of Iuda hadde conquered them and caused them to be circumcised bindynge suche of theim as were the best warriours amongest theim to stande in armes and kepe watche warde vpon the walles of Hierusalem day night the rest of theÌ„ to pai tribute to the Iewes Vpon a certaine night came .xxii. thousande of these Edomites all good men of warre againste Hierusalem When Anani the hie Prieste and the People that were wyth him hearde the noyse of the Edumites armie he went vpon the wais and demaunded of theÌ„ what thei were from whence they come and whither they woulde They aunswered Wee are Edomites and came out of Edomea to visite the Lord God and his teÌ„ple to see in what case his people staÌ„deth for this we come according to our accustomed maner as euer here tofore Anani aunswered You are disseÌ„blers not as your wordes do show neither come ye to seke God his sanctuarie nor yet to aide his people but rather to the succours of Iehochanan graunde captaine of thieues Were it not better for you to assist the sanctuarie of God then these sinfull sedicious persons that couet nothing els then to laye waste the house of God and to distroy his people They in the most holye citie of God do shede the bloude of iuste Godlye and innocent men thorow whose wickednesse the Romayns haue the vpper hande vppon vs because wee haue Ciuil warres at home wyth the Sedicious and externall wyth the Romaynes Yea the wickednesse of the sedicious is growen so farre that the moste parte of vs hadde rather be slaine of the Romaynes then of oure brethren the Iewes If so be it ye be come to ayde them ye shal vnderstande that ye offende our LORD God greuouslye to healpe synners and murtherers that treade the People of GOD vnder their fete like as menne treade Grapes in a wyne presse and make the temple of the Lorde a dwellynge place of maÌ„quellers and wicked persons Ye saye ye come to seeke the Lord how is it theÌ„ that ye are thus in armes after the manner of Warre Ye shall vnderstande wee shutte not the Gates of the Towne because of you least you shuld come in after your accustomed manner but because of your Armoure and Weapons that you haue wyth you whiche are instrumentes of destruction a verye vnmete fashion to come and visite the Lorde wyth Ye shoulde rather haue come wyth offeringes sacrifices confession and praise Notwithstandynge if ye wyll enter into the towne for deuotion sake ye are welcome but ye must laye awaye youre Weapons and so enter in peaceablye The Edomites aunswered Wee maruayle not a little at thee whiche arte the hie Prieste our Lorde and mediatoure and at the rest of the priestes of the Lorde wyth the Elders and Iudges of the people that be presente wyth thee and your woordes seeme straunge in our eares For wee vnderstande you take vs for your ennemies and thereupon you stoppe vs of our entraunce into the citye to visite the Lorde God after oure accustomed manner In that wee be armed as ye obiecte vnto vs do ye not knowe that Vaspasian draweth nye to come to thys holy Citye This we hearinge of was the cause that wee tooke our Weapons with vs to come to aid you and kepe the town as we haue bene wonte these manye yeares But howe shoulde ye gather this that wee come to succoure the wycked and sedicious that bee wyth you when as from the firste daye that euer wee and oure fathers were circumcised wee neuer swarued from the Lawe and commaundementes of the Lorde Tell vs if there bee anye commaundement in the Lawe that biddeth a manne to strenthen and mayntayne the power of the wicked to the whyche wee are bounde to hearken and to ayde these God forbidde wee shoulde dooe this for wee all bothe that be here and the other Edomites also bee seruauntes of the Lord and his people to mayntaine and defende the lawe the people and the house of the Lorde Whiles they were thus talkyng together there rose vp a greate cloude and lightenynges were sene wyth fire darckenesse with mightye thunder claps and showers of hail that all that saw it were wonderfully afraied Wherfore the people fled wholy left the walles forts bi Anani of God al good men of warre besides innumerable other that they killed of the common people In the morninge they laid handes on the rich men drue them before iudges and the ixx elders which otherwise be called Sanhedrine whoÌ„ they called together there wicked Iehochanan the Galilean spake vnto theÌ„ in this wise Whi condemn ye not these rich cobbes that haue made a coÌ„spiracy with the Romains determine to betray this holy city into their hands namely one Sechariahu a iust maÌ„ perfit godly and vertuous one that feared the lord oued both god maÌ„ but for his richesse onlye whiche were verye great this Iehochanan captain of the sedicious appreheÌ„ded him willing thelders to condemn him to death for that he had ioyned with their ennemies as he said to betray the city to theÌ„ The priests elders and iudges hearing his wordes perceiuing that both he and the rest of his bloudi haÌ„d desired nothing els then to make this man awaye although they knew him to be moste innocent they wept sighed greatly Iehochanan seing them wepe for Sechariahu and that they would not condemn him respecting his iustice integritie What saith he do ye begin to mourne before there be anye corse presente I would I should neuer come wher God hathe to do but if ye order vs thus in your iudgementes ye shal be the firste that we wil lay hold of and we wil sit in iudgement our selues to discern the matters of the people of god according as we thincke good Then layinge apart al shame with an obstinat minde the wicked sorte hoysed vp Sechariahu caried him oute of the place of iudgement and broughte him vp to the top of a verye hie toure at the Easte ende of the towne from whence they thruste him downe headelonge and he died there at the walles side in the vale of Iehoschaphat The priestes therefore were sore afraide of their own partes and the iudges also with the elders because of wicked Iehochanan and the reaste of the seditious For Iehochanan had geuen them warning and saied except ye geue senteÌ„ce vpon euerye man that we shal bringe vnto you according to oure mindes be ye assured ye shal al of you go the same waye that Sechariahu is gone before you After that they apprehended a iust man and a rich that was beloued of al the towne whose name was Gorinion surnamed valeanut and he was a valeant man in deâ—e moste experte in the warres therto wise and witty and a man of a pure and perfite life One that was euer the formâ—st in battaile When so euer they had any conflict against the gentils that besieged Ierusalem and this was his accustomed
