief the priestes had wrought to the Romaine hoste in Iudea how they had slaine the Romaines and so for the all the tale that Agrippa and Castius had told him which displeased Vaspasian very greatly After this Nero set Vaspasian captaine and his sonne Titus to reueng the Romaines vpon the Persians and Iewes geuing in commauÌ„dement to race their walled townes to beate downe what so euer they founde without sparing any body either men or wemen children or infants sucking babes or olde folkes but to slea all So Vaspasianus and Titus set forwarde with a chosen and picked armye of the Romains passed the seas and came to Antiochia The Iewes hauing intelligence of this chused out of
yoke from their necks and rebelled against the dominion of Ierusalem ioyning their power with the Romaine armye to ayde Vaspasian and Titus For these were afore subiectes vnto the Iewes that sore hadde burthened thē wherefore they came to aide the Romaines and to inuade Ierusalem and the people of the Iewes But the Edomites had not yet associate them selues with Vaspasian and Titus for they were in subiection to the Iewes and serued them So that not one of them aided the Romaines For longe before they hadde moued warre againste Ierusalem and coulde not gette the victorye but the Iewes preuailed againste them and subdued them Hircanus also the fyrste kinge of the Iewes circumcised them They dwelte also in Ierusalem kept watche and warde aboute the house of the Lorde and his couenaunte withoute all rebellion againste the Iewes and Ierosolimites And at that present was thirtye thousande of the best of the Edomites to keepe the walles of Ierusalem and the house of the Lorde After this Vaspasian and Titus with all their hoste toke their iourney from Acho and came to Galile and in the moūt they pitched their tentes Wherof when tidinges was brought to Ioseph howe the hoste of the Romaines lay vpon the moūt of Galile and howe Vaspasian had sent afore him a greate power to repayre the broaken waies to fyll the hooles and caste downe the hilles to leuel the waye that his people might passe the better for he was sore moued against the Iewes Ioseph issued out of zipporie with al his power sette vpon them and flewe them with the sworde takynge suche vengeaunce of them as neuer was the lyke afore for his God was with him Vaspasian and Titus hearing of this determined to set vpon Ioseph at vnwares and to beset all the wayes that he should escape of no syde But Ioseph had intelligence of their commynge wherefore he lefte zipporie and went to Tiberia whether Vaspasian folowed with his hoste Ioseph perceiuing them comming fled from thence to Iorpata the biggest city in al Galile closed vp the gates there remained with his armie THen sent Vaspasian certaine noble men in embassage vnto Ioseph to debate the matter with hym in this wyse Vaspasian generall of the Romaine armie desyreth to know what it should auaile the to be thus pend vp within a walled toun he willes the rather to come forth to entreate of peace with him enter in a league together for it shal be for thy auaile to serue Caesar emperour of the Romaines the thou maiest liue and not be destroied nor yet any of the people with the. Then Ioseph sent embassadours againe to Vaspasian demaunding treuce for a fewe daies that he might cōmen of the matter with the people and let them vnderstande his wordes peraduenture saith he they wil be perswaded to make peace with thee and then wyll we enter in league with the Romaine empire So Vaspasian ceassed from fighting againste Ioseph permittinge him space to deliberate of the thinge Vpon that Ioseph sente Embassadoures to all the people at Ierusalem to the priestes chiefe men rulers and to the reaste of the people lettinge them to witte this Ye shall vnderstande brethren and frendes that Vaspasian generall of the Romaines sente his Embassadoures vnto me inquiring what it shuld auaile vs to be so stiffe against them ▪ and not rather to com forth and to entreate of peace and to ioyne in league together that we maye serue the Emperour of the Romaines so to saue our liues and not to be destroyed And I pray you why wil ye lose your liues your wiues your sōnes doughters why wil ye all fal together vpon the sword that bothe they that shal be left aliue among you shal be led captiue oute of your countrye to a people that ye neuer knewe whose language ye vnderstande not and your countrye to be made desolate your sanctuarye laide waste that there shal not be so much as one man to enter into it Neuer suffre this you that be wise men but rather receiue my counsell come hither to vs that we may deliberat together what conditiōs of peace we shal make for the sauegard of your liues rather then to be destroyed and that ye maye vse the cōmodities of your country be at reaste and peace therin For life and quietnes is to be preferred before death and banishmente The inhabitantes therefore of Ierusalem bothe priestes chief men rulers and all the noble mē of Iudea with the reaste of the people sente vnto Ioseph sayinge Take hede to thy self that thou neuer consent vnto this to receiue conditions of peace with them but be stronge and bolde to fighte vntill suche time as thou shalt consume them or till thou and all the people die in battaile and so shalt thou fighte the fightes of the Lorde for his people and his sanctuarye with the cities of oure God In the meane season be as be maye so thy power be not with them When Ioseph hearde the determination of the people of Hierusalem howe all sortes with one consent willed by the embassadours the continuaunce of the warres he was wonderful wroth and in a great fury he issued out with all his people and set them in aray againste Vaspasian and the Romaine hoste in whiche conflicte were stayne very many of the Iewes And from the day forward Vaspasian began earnestly and fearcely to warre vpon the Iewes He departed from thence to the citie Gerarta a great citie in the higher Galile beseged it and wan it raced it flewe all the people man woman and childe oxen shepe camelles and asses leauing nothing alyue And then he saide nowe begin I to be reuenged for the Romains which the Iewes murthered in the lād of Iuda Frō thēce he departed brought his armie to Iorpata where Ioseph remained The first day that he entamped aboute Iorpata he gaue his souldiours meate and drynke plenty and made them good chere thē furnished euerye man with weapons So on the next morrow early the Romaine army gaue a great shoute and beset the city round aboute on euerye side In this businesse Ioseph stoode vpon a certaine towre from whence he behelde the huge campe of the Romaines wherefore he sounded forthe a Trumpet gaue a signe to battaile issued oute with the hole power of the Iewes that he had with him and sette vpon the Romaines campe at the fote of the hil continuinge the fighte from morning vntil night And when it began to be darke they ceassed fighting and departed the one sort frō the other the Iewes into the towne the Romaines to their tentes In this battail were very manye slaine on bothe parties aswel Iewes as Romaines The Romaines aduauncinge them selues proudly and stoutly said we wil quickly vanqueshe this little nation as we haue subdued all other nations that we haue conquered that they shall anoy vs no more and afterwardes we shal be at reaste The Iewes also on thother side encouraged them selues
loe they haue sinned against their owne soules dying withoute discipline and all good order If thou wilt say how shal we do for oure othe that we haue sworne Doste thou not knowe that He that breaketh a vvicked othe do the nothing vvickedly him selfe For a man is not constreined to performe an othe vnto God but to the kepinge of his lawes and bereupon it is that Dauid saithe I haue svvorne and vvil perfourme For neither vow nor othe that is made against the commaundementes of God can be ratified before God And that more is before the we sware oure fathers sware firste a great while ago at the mounte of Sinai that they and their children woulde keepe the lawe of the Lorde Moyses also made a couenaunte with them vpoÌ„ the same and not only with theÌ„ that then were there but also with vs. Howe then dare we be so bolde to swcare to breake the law of our God and become maÌ„quellers seing it is one of the .x. commaundements expressely Thou shalt not kil Wherfore my brother thou shalt vnderstande that we nede not be sollititous nor careful for the oth that we haue made but rather to breake it for God wil neuer be displeased with vs for that for I beinge afraide of these wicked persones that lie nowe he are deade did inuente this subtil meanes and way to swear that I mighte saue my life Thou therfore my brother if thou wilte be ruled by mine aduise thou shalt saue thy life mine and I wil caste no lottes nor performe the othe that we made VVhiche is not good in the lavve if thou wilte not I wil withstande thee and fighte with thee to kill thee and skape my selfe And with this Ioseph lepte backe and drue oute his sworde standinge ouer againste him to see what his felowe woulde answer His companion hearinge this sturred neither hande nor foote againste him but saide Loe I am contente do what thou thinckest good because thou arte a manne of God And blessed be the Lorde God of Israel that bathe not withdrawne his mercye from me but made me to be in thy lotte whereby my soule is saued from goinge to helt thy lotte is a iuste lotte For the Lorde vvil not leaue the scourge of sinners vppon the lotte of the iuste Muche elsse besides this spake Iosephes companion vnto him for he was sore afraide of him leaste he shoulde haue killed him if they hadde entermedled together for Ioseph was the better man of his hands and therfore Ioseph chose him into his lot that he might be able to make his party good with him In this pointe Ioseph played the wyse mannes parte for he escaped by this meanes both from the handes of those wicked foles and also from his felow THerfore Ioseph called out of the caue to captain Nicanor and said to him in this wise Wilte thou promise mee that neither thou nor anye of thy men that be here with thee or in the Romains campe shal kyll vs before thou hast brought vs vnto Vaspasian and lâ—t hym dooe wyth vs as he thynketh good Nicanor aunswered So and so deale God with mee if I fulfyl not thy request if so be it thou wilt come forthe vnto mee together with the men that thou hast with thee Ioseph aunswered I will come forth vnto thee and so manye moe of vs as be aliue for so is it come to passe that some of vs be deade here in the caue wherefore howe can they come forthe Then said Nicanor neuer thincke frend Ioseph that I am come to deceiue thee come foorthe and trust in thy Lord God for thou neadest not to feare Ioseph said sweare vnto me this by the god of Israel although he be vnknowne vnto thee Nikanoâ— answered I sweare vnto the by that God that made the world by his wisdom that thou nedest not to fear me but boldly maist come forthe vnto me So Nikanor made a couenaunte with Ioseph and his felow coâ—firming and ratifying it in writing after the manner of the Romaines and reatched it into the caue vpon a speare holding the pointe of the speare in his owne hand Ioseph toke the writinge red it and beleued Nicanor theÌ„ came he forth to Nicanor and his felowe with him When Nicanor sitting vpon his seate of estate that was made him there in the wooâ—e nie vnto the caue sawe Ioseph come towardes him he rise vp embrasing him kissed him set him on his righthand and wept with him aboundauntly he honoured his felowe also plaringe him betwene Pohrinus and Gallicanus whom he had at that present with him Then Nicanor asked hym for the reste of the men that were wyth him willynge that they shoulde come forth and he would honour them also and dooe them no harme Ioseph declared the whole matter vnto hym what was become of theim Nicanor hearing of the pertinacious stubburnnesse of the Iewes heartes their wiâ—ked intentes was wonderfully moued So then he rose and went from thence with Ioseph and his companion vnto Vaspasian When the Romaine army sawe Ioseph they were greatly astonied and gaue a mightye shoute Some reioysed that Ioseph was takeÌ„ saiyng This is good lucke that our eyes shall see oure longe expected desire Other lamented and let teeres fal from their eyes wyth pensiue heartes saiynge Is not this that worthye manne who made all the Romayne hoste to quake for feare and whose Fame and renowne was knowen throughout all landes Howe is it come to passe that so mighty a man is taken in his owne countrey amongst his owne people If this chaunceth vnto suche a manne to be taken in his owne Lande in the middest of his family and frends How shal we escape in a straunge land Certaine euil disposed persons of the Romain souldiers went to Vaspasian and said Sir you shal do well to coÌ„maund this man to be slaine without mercye that hath ben the distruction of so many of the people of the Romains This is the self same that shot the arow and stroke you in the leg put him to death and then shal you be sure he shal neuer moue warre more against you If you do not ye shal see him one daye againe rayse an armye against vs and distroy vs. But Iosephe founde frendshippe at Titus Vaspasians sonnes handes whiche came of the LORDE Therfore when hee hearde those wycked mens wordes that desiered Vaspasian to put Ioseph to death he laught them to skorne and taunted theim saiynge Will you tell my father what he hath to dooe Will you geue him so wicked counsell to flea that man that yeldeth him self to vs vpoÌ„ the trust of our leaâ—e band of frendship which you now go about to breake and frustrate Did not captaine Nicanor in my fathers name Caesars with al the Romaines make a couenant with him Take hede what you saie Is it not treason that you go about to breake the Cesarical fidelitie Moreouer who can tel whether it may so happen that
