knowledge therof cōmaunded a fast through out all Israel for three daies after toke muster of all his armie and made ouer them captains of thousands hundreds fifties and tennes These saide to their souldiours VVho so euer is aferde c. Wherupon many of the people returned home yet there remayned .vii. M. and fiue hundred of suche courage all that one would not haue runne awaye from an hundreth Lisias deuided his hoste into three partes committing thē vnto three capitaines Nicanor Bagris and Ptolomee But after the Israelites had once geuen a great shoute the lord beat downe the Grekes so that the Israelites destroyed nine thousand horsmen of them spoyled the whole host and they that remayned alyue tooke them selues to flight The next daye Kynge Iudas kepte his Sabboth together wyth all Israell in the campe for the battayle was vppon the sixte daye The morowe after the Israelites returned to the spoyle of those that were kylled and after to pursue other that were not able to resist but they founde none for they were fled into Astaroth Karnaiim Durynge the tyme of this warres Antiochus inuaded the land of Persia for they hadde moued warre agaynste hym and done hym iniurye Wherfore he fought against them but hauynge the ouerthrowe at their handes he retourned to Antiochia wyth great shame where also he founde hys armyes wyth an other dishonoure and foyle Wherewyth he was in suche a rage that he gathered together all the valiauntest and beste Warriours in al Grecia yea all that were able to beare weapon swearinge he woulde bringe with him suche an armye that all the grounde about Hierusalem should not suffice theim to stande vppon that hee woulde haue wyth him euen for hys sotemen onelye And so he set forwarde his horsemen with horses and wagons laden with all maner of furnitures for the warres as Bowes shieldes Targets swordes and speares brestplates and mourens besides a huge noumber of Elephantes and suche that a dosen valiant men might fight vpon one Elephant the Elephants being to them as a Fortresse But kinge Iudas toke heart to him put his truste in his God and ioyned battaile with him At length when he with the power of Israel approched to the Elephants they slew theim downe right so that the Elephantes roared the Horses and all the beastes that caried the baggage and furnitures were verie soore afrayed Kinge Antiochus also beinge mounted vppon his mare and not able to sit her in her flight was throwen downe His seruauntes therfore findyng him toke him vp and bare him a while vpō their shoulders and being a corpulent and a grose man they were not able to carye him further but cast him downe in the waie The Lorde had plaged him also and his whole hoste before with a drye scabbe or rottē mattier and with other most horrible diseases which as he saw he confessed it to be the hande of God Wherfore he made a vowe that if he escaped be woulde circumcise him selfe with all his souldiours and would conuert them to the worshippynge of the God of Israel but God heard him not He fledde therfore a fote as well as he might and died bi the way through his greuous and soore diseases and Opiter his sonne raigned in his stede Kynge Iudas with all Israell retourned wyth great ioye to the house of the Lord offered sacrifices and as they had layed wodde vpon the alter and the sacrifice vpon that they called vnto the Lorde louingly to accept their sacrifice and in the meane space fire came forthe of the aulter by the owne accorde consumed the sacrifice and the wodde the lyke neuer chaunced vnto them to this day This miracle was wrought the .xxv. daie of the moneth Elul August The Kynge made an expedicion also into Arabia to warre vpon the people thereof made of them a great slaughter brought thē into subiection and made theim tributaries In his returne he set vppon a great citie of the Grekes wanne it and raced it After that he made a roade into Grece ten dayes iourney where as came against him with a huge armye the chiefe man in king Opiters realme next his persone but Iudas discomfited him and all his people From thence he went to the citye Sipolis that was vnder the Romains where as came foorthe to meete hym Godolias with a royal present informing him that they had euer borne the Israelits good will were their neighbours shewed them pleasures The Kinge examined the matter and founde their wordes true so receiuinge their presentes departed thence After this Gorgorius a captain of the Romaines moued warre wyth Iudas but Iudas stroke a battaile wyth him and destroied his whole armye so that none escaped Opiter sonne of Antiochus hearinge what Actes Iudas did in all countreys rounde aboute he mustred all his people leuied a puissante armie wherwith he came and besieged Bethar Then cried Iudas and all Israel vnto their God with fastynge and sacrifices The night after Iudas deuided his men into certaine bandes cōmaundynge theim to geue the Grecians a Camisado and to enter their Campe whiles it was darke whiche they did and slewe verie manie of the best of the Grecians about a foure thousand preparinge neuerthelesse for the fielde againste the morowe where as also the Israelites did beat downe many of the Greekes In that battaile was slaine Eleasar sonne of Mattathias the kinges brother For when he espied one wyth a golden sworde vpon an Elephant he thought him to be kinge Opiter who had .xx. Elephants in his armie Therfore he toke hart to him and beat doun the souldiours of the Grekes on bothe sides him were they neuer so stronge till he came to that Elephant And because the Elephant was so hye that he coulde not reache them that sate vpon him he shoued his sworde into the bealy of the beast to ouerthrowe the king wherat the Elephant shronke together and fel vpon Eleasar that he died there For whose sake al Israel mourned and made great lamentation But Opiter hearinge this straite waye made suite to king Iudas for peace and a league to be made betwene them whiche after Iudas had consented vnto he returned home into Grece againe and by the way fell into the hands of his enemies that slewe him After him succeded Demetrius his enemie who was the cause of his death Ther were at the time certain euil disposed persōs of the Iewes the serued the king of the Grecians in his warres namelye one Alkimus who went to the king of the Grekes at that tyme liynge at Antiochia and stirred him to moue warre vpon Israell and king Iudas Whereupon Demetrius sent against him a capitaine called Nicanor with a stronge armye He nowe comminge to Hierusalem let Iudas vnderstande that he bare him good will and was desierous to make peace and enter into a league with him Therefore as Iudas came forth accompanied with his brethren the sonnes of Chasmonanye Nicanor met him in the waie imbrased
euer geue them any answere But when thei perceiued the kinge to be incensed against them and by that meanes the matter mighte redounde to their owne harme after consultation had they went to the king of Grece whose name was Demetrius shewed him what Hircanus and Alexander his soÌ„ne had done vnto the Phariseis and all the Israelites that bare them good will and folowed their traditions and how thei also hated Alexander for the mischiefe that hee hathe wrought them So that if any manne would come and reueng the malice of Alexander they would be ready to aide him Demetrius folowed their aduise and assembling together all his people to the number of .xl. thousand horsemeÌ„ and fotemen without number He toke his iourney and encamped against Sichem Then kinge Alexander waged .vi. thousand horsemen to aid him But the king of the Grecians writ priuilye to the auncientes of the Sectaries that they shold not aide Alexander To the mercinary souldiours also that Alexander had hired he sent rewardes golde and siluer that they returned home to their couÌ„trey aided not Alexander Wherupon he was not able to withstande Demetrius Therfore hearing that Demetrius was remoued froÌ„ Sichem toward IerusaleÌ„ entending to take him in the citie he fled by nighte with a fewe of his men to the mountains and lurked there When the menne of Israel that were in Iudea heard the king was fled out of Hierusalem and that the citye was in hasarde to come into the haÌ„des of the Grecians they gathered them selues together stode for their liues as thoughe all had bene one man to the number of .x. thousand and set vpoÌ„ Demetrius Campe killed all his beste men of warre and spoyled his whole host that he fled from them returned home into his couÌ„trey with shame dishonour This done the king toke hart vnto him returned to his kingdom but the Pharises fled to Betshemes streÌ„gthning theÌ„ selues against the king Who hauing intelligeÌ„ce therof gathered an army went against theÌ„ wan the city and toke viii.c of the chiefest Pharisies bound theÌ„ in chains brought them to IerusaleÌ„ Then baÌ„queted he al his seruants vpon the roufe of his palaice in a very hie place where the chiefe learned men eat dranke vntil he and thei were dronke And in his merye mode he commaunded those viii.c Pharisies prisoners to be brought forth to be haÌ„ged euery man of theÌ„ vppon gallowes before him at which sight he dronke laughed hartely After this he fel sick the xxiiii yere of his raigne of a greuous disease a quartan ague that held him thre yere yet for all this he shronke not nor letted to go to the war to encounter fight with his enemies what nation so euer they were of round about him as though he had ben a hole man In the xxvii yere of his raign which was the third of his sicknes he made an expeditioÌ„ into the land of Moab against a certain city called Ragaba to get it bi force At which time he was very sicke and weake wherfore his wife Alexandra the Quene wente with him fearinge least he shuld die by the waye And as be encamped him self against the city and vrged it sore with assaultes his sicknesse increased vpon him more and more Wherfore his wife perceiuinge that he was like to die wept bitterly before him said To whoÌ„ shal I be so bold as to shew my face wheÌ„ thou art once dead seing thou haste wroughte such mischief vpon the pharisies whoÌ„ all the lande fauoureth and foloweth their traditions obeiyng their institucions If they shal be disposed to wreke them selues vppon me and thy yonge children they shal haue aid of all that dwel in the laÌ„d The king answered Wepe not nor shew any reseÌ„blance of peÌ„sifnes I wil tel the what thou shalt do if thou wilt folow my counsell thou shalt prosper and raigne thou and thy children as thou woldest desire Be it that I die there is no man in the world nede know therof Tel thou euery maÌ„ therfore that aske for me that I am sick wil not that ani maÌ„ shal come at me In the meane while anointe season me with balmes fight with a courage against this city til thou win it then return to Ierusalem with ioy and beware thou put on no mourninge apparail nor weepe but bringe me into Ierusalem and laye me vpon a bedde like a sicke man and after call together the chiefe of the Phariseis bryng them where I am and speake vnto them gentilly in this sort Alexander hath bene euer your enemy I knowe it very wel wherefore take him if ye list and cast him into the fire or to the dogges or bury him it shal be at your choise I knowe wel they are pitifull men and so ful of merci that they wil bury me honorably and shall apointe some one of my sonnes whoÌ„ they like best to be king The Quene did therfore as she was instructed of the king Whan she had won Ragaba she ioyfully returned to Ierusalem after that gathered together the elders of the Pharisies and spake to them as the king had aduised her The Pharisies hearing the king was deade and that his bodye was in their handes to do withal what they liste they answered the Quene God forbid we shoulde do this vnto our Lorde the annointed of God He was the king and hie prieste what though he were a sinner yet his deathe shal be an expiation for him of al his iniquities Therfore we wil bewaile him and mourne for him yea we wil cary his coffen our selues vpon our neckes and burye him as it becommeth a kinges magnificence and so they did The time that he reigned was .xxvii. yeares After him reigned his wife Alexandra in his stede for the Pharisies after they had finished the .vii. daies of the mourning they comitted the kingdoÌ„ vnto her She had .ii. sons by the king the elder was called Hircanus the other Aristobulus Hircanus was a iust man righteous but Aristobulus was the warrioure man of prowes besides that of a familier louing countenance He fauored also the learned men folowed their instruction But Hircanus his elder brother loued the Pharisies On a time therfore when the Quene sate in the throne of her kingdom she called the auncients of the Pharisies before her honoured them commaunded to release set at liberty al such Pharisies as the king her husband her father in lawe had cast in prison and taking the pharisies by the handes she commaunded all Israel to obey their ordinaunces TheÌ„ made Hircanus her sonne hie prieste and Aristobulus lieueteuaunte of the warres She sent also to al the landes that her husbande and father in lawe had subdued and demaunded the nâ—ble mennes sonnes for pledges which she kept in IerusaleÌ„ So the lord gaue vnto the Quene quietnesse froÌ„ al that were vnder her subiection She gaue also the Pharisies