bold to kil those that are escaped vn to it how dare ye shede the bloud of the vncircumcised therin whom ye abhor and yet mixt their bloud with yours The Lord your God is my witnesse that I woulde not haue this house destroyed but your owne wicked workes your owne handes pull it downe And wold god you wold receiue our peace which if it were once done done we wold honour this house of the sanctuary temple of the Lorde yea we would depart away from you But your heartes are hardened like yron your neckes and foreheds are become obstinate as brasse to your owne vndoing For ye shal carie your owne sinnes die in the land of the Romaines I and my fathers house are innocent and gilties of your death as the Lorde and his temple in whose presence we stand shal beare vs witnes this day But wheÌ„ he saw that none of the sedicious gaue any regard to his words he chose out of his Romain xxx M. valiaÌ„t fighting men gaue theÌ„ coÌ„maundemeÌ„t to take occupy then try of the teÌ„ple which is a holy court determined to go with theÌ„ him selfe but his nobles wold not suffer him but wil led him to remain vpoÌ„ a hie place wher he might behold his sodiers fight And when theâ—se thee a farre of their hâ—â—ts shalâ—e coÌ„forted they shall fight accâ—rding as thou wilt wishe theÌ„ but come noâ— at then try of the teÌ„ple thy selfe lest thou be destroied amongst other Titus folowed the couÌ„sel of his capâ—ains and went not at the time with his meÌ„ to the battel He made chiefe captains of that host of .xxx. M. one Karilius Rostius iâ— noble men whoÌ„ he coÌ„maunded to set vpoÌ„ the Iewes the night wheÌ„ thei shold be a slepe with wearines The Romains therfore doing after his coÌ„maundemeÌ„t set vpoÌ„ the Iewes But the Iewes hauing intelligence of the matter kept diligeÌ„t watch withstede the Romains valâ—auntly al that night But the Romaynes were not hastye to fyghte in the darke fearinge lest it might turne to their owne harme Assone therfore as it was daye the Iewes deuided theim selues and bestowed their companies at the Gates of the entraunce and foughte lyke menne Karilius and Rostius beset the Temple roundâ— aboute that not one of the Iewes might escape out and so the battail increased betwene theim for the space of vâ—â— dayes sometime the Romains gettynge the vpper hande of the Iewes driuynge them within the entraunce sometime the Iewes encouraging theÌ„ selues made the Romaines retire and pursued them to the walles of the Antochia in this maner fought they these vii dayes Afterwarde the Romaynes retourned backe from the Iewes and woulde not fight hande to hande with them any more Then Titus coÌ„maunded the Walles of the Antochia to bee pulled downe further that there might be place for his whole hoaste to enter The famine in the mean season grew more greuous so that no fode was nowe left For the Iewes began now to issue out and steale horses asses and other beastes what soeuer they coulde catch euen out of the Romayns campe that they might dresse them some meat and susteine their liues Which they doing often tymes at length the Romaynes perceiued it were wonderfulfye â—â—â—pleased with the matter Wherefore they set watch and ward round about the caÌ„pe lest by the disceit of the Iewes they should be spoyled of their cattel so after that the Iewes could steale no more from thence After warde notwithstanding they armed them selues and issued out at the East gate and brake the wal that Titus had raised for his owne safety lest the Iewes should issue oute vpon a sodayne and come vpon him at vnwares â–ª A sort of tall felowes therefore of the you the of the Iewes issued out by the breaches of the wall gate vp quickly to the mount Oliuet wheras they found horses mules asses and much other cattel and fleyng their kepers they driue them before them with great shoutes into the toune The Romayns perceyuing that pursued them to fyghte Wherefore the yonge men deuiâ—eâ— theim selues into two bandesâ— the one to dryue the bootye and the other to resist the Romaynes So there was a sore â—yght betwyxt theim but the Iewes gate the vpper hande and went their wayes cleare with the 〈◊〉 towarde Hierusalem For the 〈◊〉 came for the constrayned by the necessitie of honger and foughte for their liuynge the Romaynes had no cause to fyghte saue onelye for shame to â—â—e their cattell driuen awaye before their eyes for otherwise they put not their liues in ieopardye to fight vnto drathe as the Iewes did yet was there many of the Komaynes slaine in that â—ighte The Iewes whyle the Romayns pâ—â—sued theim in dayne they gate into the towne with their spoyle and 〈◊〉 and straight waye tourned vpponâ—â—â— Râ—maines and driue theâ—â—n backe paâ—suynge theim agayne tyl they â—â—the aâ—most to Titus â—ampe whiche when the other Romaynes sawe the â—â—ame to the rescue of their felowes â–ª 〈…〉 ed agayne those yong men to 〈…〉 to take theÌ„ albeit theâ— scaped 〈◊〉 without any haâ—the saue that 〈◊〉 toke a boy and brought him vnto 〈…〉 that toke this lad 〈…〉 So the Romaynes 〈…〉 the Iewes at that tyme and for a certaine token of victory they hadde this yâ—g Iewe prisoneâ— Pornas the toke hym was hadde in great estimation for that act of Titus and all the Romayâ—s Titus appareled the boye and committed hym to Iosephus to kepe This Boye had a brother amongest theim that escaped into the toune a vyle personage euil fauoured and of a lowe stature hys name was Ionathan He seyng his brother taken coÌ„meth forth to the toÌ„be of Iochanan the hie priest ouer against Romaines and cryed vnto Titus and to all the armye saiynge If there bee euer a manne amongest you let hym â—ome forthe vnto mee here wyll I abyâ—â— hym and fyght with hym vppon thyâ— grounde and ye shall knowe this daye whether the Romaynes or the Iewes be the better menne The Romaynes dispised hym yet durste they â–ª not meddle wyth hym but said if wee kyll hym wee shall neuer bee counted the better menne for such an acte and if he shoulde kyll anye of vs it shoulde be a great dishonoure to be slayne of a wretche Ionathan sayde to to the Romaynes howe muche is the manhode of the Romaynes to bee regarded in our eyes Haue not you bene flayne and put to flyght by vs What were you then if that bandes and companies of the Gentils came not euerye daie to ayde you If they had not helpt you we had longe agoe eaten you vp We haue destroyed our selues â–ª one an other with ciuil warres so that we are but few left but what are you Who is so hardy of the best of you alâ—o come and declare his strength and to fyght with me I am one of the meanest and outcastes of the Iewes picke you onte the chiefest and vale antest man amengest you