comditions of peace whether whē he was come he sente his embassadours to the citizens to intreate the peace with thē Whereunto the Cityzens accorded and were readye to enter in league with Titus When as this wicked Iehochanan perceiued the auncient men of the towne and the heades wolde receiue peace he commaunded his companions to kepe the walles to let them from speaking with the Romaines and that they woulde geue the Romaines their answer So therfore seditious Iehochanā made answer to the embassadoure of Titus saying to morow haue we a solempne feast to the Lord God tell thy master Titus therfore that he graunte vs truce for two daies and the thirde day we wil geue him answer Wherwith Titus was contente and lefte the assaulte for two daies These thinges were done vpon Whitson euen which was called the feaste of weakes and haruest The night afore the third day appointed was come Iehochanan and his complices gate them oute of the towne and fled toward Ierusalem ere Titus knew therof On the morow he sent his embassadour to demaūd their answer what they would do They answered we desire to entre in a league with you for we are yours to do you what pleasure your hart desireth vpon this condicion that none of the Romaines hurt ether our bodies or goodes Titus vpon this made peace with them confirminge it by writinge sealed for the better assuraunce therof So they opened the gates and Titus came into the town with his hole armi the Iewes receiued him with great ioy honoring him very much Then Titus inquired for Iehochanan and his confederates the citizens declared vnto him how he fled by night withal his towards Ierusalem Titus hearing that sent after to pursue him yet they found him not he had made such spede Notwithstanding many of the people that wēt out of the town with him that they might escape the daunger both men wemen children old and impotent persōs they enertoke slue them euery one and returned with a great spoyle After this Titus wan all the cities in Galile and set rulers in them Then Vaspasian dislodged from thence and came to the mount Tabor which hath snow vpon it continually the height therof is .xxx. furlonges and vpon the top is a plaine of .xxiii. furlong◠broade Thither sent Vaspasian one of his Captaines called Palgorus whiche tooke the mountaine and the towne that stode thereon But here I will leaue of the historie of the rest of the battails that were fought in other places in the lande of Israel and Galile and speake no more of them in this boke for they be almoste innumerable and we haue made mencion of them in the historie of the Romains ⧠The Historye of the siege of Hierusalem NOwe wyll wee discribe the battails of Hierusalem howe the city was besieged by the Romains wherin we will declare all thinges truelye as our maner is faithfullye accordynge to the veritie of that was done It came to passe therfore as Iehochanan the Galilean was fled to Hierusalem he found there men mete for his purpose iniurious persons wicked menne murtherers disceiuers bloudsheaders an infinite number for out of all countreys within the land of Iuda there repared thither all men of warre to defende the sanctuarie of our God and Anani the hie priest receiued al that came These seinge Iehochanan and his valeantnesse fell from Anani the hie priest and claue vnto him deuising with him of al their affaires So Iehochanan conspired with those cutthrotes to laye handes vppon the rich men of the city and to spoile them of their goodes and this was their maner when they espied any notable rich man of the city they woulde after this sort quarrel with him Art not thou he that hast sent letters to the Romains and to Vaspasian to betraye the citye vnto them Thus woulde thei examin him before the people and when he woulde answer God forbid I shoulde so do then woulde they bringe in lims of the Deuil of their owne companye to beare false witnesse againste him that he might be condempned to death by the law for a rebel Thus dealt thei with Antipas and Lohia bothe noble men and of the chiefe of the citye and their goodes withal their iewels the seditious ceased for them selues They quarels also to the hie priestes thruste them from their charges that thei could not execute their seruice Moreouer thei cast lottes who should haue the priests office and who should be no priest For they helde the priesthode and seruice of God for ioyes gaudes and trifles So the lotte fel vpon one that was called Pani the sōne of Peniel a carterly husbandman ignorant what belonged to the priestes office so that he was vtter lie vnworthy of the priesthode yet thei made him hye priest for all the so light a matter made they of the priest hode The good Godlye men of Hierusalē seing the power of these Ruffians and wicked persons beare suche swinge they stack together and determined to with stande them by force The people therfore earnestlye moued with anger set vpon them and encountred with them in suche sort that the fight was greate on bothe sides in the streates in the market place in the temple and in the entraunce of the Temple till all the citye was filled full of dead bodies and slaine men For there was not so much as one streate but there was some skirmishes in it The people at length gat the vpper hand of the Ruffiās for thei were eigerly set earnestly bēt against thē The sedicious therfore seing thē selues not able to make their party good with the people fled euerie man into the temple of the Lorde shutte it after them and there remained But Anani the hie Prieste seinge the wicked to be fledde to the temple willed the people to cease their fightynge vpon theim in the holie temple of the Lorde least they shoulde pollute it with the bloude and dead carcases of these wicked persons The people therefore left of the fight Then Anani beset the temple rounde about with a vs thousande of the beste and pickedst men of the people wel armed all of them wyth iackes and Sallettes and as well weapened with euerye manne a sworde a Target and a Speare or Pyke to keepe the Temple that they shoulde not come foorthe Moreouer Anani caste in his minde that besides the settynge vppon theim in the Temple whiche were in no wise semelye it shoulde also bee as greate a dammage if the people of the Lorde shoulde one riue and sticke an other in the verye Temple For these causes he sente Embassadours to Iehochanan the Galilean chiefe Capitaine of the the sedicious and thieues offerynge hym peace but Iehochanan refused it For the Sedicious had sente for the Edomites to come and ayde them These Edomites hadde bene euer from their firste beginnynge verie hardye and Valiaunte menne and warrelyke yet were they subiecte to the Iewes For Hircanus kynge
Warres at Hierusalem encreased yet styll and muche bloude was shedde thorowe the wyckednesse of Iehochanan Capitayne of Thieues a lymme of the Deuyll and throughe the cut-throate murtherers that were wyth hym who had all euen sworn the vtter destruction of the citye of the Lorde and the deathes of hys people There was also an other cutthroate a noble manne of Iudea at Hierusalem aboute the same tyme called Schimeon who begā also to follow Iehochanans manners in sleainge innocentes and robbynge and reauing in Hierusalem for asmuche as Anani the hye Prieste hadde once appointed him Prince and chiefe Capitaine of Hierusalem and afterwardes findynge hym an ennemye banished hym the Citye Wherefore Schimeon wente and gate hym a route of Vnthriftes murtherers and thieues castynge in hys minde and saiynge Excepte I ioyne my selfe vnto suche good felowes I shall neuer bee able to be reuenged of Anani and his assistauntes that haue thus bannished mee oute of Hierusalem into exyle wrongfullye vnto my greate dishonoure Shall I that haue bene in suche estate now be caste out of my dignitie and be constrained to wander here and there as a banished manne He wente therfore throughe all the cities of Iudea and Galile causinge to be proclaimed in the stretes and market places and sente his letters where he coulde not come him selfe in this manner and fourme Who so euer listeth to be ridde from the bondage of his master or hathe had anye iniurye in his countrye or what seruaunte so euer desireth to be sette at libertye or who so can not abide the rule of his father or his master all that be in debte and stande in feare of their creditours or feare the iudges for sheadinge any innocente bloude and therfore lurketh solitarilye in woodes or mountaines if there be anye man that is accused of anye notorious crime and in any daunger therefore to be shorte who so euer is disposed to robbe and reaue to do iniurye and wronge to haunt hores to steale to murther to eat and drinke at other mennes coste withoute laboure of his handes let him resorte to me and I will deliuer him from the yoake and daunger of the lawes I will finde him his fill of booties and spoiles There assembled vnto hym aboute twentye thousande men al murtherers theues rebelles lawlesse persones wicked and sedicious menne Then began Schimeon also to vexe the Israelites to tourne all vppe side downe where so euer he came When the citizens of Ierusalem the priestes elders and Anani the hie priest hearde tidinges of Schimeons dispitefull wickednesse howe he helde on still oppressinge the people of God they were verye pensiue and saide nowe will this felowe more trouble vs than Iehochanan be he neuer so cruel They consulted therefore and agreed secretelye to sende a power against him that might sodenlye fall vpon him and ouerrunne him perauenture saye they they may flea him or take him aliue before his wickednesse grow to further inconuenience and ioyne him selfe with oure foes then shall they assaile vs bothe within the towne and without They made oute therefore agaynste hym a greate armye of Israelites and Iewes with Charettes and horsemenne and footemenne in greate number whiche came where his campe laye and found him in the corne fieldes distroiynge of the graine pullinge downe of barnes and burninge all bothe corne and Oliue trees Then the Ierosolimites deuided their armie and set vppon Schimeons tentes sodainelye smote downe his tentes and made a greate slanghter vppon the sedicious But shortelye after Schimeon gate the vpper hand of the people of GOD for he came vpon them in the nighte season and made a soore slaughter amongest them Then they that remained tooke theim selues to flighte towardes Hierusalem and Schimeon pursued them killinge them vnto the harde gates of Hierusalem so that mauye of them were slaine in the waye and verye fewe escaped After this Schimeon went and moued warre vpon the Edomites to subdue them vnto him selfe whiche before were vnder the dominion of the Hierosolimites And first the came to the Citye Asa otherwise called Gaza for it was the firste Citye wythin the borders of Edome as menne come from Hierusalem But the Edomites met hym in the fielde in greate noumber and ioyned wyth hym but nether part hadde the vyctorye wherefore at lengthe they retired bothe Then was Schimeon in so greate a rage when as he coulde not ouercome these Edomites that he wishte him selfe out of his lyfe So he ceassed fightynge a whyle and encamped hym selfe in the borders of the Lande of Edome ryght agaynste it and there abode thynkynge to sette vppon theim at an other tyme. And as hee was deuisynge howe to order all thynges there came vnth hym an Edomite called Iacob one of the chiefest menne amongste them and a warrioure He hearinge of Schimeons proclamation was moned to come and enter in league wyth him therupon sayd vnto hym Neuer let it discomfort thee that thou couldest not ouercome the Edomites at the firste battail If thou wilte be rulled by my counsell thou shalt winne all the cities in the whole lande and I will deliuer thē into thy handes Schimeon desired to knowe how therfore sayde he let vs here thy counsell and shewe vs how it may be brought about and when it is come to passe then wil we honour thee and rewarde thee accordinglye Iacob said geue me the one halfe of thine armie which I will lead with me into an ambushe then shalte thou in the mornyng betimes set thy men in araye againste the Edomites for a stale and when thou shalte perceiue them come againste thee then make as thoughe thou fledst vntill thou hast staled them out of the towne into the feldes to pursue thee Then will I with my menne come out of our ambushe and make spede to the gates where wee shal kill the Warders and fodainely enter the towne likewise kill all that wee finde there and set vp a flagge vpon a tower of the town Then ▪ when the Edomites shal see that their heartes wil be done and deade for sorowe then maiest thou turne again vpon them and beat them downe at thy pleasure Or if thou like not this deuise heare yet another way I haue bene a captaine amongst theim a longe while therefore I will returne in the night season into the towne if the watche examine mee from whence I come I will tell theim I come from Schimeons campe whither I went as a spie Then will I go to the elders of the towne and will thē to let me haue a companie of the best souldiours and I wil bringe Schimeon into their handes if he sette vppon vs againe For I haue vewed his campe and his power and vnderstande that hee entendes to morow to entermeddle with vs which thou shalt doe in dede And when thou seest me to issue against thee thou shalt set thy staffe in the reste and come towardes me then will I take me to flight and caste a feare
Prophets slaine amongst those holy men For before the holy temple was the Prophet Sechariahu that iust and holye man buchered and murthered yea without al burial nether was his bloud couered with earthe but yet stil wandreth about and muttereth in the. The blud of Anani also and Iosua the chiefe Priestes was yet neuer couered which were bothe slaine in thy temple as men be wont to kil theues yea the bloud of the godly yonge men and valeant men that would haue reuenged them was shed also by the sedicious like floudes of water How are the harts of the people turned so auckwardly that they wil heare no admonicion of iuste men But are like vnto blockishe images that neither see nor heare nor yet vnderstand any thinge All beasâ—es be they neuer so brutish al plantes and thinges that growe vpon th earth withstande them that inuade them to do them iniury and endeuour to auoid the force of their enemye but thy children the thou kepest within thee are chaunged into ennemies and one brother murthereth an other with the sworde Where is now thy valeauntnes thou that neuer wouldest how to beare the yoke of the gentils vpon thy shoulders but hast cast away the bondage of the Egiptians Philistines Aramites Assirians Chaldeis Persians and Medes Where is the strengthe that God gaue to the Chasmonaites that with a verye smal companye defended thee and preuailed againste the huge and puissaunte armye of the Grekes destroyed the stout souldioures of Babilon vanquished the mightye armye of the Persians slue Kamitiarus and Antiochus and pursued their armies making great slaughters of them and filling al places ful of dead carcases of the gentils They would not be ruled by sinners but veÌ„tred theÌ„ selues to die offring their liues not for their sonnes and doughters but for the sanctuarye of the Lord his temple leaste it shuld be polluted with the idols of the gentils Wher remaineth now the rod of god that holy rod that budded blossomed in the daies of gladnes Nowe is both the sprigs withered and the rod it self also The rod of faith is withered the rod of the kingdom the rod also of thy people froÌ„ whome the holy law is taken away nether is ther any man the can tel where to draw any waters of the heauenly mercy Alas the merciful meÌ„ that haue bene in times paste to their brethreÌ„ both aliue dead how are they now turned into moste cruel tirantes haue mercye of no man Where is the multitude of their mercies wherwith they were woÌ„t honorably to bury their dead Now the corses of their dead bodies couer the face of the hole earthe there is no body wil vouchsafe to bury theÌ„ yea they the wold caÌ„ not be suffred but straitwaies cometh other to theÌ„ kils theÌ„ before they can do it so that they also die lie vnburied are strowed about here there in the fields Such is the guise in the now a daies nether the father to bury the soÌ„ne nor the sonne the father the sedicious watch so diligâ—tly those that be dead least any man should bury them which if they do thei are also slaine by them and lie vnburied them selues The temple of the lord that is in thee and was wont to smell swetelye of spices anointmentes and perfumes How is it now choked with carian donge and most pestileÌ„t stenche of dead bodies bloud of the wouÌ„ded Thy streates are strowed full of deade men some run throughe with glaues and iauelines and other dead for hunger yea they that remaine yet aliue in the citye are as good as deade also and maye be taken for no lesse For they are weary of their liues because of the pestilente dampe of the deade bodyes whiche also hathe bene the deathe of manye and hathe cast many into most daungerous diseases This may worthelye seme to be it that Dauid the annointed of the God of Iacob the pleasaunte and swete musicall Poet of Israell speaketh of Lorde the gentilles are comen into thine inheritaunce they haue polluted the teÌ„ple of thy holines And woulde to God it had bene gentils tilles that thou haddest brought vppe nourished and exalted to do this dede to rebell and sinne