him and kissed him after that ledde him to his pauilion and set hym vpon his seate◠of honour Kinge Iudas also after he returned from the campe made vnto Nicanor a greate feaste callyng him and his noble men with him into Hierusalem where they eate and dranke at the kinges table Kynge Iudas was yet vnmaried wherfore Nicanor moued him to take a wife that hee might haue issue and not lose his succession whose counsaile Iudas alowed This done the lewde pickethanke Alkimus declared to kynge Demetrius the league that Nicanor hadde made wyth king Iudas Whereat Demetrius being wrothe writ vnto Nicanor that he had intelligence of his traiterous practises Nicanor was in Hierusalem when this letter was deliuered him When Iudas hearde of the contentes of the letter he fled out of Hierusalem into Samaria where he sounded a trumpet gathered Israel together Nicanor vpō these letters entred into the house of the lord to seeke Iudas but he founde him not Then he examined the Priestes who sware they knewe not where he was become After he had now sought him in euerye corner throughout Hierusalem and could not finde him in a fume he sware he woulde beate downe the temple And gathering together ai his hoste he made spede againste Iudas When he hearde of Nicanors cōming he issued out of Samaria to mete him and after they hadde stroke the battail Iudas slewe of the Grekes to the number of .xviii. thousande horsemen toke Nicanor aliue and was minded to kyll him But Nicanor besought him of pardon alledgynge that the kinge knewe well inough that he beganne not this battaile with his good will but lest he shoulde traunsgresse the commaundement of the king his maister Wherefore saieth he I humblye beseche your maiestie not to kill mee and I sweare vnto you that I wyll neuer beare armour againste you nor anoye you in any wise Vpon this the kynge made a league with hym and dimissed him So he returned to the king his master with shame inough After this Demetrius dyed and Lisia his sonne raigned in his stede Yet the wicked men ceased not but moued againe Kinge Lisia to make a voyage in his owne Persone with a puissant armye againste Iudas but hauinge the ouerthrowe of kynge Iudas he fled vnto Asdotum till he had repaired againe his armye strongelye Then came he the seconde time vppon Iudas in whiche conflicte the Israelites were put to flight King Iudas notwithstandinge fled nother one waye nor other but called to his men exhorted them to returne and sticke by him yet they would not obeye him So he abid alone with his drawen sworde in hys hand vnto whom none of his enemies durst approche nie but with charettes and horsemen they enuironned hym and archers shot at him woūding him sore till he fell downe deade vppon the ground and they that were about him were taken alyue The tyme that he raigned ouer Israel was .vi. yere Manie of the Grekes captains were slaine also in that battaile and the king him selfe so wounded that he was faine to get him into his countreye to be cured of his woundes After he hadde recouered his health he returned again came to Hierusalem and to all the cities of Israell wyth the power of the Grekes wherwith he so afflicted them at that tyme for the space of foure monethes after the death of Iudas that the like tribulation was neuer sene in Israell In the meane season the Israelites resorted to Ionathas the sonne of Mattathias and made him king in Iudas stede and were sworne vnto hym This Ionathas foughte diuers greate battails against the Grekes hauynge the aide of one Sauinus of the kinred of kyng Alexander the first who had made a league with Ionathas toke his part againste Grecia wasted and spoyled it sore till at length the king of the Grecians slewe Ionathas by a traine His raigne ouer Israel dured .vi. yere Then was Schimeon his brother king in his stede Against him Antiochus the secōd kinge of the Grecians came to warre But Schimeon met him and laied first an ambushe to entrapte the Grekes then ordered his battayles in araye against Antiochus After that he wyth his whole hoste made a face fayninge as though they fledde and retired tyll thei perceiued Antiochus who pursued them to be within their daunger then the ambushe brake foorthe vppon the Grekes made a very great slaughter After this Schimeon returned to Ierusalē with great ioye Then sent Ptolome king of Egipt an imbassage to Scimeō king of Israel offering him his daughter in mariage To his request when king Schimeon had cōsented Ptolome came to Ierusalē where was made a great feast they were alied together Whereupō Antiochus king of the Greciās writ to Ptolome king of Egipt priuily to murder Schimeō king of Israel Whō Ptolomee durst not but obey for at that time the king of Egipt was in subiection to the Grekes Therefore when Schimeon came into Egipt to se his father in lawe Ptolomee he was receiued with greate feastinge but in the same he had poyson geuen him that he died thereof Besides this also his sonne which came with him Ptolome cast in prisō These things iustly chaūced vnto Schimeon for that he hadde traunsgressed the worde of the Lorde that forbade all aliance with the Gentiles The time that he raigned ouer Israel was .xviii. yeres Then Iohn his sonne raigned in his steede who was called Hircanus in the Greke tongue The same Ptolomee king of Egipt inuaded Israel with al the power that he coulde make But Iohn the sonne of Schimeon mette him and the Lorde ouerthrewe Ptolomee wyth his whole hoste that they were slaine of the Israelites and pursued to the citye Dagon about the whiche the Israelites made trenches and beseged it Nowe within the towne thei had the mother of kyng Hircanus whom Ptolomee caused to be sette vppon the Walles and to bee scourged with whippes in the sight of her sonne When Hircanus sawe the great affliction of his mother he wold haue raised his siege and departed frō Ptolomee But his mother called vnto him and said My deare sonne Iohn regarde not my tribulation for all chasteninges come from GOD. Procede manfully with thy siege againste thys citye for it is in great distresse and reuenge me thy father and brother murdered by Ptolomee The king folowed her aduise manfully raysed a mount from the which he battered the walles with engynes of yron like charrettes till it began to shake Wherfore many of the souldiours of the towne fledde and their companies began to scatter Ptolomee seinge this commaunded to afflict hys mother yet more and to encrease her scourgynges vntill the entrails of Hircanus was moued that he could abide no lenger to see his mother so cruelly handled but left the siege let Ptolomee escape who neuerthelesse killed his mother and fled into Egipt In the fourth yeare of kinge Hircanus raigne Pius king Grece came and besieged
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
said one of the Saduces the matter is plaine that according to the mindes of the Sages at their bidding he vpbrayded thée therfore they would not awarde him to die Whereat the kinge helde his peace and gaue neuer a worde to answer So all the ioye was dashed and turned into sadnesse The next day at the commaundement of the king proclamations went out to all the Cities in the kinges dominions that they shoulde stande to the ordenaunce of Sadoch and Bithus and who soeuer should refence to folow their decrees or would obserue the tradicions of the Sages and obey their wil shuld suffer death This was Ihon the hie priest whiche had the priesthode xl yeares and in th end became a Saducie Notwithstandinge the Israelites obeyed not the kinges commaundement but rather priuilye followed the orders of the sages The king him selfe and all his seruantes folowed the traditions of the Saducies making inquisition for them that stake to the constitutions of the Sages and putting to deathe as many as he coulde get knowledge of By this meanes he drue much people of Israel into this opinion The time that Hircanus reygned ouer Israell was .xxxi. yere and then he died After him reigned his sonne Aristobulus for he had .iii. sonnes Aristobulus Antigonus and Alexander This Alexander was hated of his father and banished out of his presence He went therfore and made warre vpon Tire and Sidon subdued them and compelled them to be circumcised Aristobulus regarded not the high priesthode but set light by it wherfore he wold not execute the office therof but toke the kingdome vppon him and set the crowne vppon his heade and was called the great king Besides this he banished his mother and Alexander her sonne his yonger brother and wold not suffer them to dwell in Ierusalem But he loued his brother Antigonus and made him lieuetenant generall of all his warres setting him forward into the warres againste hys ennemies Wherin the yong mā Antigonus had good fortune and prospered in al thinges that he toke in hād and returned safe to Ierusalem Wheras he entred into the house of the sanctuary to pray for his brother the king which at that time was greuously sicke and also to acknowledge before the Lorde God his goodnesse and mercye towardes him in that he aided him against his enemies Then came a certain wicked person vnto the king informed him with this tale Thy brother saith he returning from the warres inquyred ▪ of thy health when it was told him thou wast sicke he saide I will go to him to day rid him out of the world When the kinge heard this he was wrothe towarde the sages commaunded his brother to be apprehēded and caried to the palaice of Starton there to be kepte in prisonne till he hadde made inquisition of his doinges In the meane space the Quene the kinges wife commaunded him to be put to death there without knowlege of the kinges minde But when the Kinge hearde that hys brother was killed he cried mainly out and wepte smiting his brest in such a sorte with his hande that he sowned and muche blud issued out of his mouth He reigned ouer Israel .ii. yere After him his brother Alexander reigned who was also called king Ianai being broughte out of prisō where his brother had put him and made king of Israel He was a mighty man and valeante in all his warres against his ennemies preuailing against thē He had warres with the Philistines namelye Azam and Ascalon whom he put to the worsse and ouercame them This man refused not the priesthode but was his priest It chaunced on a time when he stode at thaltare to offer sacrifice one of the sages cast Ceder trée vpon him wherat he lift vp his righthand vpon the altare crying geue me my sword Then the Sages kneled down before him and sware they did it not of anye contempt but rather say thei that we thus sporting before the Lord would be mery vpon the hie solempne daye But the kinges seruauntes answered roughly again saiynge Althoughe ye play and reioyie yet it is not the maner of the country to vse any such dispitful custome with the king The cōtencion waxed hot amongste them til at the length the Sages spake euil of the king castinge in his tethe that he was an vnhallowed and suspended person and that his graūdmother on the fathers side was a captiue in the mount Modiit wherby her seede was steined The king was sore moued at that in so much that he commaunded all the Sages to be slaine Therefore wher so euer they founde them in the sanctuary or in the stretes of Ierusalem they killed them forthwith Then the king commaunded that euery mā should obei the gouernaunce and tradicions of the Saducies So in those daies had the Sages great tribulatiō some fel vpon the sworde some fled awaye and some taried at home with dishonor and shame After these matters the king made an expedicion into Arabia entred the country as farre as the rocke of the wildernes against Hartam kinge of Arabia and subdued his lande After that he warred vpon Medaba and the hole lande of Moab vanquishing them and bringing them vnder tribute and so retourned with honor to Ierusalem When he had after this wel bethought him of his doings it repēted him of his euil waies wherfore he altered his minde and began to make much of the Sages submitted him to their ordinaunce and estemed their tradicions There were also at that time a kinde of secte that were called * These I take to be the same that he calleth sages before Phariseis of whom such as had escaped the kinge sente to call them home again and when they wer come into his presence he spake vnto them comfortable wordes saying My brethern ye shal vnderstand that that is once done and past must nedes be termed as it is and can not be reuoked And truth it is you can excuse the reproche that ye did me nor I can not call againe the bloud that I haue shed Notwithstanding I confesse my faulte vnto you and haue chaunged my indignation to loue praiynge you to put out of your heart all rancour and malice laye awaie also your mournynge and sorowfulnesse of your mindes reioysyng in your reconciliation and atonement with me be of good cheare But they made him answere We wil not laie away our hatred and enmitie for thou speakest but disceitfully we speake that is truthe Furthermore thou hast killed our chief men and elders neither hast thou onely done vs this iniurie but also Hircanus thy father who began such mischiefe thou hast holden on and cōtinued it Wherfore this hatred betwene thee and vs hath taken some roote neither can we leaue our sorowe and mourninge tyll thou dye and God take vengeaunce vpon thee for our sakes then shal wee reioice when we see vengeaunce So they departed from his presence neither did the kinge