Romaines therfore when they had gotten that dore of the Sanctum sanctorum once open and had entred into it they made great ioy and gaue a greate shoute whiles the Sanctum sanctorum was a fire which when Titus saw he made greate spede to quench the fire and to saue the Sanctum sanctorum but he could not do it there did so many set it a fire in so manye places Titus therefore cried vnto them that they shoulde not do so But they would not heare him for like as a vehement â—â—oude of water breaketh all things and driueth them down before it euen so with a furious violence the gentiles rushed vpon the temple of the Lord the fire flaminge nowe and then out of measure Thus Titus cried vpoÌ„ them in vaine wherefore when Titus sawe be coulde not refraine the people from the Sanctum sanctorum wyth wordes he drue out his sword blaming the captaines of his owne people and the other that were not Romaines he killed them for they in time paste were more wont to spoile the temple neuerthelesse thelesse he could not stay them nor put them backe He cried still vppon them notwithstaÌ„ding til be was so hoorse that he coulde crye no longer The priestes which were in the Sanctum sanctorum withstode the Romaines stoutlye till they were no more able to lift vp their handes against them Wherfore wheÌ„ the priestes sawe there was none other sauegarde lefte thâ—y lept into the â—ire and diuers other Iewes with theÌ„ that had hid them selues in the Sanctum sanctorum and so were al brent together for they said what should we liue anye longer nowe that the temple is burnte Titus ceased not to strike the people to chase them from the temple that they should not sinne against the Sanctum sanctorum but no man wold obey him for they were mani the spoiled temple Titus therfore being so weatye that al his strength failed him he fell downe vpon the ground So whan he saw he preuailed nothing with his criyng he left of forbiddinge them After that the house of the Sanctum sanctorum was burnt Titus rose entred into it and saw the glory magnificeÌ„ce therof and beleued that it was the house of the Lord for as yet the fire had not vtterly consumed al so that be said now I wel perceiue that this is none other then the house of God and the dwelling of the God of heaueÌ„s nether was it for noughte that the Iewes stode so earnestly in the desence therof nor the gentiles also did not withoute a cause send gold and siluer to this temple froÌ„ the furthest partes of the worlde For greate is the glorye of this temple and it far passeth the teÌ„ple of the Romains and al the temples of the gentiles that euer I sawe The GOD of heauen whiche is the God of thys house take vengaunce of the Sedicious whose mischeuous and heinous deedes haue brought this euell vpon it The seditious the yet remained at IerusaleÌ„ seinge the Sanctum sanctorum to be burnt thei set the rest of the temple a fyre theim selues and al the houses also that were filled full of treasure and all kynde of precious iewels and where they knew there was yet some victuals lefte they set it a fire also leaste the Romaines should haue any commoditye by it saiyng now that the Sanctum sanctorum is wasted what should we liue any loÌ„ger and then what nede haue we of anye other buildinges or houses After this the Romains quenched the fire set vp their Idols and images in the temple and offred burnt offerings vnto them blaspheminge railinge mocking at the Iewes and their lawes in the presence of their idols ABout that time was there a certain Iewe that prophected a lie vnto the seditious that remained yet at Ierusalem bidding them to playe the meÌ„ and resist their enemies for now saith he shal the teÌ„ple be builded by it self with out mannes hande that God maye declare his power vnto the Romaines which nowe glory in them selues that they haue ouercome the Iewes Therfore if ye wil fight stoutly againste the Romains this daye shal the temple be builded by it selfe Wherefore the sedicious set vpon the Romains and â—â—ewe many of them So the Romains enkindeled with yre handeled the people cruellye killinge theim like shepe where they had fauoured theim hitherto All these things happened vnto the people because they gaue eâ—edite to the false prophet and market not the signed that appered at IerusaleÌ„ For the yere next before the coÌ„myng of Vaspasian there was sene a starre ouer the Temple so bright as thoughe a man had had many drawe swordes in his hand at once And at the same time as the starre appered in the time of the folemne feaste talled Passach Easter that whole night the â—emple was as light and as â—â—e are as though it had bene middaie and it conâ—inâ—â—â— so by the space of .vii. dayes of the feast The men of vnderâ—â—andynge in Israel knewe well inough that this was an euill signe but the rest of the people interpreted it in good parte The very same time also they brought a Heffer for a burnte offerynge which when she was feld and stroken downâ— that they might dresse her she brought forth a lambe This myracle they saied likewise made for them and pretended good As also this that fâ—loweth they interpreted to good There was a certaine Gate that was called the Caste Gate a great and wonderous heauâ—â— gate that was neuer opened nor shut but twentye menne had inough to doe about it the crekynge of the gynnoes and hokes whereof myght bee hearde a farre of This Gate was founde open without anye mannes helpe and they coulde not shutte it tyll a grâ—ate noumber assembled and ioyned their strengthes together After this â–ª there was sene ouer the Temple and the Sanctum sanctorum by the space of a whole nighte a face of a manne wonderfull terrible There appeared also at that time â—â—ery chariots and horse meÌ„ and great hoasts in the skye comming nye to Hiernsalem and all the Lande of Inda In the feast also of Weekâ—â— the Prtestes hearde a man walking in the remple saiynge with a great a wonderfull terribâ—e â—ase voyce Come 〈◊〉 vs go avvaye oute of thys Temple and get vs hence But specially there was one passynge all these A certain manne in the Citye of a base and â—â—we 〈◊〉 whose name was Iehoscua the 〈◊〉 of Chananeiahu began to crye vpoÌ„ the feast of the tabernartes with a lond voyce on this wyse A voyce from the east a voice from the vvest a voice from the four vvindes of the heauens a voyce agaynst IerusaleÌ„ a voyce agaynst the teÌ„pleâ— a voyce agaynlle the Bridegrome a â—oyee agaynste the bryde and a voyce against the vvhole people Which wheÌ„â—e or yeâ— thus very oâ—â—e the citezins of Hâ—â—usalem hated him saiâ—d to him What tryest thou alwayes this crye But the gouernouâ— that then
A COMPENdious and most marueilous History of the latter tymes of the Iewes commune weale beginnynge where the Bible or Scriptures leaue and continuing to the vtter subuersion and laste destruction of that countrey and people Written in Hebrew by Ioseph Ben Gorion a noble man of the same countrey who sawe the most thinges him selfe and was auctour and doer of a great part of the same Translated into Englishe by Peter Morvvyng of Magdalen Colledge in Oxford LONDINI Anno Domini 1558. ⧠The Epistle to the Reader BEing moued and requested of a certayne honest māprynter of Lōdon studiousse in his vocation of the commoditie of this our cuntrey that I wold take in hād to translate this part of the histoty of the Iewes to the intent that as there is emongst vs already in our natiue tong the originall beginninge of that nacion the continuance also for a long space in the Bible and annexed to the same so there might be likewise an vnderstanding and declaration to al men in the English tong as wel as in other of the destruction of so famous a commune weal I both thought it honest to further so good an attempt yea and almost dishoneste to repulse his request oportunitie and leysure seruing me considering also how mani prophecies there be in the scriptures of the destructiō not onely of the citie Ierusalem but also of the whole cuntry and no specialtie nor notification in our tong of the fulfillinge of the same For the performance wherof after long weiyng and debating of the matter it was thoughte most cōuenient