againste thee and to pollute thus the holye temple that is in thee For in the maliciousnesse of an ennemye a manne finedeth the halfe of his comforte but in the malice of a frende there is no comforte at all Yea the verye children that thou hast bred broughte vppe and promoted the selfe same haue stuffed the teÌ„ple of the Lord that is in thee with vnburied carcases euery manne killinge his neighboure and the seditious suffringe no man to burye them but sleainge all that attempte to bestowe anye suche benefite vppon the deade in suche sort that they fall deade vppon the corses which they woulde haue buried by that meanes bothe the corses lie caste oute in the fielde no better then the carcases of brute beastes that be founde in deserte places Yea the iniquitie and crueltie of thy citizens O Ierusalem is grown so farre that they were not contente onlye to kil their neighbours but they muste also hewe their bodies in pieces for els they thought thei wer not sufficientlye reuenged althoughe that in so doynge manye tymes the stenche of the deade toke worthye vengeaunce againe of the liuynge by castyng him into vncurable diseases All whiche euils are come vppon thy children because they haue forsaken the lawe of the Lorde and haue traungressed hys couenaunt that hee made wyth their brethren because also they haue sinned againste the Lorde GOD of their fathers in sheadinge the bloude of iust menne and innocentes that were in in thee euen in the temple of the Lord. And therefore are our sorowfull sighbynges multiplied and our wepinge daiely encreased for that we haue bene the cause of all these euils that are befallen vs and are not yet ended O Lorde our God our Sinnes are gone ouer our heades and the wicked actes that we haue committed in thy sight are innumerable The Lorde our God is righteous it is we that haue rebelled against his will we haue prophaned and vnhalowed his lawe we haue broken his couenaunt And euer the more that his Wrathe enkindleth againste vs the more haue we traunsgressed against him Wherfore to hym belongeth iustice iudgement he hath worthelye poured the furye of hys displeasure vppon vs to vs onelye belongeth shame as wee haue aboundauntly at this daie But he will once turne againe and haue mercie vpon vs vainquishe all oure sinnes and caste theim all into the deepe bottomes of the sea So be it AFter these thinges the thirde daye of the firste moneth in the firste yeare of the raygne of Vaspasian Titus his soÌ„ne toke muster of his men in the plaine of Cesaria to knowe the certain number of theim which he had not done afore sence his fathers departure and he founde them verie manye in so muche that they
battailes on euerye side They within the towne when they sawe their felowes once at the mounte Oliuet they opened the gates issued withall their power that was left in the towne and encountred with Titus where he had set his men in arraye ouer againste the gate where thei made a great slaughter of the Romaines whiche striuing to auenge the shame gotteÌ„ the dai before fled not but stucke to it hard The Iewes also toke hart vnto them fought manfully bet downe the Romaines that at lengthe they toke theÌ„ to flighte toward the mouÌ„t Oliuet and in their flight many of theÌ„ were slaine of the Iewes that pursued the chase Vpon this diuers of Titus souldioures seinge them selues beset both before and behind couÌ„seled Titus to flee with them vnto the mountains to saue his life least he should be slain by the Iewes and they all together with him For thou saye they arte a greate Lord of many kingdomes and God shal one day bring thee to the imperial crowne of our Lorde thy father Nowe therefore if thou shouldest be slaine of the Iewes we are al but dead and what good should thy deathe do other to thy selfe or to other to be slaine like one of vs Yet Titus would not be ruled by them nor receiue their counsel but kept his ground boldly without once turninge his face sayinge I vvill chuse rather to die vvith honoure then to liue vvith shame And with that he rushed vpon the Iewes that were nye him and drue them to recule When the Iewes that had enuironned the Romaine campe sawe that they lefte the Romaines and came flocking about Titus by routes assailinge him on euerye side endeuouringe also withal their might to ouercharg him wherthrough in that place was a sore and vehement fight and muche people slaine on both parties yea Titus scapt narowly from being slain in that fight and he had dyed in deede if certaine of his valeant souldiours had not returned vnto him and rescued him ouâ—e of the Iewes handes That day were the chiefe of Titus souldiours slaine Then the Iewes retyred to their place at the walles side Thei also that went to the mount Oliuet returned homeward by the broke Cedron The Romaynes seinge that pursued them wherupon the Iewes tourned againe vppon the Romayns who fled by and by Thus the Iewes put the Romayns to flight thrise vpon one day IT came to passe theÌ„ that the external warres paused and internall ciuill warres reuiued most terribly amongst the sedicious at Hierusalem For vpon the firste daye of the hye solemne feast of Passeouer captaine Iehochanan and his menne came into the temple of the Lorde where he was honourablye receiued of the priestes and Elders with the rest of the comminaltie And when thei were within they cast of their vpper garmentes vnder which thei were armed with coats of fence swords tied to their thighs After that they beset the dores laid hold of the priests slue theÌ„ the people also their hearts was so cruelly bent against their brethren nether regarding the reuerent countenaunces of olde men nor enclining to the praiers of them that besought theÌ„ without sparing ether wemen or children no not the suckinge babes This done Iehochanan stode vp opeÌ„ly protested that nether Schimeon nor Eleasar nor any of the reast of the captains of the seditious nor any manne elsse shoulde haue the soueraintie in that citye but he The other hearinge that Iehochanan had wrought such displeasure to the people of God in the temple risse together and slue very many of Iehochanans part but in the meane season what of th one parte and what of the other the Israelites wente to wracke and were slain in great nomber Tidinges came to Titus how the Iewes conspired against them selues and slue one an other daily wherat he reioysed greatly came with his hole hoste to the town where he found certain Iewes withoute that had fled because of the rage of the ciuill warres WheÌ„ they saw Titus they came besought him to enter the town and deliuer them from the crueltye of the sedicious they wold be his seruantes for these warres had made theÌ„ almost wearye of their liues Yet Titus gaue litle credit to their tale although they made manye wordes to perswade him that it was true For he remembred howe within three daies afore he sawe the Iewes fighte againste him egarlye al with one accorde so earnestlye one rescuing and defending an other that no discorde appeared to be amongst them Wherfore he wold not beleue their wordes in that they required succour and offred to yeld And as they wer thus debatinge the matter sodeÌ„ly they heard an vprore in the town and wonderful hurliburly some cryinge Open the gates and let Titus come in other cried shut the gates let not the Romayns come in Then certaine vppon the walles called vnto the Romayns to make spede and come vnto the towne they would open them the gates that they might enter in and deliuer theim from the tyrannye of the sedicious least they should be all slayne by the handes of those rauinous and cruel sedicious persons The Romains therfore ranne to the gates and when they approched nye the Walles and were come within daunger the Iewes hurled stones from the walles shotte arrowes at them fleaynge very many of the Romayns The other Iewes also that were without the towne and had besought Titus to deliuer them froÌ„ the hands of the sedicious began to assayle the Romaynes that wer gon to the walles with suche force that many of them they slew the residue they put to flyght the Iewes folowed the chase almoste to Aiclona Then the Iewes mockâ— flouted the Romaynes calling them freshe water souldiers men of no experience and innocent fooles that neuer sawe the traynes of warre before clappyng also theyr targetes and shakyng theyr swordes agaynste the Romaynes in mockage The Romayne captaines seing these thinges thei toke greate disdayne at the matter and in a great yre would haue turned back vpoÌ„ the Iewes again had not Titus caused the retreate to be blowen Vpon this Titus asseÌ„bled al his counsailours captains and souldiours together and said vnto them in this wise I haue a sufficient trial and vnderstand wel mough your valiantnes courage most worthy men deare souldiers whych farre passeth the streÌ„gth maÌ„hode of al other nacions not onely in this most excelleÌ„t vertue do ye excel but also in know ledge and sleightes of war in wisdome forecast ye haue ben chief of al other Now therfore brethre frends I marueil not so greatly at the Iewes subtiltie craft in their swearing to you for the persuading of a thing after kepe not their oth but this semeth wonderful to me that ye suffer your selues styl to be disceiued of them to be slaine by their wiles For al the wit ye haue could not deliuer you out of their snares but now yet again
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
all quarters for to ayds the Romaynes by whose healpe they preuayled agaynste the Iewes at suche tymes as they issued oute of the Towne and constrayned them to wythorawe them selues within the walles Yet Titus pitiynge the miserable state of the Citye Temple and people of the Lorde at that tyme commaunded hys people to wythdrawe theim selues from the walles and to leaue of the assaulte for a whyle that he myghte offer peace vnto the Iewes to see if they woulde nowe be contente to submitte theim selues vnto the Romayns to haue quiet and rest wythout daunger of distruction Wherfore he gaue them truce for fiue dayes And vpon the fift daye he came to the gate of the citie whereas he straightway espied Schimeon and Iehochanan together preparing fire to distroye the Romains engyns of warre for all the Iewes had agreed together with one accorde and one minde still to withstande the Romayns Wherfore Titus perceiuynge the Iewes to be so desperatlye set that they hadde euen vowed their lyues to deathe he began to offer and propose vnto them cōdicions of peace sharply to reproue and blame their obstinate stubburnnes saiyng I haue now won two of your wals and ye haue but one left Therfore if you will continue stil in this selfe willed frowardnes what wyl ye dooe most miserable creatures when as I shall atchiue also the thirde wall and quite distroy your citye pullynge downe your Temple and all Why dooe ye not rather fauoure and spare your own liues your wiues and children But the Iewes set vppon a solemne obstinacie would in no wyse heare Titus speake Therefore Titus sent Iosephe to declare his minde vnto them in Hebrue that they might safely credite his promises and the peace that was offered Iosephe therefore went and stode ouer agaynst the gate képynge hym selfe alofe of for he was afrayed to come nie the wall knowyng that the people hated hym bicause he had yelded him self to the Romains He called therefore vnto theim aloude Hearken all ye Hebrues and Iewes I will declare vnto you that that shal be to your profite Then the People gaue eare vnto Ioseph who spake vnto them in this wise An oration of Iosephus to the Citisins of Hierusalem YOu shoulde ere this good people of Ierusalem haue fought so earnestlye whiles your Cities were yet standynge and your Lande repienished with people ere euer this mischefe had lighted vpon you Now after that with murders and slaughters amongst your selues you haue distroyed one another and poluted the temple of the sanctuarye with the bloude of the murthered neither haue spared your owne liues You are become fewe in noumber a small sorte of you is lefte what hope haue you then to preuayle Agayn you haue stirred here and prouoked a valiant Nacion whiche is ruler ouer all people and hath subdued all other landes whiche also hath those nacions in subiection vnder them which somtime raigned ouer you Besides this you wage battail with the Romains without all wit or wysdome without any remors of this moste famous Citye without any reuth of the sanctuary of the Lord without any pitye of your owne liues Nether yet do you sorsake your purpose for I perceyue you to cōtinue in this same self will to withstand the Romaines stil which is nothing else then to sprede abroad this calamity further both vpon the people of God vpon his holy tēple Al bett I am not afraied only for this holy tēple moste renoumed City leest it shulde be raced and distroied but for the sacrifices burntoffringes leest they shuld cease as the dayly facrifice is ceassed And why For we haue sinned against our Lord God wherfore his shadowe is departed frome vs bycause that in this same tēple we haue kept warres whyche hath ben an habytacion of wicked a tabcrnacle of seditious persones yea euen the ministers and holy men of God haue ye murthered within the walles of the tēple haue ye shed innocēt bloud without measure See now deare brethren marke what ordinaunce what engins what instrumentes of destruction are addressed to beate downe the Temple the fire is alreadye kindeled to set a fire the sanctuarye And loe euen your verye enemies are sorie for your temple that thei woulde not haue it defaced But you deare brethren and frendes why are you led with no remorse of your selues that your enemies maye once remoue from you these engines of warres What haue you nowe left to trust vnto when as two of your walles are alreadye battered downe and one onelye remayneth You will saye peraduenture we put not our trust in our wals but in our God Are ye not aware that your God hath longe agone geuen you ouer and hath turned him to your enemies because they haue with greater honour and reuerence worshipped his name then we which rebelliously are fallen awaye from him Wherefore God assisteth not vs but our enemies in so muche that except it be in suche countreys whereas either for extreme colde of the one side or exceadyng heat on the other no man is able to abyde all landes all nacions are vnder their dominion Tell me I pray you what expectation haue you seinge GOD hath made them a terrour vnto all nacions vpō the earth who serueth theim Why wil not you obey them that you may liue and not perishe Doe you not consider it is come to their turn to rule ouer all that God hath committed dominion vnto theim and ayded theim with his assistāce Remember you not how God in times past ayded the Egiptians in so much that thei obteined the dominion ouer all the hole worlde but afterwarde departed from theim and assisted you to get the soueraintye ouer other nacions After that forsoke you againe and gaue the empire vnto the Chaldeis Assirians and Persians whyche raigned farre and wyde ouer manye countreys Nowe also hathe geuen theim ouer and helpeth the Romaynes these manye yeares so that they beare rule ouer all If you wyll obiect and say To what entent should God geue the dominion vnto the Romaynes or other Nacions ouer the worlde and ouer his enheritaunce and people also whiche is an holy temple a peculier and speciall Nacion of all the earth Shoulde you not be ashamed to saie this with what discretion can you wonder at this knowing that all mākynde one and other are the handy-worke of God who exalteth whom he list whom he list he thrusteth doune Ye say ye be the children of God his proper possessiō and ye aspire to the soueraintie therfore it can not be the God should determine any thing vpon you by chaunce fortune or sodaine anger displeasure I graunt but wot ye what The shadow or protection of the Lorde hath forsakē you bicause of your sinnes and transgressions againste the tēple his holy ministers Howe then can you staye vpon his helpe when as he hath withdrawen his louynge countenance from you and your synnes haue made a deuorce betwene