authority ouer the learned sort puttinge them into their handes to ordre at their pleasure Wherupon straight way they founde one Dogrus a greate man amongst the learned sort whom they stewe much people besides of the auncients of that sect so that the Sectaries were in great distresse Thei gathered them selues together therfore and came to Aristobulus the lieutenaunt of the warres and with him they came to the Quene saiyng vnto her Thou knowest the enmitie that is betwene vs and the Pharisies which hate thy busband and father in lawe yea and thy children also We were his men of warre that went with him in all his affaires and ayded him now thou hast geuen vs into their handes to bee murdered and banished out of the Lande What will Hartam kinge of Arabia dooe when he heareth this that we shall forsake thee He wâ—â— come and reuenge him of all the battaile that thy husband fought agaynst him Yea the Pharisies will take his parte and deliuer thee and thy children into his handes that there shall not be left vnto Hircanus the kynge and his sonne Alexander thy husbande anye name or remnant at all The Quene gaue them no word to answer wherat Aristobulus was angrye and letted not to vtter it to his mothers face but she would not heare him Wherefore Aristobulus counseled the Sectaries to go their waies and depart oute of Ierusalem to chuse them cities in the laÌ„d of Iuda where they mighte dwel with their honor not to suffre them selues to be slain vnder the Pharisies hands Wherfore departing from Ierusalem they dwelte in the cities of Iuda Not longe after this it fortuned the Quene fel sore sicke that she was like to die Wherof when Aristobulus heard he feared least the Pharisies wold make his brother Hircanus kinge and at length apprehende him wherefore he fled away by night to the cities of the Saducies to be their heade and make war vpon his brother if he would presume to reigne He came therefore to the Prince of the Saducies called Galustius who was a good man of war And after he had gathered a stronge armye of the Saducies his mother the Quene sent vnto him that he shoulde returne vnto her which he wolde not do but rather went to war vppon the nacions that dwelt about him where he wan .xx. cities and gate him great renowne therby Now as the Quene his mother waxed sicker and sicker the chiefe Pharisies came vnto her with her sonne Hircanus weping before her and saiyng how they were afraid of her sonne Aristobulus who if he should come into Ierusalem take it he would deliuer them vp into the handes of the Saducies Vnto whome she answered I am as you see at the point of death not able to talke much with you there is here in my house great treasure that my husbande and my fathered gathered and their pareÌ„ts kings of the posterity of Chasmonani take that vnto you and make my soÌ„ne Hircanus king ouer you If Aristobulus wil perturbe him and make warre againste him ye may wage menne of war therwith and succour him as you thinke good And euen with this she fainted and died and was buried amongst her people after she had reigned .ix. yeare ouer Israel The Pharisies therfore and priestes with all the inhabitantes of Ierusalem made Hircanus her sonne king in her stede Aristobulus hearinge tidinges of these thinges assembled his army and came toward Ierusalem to fight against his brother But Hircanus met him and encountred with him nye vnto Iordane Iericho The Saducies of Aristobulus hoste were good men of warre and to strong for the Pharises Wherfore Hircanus the Pharisies had the ouerthrow at Aristobulus and the Saduces handes who with this victorye proceded forth to Ierusalem besieged it brought it to great distres Wherfore the priestes and the aunciente of the people consulted together came forth to Aristobulus fel prostrate vpon th earth afore him and besought him that he wold not scatter abrode the inheritaunce of the Lorde He condiscended vnto their desires vpon these conditions that he should enter into Ierusalem with them and be kinge and his brother Hircanus shoulde be the hie priest Wherunto they agreed Then as Aristobulus entred into IerusaleÌ„ his brother came out of the sanctuary to mete him and with embrasings he kissed him So Aristobulus was king Hircanus executed the office of the hie priest The Lord also gaue Israell rest and peace for a while But afterward the Lord sente an euil spirite amongst them which was the cause of translating the kingdoÌ„ from the stock of Chasmonani and of the destructioÌ„ of his posteritye For the sonne of Hircanus the great and the sonne of Alexander his sonne in that they shed so much innocent blud drue Israel froÌ„ thobedience of the Prophets vnto the lies trifles of the Saduces For thus it chauÌ„ced The Saduces bet into Aristobulus heade that as long as his brother Hircanus liued he nor his kingdome could neuer be stablished Wherupon Aristobulus deuised how to make awai Hircanus Which thing a certain maÌ„ called Antipater was aware of a maÌ„ of most power in al Israel therto also a wise expert learned man in all wisdome both in the lawes in the knowledge of the Greke iust of his word prudent if ani strauÌ„ge or new matters chauÌ„ced His ofspringe was not out of the children of Israell but of those Romaines which chauÌ„ced to be vainquished became subiect vnder the dominion of the Israelits being but strauÌ„gers of no noble house in Israel Phaselus He had iiii soÌ„nes Ioseph his eldest the nexte Pasilus the third Herode the .iiii. Pheroras These had also a sister called Salumith Antipater fauoured Hircanus so intirely for his iustice vprightnes sake that he opened vnto him him his brother Aristobulus the Saducies intent geuing him counsel to flee to Hartam king of Arabia but Antipater him self went before to breake the matter to HartaÌ„ of whose comminge Hartam was very glad Then Antipater declared to him how Hircanus kinge of Hierusalem was in minde to flee vnto him because of Aristobulus his brother If thou wilt helpe him saith he and let him haue speedy aide thou shalte easilye set Aristobulus besides the kingdome for all Israel is inclined to Hircanus and fauoure not Aristobulus Hartam answered I am afraied of the Iewes and their wilines Alexander his father put mee thrise to the foile in battail by his subtiltie and toke my dominioÌ„s from me TheÌ„ Antipater sware vnto him He shal be saith he thy true trustye frend to do what soeuer thy hart desiereth Thus HartaÌ„ was perswaded they made a league together Then Antipater returnyng to Hierusalem caused Hircanus to flee in the night and they both went together to the king of Arabia who muche reioyced at Hircanus commynge and receiued him honourably When they came together to entreat of the league Hartam
heauye iron chaines and assauted Ierusalem batteringe the walles verye sore til they of the towne issued out against him slue of his host .xii. M. mē After this hadde the Israelites ciuill warres within Ierusalem because the siege was greuous vnto them for they were deuided into factions one parte said Let vs open the gates to Pompeius let him in that we mai submit our selues vnder his protection The other said Let vs fight against him vnto the death But much people misliked that so that that side preuailed that woulde yelde Wherfore Pompeius entred the town the house of the sāctuary killed much people of the priests the people of the lād made Hircanus king of Israel the .ii. time Antipater his coūseler Moreouer he set one Securus a Romain in the countrey to receiue the tribute departed leading Aristobulus with him boūd in irons And because he toke his iorney toward Arabia Hircanus Antipater wēt with him to cōduct him Aristobulus thus being prisoner his .ii. sons with him it fortuned that one of thē called Alexāder escaped And hauing intelligēce that Hircanus and his counselour were gone out of Ierusalem he came thither rebelled againste Hircanus made vp the breaches of the wall that Pompeius had battered yea the Israelites resorted vnto him made him Kinge in Hircanus place Wherupon he gathered an armye and went forth to meie with Hircanus as he came homewarde from Pompeius where he gaue Hircanus the ouerthrow Securus the receiuer of the tribute escaped Then Alexander returned to Ierusalē frō whence shortly after Gabinius a Romain with a stronge armye compelled him to flee to Alexandria And being in the same place besieged also of Gabinius hys mother Aristobulus wyfe went forthe to Gabinius weping and besought him that he would not destroy her sōne for whose sake he did Alexander no harm Gabinius therefore hauynge gotten all the Lande of Iudea made Hircanus king of Ierusalem now the .iii. time who set Romain captaines and rulers in Iericho and in Zephori and through all the lande of Israel It fortuned after this that Aristobulus gat out of prison at Rome and came into Israel to whom on euerye syde resorted men in such fort that he had a puissāt host of Israel Wherof whē he had takē muster he chose out .viii. thousand of the best with thē went agaynst Gabinius wher was a sore battayle foughte betwene them tyll the beste of Aristobulus men wer slayn and only one thousand left wherwith he fled to the mountaynes But the Romayns folowed the chase and slew them euery man Yet Aristobulus would not yeld but fought alone although his helmet was broken til he had dyuers sore woundes in hys head and then fell he to the ground and the Romayns toke him yet aliue brought hym to Gabinius who comforted hym commaundinge hys surgeons to heale hym and after sent hym to the Consul and Senat of Rome wher he was put in prison yet once agayne After thys the Senate takinge pitie of Aristobulus wife whiche was reported to bee a verye wise woman released her two sonnes out of prison and set theim at libertie Alexander the one of those could not be content but rebelled once againe against Hircanus and the Romaine gouernours For he gathered together muche people of Israell encountred wyth one of the Romayn gouernours that Gabinius had appointed and gaue him the ouerthrowe But proceadyng further to fight with Gabinius hadde the worsse and many of the Israelites were slaine yet hee escaped him selfe and fled This done Gabinius came to Hierusalem and renewed the kingdome of Israel to Hircanus the .iiii. tyme. About this tyme one of the Senators wiues at Rome conceiued a childe dyed in the byrthe and trauaile thereof They therfore that were about her straite waye ripte her body and gate the childe out alyue whom they named Iulius and because his mother was cutte they called hym Caesar This childe growynge to great towardnes and commyng to mannes estate the Consul and Senate sent him into the warres and what so euer he did he had good fortune prosperous successe He depriued the Grecians of the empire and dominion translating it to the Romaines Manye prouinces also besides that did he subdue and returning to Rome