not to burthē the desierous hereof with the prouiding of so chargeable a volume as is the great historye of Flauius Iosephus that writ the discours of the same to the Romaines together with many other actes of other nations nothinge at all perteining to the history of the Iewes but that we should plenteouslye content mens desires and satisfy our prefixed and aboundauntlye with a farre more briefe muche lesse costlye and as sufficiente a commentarye for oure purpose nothing inferiour to the other in veritye yea written by the same Iosephus as the tenure and contentes of bothe the bookes do importe although he name him self in thys Ben Gorion that is the sonne of Gorion and in the other the Sonne of Mattathias whiche is a thynge so commune in the Iewes genealogies that men nede not sicke far for the like for one mā to diduct his discente frō diuers names of father graundfather or greate graundfather of the fathers side or of the mothers side now taking the name of the next now of the most notable of his kinred But howsoeuer the names be vnlike thistories do so agrie that they may wel be thought to be written bi one mā this vnto his cuntrimen Iewes or for thē that desire no more but a iust rehersal of the thinges cōcerning that onely cuntrey the other for the Romayns or for thē that desire to vnderstande of the feats of the Romains in the time of that age whiche we thought not to be so necessary for our purpose We determined therefore to take in hande this Ioseph or rather this his owne epitome or bridgment of his greate boke yet the whole history of the Iewes notwithstandynge In the translation whereof what paines is taken not only in restorynge diuers wordes that were depraued and corrupted in the latin text yea and some hole mēbres of sentēces left out which were expresly in the Hebrew but also that the Hebraicall formes of speach so discrepant from our phrase accustomed maner of speaking might be reduced vnto our vulgare and familier communication that they mighte be the better vnderstanded I refer it vnto the iudgement of thē that be expert in the tongs who if thei list to confer both the textes they shal-eueriwhere espy a great dissimilitude betwene the woordes of both and sometime finde hole members of sentēces transposed yet I trust they shall likewise cōfesse both that I haue not swarued ani thing from the sence and meanyng of the auctour whiche I moste attentifly did alwayes ponder and cōsider as the thing most profitable for our purpose also that it was necessary so to doe to reduce it vnto our maner of speakyng For wherunto serueth it if it should not be vnderstanded Were it not as good to remayne styll not vnderstanded in a strange tong as not vnderstanded in our owne If suche translations worde for word be to be counted in our tong beyng turned into our wordes onely This therfore was chiefly endeuoured that it might be framed and come most nie vnto our vulgare tongue not to our vulgare wordes onely and yet it shoulde not be disframed nor disgresse from the true meanynge of the Historiographer Seynge then that it maye nowe be redde in our mother tongue and vnderstanded also our hope is that oure trauayle shall not be loste but that thou likewise for thy parte gentle Reader wilte diligently peruse and read this historye worthye of so great paynes to be bestowed vpon it bothe for the pleasauntnesse of the matter and also for the inestimable profite that thou maiest take thereby For pleasure who woulde not be very much delited and desierous to vnderstande the ende and what became at lengthe vppon suche a people that he hathe hearde so muche of as euerye man hathe redde hearde of the Iewes in the Bible and otherwise besides the delectation in perceiuynge thinges of so great antiquitie Euery man deliteth to behold the pictures of auncient persons as of Hercules Hector Iulius Caesar Arthur and reuerenceth them as thoughe they were halfe Gods how much more pleasure should it be to behold the liuely images of their mindes which appeare in theyr actes and dedes whyle thei were here in this life wherby we shoulde learne to knowe good from euil and by the appliyng of their dedes vnto our maners with considering the euent and successe they had of their actions we maye take ether an example or some admoniciō or occasion to amend our lifes wherin besides pleasure is also profit As when thou seest the Iewes here afflicted with diuers kinds of misery because they fell from God then maist thou be admonished hereby to see the better to thine owne waies least the like calamities light vpon thee vnlesse thou be so fōd to thinke God will more spare thee which art but a wild Oliue but grafted into the stock of faith if thou bring ēther noughty fruit or no fruit then he did the natural braūches which sprang naturally of the rote it self Thou shalt read here of terrible and horrible euentes of sedicion and rebellion yea there was no such cruelti exercised vpon them by their external ennemies as they vsed amongst thē selues one vpon an other subiectes against their princes and subiectes against subiectes in so muche that nothing hastened their destruction so greatlye as their own doggidnesse intestine hatred ▪ Be thou warned therefore by their harmes
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
al their captaines thre principal most expert warriours of whome I Ioseph prieste that writ this history was one who by the deuine fauour am valeant in battaile and Anani the hie prieste and Eleasar his sonne To these thre they committed the hole land of Iudea deuidinge it to them by lot and gaue them all furniture of warre One third part therfore which was hole Galile from the land af Napththaly and beyond fel to Ioseph the prieste sonne of Gorion to his honoure and glorye whome for his worthinesse they named also Iosiphon because he was then annointed apointed consecrated to the warres The second lot came forth by the whiche fell vnto Anani the hie prieste the citie of Hierusalem and the countrey aboute it with a charge to repaire the walles of the citie to sustaine the brunt of Vaspasian if he should come so farre The thirde lot fell to Eleasar the sonne of Anani the priest to whom was ioyned captaine Iehoscua and other Iewish captaines By the vertue of this lot fell to them the whole lande of Edom from Elath vnto the redde sea The rest of the land from Iericho to Euphrates with that also that is beyond the riuer and all the lande of Mesopotamia fell to captaine Menasches lotte To other Princes also of Iudea and to the worthiest priestes they committed the fensed cities from the frontiers and boundes of Hierusalem vnto Egipt Vaspasian taking his iourney with his hoste froÌ„ Antiochia came pitched his teÌ„tes in Aram Zofa For he had deuised and determined thus with his counsel first to inuade Galile and after to try what they could do in Ivdea Ioseph the soÌ„ne of Gorion hauing intelligence of thys his purpose departed from Ierusalem to Galile built vp the townes that were destroied repaired their wals gates barres palaces Ordeined captaines ouer the people to lead gouern them some of thousandes some of hundreds