you and hym Oh my deare children and brethren let neuer this imagination enter into youre heartes for it shall nothinge auail you Why will you my deare brethren and frendes make war vpon the Romains when as they are lords ouer nacions haue pearced the straightes of India of al Isles of the sea euen to the great Ocean sea froÌ„ thence to al the parts of the East whose dominion extendeth to the extreame parâ—es of the earth Yea euen to Brytayn ouer al Scotlande whiche is enupronned on cuerye syde wyth Seas whose people is huge like Gyantes of a bigge stature and of a mightye courage most expert archeâ—s valiant souldiers in battail To whom when the Capitaine of the Romayns came they gaue him the repulse and would not be subdued but when the Prynces of the Romaines came they brought them into subiection and seruitude vnder the Romayns But you saye my brethren frendes you wyll rather all dye then serue the Princes of the Gentyles and that death is better for you then lyfe to be driuen to see with youre eyes the calamities of the sanctuarye and people of GOD. Search the histories and chronicles frome the tyme of youre auncestours When was there euer anye tyme wherin you were free frome the yoke of the Gentils Do you not know that Iacob our father of worthy memorye who was alwayes wyth GOD and God with hym toke his iourney into Egypte to bee a straunger in a straunge land amongst a proude kinde of people least he his children housholde and cattell shoulde pearish with honger There he hadde wyth hym his twelue sons whiche he had begotten and dwelt there also with his smal familie for fear of the greuous famine that was at that tyme. Remember you not when that Iudas wyth hys brethren wente downe into Egypte howe Iosephe was moued as a straunger to pycke a quarell agaynste hys brethrene to brynge theim into bondage bearynge yet in hys minde what iuiurye they hadde done hym Wherefore some of theim he caste in Prisone and â—handeled theim at hys pleasure with crafty accusations especially Iuda who was the chiefe amongest them of whom all the Iewes toke their name whoe if he hadde bene so disposed hadde bene able to laye Ioseph at hys foote a thousande tymes not knowynge hym to bee Iosephe Wherefore when he was so roughlye and so sharpelye taunted of hym hee myghte haue killed hym in hys rage For he was a verye bolde manne and a hardye and of a noble courage whiche surely hadde not forced a rishe to haue slayne that Egyptian and moe to of his fellowes Notwythstandynge he did not soo vut contrary submitted hym selfe vnder the yoke of Iosephe called hym his Lorde and good master supposing him to be some Egiptian humbled him self before him to obtain his peticion to get corne least his father his brethren and other familye should die for honger What should I saie of Ioseph so beautifull so wise wittye a man was not he faine to serue in Pharoos house wherein although his wisdome was well knoweÌ„ insomuch that Pharao set more by him then by al the noble meÌ„ that were then aliue was also called lord greatmaster and Pharaos father neuertheles he huÌ„bly besought Pharao that he might sustaine his father and brethrene wyth bread knowyng that at the time the dominion belonged to Pharao his people beinge geuen theim of God And although if Iosephe had list to returne into the lande of Canaan wyth all hys fathers whole housholde without Pharaos leaue no man coulde haue letted hym to do it for he bare the greatest rule at that tyme in Egypte yet did he not so Beniamin also who was likened to a reuenynge woulfe for hys fearcenes when he was fetched agayne by force of Iosephes Stewarde faynyng a lye vppon hym howe chaunced he did not kyll hym Or els when he alone pursued Beniamin and hys other brethren coulde not be if he hadde list haue slayne the felowe and buried him so that the matter shoulde neuer haue come to light Notwythstandyng they did nothinge so nor so but Iudas wiselye waiynge the eraltations and deiections the promocions and disgracynges wyth the common courses of the worlde retourned agayne wyth his brethren into the Citye wente to Iosephe and besought hym vntyl his bowels were moued to pitye and hee was knowen of his brethren All these thinges doth the most holy lawe of the Lord rehearse vnto vs putteth vs in minde of for this intent that we maye learne to beare for necessities sake the yoke of him that hath the preeminence rule for his time Nether let any iudge or thinke the Ioseph offended god in that he submitted him selfe vnder the yoke of Pharao for it is no shame for a wise maÌ„ to crouch vnto him whose helpe he staÌ„deth in nede of whatsoeuer he be much more if he be a kyng or a Lorde Do ye not knowe that oure fathers were in bondage to king Pharao in Aegypt But after the lorde remembred the couenaunt that he made with our fathers and had determined to lead them out of Aegipt he sent Moses our maister of famous memory his Angel his chosen who knew the lorde to be with hym wherby he was able to destroy who soeuer dyd ryse against him neuerthelesse when he came to Pharaos presence who then bare rule in Aegipt he showed not hym felfe in armes but rather wyth thunder and hayle that Pharao mighte well perceyue and knowe God was the Lord. But at what tyme as Pharao oppressed the Israelites to sore oure master Moyses by godes helpe brought them out of Aegipt with a strong hand and a stretched forthe arme agaynste the Aegiptianes whom he punished with continuall plages by that meanes deliuering the Israelites out of the handes of their Lordes and Maisters and bringing them to the mount of God made them heyres of all goodnes that is to saye of the moste holye lawe of God And after Iosua had subdued the holy lande to the Israelites and that they inhabited it there chaunsed vnto oure fathers times of aduersitie as it is meÌ„tioned in the bookes of the Prophetes so that they were constreyned to serue the king of Aschur a long season and the kinges of Persia to the Chaldees also were we in bondage althoughe not very greuous but tollerable More ouer with other kinges of the gentiles we had warres and sometimes we were put to foyles sometimes we had the vpper hand Nowe therefore my brethern tell me what shame were it to you if you were subiecte to the Romaines or what ar you to be coÌ„pared to other nations that be vnder theyr dominion Do you not see that the Romaines reigne ouer your enemies and beare rule ouer them that sometimes were your maisters and haters were it not reason rather that you shuld loue them whiche haue brought doun your enemies and reuenged you of them whych notwithstanding you haue nothing at all dooen but rather haue
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
I beseche you the thinges that grow vppon the earth and al liuyng creatures beastes wormes that crepe vppon the grounde fowles of the ayre and fisshes of the sea Doe you not see howe euer the stronger hathe the dominion ouer the weaker neither is it anye rebuke or shame for the weaker to geue place and obeye that whiche is stronger For the Ore and Goate are in awe of the Lyon the Ramme and the Ewe of the Woulfe the cowe and the lambe feare the beare the goate the libarde the hauke is afraied of the egle the doue of the hauke Wey the maner of Beastes and birdes amongest their owns kinde you shall see euer the bigger and stronger to be master ouer the lesss weaker And so in all other thinges the stroÌ„ger set theÌ„ selues before the weaker alwaies Wherfore ye mortal men learne ye hereat did not one God make al things he him selfe hath dominioÌ„ ouer theÌ„ al notwithstanding all things are so knit together amoÌ„gst theÌ„ selues that no one thing can staÌ„d without another But he the holdes vp al things is the blessed god who if he list caÌ„ bringe theÌ„ al into dust againe his name be extold for euer Take example I pray you of the parts of the hole world you shal se one part to be in subiection an other to bear rule Be not theÌ„ so stiffe necked to pernert the natural courses of the world but rather let your election folowe the causes euents of the same which if you do you shall be estemed for wise men Now then my dear couÌ„try men neuer think it shame for you to serue the Romains it is time for you now to return to the lord with your hole heart then eueÌ„ you also shal haue the dominioÌ„ ouer other nacions according to your desire This shal then come to passe wheÌ„ you folow your lord God with al your streÌ„gth Therfore neuer thinke that the Romaynes whiche haue rule ouer you at this day are of lesse power then other people that heretofore hane had the domiuion ouer you For they are a mighty nacion their Empire and rule ouer other people they haue from aboue as I haue proued to you by the similitudes of brute beasts which accordyng to nature beare rule one ouer an other Notwithstandinge in mankinde it shoulde neuer haue come to passe that the bigger shoulde so haue the dominion ouer the lesse vnlesse for their sinnes for the which thei are so punished the one is coÌ„pelled to bow his neck vnder anothers yoke Nowe therfore my deare people take humilitie and mekenes vnto you neuer couet to alter the lawes of nature but rather receiue my wordes folow my counsell obey the Romains prest ready to make a leage with you accordyng to their bountifulnesse that you may liue do full well When Ioseph the prieste hadde spoken these thinges in the hearyng of the Citizins of Hierusalem they burste oute and wepte gnasshed wyth theyr teeth rayled at Ioseph ouer the walles hurling stones and dartes at him to haue killed him Therfore when Ioseph sawe that they woulde not folowe his counsaile but were so stiffe necked he begaÌ„ to rebuke them most sharpely criyng vnto theim in this wise Woe to all frowarde People and suche as rebell againste the LORD GOD what meane ye you wretches what haue ye to leane vnto that ye are so stubburne when as neuertheles the Lorde is gone from you For you are wicked people haue sinned againste him Howe can your sinnes be purged which ye haue committed in the Temple of the Lorde by sheadinge of innocente bloude without all mercse Ye are moste giltye for ye haue fought in the temple and sanctuarye of the Lord ye haue defiled it with the dead bodyes of theim whom ye haue slayne in the midst thereof Besides that ye haue suspended and vnhalowed the name of the Lords with youre fightinges making warres vpon your Sabboth daie vpon your solemne and festiual daies Tel me now ye frowarde rebels whether did euer your forefathers preuaile against their enemies with speare and shilde or rather with prayer penaunce and purenes of hearte wherwith they serued GOD and he againe deliuered them But you what haue ye to truste vnto when as ye are vnfaithful Your shadow and protectioÌ„ is departed from you and your Lorde God aydeth your enemies whose power he mainteyneth to distroye you If you imagine to be deliuered with your swords speares you are foulie disceiued whereas God would not that you shoulde escape the hands of your enemies OpeÌ„ your eies and se what Dauid the anointed of the lord said For the lord vvill saue neither by svvorde nor speare Call to your remeÌ„brance ye very foles Abraham your father which begat you by what meanes he ouercame Pharao the kinge of Egipt who violently had taken away Sara his wife froÌ„ him surely nonother way did he obteine the victory then by praier vnto the lord who stirred the spirit of Pharao and put him in minde to restore him his wife Sara clene vndefiled AbrahaÌ„ was quiet in his bed at reste from al troubles but Pharao that greate Lorde and ruler he was punished in the meane season with greate plages bicause of Sara whoÌ„ he had takeÌ„ to him by violeÌ„ce to defloure her which God wold not suffer but rather vncouered Pharaos flesh that he was fain to shewe the secrete partes of his bodye to phisitions to se if thei coulde he ale theÌ„ But who can cure thinfirmities which god sendes or who knowes his enteÌ„ts For who knewe that Ieschaciahus biles could be healed with a plaster of figs or Naman Syrus lepry with the waterê of Iordan or the bitter waterê with wormwode Wherefore when as no man could cure Pharao he was glad faine to speake Abraham faire to intreate him to pray vnto god to take away froÌ„ him this plage so by his prayer Pharao recouered Then Pharao apparaled Sara in precious garmentes gaue her giftes bothe golde and siluer and preous stones sent her home honest pure and holy to Abraham liyng then in his owne house Isaac also when hee was driuen oute by Abimilech kinge of the Philistines and had with him the bonde seruauntes of his fathers housholde to the number of .8 hundred .18 wyth whoÌ„ Abraham had discoÌ„fited fiue kinges befide many other mo of his family so that he had ben stronge inough to to haue inuaded the Philistines yet he would not do it but with all mekenes humilitie he vsed him self toward the king of that countrey Notwithstandynge after he was driuen out of that lande the Philistines came vnto hym and entreated hym saiynge we perceiue the Lorde God is with thee c. as it is written in the Scripture What shal we saye of Iacob when he fled froÌ„ the preseÌ„ce of his brother Esau he caried nothing with him but a bare staffe wherwith he passed ouer the riuer Iordan as it is written Wyth my