with a power attēpted to get the dominion and sole regimente ouer them But they had made solempne statutes in the time of their progenitors neuer to suffre any kinge emongst them or any mā to haue perpetual rule ouer them wherfore they would not make Iulius kinge Vpon this risse amongst thē great and mortall warres so that Iulius slue wōderful many of them without number When Pompeius vnderstode that Cesar raigned at Rome had killed the Consul and the Senate with all the nobilitye of Rome be gathered together his hole army out of Arabia and made toward him Iulius hauinge intelligēce of his comming against him sente for Aristobulus oute of prisone spake frendlye vnto him gaue him a power and made him graund captain therof bidding him to go fight with Pompeius In dede his armye was a stronge armye and he him self was a Kinge of no small prowesse and valeantnesse Pompeius hearinge that Aristobulus came againste him was sore afraid of his valeantnesse and of his hoste Wherfore he sent to the inhabitantes of Ierusalem that wer vnder his obedience that they should present Aristobulus with some gift wherby they might deceiue him and poison him The inhabitantes of Ierusalem at his request sent vnto Aristobulus a present by certain noble men wherat Aristobulus was right ioyous and eat and banqueted with them til he was ouercame with drinke then thei gaue him poyson and he died The time that he reigned ouer Israel was four yeares and sixe monethes He was a good man of war hardy in fighte and a man of an amiable countenaunce Pompeius receiuinge tidinges of his deathe the more gladder proceded with his hoste to Rome to besiege if But Iulius met him in the waye and destroyed him and his hoste whereby the Empire was established vnto Iulius He after this sente presentes to the kinge of Siria and into Egipte by his captaines to allure them to his frendshippe Antipater aduised Hircanus to aide Iulius if perchaunce he might win his fauour whiche Hircanus did and Antipater was captaine of the hoste who plaied the man and founde suche fauoure with Iulius that he made him lieuetenant of his warres And after he had fought sondry great battails he retourned to Ierusalem with great honoure and by the way prospered much more Hircanus after this made Phaselus Antipaters sonne gouerned of Ierusalem and Herod his third sōne president of Galily There was a certaine yong man at that time in Ierusalem called Hizkias a valeant man of war to whom claue al such as were in any distresse and he became their captain These wente and raunged aboute into Siria rouing and murthering in such sort that the Sirians were
vnto you ye shall with all spede aide him No man shal be excused all that can beare weapon shall go with him to Ierusalem to vanquish Antigonus the kings aduersary Who so refuseth to go with him it shal be leful for the warriours â—o slea him forthwith I Marcus Antonius haue sworne by my sword that I will not alter this that I haue saide When the captaines of Siria had red this thei resorted wholly to Herode so that his host was woÌ„derfully encreased Antigonus hearing of this sent one Pompeius lieuetenant of his warres againste theÌ„ who fought a sore battaile with them that muche people were slaine on bothe sides Ioseph kinge Herodes brother was slaine in that battaile Notwithstandinge at lengthe Antigonus hoste wente to the worsse and had the ouerthrow So Herode Caâ—â—ius proceded to Ierusalem and besieged it the third yere after Herod was made king of Israel And wheÌ„ they had battred downe a peece of the wal Cassius with the Romains entred the towne and made a greate slaughter in IerusaleÌ„ They entred also into the Sanctuary and attempted to enter into the Sanctum sanctorum but Herod and his men lept betwene it and theÌ„ and stode with their drawn swordes in the temple dore that they shoulde not Herod was also displeased with Casius for his crueltye and saide If ye wil destroy all the inhabitantes of the citye vpon whom shal I reign in this kingdome that Augustus hathe geuen me Wherfore streight way Cassius caused proclamation to be made throughe all his hoste that no man vppon paine of death shuld kil one Israelite moe This done Herode apprehended Antigonus and deliuered him bound to Cassius He rewarded also Cassius souldiours both with gold and siluer TheÌ„ Cassius offred a present vnto the Lord a crowne of Golde for he was soore afrayed of gods displeasure bicause he had fought against the holye citye That done he toke his iorney returned into Egipt and Antigonus as prisoner with him Thither sent Herode vnto him a royal reward to make away Antigonus to murder him fearinge least he shoulde make clayme vnto the Kingedome againe Wherunto Cassius consented slew Antigonus Thus was the kyngdome surely established to Herode TheÌ„ made he warres vpon all the nacions that were about him constrainyng theÌ„ to become tributaries bi which means he grew to such power as neuer any of his predecessours were to be compared vnto him After al this Pagurus king of Persia released out of prison Hircanus son of Alexander promoted him to be head of al the Israelites that were fled or flitted into the land of Sennaar into the dominion of the Persians he became their king This Hircanus had a ferueÌ„t desire to see the holy citie the house of the saÌ„ctuary Also how Herode whoÌ„ he toke for his sonne his kingdome did Herode hearynge the Hircanus who had bene prisoner at Babilon was now set at liberty in great honour he was afraied of him mistrusting lest the Israelits would restore vnto theÌ„ selues the kingdome of their fathers Wherefore he cast in his mind how to do him mischiefe He theÌ„ writeth his letters vnto Pagurus the coÌ„tents wherof were such Thou shalt vnderstand the Hircanus is he that brought me vp vsed me euer as his son Now therfore sence I came to be king of IerusaleÌ„ I haue called to my remeÌ„brance the goodnes that he hath done to me wherfore my desire is to rewarde him accordyng to his benefites Therfore I require thee to send him to me otherwise assure thi self of wars betwene thee the Israelits with their coÌ„federats Pagurus hauing red this letter seÌ„t for Hircanus asked him if he wold go to Herod notwithstaÌ„ding Herods threats he ceased not to geue to Hircanê° al good couÌ„sel he could aduising him to take heede of Herode because he is saith he a bloude sheader a breaker of his league And he hath called thee for no loue he beareth thee but because he feareth thee As longe as thou liuest shal he neuer slepe sound slepe lest the kingdome shold be deuoluted vnto the. It is better therefore for thee to tarye here in some honour thoughe it be not of suche aucthoritie then to go thither to dye with great dispite and end thine olde age with a bloudy death Furdermore thou shalt knowe such is the disposition of mannes heart If there be two men the one in honour the other in contempt after time shall come that the dispised shal be had in honoure and the honoured to be neglected neuer will he that is now honoured and before was in contempt be content to see him that was before honoured nor speake frendelye to him For he wyll thinke Hitherto according his accustomed maner he hathe dispised me how much more wheÌ„ his dominioÌ„ is taken froÌ„ him his seruaunt raigneth in his roume Moreouer Herode knoweth right well that mens heartes are inclined to him that is the true kinge And it might so be if thou were mete for the priesthode that he woulde promote thee vnto it and be gouernoure of the kingdome him selfe But seinge thou arte dismembred hast one of thy eares cut of and thereby arte vnmete for the Priesthodeâ— thou shalt remaine in Hierusalem depriued both of kingdome and priesthode which is vncomely for thee Such counsaile gaue Pagurus kyng of the Persians vnto Hircanus yea and all the Iewes that were in BabiloÌ„ besought hym that he wold not go vnto Herode Notwithstanding he would not be perswaded and why For it was the Lordes wyll and hys dede that the iniury done vnto the Sages whom his father and graundfather slew and the iniury committed to Hony auriga myght returne vpon his head and be reuenged so that no remnant of the house of Chasmonany no name no residue no kinsman or posteritie shoulde be left aliue Hircanus therfore toke his â—ourney toward Hierusalem and Herode came forthe to mete him embrased him kissed him after brought him into his house and feasted him dayly called him his father before all men albeit in his hearte he conspired to murther him And that knewe Alexandra his doughter and mother in lawe to Herode who opened it vnto Hircanus but he wold not credite her at the first til on a time he perceiued the matter cleare to be so theÌ„ deuised he how to flee to Maloc kynge of Arabia He sent therfore a messenger to Maloc to send him hors and a charet to flee withall but the messenger dealt vnfaithfully lewdly with him for he broughte Hircanus letters priuely vnto Herode who rewarded hym well for his laboure and bad him goe to Maloc and to let hym knowe what aunswere Maloc gaue The messenger vpon this went and deliuered the letters to Maloc who fulfilled Hircanus request sent him horses and a charet writing in this sorte I haue sent the horses horsemen come therfore vnto me and whatsoeuer thy hart desireth I wil
do it for thy sake So the messenger brought the aunswer secretly vnto Herode wherupon he sent streight to the place in whiche he vnderstode Maloces men to lurke waiting for Hircanus and caused to apprehende them aliue Herode coÌ„maunded to cal together the elders before whome he willed also Hircanus to be brought and of him the king demaunded Tell me if thou writtest any letters to Maloc king of Arabia he aunswered I wrote none TheÌ„ was Restius the messenger brought in as his accuser and the meÌ„ of war also of Arabia that were apprehended which declared the hole matter before the couÌ„sel so that Hircanus was quite dasshed Then the king coÌ„maunded him to bee put to death and so was the kingdome establisshed vnto Herode The tyme that Hircanus reigned was fourty yeares and sixe monethes After the death of his mother he reigned thre yeares and Aristobulus his brother remoued hym makynge hym priest Agayne thre yeares after he returned to his kingdome and raigned fourty yeares Then Antigonus sonne of Aristobulus deposed hym cuttynge of his eare banishing him out of the holy citie So after when Herode his seruaunte came to the kingedome Herodes ingratitude he returned to Ierusalem and Herode shed his bloud without cause Yet he notwithstaÌ„dyng had deliuered Herode froÌ„ the hands of the elders who would haue put him to death for the death of Hizkias From that time Hircanus wrought none euil in the sight of the Lorde nor offended him in any great matter saue onely in this that he bare to much with Herod in sheadyng the innocent bloud wherfore his owne life wente for the other Therfore happy is he that neuer forget teth any part of his dutye Marimi the daughter of Alexander the Sonne of Aristobulus the wyfe of Herode had a brother whose name was Aristobulus hym Herode woulde in no wise promote to the hye priesthode because he feared the children of Chasmonany althoughe his wyfe sued harde and laye sore vppon him for the same matter But the kyng made hye priest one that was nothing of the kinred of Chasmonany whose name was Haniel Notwithstandynge when he had once made awaye Hircanus his wiues progenitour father of Alexandra his mother in lawe then he deposed Haniel the hie priest and promoted his wiues brother Aristobulus to the dignitie although he were but a child yet he was wise and of good vnderstandyng and beautifull withall so that in al Israell was not a goodlier nor hansomer yong man theÌ„ he was And this Haniel was the first that euer was deposed froÌ„ that office of the hie priesthode by any king of Israel afore Herode who did this to quiet his wyfe and to fulfil his mother in lawes minde NotwithstaÌ„ding this Alexandra his wyfes mother was not coÌ„tent nor satisfied for the death of her father was suche a griefe but alwaies spake snappishly to the kynge that he sent her to warde Then she writ to Cleopatra Quene of Egypt wyfe vnto Marcus Antonius a noble manne of Rome declaryng vnto her all the mischiefe that Herode had dooen to the posteritie of Chalmonani and desiring her of aide To whom Cleopatra made this answer If thou caÌ„st finde the meanes to come to me secretly thou shalt perceiue what I will dooe for thee WheÌ„ Alexandra had red the letter she sent to Aristobulus her sonne the hie priest shewing him that she