tribunes and Decurians He instructed the people also in feates of warres what the soundes of trompettes signified what sound serued to fal in aray what to gather the souldioures together and what to deuide them and after he had instructed them the disciplâ—â— and feates of warre he spake vnto theÌ„ in this wife Ye shal vnderstand deare lites that ye go to fight at this present againstyour enemies Wherfore let no effeminate feare ouercome your harts nor dismaye your selues at the sight of your ennemies but play the men and take a good courage vnto you to fight for your cities for your countrye and for your selues Be not afraid of death but rather be stoute in the defence of your countrye that ye be not led away from it and to fighte for the sanctuary of the Lorde that it be not steined and polluted with thunclennesse of the gentiles Consider that it is better to die in battaile then to liue in captiuitye and bondage Therefore when as ye shall come to ioyne with your ennemies and shall see anye of theym beaten downe and attempte to rise againe who soeuer of you is by and seeth him remember the zeale of your GOD wherewith it becommeth you to reuenge his quarell and beinge moned therewith strike him that he neuer rise agaiene But if you shal se any of your selowes downe being enkindled with the zeale of your God rescue him from the handes of the enemies and if he be not yet slaine cure him If he be dead ye shall do what ye can to burie him in the Israelites burial And so if we shal chuse rather to die then to liue we shall prospere in our warres we shal die for the couenaunt of our God and deliuer our soules bringinge them to the light of life in heauen After he had said this he chose out of the Iewes .ix. thousand fotemen and but fewe horsemen And out of these he chose .vi. hundred of the beste suche as one of them woulde not shrinke from ten ten from an hundred a hundred from a thousande a thousaÌ„d from ten thousand With them Ioseph went to the cities of Agrippas that were in Iehudea to winne them For Agrippas stucke to the Romaines were it right or wronge with al the power he could make He went firste to Tiarua a greate citie that belonged to Agrippa where as both his treasure and municion of warre was WheÌ„ he came theâ— ther he spake to the people vppon the walles and offered them peace on condicion that they should open the gates and deliuer vnto him all the treasure of Agrippas and all his iewels Thus if they would do he then would spare them and flea none of them Were it not better for you saith he to take part with them that defende the sanctuary of God his inheritance then to ioyne your ayde with Agrippas which is coÌ„federate with our enemies and assayleth vs augmenting the power of theÌ„ that hats vs so that he refuseth not to fight against the sanctuary of the lord and the people of his inheritaunce The men of the toune condescending to Ioseph openeth the gates and he â—niring the toune made peace with them and they deliuered him al the kinges treasures for they liked Iosephs woordes consented to take such part as he toke At that time came newes vnto Ioseph that troubled him sore namely that Tiberias had rebelled were reuolted from the people that dwelt at Hierusalem and were chaunged from his lot to become Vaspasianus subiectes who had set a Romaine captaine ouer theÌ„ For reformation wherof he left his armie at Tiarua and toke those six hundreth yong men with him to Tiberias commyng vpon it sodeinly and at vnwares And as he stode vpoÌ„ the bankes of Genosar he espied the nauy of the Romaines that laye there at road to aide Vaspasian whiche Ioseph coÌ„maunded to be brooken in peaces and to be scattered abrode in the sea laake The meÌ„ of Tiberias therefore seinge the shypbordes dispersed in that fashion they conieciured it was done by some of Iosephs hoste wherfore the bandes of the Romaines fled to the towne gate in shytte the gates Ioseph notwithstanding came to one gate of the citie and â—â—tes that the people myght heare saiyng What meaneth this coÌ„spiracie of yours against me yea not against me but rather againste the Lorde God whose couenaunt ye haue transgressed and brooken the bonde that we made with hym ye haue also violated your othe that ye sware by the GOD of Israell that we shoulde altogether fyght againste oure enemies to abate their pryde The people aunswered from the walles wee beseche thee oure Lorde heare thy seruauntes speake God forbidde we shoulde aide the Romaines and not rather the people of the Lorde God of Israell and his sanctuary with the people of his enheritaunce Howbe it there be amongest vs certain proude meÌ„ vngodly persoÌ„es that haue made a league with Vaspasiane and haue broughte into the towne one of his chieftaynes Wherefore and it please thee our Lorde to enter the cytie with
people and offered him selfe to die for his people that the plage mighte cease from Israell Where is kinge Saule and his sonne Iehonathan that fought for the people of God and died in the fielde Coule not Saule haue saued his life and his Sonnes bothe if he hadde bene so disposed But hee when he sawe Israell haue the ouerthrowe in the battaile hadde no desire to liue anye lenger but chose rather deathe then life and woulde not be seperated from his brethren nother in life nor death as wel hee as Ionathan his Sonne those dearlye beloued and moste amiable menne as the scripture termeth theim Why doest thou not remember our deare Prince the righteousnes of Dauid the anointed of the Lorde who seinge a moste greuous pestilence to rage vppon the people of Israel saied Let thy hande O Lorde I beseche thee be tourned vpon mee and my fathers house For I am hee that haue sinned I haue transgressed as for these thy sheepe what haue they done What haue they offended Where is the holye Lawe smothered and stifled in thy hearte Arte not thou an annoynted Prieste that haste declared and taughte vs the holye Lawe wherby we might learne how to loue our Lord God withal our hart with al our soul and withall oure strength If it be so that the seruice of God consisteth not in this that we should loue whome he loueth and die for his couâ—uaunt and saÌ„ctuary together with his seruaunts that be slain for the vnity of the name of the Lord Wherin staÌ„deth it then Hast not thou oft times taught and proued vnto vs howe that euerye man that dieth in warres for the lord his sanctuary his people and his law he is to be counted in the Lordes lot made worthye to goe vnto the greate light and shal not see euerlasting darknesse Arte not thou that Ioseph the priest that hast cried so ofteÌ„ in battail I am Ioseph the prieste consecrated to battaile that haue vowed my life for the people of the Lord his sanctuarye and his lande But nowe when thou baste yealded thy selfe vnto them and they order the dispitfullye what wilte thou say vnto them or what amendes canst thou haue at their handes I put the case they cast in thy teeth say thy wordes be but lies How shalt thou auoid that reproche Arte not thou he that saidst men shoulde fighte for the people of God vntil they die in the conflicte and in so doinge their deathe shoulde