staffe passed I this Iordane Hys necessaries tooke wyth him for his iourney was praier wherwith he made al his wars That was it for the whyche God assisted him when he went away to Laban and when he returned from him when also he was deliuered out of the hands of hys brother Esau that sought to kyll hym Moreouer by the way as he returned when he wrasteled with a certaine man and ouercame him Oh lorde who is able to number the mercies of the Lord the maruails which he wrought wyth our fathers of worthye memorie Abraham Isaac and Iacob What should I speake of Moyses our shepeherd the man of god that feared the cruelty of Pharao vntil he writ in the law that he had called the name of his son Eliasar for he said the god of his father helped him deliuered him out of the handes of Pharao And when he came before Pharao to deliuer Israell oute of hys handes and to leade thē out of Egypt what thing els ouercame he the tyrāt withal thē with praier Did he not ouerthrow the prid of Pharao his charmers only with the rod of the Lord which he had with him Wherwith also he smote Aegipt with ten plages deuided the sea into twelue pathes And at the red sea Moyses resisted not Pharao and hys hostes wyth force of armes but with prayer wherfore Pharao all his ware drouned in the botom of the sea But Moyses sang a song of prayse vnto oure God whyle the souldiers of the Aegiptians perished that came agaynste Moyses and the people of Israell with weapons horses chariotes notwithstāding by the meanes of Moyses prayer they wer ouerwhelmed al in the sea so that not one of thē escaped Who is ignorant of this that prayer is of more force then all instrumentes of war that it spedeth and hasteneth the help of the Lorde and his sauing health Do you not know whā Iosua the minister of Moyses passed ouer Iordan that he was a warlyke man and had with him very manye moste valeant souldiers Neuertheles he destroyed not the seuen walles of Iericho by force of war but all onlye with prayer and with the showtes noyse of the preestes of the Lorde our forfathers Knowe ye not howe that prayer auayled Gedeon when as he with 300. men vanquished the hole hoste of Median Amalek the people of the east if prayer had not helped him I praye you what had 300. men ben able to do against so great a multitude Mark ye fond people what chaūsed in the arke of the couenant of the Lorde that the Philistins toke away Our fathers truly were not able to recouer it by theyr swordes force of armes But with the prayer that the iust men of that adge made the ark was brought agayn vnto his place Cōsider the times of Hezekia king of Iuda when as Sennacherib king of Assur came vp blaspheming rayling vpō the sanctuary of the Lord God of hostes vttering the pryd malice of his hart by what meanes was he ouerthrone did our fathers ouercome him by force of armes Nay without doubte but with prayer supplication For Hezekia the king went put on apparail mete for prayer in sted of a shild he toke sack cloth for a helmet he cast dust vpō his heed in steed of arrowes a sword he set hand vpon prayer and supplieatiō And the prayer the Hezekia made mounted vp so far as no arrow had bene euer able to flee so that hys one petition and prayer ouerthrou 185. thousand most valeāt men of the hoste of Sennacherib Forthermore the king of Iuda king of Israell king of Edom ioyning their powers together inuaded the Moabites in a wildernes an vnoccupied barē dry lād they wer in great peril for thyrst what profited thē their artillery furniture of war Did there not issue out for thē at the instant praier of Eliseus a prophet mā of God plēty of waters in the desert a broke in the wildernes Came it not to passe also by the praier of the same Eliseus that a wonderful hurlybucly a rūbling ratling of chariots of war of horses was hard in the camps of the Sirianes besedging the citie of Samaria with the which noyse the Sirianes being a ferd fled noman pursuing nor folowing thē ye know also the by the prayer of the forsayd prophet the famin and lack of victuales that was in the toune of Samaria was turned into great abundaūce and plenty in so much that thirty Ephas or mesures of fine meale were sold for one piece of siluer Do you not see most folish men how our forfathers had the victory euer by prayer But let vs come to the beginning agayn and speak of Moyses what tyme as he held vp his handes toward heauen had not Israell the vpper hand of the Amalekites by his prayer Iosua also by hys prayer stayed the sunne and mone in the sight of the people of Israell the sunne stode stil in Gibeon the moone in the valey of Ailon that the euening was chaūged into monday and so Israel vanquished their enemies Sampson also that moste valeant gyant vntill such time as he had sinned did not God euermore heare his praier euer he gat the victory therby After he had once sinned he decayed as any other meane person Lykewyse also kynge Saule al the while he walked perfectly and purely his prayer encreased hys valeantnes and strenght but after he had once sinned God left hym gaue him ouer Dauid also king of Israel of famous memory from the time of his youth till his laste end his valiantnes neuer fayled him and why bycause he alwayes was helped bi his praier neither wolde he euer fight agaynst hys coūtry men and natiue people whan as Saule persecuted him Wherefore he preuayled agaynst his enemies and bycause he absteyned to lay his hādes vpon hys brethern therfore afterward all nations feared him Dyd not Assa king of Iuda accompanied with a smal numbre of men make an expedition againste the Aethiopianes and praing to the Lorde God sayd on this wyse VVe in dede knovve not vvhat to do but oure eyes are bente vpon thee c. Which prayer the almighty dyd hear and the victory followed so that Assa slew in the campes of the Aethiopians tenne hundreth thousand men Deboras a prophetyse by her prayer brought to pas great health in Israel What shal I tel of diuers other iuste godly wemen which by theyr prayers obteined many thīgs Tel me ye mad mē know ye not what Amaziahu king of Iuda did He hauing warres wyth the Edomites vāquished them and led them prysoners with their wyues and children idoles also to Ierusalē then fell to worshipping of the same idoles that he had taken from the Edomites saing vnto thē you ar they which haue saued me by the reason Iworship you therfore haue I ouercomed the Edomits
To whome wheÌ„ a prophet of the Lord came asked him why sekest thou and seruest the Goddes of that people that were not able to deliuer theÌ„ out of thy hand By by he taunted the prophet agayne sainge who made the of the kinges counsel wherfore after that he was no moar repreheÌ„ded of the prophet for the lord had determined to distroy him as it is writen in the bokes of the chronicles of the kinges of Iuda Ther fore he was taken prisoner afterward like a fore when as he fought agaynst Ioas king of Israel in Bethschemesch so was he compared to a lowe vyle thorn or shrub And Ioas vnto the noble hye ceder tree Yea all the euilles that euer happened vnto vs in any age it came of our selues for our lord God is ryghteous in all his workes that euer he wrought vpon vs. Oure enemis did vs neuer so much harm as we did to our selues to our owne liues Ye wote the geÌ„tiles toke our precious vessels of our saÌ„ctuary away to babel brought vs theÌ„ agayn vndefiled but we polluted defiled them our selues the teÌ„ple also with innoceÌ„t blud which we shed abundantly within it adding sinnes to sinnes euer mo mo breking the lawe with our euil actes For who brought the Romains first against the city of IerusaleÌ„ but Hircanus Aristobulê° for they being at dissentioÌ„ betwixt theÌ„ selues one hating the other called the to mains against this city who brought Antoni Sosius princes of the Romains agaynst Ierusalem but Herod beyng at variance for the kingdom with the house of Chasmonanites who also called Nero Caesar to reygn ouer vs dyd you it not your selues Nowe therfore why rebel ye against the empyre dominion of the Romaines If you will saye bycause the Romayn presideÌ„t Edomaeus ordered you to bad had it not ben mete rather to complain of him to the Emperour then to rebel agaynste the Romaynes and to make warre against them But you wyll say we rebelled agaynst Nero Caesar because he did vs to muche wronge Wherefore then rebell ye now against Vaspasian Caesar a moste merciful man and one which neuer hurt you Or why make ye not peace with his son to be vnder him accordinge as other nationes be that ye might lyue and not peryshe Haue ye not a sufficient profe of hys clemencie and mercifulnes when as he hath cause to be cruel vpon no man so much as vpon me whiche drew out my sword agaynst the Romaines and killed many of them notwithstanding neyther he nor the reste of the Romains haue done me any harme Yea rather they haue bestowed many benefites vpon me and although I was in their handes yet they haue saued my lyfe Yea I coÌ„fesse that before they had me prisoner I wolde gladly many times haue fled to theÌ„ but I could neuer do it for I was euer aferd of my wicked coÌ„paions least they shulde haue killed me so my death had bene to no purpose But now I prayse the lorde God without ceassing bycause that for his vnmeasurable mercies sake he wold not suffer me to be entaÌ„gled in the same mischieues the you be in Nether wold I wish to be a coÌ„panion of such loste vnthriftes castawayes as you be which haue shed the bloud of innoceÌ„tes in the teÌ„ple of the lord In deed if I had bene with you I shuld haue ben voyd of al hope as ye be seinge ye spare not your owne liues your owne coÌ„tumacie stubbernes is made a snare for you See I pray you with how great mischiefes you are laden First the lord is not emongst you insomuch the through the warres whiche you haue made emoÌ„gst your selues almost the waters of Schiloach ar dried vp which her tofore wheÌ„ the nations made war against you flowed in great abuÌ„dance ran ouer the bankes on both sydes But you are oâ—erth wart rebelles that haue euer prouoked the lord God vnto wrath you haue made slaughteres one vpoÌ„ an other in the midest of the teÌ„ple of the lord how can then the glory of the lord dwel emongst you Knowe ye not bycause of Korach his coÌ„gregatioÌ„ the lord sayd vnto Moyses to his people Separate your selues froÌ„ emoÌ„g this coÌ„gregatioÌ„ and I shal coÌ„sume theÌ„ in a tvvinkling of an eye But you are far worse then they for without all remors or pitie â—e pull doun the teÌ„ple of the lord with our own haÌ„des you your selues set fyre on the sanctuary which most noble kinges most holy prophets builded besyds al this ye nether spare your sonnes nor doughters And although I be in the Romains caÌ„p yet I am not absent froÌ„ you for my moste dearly beloued wife is with you the wife of my youth whoÌ„ I can not set lightly by at this present although I neuer had childreÌ„ by her but rather loue her moste entierly bycause she came of a most honest godly house My dear father mother ar also with you very aged persones for my father is at this day a hundreth three yeres olde my mother four score and fyue but the yeres of my life ar very few euil ful of tribulacion sorowe about threscore seuen nether haue I lyued yet so long that according to nature I shuld desire to dye Now therfor if so be it you trust not me but suppose I haue proposed these thinges to you deceytfully and that ther is no trust of Titus coueuant and bonde or that his league shuld be to your hinderaÌ„ce and discoÌ„moditie go to if it come so to pas it shal be leeful for you to kil my father mother my wife yea I swere vnto you by the lorde our God that I shall deliuer my lyfe also into your handes that you may do with me what ye list and by that meanes shall the bloud of my parentes my wyues myne be in pledge Therfore let the auncieÌ„t of the city come forth I wil make a league betwixt them and our lord Titus And doubt ye not but as hytherto the lorde God wold you shuld be afflicted punished by the gouernement of the Romaynes so hereafter he shall benefyt you therby and doo you good if so be it you wil once acknowledg and coÌ„fesse that al dominion is chaunged and altered at his coÌ„mandement that God humbleth whome he lyste and agayn whom he list he setteth aloft But persuade your selues of this that as longe as ye refuse to be subiect vnto the Romaines so long ye styre agaynste your selues Godes wrath and hye displeasure and besydes that differ the lengar and prolong your redemption and deliuerance not only to your selues but also to your posteritye Nowe therfore my brethern I thought it my parte to declare al these thinges vnto you and it is in your power to chuse whyther ye lyste for who so will let him geue eare vnto me and who not let him absteyn from my
was hard harted and wolde not be intreated for it was Gods will that Amittai shuld be punished bycause he was the bringer of Schimeon into Ierusalem therfore fel he into his handes which for good rewarded him with euill Schimeon commaunded a sorte of murtherers to place Amittai vpon the walles in the syght of the Romaynes and sayde vnto hym seest thou Amittai why doo not the Romaynes delyuer and rescue the oute of my handes the I say whyche woldest haue fled away vnto them Amittai answered nothing to thys but still besought hym that before hys death he might kisse hys sonnes bid them fare wel but Schimeon vtterly denied hym Wherfore Amittai wept a loude sayng to hys sonnes I brought deare chyldren I brought thys thiefe into thys toun wherefore I am counted nowe for a thiefe my selfe all thys mischyefe whyche is comed vpon me and you it is myne own doynge bycaufe I brought this seditious villain into this holy City I thought then perauenture he wil be a helpe to the toune but it is nowe proued contrarye for he hathe bene a moste cruell enemy of the same It was not enough for vs to kepe one seditious person Iehochanan I mean whyche tooke vnto hym Eleasar the fyrste begynner of sedition but I muste bringe in also thys wycked Schimeon whyche is ioyned to oure fooes to destroye vs. In deed I neuer brought him in for any loue that I bare vnto hym but all the Priestes and the hoole multitude of the people sent me to fetche hym notwithstanding I am worthy of this iuste iudgement of God bycause I tooke vpon me suche an ambasage What shoulde I speake of thee thou moste wycked Schimeon for whyther so euer thou turnest thee thou bringst all thinges out of frame In deed thou dealest iustly with me bicause I haue sinned vnto God to his people and his citye in that I haue brought the in to be a plage to it Wherefore I were worthy to be stooned notwithstanding it had bene thy parte thou wycked murtherer to deliuer me and my sonnes frome the haÌ„des of the other seditions for I haue wrought them displeasure but to thee haue I done good Howbeit our God will not altar nor chaunge his iudgmentes whyche is that I shuld fall into the sword of thy hand for that I made thee to enter into this city wher in I offended God greuously If euer I had purposed to flee vnto the Romaynes could I not haue done it before euer I brought in thee for at that tyme barest thou no rule ouer vs. And before we called in thee Iehochanan with his sedition was an offence vnto this city wherfore wee perswaded all the anuncient of the toun that thou shuldest be an ayde vnto vs to dryue out our foes but thou in whom we put our trust arte become our enemye yea thou haste been worse then they for the other put men to death pryuily thou doest it openly Who is he that hath strengthened the power of the Romains art not thou he which hast killed the souldiers of God in the middest of thys citye Ierusalem for fewe haue bene slayn wythoute Titus woulde haue made peace with vs taking pitie vpon vs but that same didest thou let and hinder euery daye mouing new warres and stiring new battailes Titus gaue charge to hys souldiâ—rs to laye no handes vpon the temple but thou hast polluted and defyled the temple of the Lorde sheding bloud without measure in the middes thereof Titus went back from vs vpon the holy daye of the Lorde and ceased from fighting saying go and obserue your holy feastes in peace but thou vnhalowedst the feast of the Lord and leshedst out the continuall fyre wyth innocent bloud Al these euilles which thou hast committed thou murtherer at imputed vnto me bicause I brought the into the toune Now therfore this bengeaunce is appointed to mine age of the lord God and by thy haÌ„des shall I goo to my graue with sorow bicause I by my foolishnes was a doar in this mischief that is wrought by thee Albeit now thou wicked Schimeon in this that thou killest me before mine eyes may see the burnynge of the temple it pleaseth me very well but whanedeth thee thou murtherer to put my sonnes to death before my face whye doest thou not spare mine age Would God that like as I shall not se the burning of the temple so also I might not see the bloud of my children shed before my face But what shal I dooe when God hath deliuered me into the hands of a most wicked man Wee that were the auncients of Hierusalem abhorreâ— Iehochanan because he murthered olde men without al reuerence but he slew no yonge men thou destroyest â—ld and yonge greate and small without anye pitte or mercye Iehochanan mâ—uâ—ned for the dead and buried them also thou playest vpon instrumentes at their burials singest to the Lute and seundest the trumpet Then spake he to Schimeons seruaunte who was ready with a swerde in his hande and an are to kyll hym and to cutte of his heade saiynge Goe to nowe and execute Schimeons thy masters commaundement be head Sonnes in sighte of their father and let mee heare the voyce of cruelrye in my sonnes whyche notwithstandynge I forgeue thee For as I shall see and heare that againste my wyll so I dare saye thou killest them not willynglye Woulde God that Schimeon woulde suffer mee to kysse my Sonnes and whyles I am aliue to embrace theim or they dye But thou gentle minister in one thinge shewe thy pitie towards me that when thou hast put my soÌ„nes and mee to execution seperate not our bodies nether ley in sunder their corses from mine but so that my bodye mayâ— lye vppermost and couer theirs to defende them from the foules of the ayre lest they deuour my sonnes bodyes for it maye fortune they maie be buried I beseche thee also that my mouth and tongue when I am deade may â—ouche my sonnes faces that so I maye both embrace and kysse theim But what do I delay or tarye any lenger seynge the enemy denyes me this to kisse theÌ„ whyles we are yet aliue See thou therefore that our bodies be not seuered and if Schimeon will not permit this that our bodies may be ioyned in this world yet can he not let our souls to be ioyned for after I shal be once dead I doubt not but I shall see the lyght of the Lord. His sonnes hearing their fathers wordes began to wepe very sore with theyr father who sayd vnto them Alas my sonnes why wepe ye what auayleth teares why doo ye not rather go before me and I wil folow as I maye for what should I do now seyng God hath geuen me into the handes of a moste cruel tirant who spareth nether mine age nor youre youthe But I truste we shall lyue together in the light of the lord and although I can not be suffred now to see you enough yet when we shall come