wold flee to the sea Iapho and from thence wold take shipping into Egipt perswading him also to flee with her We wil saith she make two great coffers one for my self the other for thee we wil with rewardes procure our seruauntes to cary vs oute priuily wherby we may flee to saue our liues This their deuise was perceiued of one of Herodes seruauÌ„tes who forthwith made the king priuie vnto it The king coÌ„maunded his seruaunt that bewraied them that when they did coÌ„uey the coffers they shoulde bring them to him whiche the seruauntes did So when the coffers were broughte to the kinges presence he caused them to bee opened and tooke out Alexandra her sonne Aristobulus to whom the kynge spake sharpely and rebuked them sore But Alexandra aunswered him again as short in somuch that the king moued with anger flang away from her into his chamber saiyng It is better to sit in a corner of the house then with a brawling skolding womaÌ„ in an open place The king dissembled the matter shewed no great displeasure A yeare after as Aristobulê° the hie priest apparailed in his ponticall vestures stode in the the teÌ„ple nie vnto the alter to offer sacrifices the Israelites beheld his beautie his wisdome behauiour in the ministery wherat euery maÌ„ reioysed praising God that had not taken al away but left one to reuenge that iniuries done to the house of Chasmonani The kyng hearyng this was sore afrayed and not a litle displeased thinking to him selfe the Israelites woulde restore the kyngdome of their fathers vnto hym He perceiued euery maÌ„s hart to be inclined towards him Wherfore he deliberated a while in the feaste of the tabernacles he weÌ„t to Iericho withal his seruaÌ„ts wheras he made a great feast to al his nobles and seruaunts placing them euery man after his degree before him Aristobulus the hie priest he set vpoÌ„ his righthand And as they eate dronke made mery the kinges seruants were disposed to go and swim in Iordane To these the king had geuen secret coÌ„maundemente that they shoulde desire Aristobulus to go and bathe with them in Iordane and then to drown him So when they were goinge they came to Aristobulus desired him to go bathe with them which he would not vnlesse the kinge gaue him leaue wherfore he asked the king leaue but he denied him at the first yet at length the yong man intreated him so instaÌ„tly that the king bad him do what he would He wente therfore with the other yong menne to swim The king toke his horsse straitwaye and returned to Iericho withall his traine leauinge the yonge men behinde which continued swimming till Sunne setting and as it began to be darke they drowned the prieste Aristobulus emongst them Wherof when tidinges came to the kinge and it was knowen that he was deade the people wept and made great lameÌ„tacion considering his vertue nobility and beauty euery man was ful of sorow that he should haue so short a life and they bewailed so much that it was harde a far of But Marimi chiefly and Alexandra the yonge mannes mother could in no wise be comforted Yea the kinge also wept and made great moane for it repented him that he had done so wicked an acte Yet all the people knewe well inough that the thinge was procured by the king In so much that Alexandra his mother in law letted not to tell it him to his face that he was the murtherer of her husband and her father now last of al of her sonne to whoÌ„ the king
answered nether good nor bad From that daye forwardes there was perpetual hatred betwene Alexandra Marimi and Kiparim the mother of Herode Salumith his sister that came of base seruile blud For Marimi cast in their teethe to their faces that they wer not of the sede of Israel but vnholy of base birth Notwithstāding Herode loued Marimi as his life wherfore he would neuer displease her as lōg as she liued nor say so much to her as whi saiest thou so These thinges done Marcus Antonius a noble mā of Rome next vnto Octauian Augustus kinge of kinges being sent by Augustus to war vpon the kinges of the west countries raigned in Egipt by the prouocation of his wife rebelled against Octauian Augustus made war with him both by sea land And forasmuch as Egipt is nie adioyninge to the lande of Israell Herode ioyned with him and helped him For Marcus Antonius had aided him before in such sorte that no kinge durst meddle with him for fear of Marcus Antonius Wherupon whan Marcus conspired againste hys prynce and master Herode aided him with an army with horsmen and with shippes also against Octauian In which warres Octauian gate the victorye slue Antony and all his people comming by ship to the Isle of Rhodes so into the land of Egipt Herode hearinge that Marcus Antonius was slaine and that Octauian Augustus was come into Egipte he fainted for feare of the displeasure of Octauian Yet at lengthe he tooke hearte vnto him prepared a royall presente to be caried afore him and folowed after him selfe to Octauian Augustus And setting forwardes he called Ioseph the husband of Salumnith his sister whome he made chiefe of his houshold commaundinge him that if Octauian Augustus put him to death he shuld poison Marimi his wife saying it shuld not be semely for kinges that any meane base man shuld mary with a kinges widow and sleepe wyth her vppon a kinges bedde So then he toke his iourney toward Octauian Augustus who then was at the Rhodes where he vnderstode Octauian to be displeased with him for that he had aided Marcus Antonius Therfore assone as Herode came to Octauian Augustus presence hauinge his croune vpon his head he toke it of fel down prostrate vppon the ground at Octauians feete saying Most noble emperour I confesse my trespasse against your maiesty that I loued M. Antonius my cōpanion in league who was my neighbor aided me And it is true that your maiesty sēce the time you made me king haue herd of mine affaires that haue happened vnto me but neuer succoured me This. M Antonius did not so I cōfesse therfore that in his warres against your maiesty I aided him with an army with horsmē ships Neyther went I out with him for ani warres vpō mine own borders but when so euer I wente with him I holp him to the vttermost of mi power When he was falling I bolsterd him vp whā he stōbled I raised him again Emongst al these thinges I cōfesse also that I wolde not be counted of your maiestye a breaker of leage but nowe M. Antonius is deade Wherfore whither that it shal please your maiesty to restore me to my former estate or no forasmuch as I haue kept touch with M. Antonius against your maiesty amōgst other if you put me to death you shall do me no wrong but iustice because I haue deserued death When Octauian August herd him speake so he said vnto him Arise thou kinge of Israell in peace be of good comfort and fear not for thou art worthy to be nie yea next to my person I knowe that Marcus Antonius was set on by his wife and would not folow thy counsel for if he had I dare saye he woulde neuer haue conspired against me So he commaūded the croune to be set againe vppon Herodes head and made a leage with him Then they went both together to ward Egipt to be reuenged vpō Cleopatra But that wicked woman whan she saw her city to be ouercome put on her moste precious apparaile and sitting vpon the throne of her kingdom commaūded a vipor to be brought vnto her which assone as she had suffred to sting her brest she died As Octauian August came to her palaire sawe her sit there he reioyced that he mighte be reuenged of her and commaunded to thruste her from her throne but when they that came to her founde her dead Octauian was pensife and verye sore greued In this while Ioseph Salumithes husbande disclosed vnto Marimi that the kinge had commaunded if it so fortuned him to be put to deathe by Augustus that he shoulde poyson her Wherupon Marimi conceiued yet a greater hatred towarde the kinge in so muche that when the kinge was retourned in safetye sounde and with honoure also from Octauian and that all his menne and whole houshoulde reioysed greatelye Marimi shewed no countenaunce of gladnesse no not when the kinge him selfe told her how greatlye he was magnified and honored of Octauian but alwaies she was sadde Salumith the kinges Sister perceiuing that Marimi so vexed the king she toulde him howe Ioseph her husbande had line with Marimi whiles he was with Augustus Herode saye what she could gaue no credite to her wordes knowing that she enuied Marimi vntill at length he asked the cause of Marimi whye she reioysed not as other did when he returned in safetye from Augustus but was euer sad whiche shewed her to haue some rancoure and malice in her heart to wardes him She answered Thou haste saide heretofore that thou louedst me aboue all thine other wiues and concubines yet thou didst will Ioseph thy sisters husbande to poyson me Whan Herode hearde this he was exceadinglye abashed that Ioseph had disclosed his secrete began to mistrust with him self that which Salumith had told him that he had slept with his wife in dede and vpon that had detected that secret Therfore he departed out of his palaice in a greate anger and rage wherby Salumith perceiued that he detested Marimi and therefore she accused her further hyring false accusars and forgers of lies to witnes that Marimi woulde haue poysoned the kinge whereof she had diuers argumētes also by her coūtenaunce She added moreouer if thou saith she to the king let her scape thus she wil spedely destroy thee and bereue thee of thy kingdom The lawe geueth a man this counsell If any man gooe aboute to murther thee preuent hym slea him first With this and suche like wordes she so moued the king that he commaunded to bring Marimi forthe and to be beheaded in the hie streate of the citie And as she was brought forth vnto the market place of the citie all the women of the citie folowed her Alexandra her mother also cursed and rayled at her saiyng come oute thou that haste abhorred thy husbande and conspired against thy lorde Alexandra wepte also as thoughe it hadde
Darius the other Philippus with sixe thousand men to succour those elders and sages that were desirous of peace These preuailed against Eleasar and the sedicious that tooke his parte made a great slaughter of them skirmishing for the space of seuen daies together and at the length put them to flight and pursewed them to the temple From that time forthe the warres incresed more more betwene Eleazar and his complices and Agrippas with his hoste and the Sages elders princes that toke their parte Vppon a time when the captaines of Agrippas entred the temple certaine cut throte murtherers waged by the sedicious mixte theÌ„ selues amongst the kinges bandes and getting behinde their backes wounded them with short daggers that they had hid vnder their iackes so that the kinges souldioures hauing launces and great armed swordes in their handes such as they vse in the warres could not weld them in the prease by this meanes many of them were slain and the seditious gate the victory Thus Darius Philippus with the Romaine army were put to flight the elders with the Sages that were desirous of peace departed out of the towne and fled to kinge Agrippas Then had Eleasar and the seditious the hole rule of the city and that to al their great damage For the fury of the seditious increased to such outrageousnes that thei set a fire king Agrippas house that he had in HierusaleÌ„ spoiled al his treasure al that was any thing worth thei deuided amongst theÌ„ Thei burnte his bokes of accompts billes of debts euerychone that were in his palaice Beronices house also the kings sister thei set on fice and thei slue al the cunning artificers that were masters of the kings works So their rule and power in the citie grewe euery daye more and more greuous then other IN those dayes dwelt the Iewes Aramites together in all the Cities of Siria amongst whom also warre was moued for the Cesarians brought the Romaines into the towne againste the Iewes slue theÌ„ as mani as thei could finde in the towne The Damascians also conspired together to distroy al the Iewes that dwelt amongst theÌ„ which thing thei kept secrete froÌ„ their wiues bicause for the most part thei fauoured the Iewes religion Therfore the Aramites vppon a certaine night armed for the purpose beset all the waies and entrances into the towne the houses also and slue about .x. M. of the Iewes commynge vppon them at vnwares when they were in their beddes nothinge mistrustynge any such matter WheÌ„ the Iewes of Hierusalem heard howe the Aramites had dealt with the Iewes in their countrey sodainly