be a raunsome for their sinnes and that they were sure to go to that great light that is the light of life Which if it be true according as thou hast said whye then wilt thou shun deash and not folowe thy people that are gone before thee to that same lighte Euer hitherto thou hast had the vpper hand wher so euer thou camste in so muche that they that hearde of thee trembled for feare and nowe wilte thou yelde thy life into captiuity to the Romaines as a vile slaue Shall not this thy dishonoure redound also vnto the people of God Thou that arte a prince a kinge and priest wilt thou be bound in cheines Euerye man shall saye this is he that hathe geuen his souldioures and the reaste of his people to die but hath â—â—ued him selfe and his owne life So when they hadde made an ende of talke eche manne drew out his sword and came vnto him in the middest of the Caue sainge Hearest thou thou Iosephe oure Prince if thou wilte be ruled by vs firste we shall slea thee as a Lorde and a greate Prince and thou shalte chuse what deathe thou wilt die on that thou maiest die honourablye But if thou refuse to dye honestlye assure thy selfe of this that we will euerye manne set vpon thee and slea thee Ioseph aunswered In deede I knowe my Brethren that your woordes are iuste and true For who is so madde to desire to liue in this hurlye burlye and woulde GOD that hee woulde call my Soule vnto him and receyue it vnto hym also For I am not ignoraunt that it were more expediente for mee to die then to liue for the great troubles that haue passed through my braynes But hee knoweth the secretes of mannes hearte and he it is that geueth life vnto menne It is God that closeth soules within the bodies and letteth theim oute againe bicause he is the liuinge GOD in whose handes remaine the Soules and Spirites of all liuinge creatures He hath left with vs a Spirite of life and closed it vp within oure bodies What is hee then that will open that that he hath shut How shall we loose that that he woulde haue bounde and knitte fast within vs Dooe ye not al knowe that the life is a thinge that he hath left with vs to kepe and that wee are his seruauntes If then we cast awaye life before that GOD take it shall he not worthelye bee displeased with vs and make that we shall not find life in the place of the liuing with Abraham our father of famous memorye and wyth other iuste and godlye menne our forefathers Dooe you not knowe that they wente not vnto God before they were called and when they were called they came and soo dealt GOD with all holye and Godly men To Moyses our master of worthie memorye the electe of GOD ye knowe that the Lorde God of Israell said get the vp vppon this mountaine Abarim and so he did But he woulde not haue done it of him selfe had not God called him Wherby ye may see it is not lawful for a maÌ„ to surrendre his life vnto God excepte he require it againe Take example I praye you of Iob. What time he curst the daye that he was borne in mighte not he ether haue hanged him self or haue run vppon a knife or at the least haue folowed his wifes counsel to cursse God and die Not withstanding he abode paciently in most extreme paine waitinge til God demaunded again his life and then restored it vnto his Lord god and would not restore it vndemaunded but taried till hys appoynted ende came King Dauid also of famous memory saide Leade thou my life oute of his pinfolde and prison For he knew that the life was inclosed in the bodye and that none mighte let it forth but God I wot wel that death is a greate commodity so be that the soule may return in his due time vnto God that gaue it vs. I knowe also that he that dieth in the warres of the lord he shal come to the greate lighte But I knowe not what can appease gods wrath toward the soul of that man that killeth him self maketh hast to restore his soul before his time and withoute the Lordes calling Wherfore my frendes brethren I would ye shoulde knowe it I am no more cowarde then you and I do not disagree with you because I am of a fainte heart for feare of these presente calamities but that I know I shoulde commit a
heinous offence against the Lord if I should kil my self And howe say ye you princes that sticke vnts your God to you I speake tel me who shall make intercession vnto God for vs if we should commit this sinne and eche kil other Wold not a man iudge him a slaue a foole a froward person a rebel and a stubburne man that woulde be forced with any misery to be so maâ— that because all thinges fall not oute as he woulde wishe woulde therefore hange or desperatly murther him self with his owne hands Such ye know the law thus punisheth their righthaÌ„d is cut of wherewith they forced them selues to die then they are lefte vnburied as men that haue destroied their owne soules by what reason then shall we kill oure selues I woulde wishe that we mighte be slaine of oure ennemies rather then we shoulde so shamefully murther our selues wherby euer after we shoulde be taken for manslears if anye manne flea him selfe as did Saule whome ye commended withoute doubte he committeth a heinous crime and suche a one as no satisfaction can be made for Besides that he shall be reckened fainte hearted and as one that dispaireth of his recouerye Wherefore our forefathers haue taughte vs. A man oughte not to despaire of his sauegarde and deliueraunce vvhiche commeth of God no not vvhan the knife is put to his throte to cut it For kinge Hezekia of famous memory when he heard these woordes of Esaye that worthye prophet Make thy vvil and set thy thinges in a stay for thou shalt die and not escape Neuerthelesse he fainted not nor ceassed to pray vnto God for the proioÌ„ging of his life in this worlde that he might amende his life and send a better soule vnto God Then the Lorde God of Israel seing his vnweried and strong hope with his repentaunce â–ª suffred him to liue .xv. yeares yet longer But Saul that saw he was not appointed kinge ouer Israel after the Lordes minde but alonely by the peoples that craued vppon Samuel Geue vs a Kinge to reigne ouer vs Whereuppon afterwarde God departed from Saule for he was not obediente to Goddes will but wente aboute by force to establishe his kingdome The Lorde then seynge the wyckednesse of hys hearte gaue him ouer and chose him an other to be kynge ouer hys people annointinge Dauid hys seruaunte whyles that Saule was yet liuinge Whiche Saule perceiuinge persecutinge Dauid and laboured with all his endeuoure to destrdy him because he knew God was with him and prospered all that he did whereas contrary al went backward with him For these causes I say he chose rather to die then liue and would not liue after the people of Israel was ouerthrown in the mouÌ„tains of Gilboa And in mine opinion he slue him selfe for nothinge but for that he was a â—aint harted coward and vtterli dispaired of his sauegarde For althoughe he saide Leaste these vncircumcised come and run in throughe yet if he had bene of a valeant courage he woulde haue standed to his defence vnto the death perauenture God woulde haue deliuered him But he contrary al in dispaire procured him self