said some of the Romaines we wil neuer besiege this towne anye longer for we shal not be able to get it whiles we liue And ther fore let vs breke vp and depart before we be al destroied with this siege for excepte we do so we shal al be confumed therin Titus seing his souldiours to make so hard a matter of the winning of the towne called them al together and said vnto them Tel me nowe ye Romaine princes do ye not know that all vvarres and other businesses vvhatso euer they be are more harde and require greater diligence in the end then in the beginning in which who so trauail if they faint in th end do they not labour in vaine euen as your laboure shal be in vain if ye geue ouer the sege now Consider a ship whan it hath coÌ„passed the hole sea and is now readye to arriue at the shore beinge troubled with a tempest if the mariners shuld then be negligent the ship may easely be lost al they which are in it perish the mariners disapointed of their purpose in that they shal not atteine vnto the place whiche they coueted to come vnto Like wise builders if they finishe not their worke but leue of afore they make an end is not al their labour lost and spent in vaine Husband men also if they til their grounde and then so we it with seede shall they not loose theyr paines vnlesse they will also mowe it In like manner you haue foughten verye longe againste this citye manye Princes of you and worthy men haue bene slaine and now you maye see the strongest walles of the town are brokeÌ„ and made equal with th earth the people your aduersaries is consumed with huÌ„ger pestilence sword What shal it then auaile you al that euer you haue done if you slake your diligence and wil not finishe the worke of the sege haue you not then employed your labour in vain And why shuld this new wal so dismay you ye whye do ye not prepare your selues to beate downe this new wal which is muche sclenderer then thother three that ye haue cast downe If so be it ye should determine to leaue of the sege had it not ben better for you to haue done it at the beginning whiles your armye was yet whole Nowe when as your are few your most valiaunte soudioures slaine why do you not rather chuse to die theÌ„ to liue Did not you once enter thys towne in the time of Nero Cesar to defende his name Nowe therefore when Vaspasian my father reigneth who is not onlye of greater power then Nero but also more gentle towarde you then euer was Cesar if you shoulde abate and slake youre endeuoure and diligence it shoulde be to your greate shame and reproche Whye take ye not ensample of these Iewes valeantnesse whome nowe alreadye sworde pestilence and famine hath wasted so that they haue ne hope left neuerthelesse they fighte still and neuer geue it ouer Do you not se euery day how some of them issue oute of the towne and boldly assaile the Romaines not without seâ—pardy of their liues in so muche that sometimes they die for it Whiche thinges they do for none other cause then to get theÌ„ praise and renowne for their great prowesse When as Titus had wel debated these thinges and suche lyke in the eares of his souldiâ—ures a certain valeant man named Sabianus said vnto his felowes Who so dare go wyth me to assaulte theese Iewes let hym come hither to me that we may fulfil the commaundement of Cesars sonne our Lorde and master And forthwith he toke his target and his drawne sword in his haÌ„d made toward the towne with a .xi. tall fellowes followynge him whose valiauntnesse and courage Titus woÌ„dered at greatlye The Iewes kepte their warde vppon that parte of the wall where the Komaines had had a repulse of late so when they sawe Sabianus and his companye draw faste towarde theim they began to assayle him with stones and arrowes but Sabianus settinge light at them vrged the Iewes Shortlye one of the Iewes met with him and gaue him suche a blow that he felled him to the ground yet he gate vp againe and foughte for all that wounde mansully as one that had rather leaue his life then the fight till an other Israelite came flue him out righte Three also of his fellowes were killed fighting valeauntly in the place thother .viii. returned to the caÌ„pe so sore wouÌ„ded that they died the next daye euerye one Further other Romains seing Sabianus act studiyng to do the like the next nighte they toke a counsell vppon a tweniye of theim and agreed to assaulte the towne This their enterprise wheÌ„ they vttered to the standarde bearer of Titus he and many other of the Romains went with them They al scaling together clammering vp by the breches gat vp vpon the wal sounded a trompet and gaue a great shout The Iewes being at their reast as men opprest with hunger and wearinesse hearinge this larum and shoute of the Romains were wonderfullye amased not knowinge what the matter mente or howe they should defende them selues Titus also heard the shoute and whan he had inquired the matter he chose oute certain valeaunt men and drue toward the breches with them In the meane season the day was broken and the Iewes rising froÌ„ their slepe espied Titus vpon the walles and marueiled therat greatelye The Romains therfore gatheringe toward Titus came verye thicke into the towne some by the breches of the wall and other some through a vault by the whithe the Iewes were wont now and theÌ„ to issue oute and in The Iewes set theÌ„ selues in aray against the Romaâ—â—es in the very entry of the teÌ„ple vpon whoÌ„ the Romains ran with their drawen swordes for they had none other armour nor the Iewes nether being so hastily takeÌ„ at such a soden The battail wared very harde and wonderful dehemente on both barties the like was neuer sene in Ierusalem nor heard of in anâ—â—me for euery maÌ„ claue hard to his next feâ—â— we and no man could flee on no side wherfore the battails wart strong with lamours shoutes on both parties now the â—oyful shoutes of the vanquishers now the wailinges on the other side of theÌ„ that were put to the worsse The Romaines encouraged erborted one an other to fight saiyng this is the day which we haue long loked for The Iewes again toke heart vnto theÌ„ saying it botes not to fâ—e hence but for the glory of the lord and of his temple let vs dâ—e manfuâ—lye as necessiti coÌ„streineth vs so doing we shal be counted for sarrifices offrings which earnestnes on both sides filled the entry of the court of the lord with bloude the it stode like vnto a pole or a pond And that fight coÌ„tinued froÌ„ that morninge vntil that day four daies Then a certains souldioure of Titus whose name was Golinus a valeaunt
that intent to draw you from your lawe or to banish you out of your lande or els to destroye it and your Cities but this is the cause of my commynge hither to effer you peace and to make a league with you that you shoulde take vppon you our yoke and be our subiectes as ye were â—â—ore Where did you euer heare of a people in al the worlde that hath shewed them selues so mercifull gentle both towardes other towards you as we haue done Hanniball the captain of the Garthaginianâ— after he had wasted our couÌ„trey at loÌ„gth was taken by vs was he not had in greate honor reputatioÌ„ of vs with such humanity haÌ„dled the we made him king of his people And so delt we with Antiochê° the MacedoniaÌ„ other kings the we toke prisoners â–ª Ye â–ª brag the ye kepe the watch of â—our god Why theÌ„ folow ye not the exaÌ„ple of Iechaniah your kinge who to saue the teÌ„ple of your god froÌ„ destructioÌ„ left your people also shold be led away into bondage or be destroyed with the sworde yelded him selfe and his house into the hands of the king of the Chaldeis Why spare you not your owne liues your citie and sanctuary Nowe therefore hearken vnto me â–ª and I wil make a leage with you before the God of this house who shal be a witnes betwixt me and you by whom I sweare that I will neuer breake this league neither do you anye harme nor spoyle your goodes nor leade you away captiue nor yet set any ruler ouer you but a Iewe of your owne nacion euen Ioseph the priest whiche is with me shall be your prince if you think it good and all the faithfull menne also whiche are with me shall returne to you home againe ye shal inhabite your own land ye shal haue the vse of the fruites therof with peace and quietnesse without any corruption or alteration of the seruice of your God Wherfore credite 〈◊〉 â—o make a leage wyth you and that yâ— may trust me the better ye shall haue pledges Iosephe a noble man of your countrey and other princes and noble men of the Romaynes Come forthe therefore and intreate a peace with vs bowe your shoulders and humble your neckes to serue vs like as all other nacions do as you haue done your selfes in the time of Nero Caesar the ye may liue not be distroied keping your religion safe sound Ioseph the priest hearing the wordes of Titus his clemency in that he was minded to spare the Iewes burste out aloude and wept in the presence of the capitaynes of the sedicious verye bitterlye but they nothinge regarded it Iosephe therfore seinge that Titus coulde do nothinge wyth the sedicious said vnto their princes I maruaile nothing thoughe this citie tende to desolation destruction for I know the ende of it is at hande But this is it that I maruaile moste that ye haue redde the boke of Daniel and vnderstaÌ„d it not which is now fulfilled in al thinges and yet neuer a one of you dothe marke it The continual sacrifice is already ceased a good while agoe the annoynted Prieste is cut awaye and put downe These things although thei be most manifest yet your herts caÌ„ not be leue theÌ„ And mani other words spake Ioseph full of admonition consolatioÌ„ but the Iewes refused to heare him WheÌ„ as he had made an end therfore and the Sedicious hadde so hardened their neckes Titus turned him and departed out of Hierusalem saiynge Let vs get vs hence least their synnes destroye vs. Wherefore he pitched hys tentes without the Citye in the same place where he encamped at the firste For he was afrayed both for him selfe and his armie lest they shoulde be circuÌ„uented and closed in and slaine cruellye in so great a Citye as that was Certaine of the priestes at that tyme of the nobles of the towne with other Godlie men did wisely se to theÌ„ selues â–ª came forth to Titus submittyng theÌ„ selues to his mercye were receiued of him peceably wyth great honor WhoÌ„ Titus coÌ„maunded to be coÌ„ducted into the land of Goschen where in tymes past the Israelites dwelt in the daies of Iacob their father Ioseph Lord of Egypte Thither sent he them gaue it theÌ„ in possession to theim and to their heires for euer commaundynge a companye of the Chaldeis to safe conducte theim til they came to the lande of Goschen Titus directed hys Letters also to the Romayne Presidente whyche was set ouer Egypt to take pitie of the Iewes that he hadde placed in the Lande of Goschen to sustayn and succour them and to see that no Romaine or other shoulde do them harme or anoye them by anye meanes Manye other also of the Iewes coueted to go forthe of Hiâ—rusalem but they were letted of the Sedicious that they coulde not dooe as they intended And who can tell whether they were intangled wyth their owne synnes and destenyed to destruction wyth theyr Sediciousse brethren when as their handes also were polluted wyth the crueltye and iniquitye of the Sedicious Wherfore the Sedicious closed vp all the waies about the temple that none of the Iewes which were in Hierusalem might get out to Titus When Titus knew that many of the Iewes wer desierous to flee vnto him and coulde not because of the sedicious he wente agayne to the place where heâ— was afore and Iosephe with him Whom when the people sawe to be there with Titus they fel a wepynge and said vnto him We acknowledge our synnes and the traunsgression of our fathers wee haue all swarued out of the waye against the lord our God for we know the mercye and gentlenes of Titus the sonne of Caesar and that he taketh pity vpon vs but what can we do when it is not in our power to flee vnto hym bicause of the cruelty of the sedicious The sedicious hearing theim talkyng with Ioseph in presence of Titus that they spake reuerently of him honored hys father callyng him Lorde they ranne vpon them with their drawen swordes to kill them Then cried they vnto Titus deare Lorde and maister rescue vs. The Romayns therfore made spede to deliuer theÌ„ out of the haÌ„des of the sedicious So risse there a fray in the midst of the temple betwene the Romayns and the Iewes The Romains fled into the place called Sanctum sanctorum which was the holiest of all and the Iewes folowed after and slewe theim euen there Titus standinge without cryed vnto Iehochanan and saide vnto hym Hearest thou thou Ichochanan is not thy wickednes yet great inough Wilt thou neuer make an ende of thy mischiefe Where is the honoure of thy God Is it not written in the lawe of your God of the Sanctum sanctorum that no straunger ought to come at it but onelye the hye prieste and that but once a yeare because it is the holiest of al And now how darest thou be so