they put them selues in armes and in a fury and rage like as it hadde bene Lions beares that had lost their whelps they ranne to Damasco burnt their holdes slew the Damascians with the sword man woman childe eueÌ„ the very sucking babes yea their oxeÌ„ shepe camels asses with all other cattell leauinge none aliue And thus they dealt wyth many cities of the Sirians sleing and killynge them not sparyng either olde or yonge male or female but distreyinge all in most cruell wyse euen the the verye infantes and sucklyngs they haled from their mothers breastes and murthered them in so muche that all the whole Lande was full of stenche of the deade bodyes that were slayne for there was no man left to burye the carcases So the Iewes wasted all the laÌ„d of the Aramits had destroied it had not Castius a captaine of the Romains deliuered Siria the countrey of Zofa The people therfore departed wholly froÌ„ Aram to return into Iudea in the waie thei came bi Scithopolis a citie of Siria entending to besiege it for it was yet left vntouched was verie strong At that time also Iewes and Aramites dwelt together in it The Iewes therfore that were without offred peace to the Iews the dwelt in the town but thei refused it and defied them railinge at them and for their frendly offer acquited them with opprobrious wordes with inâ—uries also For those Iewes that dwelt in the foresaid citie with the Aramits loued together like brethren and for the more parte thei were of the Leuitical tribe stoute men and hardy The hoste of the Iewes without the citie saide vnto them Wee come frendly vnto you and would aide you The other Iewes within annswered Wee will neither your frendship nor aide The armie of the Iewes hearing that coÌ„sented and agreed to raise their siege to goe to Hierusalem and there to remaine For thei had a huge bootie of goulde and siluer that they had gotten together of the spoiles of Siria After this the Sirians that dwelt in Scithopolis saide one to another Putcase the Iewes returne agayne make warre vpon vs surelye if they shoulde so do these Iewes that dwell amongest vs would ioine with them and deliuer vp the Citye into their handes and then woulde they be reuenged vpon vs and distroy vs as they haue done the other cities of Siria Therfore they agreed to saye vnto the Iewes that inhabited the citye with them Wee vnderstand your countrey men will inuade vs again and make warre vpon vs wherfore departe ye forthe of the citie wyth your wiues and children and lodge in the woode nie vnto the citye till their armye be gone againe and then you shal return vnto vs. The Iewes were content to fulfil their mindes weÌ„t out of the citye and placed them selues in the woode There was amongst them a certaine yonge man named Schimeon a good man of watre fearce bigge made and verye stronge withall he in fauoure of the gentiles had slaine manye of the Iewes and solde muche of the people of God For duringe the time that the Iewes besieged Sithopolis he issued oute continuallye and skirmished with the host of the Iewes many times puttinge them to flighte and neuer would suffer them to waste the towne or to do anye harme to the inhabitauntes thereof Nowe as this Schimeon with his father Saule an honest old man and the reast of the people of the Iewes that dwelte in Scithopolis remained all together boldly in the woode withoute mistrustinge anye harme the Romaines ioyned with the Sirians in greate nomber entred the woode and slew the Iewes all that euer they could finde to the nomber of .xiii. thousande Schimeon him selfe with his father and their families had pitched their tentes nie vnto a faire fountain that was in the woode to whome when their ennemies came to slea them and to destroye their hole families Schimeon ranne vpon them with his drawne sweard made a great slaughter of theim and constreyned them to retire But when as a huge multitude inuironed him and he perceiued that all the reaste of the Iewes were slaine and he with his housholde onlye remained nether sawe he anye waye to escape he stepte vppon a little hyll wyth hys naked swearde sayinge Harken vnto me ye Sirians and Romaines and ye that dwell
in Scithopoles I will speake vnto you a fewe woordes full of lamentacion and sorowe Nowe I perceiue that iustli and not without a cause ye make warre against me withoute any fauor or cōsideracion that I haue deliuered you from the hostes of the Iewes neuer suffred thē to do any displesure to you your wiues and children nor to your city as they had done to other cities of Siria For I am he that for your sakes haue warred against my country men to please you withall yea bothe their bloud and mine owne haue I pledged vnto you and haue kept immolated the loue of straungers hatinge mine owne people of whome for your pleasures I haue slain oft both the fathers and the children and nowe you render euill for the good that I haue done vnto you But in dede God of his iust iudgmente hathe stirred you vp to rewarde me in this sorte to murther me that haue so oft receiued you Now therfore ye shall beare me witnesse that I shal sufficiētly and sharpli inough take vengeaunce of my self not withoute rage and furye most seuerly because I haue slaine my felowes frendes I will therfore likewise slea my selfe to be auenged of my self for my brothers bloude that I haue shed and so shal I be a reuēger of their blud And ye shal wel perceiue me to be of that hardinesse courage that rather then ye shuld slea me and after boast bragge how ye haue killed Schimeon I wil bereue my selfe of my life and punishe the sheadinge of my brothers bloud none otherwise then the law punisheth a murtherer and a māqueller When he had spokē this his eies were filled with bloud his face with rage and so inflamed with furie latynge aparte all pity ran and caught holde of his father haled him oute of the woode and slue him Then slue he his mother least she should intreat him for the children and be sory for their sakes That done his wife came runninge of hir owne accord and held her necke downe to the sword leaste she shoulde be constrained to see her children die Yea Schimeons children came and offered them selues to be slain least they should see the deathe of their father or remain after him to be deliuered to the ennemies After this he slue all his hole family that not one of his shoulde come into the hādes of their enemies Finallye he gathered their bodies together into one place like a valiaunte stoute warrioure and then boldlye goarded him selfe vpon his owne sworde least any mā else should impare his strēgth or boast that he had killed him Al this Schimeon did with a greate courage to take punishment of him self because he had bestowed his loue rather vpon straungers then vpon his owne people and to declare his force and manhode So he died an abhominable and detestable death saue onlye it was an argument of his hauty minde great courage as it is said before NOw when the Iews had thus rebelled against the Romains slain their souldioures and captaines king Agrippas went to Rome and recounted vnto Nero Cesar the Emperour of Rome al that was happened Wherevpon Nero sente captaine Castius that was at that time in Siria had made warre vpon the kinge of Persia had vanquished him and al his power and subdued hys dominyons to the Romaines and with him a puissante armie of Romaines commaunding him to go into Iudea to offer peace vnto the people to comfort them and to bringe them again into league with the Romaines if it might be Castius therfore toke his iourney toward Iudea whom Agrippas met in the waye informed him what had happened vnto him of the Iewes howe he had offred them peace and they would none of it howe also they had burnte his palaice sacked it Castius hearing that was verye glad that he had gotten suche an occasion to reuenge the bloude of the Romaines and Sirians whiche the Iewes had shed Wherfore he leuied a mighti army and came to Cesarea And whersoeuer he might espy the goodliest buil dinges those caused he to be burnte From thence wente he to the citye Iapho which he besieged both by land by water and at length wan it where he slue in the streates eyghte thousand and foure hundreth menne After that he came to Iabes where he fyrste brente all the Countrye aboute it and whom so euer he caught withoute the town he slue them But the citizins of Zippori went out to mete Castius besought him of peace whom he spared came not nie their towne nor slew any that dwelt in their countrey The sedicious Iewes that were in the citye of Zippori hearing of Castius cōming fledde vnto the mountains But in the waie they lighted vpon part of Castius army wherof they slew .ii. hundred mē and wounded their captaine Glaphira Yet at lengthe the sedicious were put to flight and manye of them Glaphira with his horsmen pursued ouerthrew and distroyed the rest fled to the mountains Then Glaphira captaine of Castius armie wente to Cesaria that was subdued to the Romaynes there to cure his woūds that the Iewes had geuē him From thence wente hee to Antipire which as he would haue assaulted perceiued it to be furnished with a greate power of the Iewes sedicious These hearing that Castius also was cōming thei went purposely to fight with him but perceiuing that Castius power was very great thei determined to encounter with him in the plaine of Gibeon 50. miles from Hierusalem Wherupō the Iewes with their companies fayned them selues to flee to thintent they might stale the Romaines after them And within .vi. daies they came to Gibeon and there rested Castius pursued after with his whole hoste till he came to Gibeon whiche he besieged and assaulted also It chaunced then vppon one of the Sabbothes in the mornyng watch the Iewes armed at al places issued out of the towne to geue their enemies a Camisado So after they had geuen a token of warre they marched towarde the hoste of Castius whereof they slewe 515. horsemen and fotemen 27. thousand with the losse of onely 22. of their owne companie In that battaile did well appeare the valiantnesse of Mugbas a captain of the Iewes armie One Baudius also plaied the man at the same time for at the commaundement of Eleasar the priest chief of the sedicious he set the first fote within the Romains cāpe Then began the Iewish warriours to be famous after they had once so manfully encountred with the Romains This done Castius and Agrippas sente their embassadours yet once agayne to Hierusalem to Eleasar the sonne of Anany the priest chiefe of the rebels that were in Iudea and Hierusalem requiring peace and to come in league with Eleasar least the people the people of the Iewes shoulde be distroied bi the Romains incursions and inuasions on euerye side But Eleasar refused to heare the legates and slewe one of them because he made