and his sonne a shamefull deathe But ye shall consider this He was an vnmerciful king and therfore did Gâ—â—â—rid him out of the worlde for he that wil not spare his own life and his sonnes howe woulde he spare other And where as ye alledge Aaron vnto me I woulde know of you why did he put him self betwene the liuing and the deade was it not because he would turne away the plage from Israell If he had knowen that he him selfe shoulde haue bene stricken therewith doubtlesse he woulde not haue striuen against the striker but trusting in the holines of his righteousnesse he stode before the Aungell to deliuer Israell from that miserie I am not to be compared with Aaron albeit I am one of his children and neuer yet in all my life did I shrinke to venter my life in the warres of the Lorde And nowe I am not determined to kill my selfe lest I should sinne against God and spoyle my soule of hope of saluation I know it well it were more expedient for me to be slaine of mine enemies then that I should slea my selfe And if ye say the word let vs go forth and sodainely set vpon our enemies to kill and to be killed in the battaile of the Lorde and so shall we do well peraduenture GOD will geue them into our handes For God is able to saue as vvell by a small armie as by a great Then if you see me to be afrayed of mine enemies sworde â–ª ye shal therbi know me to be a dastard and one that fawneth vppon his enemies and huÌ„teth for their fauour But you shal see me go afore you as a valiant man should nor once turn my face from death But what did ye euer see in me that ye should iudge me fearful Did ye euer knowe mee to refuse to fight In the towne of Iorpata I haue euer kept my quarter and warde and euery daie haue I fought with mine enemies whom I haue not spared but empaired and that not a little whiles I defended that little citie 48. daies against them For I thought wyth my selfe peraduenture I maye driue away the ennemyes of the LORDE out of our Lande and put theim by Hierusalem that they goe not thither and so haue I foughten with theim tyl all my valeaunt Souldioures be spente and none lefte but you I coulde no lenger withstande their force and I woulde not yelde my self as a Prisoner vnto them therfore I sledde hither with you into this Caue Now therefore brethren ye shal vnderstande that death is commodious and good in dede whiche commeth in his time But it is neither good nor godly for a manne to kill him selfe and his brother to go afterwarde â–ª for that deede into Hell and perdicion And what other thing can more clearelye set for the a mannes manhode and hautye minde wyth hys hope in GOD then Pacience for a manne to suffer pacientlye what so euer chaunseth vnto hym vntyll hys ende come Beholde the Lyons and other Beastes howe they are wonte to wythstande their aduersaries that lye in wayte for theim to the intente they maye saue their lyues Whose armoure is their Teeth and Clawes wherewyth neuerthelesse they hurte not theim selues but vse them against other that assayle theim til they ether ouâ—rcome or be ouercommed Therefore if a manne wyll wyth his owne handes let foorthe his soule oute of his closure before his tyme God will not receiue it neither shall it finde anye reaste but be destroyed And whye Because it is expulsed and thruste out of his place before his time and before God dooe call it wherfore it shall wander inconstantlye for euer Whye then my deare Brethren and frendes dooe you aduise vs to kill one another and to expell and banish our Soules from vs they not called for Howe can wee put awaye this opprobrye Howe can
loe they haue sinned against their owne soules dying withoute discipline and all good order If thou wilt say how shal we do for oure othe that we haue sworne Doste thou not knowe that He that breaketh a vvicked othe do the nothing vvickedly him selfe For a man is not constreined to performe an othe vnto God but to the kepinge of his lawes and bereupon it is that Dauid saithe I haue svvorne and vvil perfourme For neither vow nor othe that is made against the commaundementes of God can be ratified before God And that more is before the we sware oure fathers sware firste a great while ago at the mounte of Sinai that they and their children woulde keepe the lawe of the Lorde Moyses also made a couenaunte with them vpoÌ„ the same and not only with theÌ„ that then were there but also with vs. Howe then dare we be so bolde to swcare to breake the law of our God and become maÌ„quellers seing it is one of the .x. commaundements expressely Thou shalt not kil Wherfore my brother thou shalt vnderstande that we nede not be sollititous nor careful for the oth that we haue made but rather to breake it for God wil neuer be displeased with vs for that for I beinge afraide of these wicked persones that lie nowe he are deade did inuente this subtil meanes and way to swear that I mighte saue my life Thou therfore my brother if thou wilte be ruled by mine aduise thou shalt saue thy life mine and I wil caste no lottes nor performe the othe that we made VVhiche is not good in the lavve if thou wilte not I wil withstande thee and fighte with thee to kill thee and skape my selfe And with this Ioseph lepte backe and drue oute his sworde standinge ouer againste him to see what his felowe woulde answer His companion hearinge this sturred neither hande nor foote againste him but saide Loe I am contente do what thou thinckest good because thou arte a manne of God And blessed be the Lorde God of Israel that bathe not withdrawne his mercye from me but made me to be in thy lotte whereby my soule is saued from goinge to helt thy lotte is a iuste lotte For the Lorde vvil not leaue the scourge of sinners vppon the lotte of the iuste Muche elsse besides this spake Iosephes companion vnto him for he was sore afraide of him leaste he shoulde haue killed him if they hadde entermedled together for Ioseph was the better man of his hands and therfore Ioseph chose him into his lot that he might be able to make his party good with him In this pointe Ioseph played the wyse mannes parte for he escaped by this meanes both from the handes of those wicked foles and also from his felow THerfore Ioseph called out of the caue to captain Nicanor and said to him in this wise Wilte thou promise mee that neither thou nor anye of thy men that be here with thee or in the Romains campe shal kyll vs before thou hast brought vs vnto Vaspasian and lâ—t hym dooe wyth vs as he thynketh good Nicanor aunswered So and so deale God with mee if I fulfyl not thy request if so be it thou wilt come forthe vnto mee together with the men that thou hast with thee Ioseph aunswered I will come forth vnto thee and so manye moe of vs as be aliue for so is it come to passe that some of vs be deade here in the caue wherefore howe can they come forthe Then said Nicanor neuer thincke frend Ioseph that I am come to deceiue thee come foorthe and trust in thy Lord God for thou neadest not to feare Ioseph said sweare vnto me this by the god of Israel although he be vnknowne vnto thee Nikanoâ— answered I sweare vnto the by that God that made the world by his wisdom