a stronge hande and a stretched forth arm out of the house of bondage â—o whom also thou deuidedst the Sea ledâ—est theim throughe it drye drownedst their enemies in the water after coÌ„dâ—â—tedst thy people through the wilâ—erhes and seddest theim with breaâ—â— from heauen thou causedst quayles to â—â—ee vnto them and broughtest out water out of the rocke for theim At â—ength thou broughtest them into this holye lande by greate and terrible myracles and wonders For thou 〈…〉 vp the waters of Iordane and maâ—est â—heÌ„ stande as it were on a â—â—ape â—yll they were passed ouer Thou cauâ—edst the sunne and the mone also to stayâ— theâ—â— course for thy peoples saâ—e till they might vanquishe theiâ— enâ—emies thou wouldest also the thy name should 〈◊〉 amongst theim and thou gauest thâ—â—â—â—â—his citye by inheritaunce Some of 〈◊〉 thou chosedst for thy selfe to be Prophets which might correct thy people teache them and lead them in the right waie to geue them warnynge of miseries folowinge that they mighte take hede of them selues and beware of theÌ„ â–ª Thou stirredst vp wise men amongest theim â—o the intente Israell myghte knowe what were to be done Moreouer thou diddest chuse of them priesteâ— to serue thee and to blesse thy people Israell Certayne Godlye menne of theim also thou drewedst vnto thee â—â—d in a fierye Charriot thou cariedst them vp into Heauen Thou smotest the â—enâ—es of the king of Assur and killâ—â—st in theim .clxxxv. thousand menne These and diuers other thinges haue I learned of my forefathers yea and Iosephe the priest a verie wise manne â—â—the tolde mee a greate partâ— of the 〈◊〉 And now Lorde GOD this people which I haue stryuen against I would haue â—aied they had trusted in thâ—â— but thou seest thei trust not in thy sauing helth but in their owne sword thou seest also howe proude they beâ— notwithstandynge thy terrible signes and wonders wherewyth thou haste â—ought on my side againste them whiche they will not acknowledge They saie there is no manne can brynge vs vnder because the Lorde our God will helpe vs yea althoughe we be wicked for as muche as for oure sakes he rayned breade downe from heauen deuided the sea brought out waters forth of the harde Rocke and staied the courses of the Sunne and all for vs. But they consider not that thou shâ—wâ—â—st those sygnes to their fathers for their rightuousnesse sake and those for their wickednesse thou haste stroken in 〈◊〉 warres to make their 〈…〉 and to laye waste their Cities because of the multitude of their traâ—â—â—gâ—â—â—â—iâ—ns and howe thou haste consuâ—â—â— theim with Sworde Pestilence 〈◊〉 Famine that they are fayne to 〈◊〉 the flesshe of their Childrene and yet for all this they can not finde in 〈◊〉 harâ—es to humble theÌ„ selfes before thee nor to acknowledge thy hande to haue bene vpoÌ„ theÌ„ for their wicked workes I also haue not bene very earnest vpoÌ„ them but haue assaulted them euer geÌ„tlely If so be it thou wilte not deliuer them into my handes I will get me hence from these moste wicked men â—â—e away to saue my life leaste I also perish in their â—innes when thou shalt ouerthrow theÌ„ as thou didst ouerthrow Sedom and Amora Wherefore loâ— I wil get me out of their land with spede leaste we be destroyed with theâ—â— for our eyen do see Sedom that was ouerthrown in their borders Yea but this hardeneth their hartes also like iron that they fay whye shoulde we not be like to our fathers in crueliye for oure forefather Abraham whan as he had but one onlye sonne he wente to â—acriâ—lâ—e him to the lord whome in deede I do not apprehend for this fact for whi I know not the mistery therof al be it I maruel how he had no pitye on hys sonnne I haue heard also of a certaine king of theirs who the same day he set forwardes to the warres made a vâ—â—â— to God that he would offer a sacriâ—â—câ— iâ— he should haue good successe in hys warres and when he returned froÌ„ the warres he offred to god his onlâ— dough ter and so performed his vowe that he had vowed vnto God And hereby I know they are men of a stubburn spirit for what so euer it geueth them in their heades to do that they thinke muste nedes be done and they are a noughty people most heinous sinners Wherfore except thou 〈◊〉 deliuer theÌ„ to â—e I wil gene ouer the waâ—â—es for I wil not be slain with theÌ„ without al iudgment When Titus had saide all these things he coÌ„maunded to bring an 〈◊〉 Ram to bend it against the new 〈◊〉 whiche the sedicious had raised that they might batter the wal cast it downe Then came forth many of the nobles of the sedicious vnto Titus made peace with him whome he placed amougstâ— his chiefe men SHortlye after the Romains set a fire a certain gate of the teÌ„ple that was shut whose dore was couered ouer with siluer while the timber of it burnt the siluer melted ran vpon the grouÌ„d So when the gate was opeÌ„ there appeared the way which goeth to the SanctuÌ„ saÌ„ctorum or holiest of all Assone as Titus saw it he honored it with great renerence forbad his people that no man shuld come niâ— it saying take heede ye medie not with this house til we take further deliberation what is to be done in the matter Wherfore he coÌ„mauÌ„ded proclamation to be made throughoute at his campâ— in this wise Whosoeuer coâ—â—eth nie this Sanctuary shal suffer death for it He appointed also a strong kande of men to kepe the temple that it were not suspended and vnhalowed by anye of his But his princes and captainâ— answered him â—aiyng vnles this house be set a fire thou shalt neuer subdue this people so asmuch as to saue it they vowe them selues to die Notwithstanding Titus wold not harken to their couÌ„sel in this matter but apointed of his soldiers such Iews as had made peace with him to kepe warde geuinge them charge to kepe the temple and Sanctum sanctorum leaste it should be polluted till they had consulted vppon the matter The sedicious Iewes that remained in Ierusalem seing the Romains departed from the temple and leauinge the kepers there behinde them they ranne vppon them with their swords drawen and slue the ward vp lettinge neuer a man scape Which Titus hearing of be broughte his whole army thither against the sedâ—â—ious and killed manye of them the reast fled to the mount Sion The next day the Romaines set fire vppon the Sanctum fanctorum laiyng woode to the dores that were couered ouer with gold and then set fire in them So after the gold waxte hote and the timber of the gates was once brent the house of the Sanctum sanctorum was opeÌ„ that all men might see it the ninth daye of fift Moneth Iuly which was the very same day that it was opened also in the time of the Chaldeis The
Romaines therfore when they had gotten that dore of the Sanctum sanctorum once open and had entred into it they made great ioy and gaue a greate shoute whiles the Sanctum sanctorum was a fire which when Titus saw he made greate spede to quench the fire and to saue the Sanctum sanctorum but he could not do it there did so many set it a fire in so manye places Titus therefore cried vnto them that they shoulde not do so But they would not heare him for like as a vehement â—â—oude of water breaketh all things and driueth them down before it euen so with a furious violence the gentiles rushed vpon the temple of the Lord the fire flaminge nowe and then out of measure Thus Titus cried vpoÌ„ them in vaine wherefore when Titus sawe be coulde not refraine the people from the Sanctum sanctorum wyth wordes he drue out his sword blaming the captaines of his owne people and the other that were not Romaines he killed them for they in time paste were more wont to spoile the temple neuerthelesse thelesse he could not stay them nor put them backe He cried still vppon them notwithstaÌ„ding til be was so hoorse that he coulde crye no longer The priestes which were in the Sanctum sanctorum withstode the Romaines stoutlye till they were no more able to lift vp their handes against them Wherfore wheÌ„ the priestes sawe there was none other sauegarde lefte thâ—y lept into the â—ire and diuers other Iewes with theÌ„ that had hid them selues in the Sanctum sanctorum and so were al brent together for they said what should we liue anye longer nowe that the temple is burnte Titus ceased not to strike the people to chase them from the temple that they should not sinne against the Sanctum sanctorum but no man wold obey him for they were mani the spoiled temple Titus therfore being so weatye that al his strength failed him he fell downe vpon the ground So whan he saw he preuailed nothing with his criyng he left of forbiddinge them After that the house of the Sanctum sanctorum was burnt Titus rose entred into it and saw the glory magnificeÌ„ce therof and beleued that it was the house of the Lord for as yet the fire had not vtterly consumed al so that be said now I wel perceiue that this is none other then the house of God and the dwelling of the God of heaueÌ„s nether was it for noughte that the Iewes stode so earnestly in the desence therof nor the gentiles also did not withoute a cause send gold and siluer to this temple froÌ„ the furthest partes of the worlde For greate is the glorye of this temple and it far passeth the teÌ„ple of the Romains and al the temples of the gentiles that euer I sawe The GOD of heauen whiche is the God of thys house take vengaunce of the Sedicious whose mischeuous and heinous deedes haue brought this euell vpon it The seditious the yet remained at IerusaleÌ„ seinge the Sanctum sanctorum to be burnt thei set the rest of the temple a fyre theim selues and al the houses also that were filled full of treasure and all kynde of precious iewels and where they knew there was yet some victuals lefte they set it a fire also leaste the Romaines should haue any commoditye by it saiyng now that the Sanctum sanctorum is wasted what should we liue any loÌ„ger and then what nede haue we of anye other buildinges or houses After this the Romains quenched the fire set vp their Idols and images in the temple and offred burnt offerings vnto them blaspheminge railinge mocking at the Iewes and their lawes in the presence of their idols ABout that time was there a certain Iewe that prophected a lie vnto the seditious that remained yet at Ierusalem bidding them to playe the meÌ„ and resist their enemies for now saith he shal the teÌ„ple be builded by it self with out mannes hande that God maye declare his power vnto the Romaines which nowe glory in them selues that they haue ouercome the Iewes Therfore if ye wil fight stoutly againste the Romains this daye shal the temple be builded by it selfe Wherefore the sedicious set vpon the Romains and â—â—ewe many of them So the Romains enkindeled with yre handeled the people cruellye killinge theim like shepe where they had fauoured theim hitherto All these things happened vnto the people because they gaue eâ—edite to the false prophet and market not the signed that appered at IerusaleÌ„ For the yere next before the coÌ„myng of Vaspasian there was sene a starre ouer the Temple so bright as thoughe a man had had many drawe swordes in his hand at once And at the same time as the starre appered in the time of the folemne feaste talled Passach Easter that whole night the â—emple was as light and as â—â—e are as though it had bene middaie and it conâ—inâ—â—â— so by the space of .vii. dayes of the feast The men of vnderâ—â—andynge in Israel knewe well inough that this was an euill signe but the rest of the people interpreted it in good parte The very same time also they brought a Heffer for a burnte offerynge which when she was feld and stroken downâ— that they might dresse her she brought forth a lambe This myracle they saied likewise made for them and pretended good As also this that fâ—loweth they interpreted to good There was a certaine Gate that was called the Caste Gate a great and wonderous heauâ—â— gate that was neuer opened nor shut but twentye menne had inough to doe about it the crekynge of the gynnoes and hokes whereof myght bee hearde a farre of This Gate was founde open without anye mannes helpe and they coulde not shutte it tyll a grâ—ate noumber assembled and ioyned their strengthes together After this â–ª there was sene ouer the Temple and the Sanctum sanctorum by the space of a whole nighte a face of a manne wonderfull terrible There appeared also at that time â—â—ery chariots and horse meÌ„ and great hoasts in the skye comming nye to Hiernsalem and all the Lande of Inda In the feast also of Weekâ—â— the Prtestes hearde a man walking in the remple saiynge with a great a wonderfull terribâ—e â—ase voyce Come 〈◊〉 vs go avvaye oute of thys Temple and get vs hence But specially there was one passynge all these A certain manne in the Citye of a base and â—â—we 〈◊〉 whose name was Iehoscua the 〈◊〉 of Chananeiahu began to crye vpoÌ„ the feast of the tabernartes with a lond voyce on this wyse A voyce from the east a voice from the vvest a voice from the four vvindes of the heauens a voyce agaynst IerusaleÌ„ a voyce agaynst the teÌ„pleâ— a voyce agaynlle the Bridegrome a â—oyee agaynste the bryde and a voyce against the vvhole people Which wheÌ„â—e or yeâ— thus very oâ—â—e the citezins of Hâ—â—usalem hated him saiâ—d to him What tryest thou alwayes this crye But the gouernouâ— that then
perswaded him selfe most certainly that he should promote him to the life light of the lord for as much as for the loue of God at his coÌ„maundement he should haue killed him Wey the thing that Ioschiiahu the iust kinge did who settyng at nought this wretched life aspiring to euerlastyng felicitie would not auoyde the ieopardye of hys lyfe when as as he might haue done it For althoughe Pharao Necho said he came not against him but against the kinge of the Chaldeis yet wold not Ioschiiahu heare him but rather procedinge againste Pharao in armes was slaine in the battaile and went vnto that great lights in the garden of paradise which is the lot enheritance of the iust We know that in this world no maÌ„ receiueth the reward of his righteousnesse but it is laid vp for him in the otherworld where he shall reape the frute of hys righteousnesse that he hathe sowne in this world Nether dothe longe life in this world profit a maÌ„ to thobtaining of euerlastinge blisse excepte he worke righteousnes lead his soule forthe of darknes into light like as coÌ„trariwise shortnesse of life hindreth no maÌ„ from euerlastinge happinesse if so be it hys soule haue no defecte in those thinges that pertein to the world to come For Abell whiche was slaine of hys brother liued no longe life yet whan he had ended it he obteined euerlastinge rest But Kain that liued longe in thys world was a wanderer a runnagate in this earth and after this life weÌ„t to perpetual miserye Nowe therfore my brethren if we also shal liue anye longer our life shal be a miserable life and our daies daies of vanitye and trauel yea our soule as long as it shal remain in this body it shal be tossed with great â—râ—bulation but if it once go forth then shall it reioyse and neuer be afraide And all the dayes that it is in the bodye it neuer linneth weepinge and mourninge for it is the spirite of life whiche is hedged in within the bodye sinnewes bones and other members none otherwise then if it were bounde with chaines The spirite is also that which quickneth the fleshe that is takeÌ„ of the duste of the earthe for fleshe can not quicken the spirite Besides this the spirite is that which obserueth and marketh the fleshe and searcheth the workes therof so longe as it is in the body Yea the fleshe can not se the spirite but the spirite seeth the fleshe alwayes neither is there anye member of the bodye hidde from it The eyes also of the bodâ—e caÌ„ not perceiue what time the spirite resorteth to the fleshe and departeth from the same for the spirite of manne whiche is hys soule is from heauen but the fleshe is taken from the earthe Wherefore the soule maye remaine withoute the body but not likewise the bodye wythoute the soule and when the spirite comes to the flesh it visiteth it as a neighbour is wonte to goe and see his neighboure and quickeneth it and when againe it departeth from it the fleshe dieth and if the soul wil folowe the desires of the fleshe then thys is the deathe of the soule but if it geue no eare vnto the fleshe then shall the soule come to the lighte of life and the fleshe shall dye Wherfore the soule is glad wheÌ„ it departeth out of the body like as one that hath bene bound is wel apaid wheÌ„ he is dimissed oute of prisone for all the while that the soule is kept closed in the flesh it is as it were a slaue in mooste hard greuous bondage vnder a hard master Therfore wheÌ„ it departeth froÌ„ the body it is glad because it muste