thy souldiours come vnto vs that we maye liue with thee rather then to pearishe in the handes of theim that hate vs. So they opened the gates that Iosephe wente in and tooke the towne Then he caused to apprehende those vngodly persones that were there aboute sixe hundred men and laid them in irons sending theÌ„ to Tiarua whiche â–ª he had afore taken the other wicked men that had aided Vaspasian he put to the sworde But the chiefe gouernor of the towne he apprehended aliue caried him out of the city and commuuÌ„ded one of his souldioures to cut of his handes forthwith Then the captaine besought Ioseph saying I beseche the my Lorde let but one of my handes be cut of and thother to be left me This sute Ioseph and his souldiours loughe to scorne iudgeging him to be no valeaunt man nor of any hautye courage Yet Ioseph hade his souldiour to gâ—ue him the sword in his owne hande and let him cut of whither hand he list and leaue him whiche he will So the Romaine captaine toke the sword and cut of his left hand him self leauinge him the right so was he let go He came therfore vnto Vaspasians caÌ„pe to shew what shame was done him After thys the citizens of Zippori rebelled also making a league with Vaspasian and the Romaines host Ioseph being certified of this made thither with his hole host to besege it but the town abid the brunt of the assaulte that Ioseph coulde preuaile nothing against it Wherfore he besieged it a long season ABout that time it was signified also to theÌ„ of IerusaleÌ„ that the Askelonites had entred in frendship with the Romaines They sente therfore Neger the Edomite Schiloch the Babilonian Iehochanon with a power of the coÌ„moÌ„ people these came to Askalon be seged it a great space Within the town was a Romain captain called Antonius a valeant man a good warriour he vpon a certain night in the morning watch issued out of the town with his companye to geue a camisado to the Iewes that besieged the town entred their campe and made a great slaughter continuing the same iâ—l it was day lighte so that aboute ten thousand of the Iewes were slaine The reaste neuer moued out of their place saying it is better for vs to die in this battayle then to flie from our enemies therfore they toke a good heart vnto them and stode manfullye in their stations and places trustinge in the Lorde God of Israell And when it was daye they also sette them selues in araye againste Antony slue manye of his menne not withoute losse also of their own parte for Schiloch the Babilonian and Iehochanan of Ierusalem were bothe slain by the Romaines with other also of the Iewes to the noumber of eyghte thousande fightingmen that were vnder Schiloh and Iehochanan And neuer a one of the Iewishe captaines escaped that conflicte saue onlye Neger the Edomite whiche hid him self in a certaine sepulchre that was there in the plaine whome the Romaines in their pursuts soughte but founde him not Wherefore they set afire the wod that it burnte rounde aboute the sepulchre wherein he laye hid and consumed all the trees shrubs and bushes but came not nie the sepulchre for Neger had called vnto the Lord with his hole hart to deliuer him this once from his enemies lest he should be shamfully handled of theÌ„ promising at another time to be ready to die valeantly in his quarel So Neger escaped the Romaines by the helpe of the God of Israell in whome he put his truste Shortlye after sente the Ierosolimites muche people to Askalona to the nâ—mber of .xviii thousand good men of war to buri the body of the Iewes that were there slaine in the coÌ„flictes by Antoni they sought also the bodye of Neger the Edomite but they founde it not til at lengthe he cried vnto them oute of the sepulchre sayinge I am here for God hathe deliuered me oute of the handes of mine ennemies to the intente I maye yet be auenged of them in the warres of the LORDE So Negar declared vnto them at large all thinges howe they chaunced vnto him Wherefore the Iewes reioysed wonderfuâ—lye that that they had found him aliue that he was saued by such a miracle that the Lord had deliuered him Therfore thei put their confidence in the Lord beleuing that God wold be presente with them to aide them wherof this deliuerance of Neger they toke for a sure sign and token The Romaines kept them within the towne for feare of the multitude of the Iewes that were come to bury the bodies So the Iewes buried all the bodies of their owne parte that wer slain in bothe battails for the Romaines were not able to prohibit and let them but helde them in the towne And wheÌ„ the burial was finished they toke Neger with them to Ierusalem to geue God thankes there for his deliueraunce at that present TheÌ„ Ioseph the priest gathered his strengthe and came vpoÌ„ Askalon with his hole army assaulted them gate thupper hand and wan the towne after slue Antony and al his people with the sword that of al the valeante men of warre that were with him not one escaped Besides this all the villages and hamlets that were there aboute without the towne he burnt them euery one And in like maner serued he all the townes villages there aboute that had entred in league with the Romains fleaing both Iewes and Romaines that dwelte in them with the sworde as manye as be founde and their houses he brente This done Ioseph returned again to Zippori sought with them gate the vpper hande there shed he much bloud of the people that had conspired with the Romaines vtterlye destroyed theÌ„ burnt also their cities and villages led their wiues and children prisoners awaye to Ierusalem and what Romaines so euer he founde there hee slue them with the sworde Whan as Vaspasian and Titus his sonne hearde of all that Iosephe had wroughte againste the Romaines bothe howe he slue their garisones as manye as he coulde finde in Galile and also all the Iewes that hadde made anye league with him and his sonne they were wonderfull wrothe and in a greate rage They toke therfore their iourny came to Apitelma otherwise called Acho where as at that present Agrippas kinge of Iudea was abidinge and fortye thousande menne with him all good menne of warre and archers euerye one these ioyned them selues with Vaspasians armye by whyche meanes the Romaines campe became verye huge Moreouer oute of other nations rounde aboute Iudea good menne of warre withoute noumber ioyned with Vaspasian He had aid also of all the best menne of warre oute of Mesopotamia Aram Zofa Assur Sinear Persia Chaldea Macedonia and oute of the prouinces of the people of the East yea the people of Mizraim Lob Dedam and Seba with all prouinces farre and neare that were from vnder the subiection of the Iews caste of the
some of vs be taken by the Iewes like as Iosephe is prisoner at this present with vs When Vaspasian heard his sonnes wordes it pleased him and he spared Ioseph not sufferyng him to be slaine but committed him to a certaine capitaine of his and earied him about with him through the cities together with kinge Agrippa After this Vaspasian remoued his caÌ„pe to Talmida which also is called Acho and from thence he went to Caesaria a great citie When thei of the citie saw Ioseph thei cried vnto Vaspasian kyll him kyll him or else he will one daye be an occasion to stirre great Warres against thee But Vaspasian woulde not heare theim Tidynges came to Vaspasian that they of Iapho inuaded the Isles that were subiecte vnder hys dominions with a nauie roauynge to spoile them Vaspasian therfore commaunded to laye in wait for them that they might be met withall So there was an ambushe laied withoute the towne and it came to passe that when the pyrates were gone out a roauyng Vaspasian entred the towne and toke it because their Souldiours were absente When the Citizins retourned with their Nauie and sawe the Romaines in the Citie they laboured to arriue and set a lande but by and by a huge tempest and a mightye storme droue all their Shippes againste the Rockes that were in the Sea shoare for there was no Hauen for Shippes and there they were loste manye of of them suche as swamme to Lande the Romaines slue them They that were drowned in the sea and slaine by the Romaines were in noumber .iiii. thousande good men of warre besides them were slaine in the town .xl. thousand all Iewes THis done Vaspasian set forth Valericus and Taribus two Romain captaines with his sonne Titus who wente besieged and wan the townes of defence that were in Galile And thus did Titus vse them they that yelded vnto him he saued their liues and who soeuer withstode him he slewe More ouer all the cities that belonged to Agrippas in Galile he restored them vnto him againe only Tiarua excepte which he vtterly raced and slue all the mankind specially such as were apt to the warres sold also their wiues children And this was the only city in all Galile that Titus shewed such rigor extremity vnto Vaspasian departinge thence toke his iorny to Gamala whiche is a citye vpon the top of a mountain The name therof is called Gamala of an Hebrue worde Gamal that signifieth to quite or to do a good turn because it is the best citye that belonged to Agrippas and the inhabitantes thereof were all verye riche The citye also called Selencia was not farre from it situated a country replenished with good townes Gardens brookes and all kinde of frutefull trees Agrippa besoughte Vaspasian that he woulde not destroye this citye let me go firste saithe he and offer them peace peraueÌ„ture they will take it that they may saue their liues from destruction Vaspasian was intreated sayinge vnto him go and do as thou wilte for to honoure thee I will doâ—e so muche for thy sake So Agrippa wente to them and spake frendlye and peaceablye vnto them and they receiued him in lyke manner but they mente deceite sayinge Thou arte oure LORDE and kinge to whome therefore dothe all that is of anye price to be desired in all Israell belonge but vnto thee therfore come neâ—e vnto vs and debate the matter with thy seruaunts Agrippas crediting their wordes came harde to the citye and as he listened to them that talked with him one cast a greate stone froÌ„ the wal which light iust betwene his shoulders and brake his backe with one of his armes also with suche violence that it stroke him prostrate to the grounde But his seruauntes stepte to him toke him vp and caried him to Vaspasian Who seinge him so sore hurte sware he woulde neuer go from thence til he had taken the city ordered them in like manner as he did Tiarua to leaue neuer a maÌ„ a liue ther in The Romaine Phisitions did bestow suche diligence aboute Agrippas that they cured him Vaspasian in this rage against the Selucians because thei had wounded the kinge besieged and assaulted them The Iewes within the towne encouraged one an other saâ—ing let vs sticke to it nowe and playe the men for we haue none other hope to saue our liues seinge we haue thus ordered the king Certain stout men of theÌ„ therfore issued encountring with the Romaines made a great slaughter amongst theÌ„ After that the Romains addressed their engines planted their iron Rammes that they brought with them against the walles and by that time night came battred a great parte therof down to th earth that Vaspasian and much people with him might enter at their pleasure But Vaspasian gaue commaundement to his armye that they should not enter that nighte into the towne but stande and coÌ„passe the walles vntil morow that they might see howe to win it Notwithstandinge they wold not be ruled by him but entred then the Iewes came vpon them drue the stretes with chaines and closed the waies of the city entrappinge them in such a sort that they coulde go nother one way nor other after set vp on them and bette them downe euen there so that they were all slaine saue a ten men that fled with Vaspasian a captaine named Butius one of the best men of war in all the Romaines army him the Iewes pursued and slue But Vaspasian his fled to the mountaines that he might be there in sauegarde And from thence he sent to Titus his sonne that was in Siria for the Romaine army that he had sent with him into Persia whiche Titus led into Iewrye SHortlye after Vaspasian gathered souldioures and repaired his armye ioyned with Agrippas companye and returned to Selencia wan it slue them euerye manne leauing none aliue and afterwards wente to other Cities of Galile and tooke them seruinge them in like sorte After that he came to the citye called Nascela whiche was a walled towne and of all the townes of defence throughe oute all Galile none lefte but it Thus he besieged because thither were resorted manye cutthrotes and wicked persones withoute all feare of GOD suche as were Robbers and rouers of the lande of Iudea Emongste whome was a certaine manne named Iehochanan learned wise and prudente speciallye to do mischiefe a wittye counselloure and of suche eloquence that he coulde perswade cunninglye and disswade menne from that they had purposed Besides this he was a murtherer readye to shedde bloude and to do any mischief a great robber and one that euer gaped after other mens goodes By whiche meanes he was become verye riche wherefore there resorted vnto him all vaine persones mansiears rebels and ruffains like him self geuynge hym large rewardes that they mighte be of his fraternitie his brethren and adherentes and he to be their heade Titus was sente to this citye by his father to offer them
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
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
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
their iourneye towarde the Mountaines of the land of Madai where thei found horses namelye in the desert of Madai amongste the people of Araf they gate those horses leapt vpon theim and entred the lande of Madai The president or ruler of the countrey hearyng thereof fled vnto the highest hilles leauyng his wife and children behinde hym for haste he was fo afraied of the Alanits knowing their valiantnesse Sraight waye he sent to them imbassadours to make peace with them and he woulde let them haue vittails vpon this condicion that thei should not spoile his couÌ„trey They made aunswere if so be it he would kepe them and let them haue fode for the space of one monthe syll the corne in their owne countrey were ripe they would returne home agayne at the monethes ende For we desire not saie they thy golde or siluer being men seperated from al entercourse traffique with other people nor anye thinge els then fode we seke not This the ruler graunted theim and let them haue a certaine graine called Mill sodden with one kinde of fleshe or other The number of them was vil 155140. thousaÌ„d a hundreth fifty and fiue thousande a hundreth forty persons When the moneth was ended and the Alanites vnderstode the corn in theyr own couÌ„trey was ripe they departed out of the lande of Madai accordyng as they had sworne returned toward their owne countrey And as they were a geynge homeward Mithridates king of Ararat came against them to anoy them mindyng to driue theim from his coastes least they should waste his countrey Therefore while thei passed throughe his countrey going toward their own Mithridates made warre vpon theÌ„ but his men were beaten doun by the Alanites like as Camelles fall vppon the ground wheÌ„ a strong man treades theÌ„ downe Then one of the yong men of the Alanites in dispite put a rope about Mithridates necke and drew him after him vnto his great shame Mithridates gate out his sworde and cut a sunder the rope fled To whom the Alanites loking back said Go thy way get thee home and moue no more warre vpon vs hereafter for we were not minded to waiste thy Lande nor to kyll thy people For if we had euer intended it could we not haue done it longe agâ—e when as nothinge is betwixt vs you but the mountains of Ararat But we wer of this minde that we shold greatly offend to kil meÌ„ of our owne shape likenesse Se now how AlexaÌ„der which went about to subdue the hole earth to declare his power closed vs vp with in our land why bicause he was afraied we should come out vpon him But we laught him to scorne when hee did it If we had listed we could haue letted him from shutting vs in to make no peace with him but we forced not of his doinges For it is our custome to kepe vs within our countrey we seke none other land wheÌ„ as our own land is better then anye other It pleased vs well that he inclosed vs that the cruell wild beasts which are in the mouÌ„tains of Ararat could haue no passage to vs. The cause whi we came out now was nothing els then that we were greued with a great derth and we determined to be no lenger from home then tyll our owne fruites waxte ripe and then to returne as you se we do If we had bene minded to winne your lande had we not bene able vtterly to haue ouercome you and to haue gotten the dominion ouer you But nether ye nor your countrey did euer delite vs greatly for our maners differ farre froÌ„ yours Beholde the kinge of Madai when he had kepte vs for a moneth we did him no harme we are not wonte to hurt men as ye are that can not be content with your owne state but must encroche vpon other mennes inheritaunce Now therfore go and returne to your owne countrey and so wil we to ours without doing you any more harme wherfore ye nede not be afrayed of vs. So the Alamites went home to their own countreis hauing slain of Mithridates people .ccc. thousande men and neuer a one of their owne was killed Titus hearinge of this was desisâ—ous to go vnto theim to shewe theim his valeantnesse but he coulde not doe it because al his best men were spent in the warres at Hierusalem Wherefore he determined to return to Rome after he had take IerusaleÌ„ wher he abode as yet besides the Antochia There he had intelligeÌ„ce that diuers of the Iewes were gathered together with whoÌ„ was Eleasar the sonne of Anani the priest who during the siege fled vnto a certain castle called Mezira wherupon manye of the Iewes resorted to him Titus hearinge this that many had ioyned them selues to Eleasar feared least after his departure Eleasar woulde from thence make a rode take IerusaleÌ„ so kill vp al the Romains be an offence to the Romaine Empire Wherfore he made out against him sent thither one Silcham a noble manne of Rome with a great hoste to besiege Mezira but he coulde not get it Wherfore he sente vnto Titus for an yron ramme to batter the Walles wythall Whiche after he hadde receiued hee beat doune the walles of Mezira therwyth The Iewes seing that raysed a great counâ—ermure within of wodde and â—ymber whiche the Romaynes set fire in and buâ—nt After that they assaulted the towne from mornynge tyll nyght at what tyme the Râ—maynes left of supposynge they were not able to preuayle againste Eleasars defence in the darke ELeasar in the mean season called together all the chiefe men of the Iewes that were with him and said vnto theim in this wise Come hither ye sede of Abraham and kingly priesthode whiche haue vntill this daye euer preuailed against the enemies of God let vs heare your aduise what is best to be done agaynste this multitude that is comed vpon vs at vnwares ye see that at this time chieflye it becommeth vs to folow the courage and valeauntnes of our forefathers wherwith thei were in time past indued CoÌ„sider moreouer the euery thing hath his end and that there are sometimes in wars wheÌ„ as meÌ„ are wonte to folowe the pursute somtime to flee from the same whoÌ„ thei pursued to huÌ„ble them selues before theÌ„ And It is no shame to be humbled and disgraced vvhen as all thinges haue their determinate ende Albeit who so is of a haute courage he must so establishe his heart that he quaile not with fear then shal he be demed a valiaunt man If ye therfore be of that courage that ye feare not death then will I call you valiaunt menne and worthely Consider the fortitude of Abraham our father and the fact that he did for hauing but one onelye sonne whom Sara bare vnto him in her age he neuer staggerd nor staied at it to offer him vp to the lord God for a burnte offerynge For hes thought not that he shoulde kyll hym but
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
Wheruppon the princes that wer there cast their heads together and decreed to proclaim Vaspasian Emperour Therfore with one consent they wente vnto Vaspasian said vnto him Thou shalt be our head for the Empire belongeth vnto suche a one and thou shalt haue the dominion ouer vs. But Vaspasian refused to take it vpon him and would in no wise consent vnto them Notwithstanding thei compelled him and placed him vpon a throne of maiesty settinge an imperiall and far mo that way then by the Romaines in so much that now very few citizens were lefte aliue Thus whan Iehochanan had gotten the vpper hād of the city he made an army out of Ierusalem to go and take the cities that had made peace with Vaspasian whiche they sacked and raced to the groūd and who so euer they founde in them Romaines or Iewes they slue them Yea Iehochanan went with them him self to aid th◠spoiling and cariyng away al the richesse that they founde in them They toke also the city Gerara that stode beyonde Iordane where as they remained Then the inhabitants of Ierusalem both priestes elders and the reast of the people sēt embassaders to Vaspasian to desire peace with hym and succoures againste Iehochanan his wicked rabble which dailye in the towne flue very many of the people of God The citizens also of Gerara sente embassadours vnto Vaspasian saiyng If thou wilt be Lord ouer the lande of Iudea and the citye of Ierusalem and desierest to assure the rule thereof and establishe it vnto thee thē harken vnto our counsaile and come vnto vs without delaye to deliuer vs from the handes of Iehochanan and the wicked sedicious persones that with all their might endeuour to spoile al our goods and to get the dominion ouer vs oure wiues and children to none other purpose then by that meanes to distroy vs vtterly that no remnaunt of vs should be left If so be it thou wilte come and daliauntlye withstande them with thy power wee will also fight agaynste theim within the towne till they be all slaine and then thou shalt be our Lord. And that done thou maiest go to Hierusalem without anye impediment or hinderaunce of any man for they also of that citie desire the same and would gladlye become Subiectes to the Romains When as therfore Vaspasian hearde the peticions of the Citizins of Gerara he tooke his iourney thither to succour them and deferred to go to Ierusalem But Iehochanan heard of his comminge wherefore he slue the chiefe gouernoure of Gerara gate him oute of the town with his companions and toke them to their fete determining to fle into a certaine wode Vaspasian hauinge knowledge thereof made oute after them sending one Pologarus who ouertoke them made a great slaughter of them And in his return toward Gerara vpon Iordane side he light vpon muche people going to Ierusalem that they mighte escape together with the Sedicious Them Poligorus droue backe vnto the riuer where he slewe .xiii. thousand of them the reaste leaped into Iordane and were drowned to the number of lxxxxii thousand men wemen and childrē with much cattel that were all drowned together in the riuer in so much that the chanell of Iordane so stuffed and stopt with dead bodies the waters rise and ran ouer the banckes here and there into the fieldes and plaines yet at the length the waters encreased and bare the carcases downe the riuer as farre as the sea of Sedom which is the sea of pitch other wise called the salt sea al the bankes of Iordane lay ful of dead bodies After this Vaspasian toke his iourney from thence went into the land of Edom where he wan two stronge cities the one called Lagarith the other Cephar Toch and slue a ten thousande of the people therof leading the reaste away into bandage From thence he disloged and came to a towne called Chamath Gedi whiche he subdewed In this citye were wel springes of heat waters from whence the hoate bathes of Tiberiah haue their originall The naturall Philosophers and Astronomers of that countri hold an opinion that these are the heades of all the hoate well springes in that hole countrye Departinge from thence he came to Samaria and wanne it Then repaired he againe all the townes that he had subdued and made vppe their walles placinge garisons therein to aide him what time he should besiege Ierusalē That done he retourned to Cesaria to take muster of his hole army and prepare to go to besiege Ierusalem But in the meane season came purseuants from Rome and brought him worde the Nero the Emperoure was deade and how that as he was a huntinge in the country the fire of the lord came down from heauen and fel vpon him that he died of it After whome reigned Galba not one half yeare for afore it was fully ended he was slaine by the noble mē of Rome and Vitellius created in his stede a fole yet a sore cruel man much geuen to drunkennesse so that he was in all points vnworthy of the Romain empire The noble men of Rome that were with Vaspasian hearinge this greatly disdained at the matter said Was there neuer a noble mā of Rome left to be placed in the Empire but ye muste chuse a dronken wine souffer Why did ye not rather elect the mighty prince Vaspasian that is here with vs a sage and wise man therto also moste valeāt one that cōquered many cities and vanquished many nations those moste fearce What puissante kinges hathe he subdued vnder the Romaine empire howe farre and wide hathe he enlarged the dominiōs of the Romains And now whē as the empire ought to haue bene bestowed vppon Vaspasian or some one like vnto him and none such could be founde amongst you ye bestowed it vpō a fole and a blowbole dronkard wherein ye haue done verye vndiscretely Well thempire of Rome shall haue a better emperour one day and God saye Amen Wheruppon the princes that wer there cast their heads together and decreed to proclaim Vaspasian Emperour Therfore with one consent they wente vnto Vaspasian said vnto him Thou shalt be our head for the Empire belongeth vnto suche a one and thou shalt haue the dominion ouer vs. But Vaspasian refused to take it vpon him and would in no wise consent vnto them Notwithstanding thei compelled him and placed him vpon a throne of maiesty settinge an imperiall crowne vppon hys heade whiche he woulde haue put alwaye and pulled of wyth his hande because hee woulde not be Emperoure Wherefore the Romayne capitaynes drewe out their swordes and saide Thou shalte be Emperour and raigne ouer vs therefore refuse it not if thou dooe thou shalte dye vppon our swordes Vaspasian therefore seinge hym selfe constrained beynge afrayed of hys lyfe he was contente to suffer hym selfe to be proclaymed Emperour Then all the Armye was sworne vnto hym and he sate vpon the royal seat as emperour and king of kinges THE Ciuill
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