go to the garden of paradise thus ye see that in this life the soule is compared to a bond seruaunt slaue Much more then this did he reason of thimmortality and blessednesse of the soule before them whiche we haue omitted here when he had done that he lamented wept moste bitterlye for the case of the city of Ierusalem saying VVhere is now the city of IerusaleÌ„ that great populous city where is that most beautiful citye of SioÌ„ that holy city which made merye the whole earth Oh thou worship of Israell the mirthe of our heartes whither is thy glory come where is thi magnificence O Ierusalem where be the hils of the doughter of Sion where be her kings and princes where be the kinges that were wonte to come to inquire of her welfare in her gates where are her sages and elders her yong and most vavaleaunt men which were iocund and mery in her stretes vpoÌ„ her sabbathes festiual daies where is her famous sanctuarye the dwelling of thalmighty god where is the house of Sanctum sanctorum the habitacion of holinesse wherin no man might set his fote but the hie priest whiche in all ages onlye once a yeare entred into it But now O Ierusalem thou wast once replenished with people renowned amoÌ„gste kinges beloued of God in thee was established the seate of the kingdome of â—ustice and iudgemente whose streetes were paued with moste precious marble whose walles glisterd and shined with the same stone whose gates euerye one were plated with golde and siluer whose wals were builded with great stones moste honorablye whose priestes in the middes of the sanctuary like to angels of God and princes of holinesse with sacrifices and burnt offerings made the lord louing to thee thy people How art thou now stuffed ful of slaine men and carcases whyche haue pearished some by the sword som by famin and how are thi sonnes that dwelt in thee the straungers also the resorted vnto thee to honor thy feastes fallen now in thee How art thou fallen from the hight of thy pride how art thou set a fire and brent euen vnto thy foundations and art left desolate solitary What eye is so hard that can beholde thee what hart so stonye that can abide to see thee How art thou become a buriyng place of carkases and how are thy stretes made void and destitute of liuing creatures they whiche heretofore were replenished wyth liuing are now stuffed with dead How hath the ashes of fire couered thee that the sunne can not come at thee Howe do the aunciente men which in times past did sit in the midst of thee in the seat of wisdom iuogment and iustice now they sit by the carcases of their childreÌ„ to driue awaye crowes and beastes froÌ„ theÌ„ hauing their hoar heades be syrinkled with dust ashes in stead of their glorye And those wemen thy doughters that are lefte they remaine in the houses of theÌ„ that made thee desolate not that they may liue but to be vnhalowed and polluted who shall see all these thinges in thee and shal desire to liue rather then to die who knowing thy magnificence that thou haddest of late and nowe shall see thine ignominye and the dishonour of the same wil not chuse
Lorde issuinge forthe smote in the hooste of Assur Clxxxv. thousande menne His people therfore was slain and no manne lefte but Sanherib and his two sonnes and Nabuchadnezar and Nebusaradan Thys slaughter was in the fourtenth yeare of Hizkiahu from whiche ouerthrowe vntill the time that Nabuchadnezar inuaded the Iewes in the raigne of Iehoiakim were Cvii yeares v. The .iiii. yeare of Iehoiakim came Nabuchadnezar the firste time and caried awaye three thousande and .xxiii. of the tribes of Iuda and Beniamin and of other tribes seuen thousande all the able menne and all their power bindinge them with chaines This is the v. captiuity Seuen yeares after this captiuitye came Nabuchadnezar an other time vi vnto Dophna a Citye of Antioche from whence he ledde foure thousand and sixe hundreth of the tribe of Iuda and of Beniamin fiftye thousande of the other tribes seuen M. This transmigration made he into Babilon whiche is the .vi. captiuity Furthermore vii betwixte the sixte bondage and the seueÌ„th were .xi. yeres of the raign of Zidkiahu Zedekia When Nabuchadnezar had raigned nintene yeares he came the third time vnto IerusaleÌ„ and ouercoming Zidkiahu he brent the temple toke away the pillers the brasen sea the furnitures that Salomon made and al the vessels also of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the house of the king which was in Ierusalem all the vessell he sente to Babilon He slue also of the Israelites .ix. C. M. and one besides them that were slaine because of the bloud of Zacharias The Leuites stode singinge a songe whiles slaughter was made of them but they were not able to finishe it before the enemies entred the temple and founde them staÌ„ding in their place with harps in their handes Therfore he caried away in this captiuity the Leuites which were of the seede of Moyses vi C. M. whome wheÌ„ the gentiles had brought vnto the riuers of Babilon they demauÌ„ded of the Iewes Sing vs a songe of Sion And by and by they gnawed of the tops of their fingers with their tethe saying Hovv shal vve sing the song of the Lord in a straunge land And the blessed Lord seing that they wold not sing a songe he losed them and placed them on the further side of Sambatia Moreouer he translated and caried awaye .viii. hundred and .xxxii. thousaÌ„d which were al borne of Iuda and Beniamin Whereof he leste in Ierusalem vi M. setting ouer them for their ruler Gedalia the sone of Ahikam who was slain after by Ismael the soÌ„ne of Netania wherupon the Israelites beinge afraide fled their countrye into Egipte This is the seuenthe transmigration and bondage The .xxvii. yeare of the raign of Nabuchadnezer he toke Egipt and Tire viii drowned the Iewes that were therin which descended of Amon and Moab and of the land bordering vpon Israel vntil they led Ieremy and Baruch with them into Egipte This is the eighte captiuity Then the Israelites that remained on liue in Egipt departed vnto Alexandria and remained in it vntil they grew and encresed vnto many thousandes and who so saw not theyr glory sawe no glorye in his time For there was in it the sanctuarye the altare the offrings incenses the ordinaÌ„ce of bread of faces the houses of studies scholes withoute noumber menne of great substaÌ„ce riches and power But wicked Trogianus made warre vppon them and slue veri mani of them After came Alexander agaynste theim who slue also manye of theim These are the eyght captiuities or bondages whiche befell in the firste house and tyme of the first temple After the desolation of the first house lxx yeares ix Cyrus the soune of Hester sent vnto Nehemia Zerobabel Baruch and his whole societie and they builded the seconde house Then after .iiii. yeres of the raigne of Cyrus after the house was destroyed Ezra wente from Babilon wyth fortye thousande in his companye and the Israelites were afflicted and vexed vnder Cyrus for the space of .xxxiii. yeres Then came Alexander the kyng of Macedonia and flew Cyrus wheÌ„ he had raigned xii yeres he dyed After hym came foure vsurpers whiche afflicted the Israelites .clxviii. yeres But after that the sonnes of Hasmonai came they slewe those vsurpers and takynge the dominion from them raigned theim selues .ciii. yeares Then raygned one Herode the seruaÌ„t of Hasmonai who killed his masters and their whole familye saue one mayde whom he loued But shee clymynge vp to the toppe of an house saide There is no bodye lefte alyue of my fathers house but I alone so she caste her selfe headlonge from the top of the House and dyed Herode did leye her in honye and preserued her for the space of seuen yeare There were that sayed he hadde carnall copulation wyth her after shee was deade Herode and Agrippas his sonne and Monabaz hys Nephewe helde the kingdome a hundred and three yeres So hast thou foure hundreth and three yeares of the seconde house Then came Vaspasian Caesar and Titus his wiues sonne and waisted the second house cariynge awaye Israell vnto Rome This is the ninthe traunsmigration Moreouer one Bitter remayned after the desolation and wastynge of the Temple fiftye and two yeares After that Adrianus who vsed supersticion with bones made warre vpon theim 〈◊〉 and traunsposed Israell from their countrey when he had spoiled it conueyinge theim into Spaine This is the tenthe Captiuitye This Adrian vanquished the Iewes which rebelled the secoÌ„d time against the Romaines with a finall and vtter destructioÌ„ Haymo forbidding and not suffring them in any wise to enter into Hierusalem which he had begone to fortifye with verie strong walles caused it to be called Helia Historia vtriusque testameÌ„ti after his name He caused also a Sowe to be grauen ouer the chiefe gate of she citie the Iewes vnder her fete carued also in stone in token of their subiection FINIS ⧠Imprinted at London by Iohn Daye for Richarde Iugge dwellynge at the Northe doâ—e of Paules at the signe of the Bible ¶ Cum priuileâ—â—â— aâ—â— imprimendum 〈…〉
to dye And woulde God we had bene dead before the we might not haue seene in thee thy reproch or who would bring to passe the we might lacke eyes that we shuld not be compelled to see these mischeues the are in the mids of thee And behold we liue a most sorowful life for our enemies eueÌ„ now afore we be dead cast lots vpon our sonnes daughters to deuide theÌ„ amoÌ„gst theÌ„ to be their seruaÌ„tes handmaids When Eleasar had ended this lamentacion he spake to the people that was w e him thus NOw therfore brethreÌ„ frends take pitye of your selues your wiues children with old men which he with you let theÌ„ not be led into boÌ„dage with out al merci the they be not coÌ„streined to mourn vnder the haÌ„ds of their enemies for if ye do this ye leese withoute all doubte all places that are prepared for you in the world of rightousnesse neither shall ye haue any part in the light of life But rather with your owne handes kil them thus if ye wil do they shal be couÌ„ted as sacrifices most accdptable vnto God and that done we wil after issue out vpon oure enemies and fight against them till we vse valeaÌ„tly for the glory of the lord for we wil nener suffer them to bind vs with boÌ„des and cheins as bond slaues in the handes of the vncircumcised Nether wil we se our aunciente men to be haled by the berdes before our eyes most miserably nor yet oure maides wifes and doughters to be vnhalowed and defloured nor oure sonnes criynge to vs and we can not helpe them for what shal oure life auaile vs after that our land is desolate our sanctuary pulled downe the Romains rauishe our wiues doughters before our eyes and oppresse oure sonnes with a most greuous and hard yoke Nowe therfore it is better for vs to kil al our wiues and childreÌ„ whose bloud God shal accepte thankfullye as the blud of burnt offerings after â–ª we wil issue out vpon the Romains fight til we be al destroyed die for the glory of the Lord our God These menne therfore wente and gathered together their wiues and doughters embrased 〈◊〉 and kissed them saying is it not better for you to die in your holy country honorabli then to be led away into houdage with great ignomini shame into the landes of your ennemies and be compelled to die before the idols of the gentiles These saiynges wheÌ„ the people had beard thei droue forth that night in great sorow and pensifenesse weping and makinge great lamenâ—â—cion but they all confest with one accorde that they had rather chuse to die then liue Therefore assone as it was daye â–ª Eleasars companions killed their wines and children caste their bodies into the â—esterns and welles that were in Mezirah couering and stepving theÌ„ with earth Afterward issued Eleasar the priest forth of the town withal his meÌ„ and â—orced a battel vpon the Romains of wheÌ„ the Iewes killed a great forte and fought so long till they al died maÌ„fully for the Lord God BUt Titus left a remnaunt of Israel in the citye Iafnah and the villages thereabout and in the estye Bitter and Aossa their villages in whiche place Rabban Iochanan sonne of Sakkai was appointed chief Bonian the priest yonger brother to Iosephe the Prieste was put in authority by Titus for Iosephs sake ouer al the Iewes which were at Ierusalem At the same time was Rasch bag a prince of Israel put to â—â—ath â–ª and Ischmael soÌ„ne of Elischa the 〈◊〉 priest Moreouer Titus was minded to haâ—â— put Rabban Gamaliel father of Raâ—chbag to deathe but Rabban Iochanan sonne of Sakkai made sute for him and obteined to saue his life This Rabban Iochanan was he that came forthe of Ierusalem in the beginning wheÌ„ Vaspasian father of Titus came firste against Ierusalem whoÌ„ Vaspasian honoured greatly in so much as when he returned to Rome he commended this Rabban Iochanan to his sonne Titus comaunding him to honor him for he perceiued he was a verye wise man Titus reigned two yeares after he had taken Ierusalem and died He was a very eloquent man expert in the Latin and Greke tong writ diuers workes in both the tonges He loued moste intirely iustice and equitye for he wasted the city of Ierusalem against his wil being compelled therunto Yea all the mischiefe that came vpon it happened through the malice and noughtinesse of the sedicious as we haue touched before And thus far of the warres of the second house ¶ Thus endeth the destruction of Ierusalem Nn. ii ⧠The ten Captiuities of the Ievves i. THE Israelites were ten times led into captiuitie foure times by the handes of Sanherib and foure times by Nabuchadnezar once by Vaspasian and once bi supersticious Adrian First inuaded them Sanherib â—â—ennache â—â—b and traunsposed the Rubenites the Gadites and the halfe tribe of Manasse He toke awaye also the golden calfe whiâ—he Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat had made He ledde them into Halah Habur to the floud of Gozan and to the cities of the Medes This captiuitie was in the time of Pekah the sonne of Remaha ii The second Captiuitie Hoscha the sonne of Ela remained and slew Pekah the sonne of Remalia Afterwarde he became the seruant and subiect of Sanherib seuen yeares Then came Sanherib the seconde time and caried awaye the tribes of Aâ—ar Isachar Zebulon and Naphtali of whom he let go free onely one of euery eight He tâ—ke away also an other calf that was in Bethel iii. After the death of Ahaz raigned Hiz kiahu his soÌ„ne in his steede four yeres Hezekia the fourth yere of whose rain Sanherib came and entrenched Samaria beseging it .iii. yeares and at lengthe roke it in the vi yeare of the raigne of Hiskijahu So led he awaye the Israelites that were in Samaria the tribe of Ephraim and Manasse This is the .iii. captiuity iiii When Nabuchadnezar had reigned viii yeares Sanheriâ— perauenture he made warres againste Ierusalem bringynge wyth hym the Chuteans heretikes out of Babilon E. thiopia Hemates Auim and Sepharuauim and as he warred vpon Iudea he toke in that countrye a. C and. l. cities in the which there were .ii. tribes Iuda and Simeon whome he toke with him caused them forthwith to be led into Halah Habur vntil the king of the Ethiopians rebelled againste him whose kingdoÌ„ was on the hinder parts of Egipt Then taking Iuda Simeon with him he made war with the king of Ethiopia So the holye and blessed God placed them in darke mountains He re was foure captiuities whereby ten tribes went into crile by Sanherib There remained yet of Iuda Cx. thousand and of Beniamin Cxxx. thousand in Ierusalem ouer whoÌ„ raigned Hizkiahu Moreouer Sanherib came out of Ethiopia againste Ierusalem the fifte time leading with him Cx. thousand but the holye Lorde ouerthrewe hym there as it is written And the angell of the