that thou nedest not to fear me but boldly maist come forthe vnto me So Nikanor made a couenaunte with Ioseph and his felow coâ—firming and ratifying it in writing after the manner of the Romaines and reatched it into the caue vpon a speare holding the pointe of the speare in his owne hand Ioseph toke the writinge red it and beleued Nicanor theÌ„ came he forth to Nicanor and his felowe with him When Nicanor sitting vpon his seate of estate that was made him there in the wooâ—e nie vnto the caue sawe Ioseph come towardes him he rise vp embrasing him kissed him set him on his righthand and wept with him aboundauntly he honoured his felowe also plaringe him betwene Pohrinus and Gallicanus whom he had at that present with him Then Nicanor asked hym for the reste of the men that were wyth him willynge that they shoulde come forth and he would honour them also and dooe them no harme Ioseph declared the whole matter vnto hym what was become of theim Nicanor hearing of the pertinacious stubburnnesse of the Iewes heartes their wiâ—ked intentes was wonderfully moued So then he rose and went from thence with Ioseph and his companion vnto Vaspasian When the Romaine army sawe Ioseph they were greatly astonied and gaue a mightye shoute Some reioysed that Ioseph was takeÌ„ saiyng This is good lucke that our eyes shall see oure longe expected desire Other lamented and let teeres fal from their eyes wyth pensiue heartes saiynge Is not this that worthye manne who made all the Romayne hoste to quake for feare and whose Fame and renowne was knowen throughout all landes Howe is it come to passe that so mighty a man is taken in his owne countrey amongst his owne people If this chaunceth vnto suche a manne to be taken in his owne Lande in the middest of his family and frends How shal we escape in a straunge land Certaine euil disposed persons of the Romain souldiers went to Vaspasian and said Sir you shal do well to coÌ„maund this man to be slaine without mercye that hath ben the distruction of so many of the people of the Romains This is the self same that shot the arow and stroke you in the leg put him to death and then shal you be sure he shal neuer moue warre more against you If you do not ye shal see him one daye againe rayse an armye against vs and distroy vs. But Iosephe founde frendshippe at Titus Vaspasians sonnes handes whiche came of the LORDE Therfore when hee hearde those wycked mens wordes that desiered Vaspasian to put Ioseph to death he laught them to skorne and taunted theim saiynge Will you tell my father what he hath to dooe Will you geue him so wicked counsell to flea that man that yeldeth him self to vs vpoÌ„ the trust of our leaâ—e band of frendship which you now go about to breake and frustrate Did not captaine Nicanor in my fathers name Caesars with al the Romaines make a couenant with him Take hede what you saie Is it not treason that you go about to breake the Cesarical fidelitie Moreouer who can tel whether it may so happen that
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
in suretye of my life as longe as I am in thy company and thy sonnes seing Agrippas his sonne innocently put to death by you Gaesar answered Holde thy peace Ioseph I neuer loked for anye goodnesse of Arippas and hys sonne Thou knowest not what they had wrought against my maiestie and how thei wente about to rebell Thou hast brent their bones with thy hands Doest thou not know how I honoured him and his sonne in Iewrye howe I woulde not suffer mine armye to annoy anye of his Cities I aunswered Yes I knowe it was so as your maiestie saieth Then saied he but for all this hath Agrippas requited me again with euill For what time as the nobles of Rome in Iewry went about to make me emperour thinking me somwhat more mete to rule thempire then Vitellius Agrippas persuaded wyth thē that they should not make me Emperoure affirmynge that there was nothinge in me worthye wherefore they shold promote me to that dignitie And after when he came to Rome he wente from one bishop to an other and caused them go to the hye bishop to accuse me of suche crimes as in my conscience I knewe nothinge at all By this I perceiued that Agrippas heart was ful of rancour and rebellion therefore I iudged him to death For vvhere as vvickednes is there it is mete that condigne punishment should not be slackinge And I put his sonne to death likewise For the sonne of a traytoure ought not to liue vppon the earth because that in his hart remaineth the vvorke of his father being conceiued and borne of a rebellious sede But I haue founde thee alwaies faithful and true and therfore I commend my sonne to thy wisdome With this he commaunded my yrons to be taken away from me and beinge released and at libertie he set me honorably amongst the Princes and Senatours Then saied I vnto him Is not this a great dishonour vnto me that I shoulde be deliuered from my bondes and neuertheles the Israelites that be with me to be kept in prison still Now therefore if I haue founde fauoure in thy sighte and if thou wilte do any◠thinge at my sute loose the bonds like wise of al the rest of the Israelits that be with me set them at libertye also and thou shalt be assured that I wil be thy faithfull counselloure while my life lasteth and an ennemye to thy foes to make warre vppon them that assaile thee Vaspasian graunted Iosephe his request and willed them to be let at libertye as manye as were prisoners with Ioseph Shortlye after sente he Ioseph to his sonne Titus that abode at that presente at Alexandria in Egipt to whome he writte concerninge Ioseph in this wise I send vnto thee here my beloued sonne Ioseph a prince of the Iewes a manne of experience trained in warre in whome is greate wisdome he shal be thy father and faithfull counselour thou shalt not do against his counsel nether one way nor other for he is a wise man Wherfore thou shalt reuerence and honoure him accordinge as he is worthye for the Lorde his God is with him and beleue not rashly anye man that shall defame Ioseph vnto thee Yea rather put him to deathe streighte waye that will accuse him for Ioseph is a faithfull man and a good counselloure and who so is ruled by his counsell shall haue prosperous successe in that he goeth aboute Therefore when Ioseph shall come vnto thee after he hathe refreshed him selfe a fewe daies of the laboures and trauailes of the sea then shalt thou prepare to take thy iourney againste Ierusalem to besiege it And if the Iewes receiue the peaceably and wil submit them selues vnder the Romain empire then beware thou endamage them in nothing but rather repair their cities let them be fre frō altribute for the space of .ii. yeares yet of this condition that thrise euery yere they sette a flagge with the armes of the Romaines vppon their wals that is to say at their thre solempne feastes when as all the Israelites are wonte to resort to Hierusalem to appeare before the Lorde their God Moreouer they shall offer for vs euery feast a sacrifice vpon the most holy alter that is in Hierusalem And if they refuse to make peace with thee thou shalt vtterly race their townes and whosoeuer is left aliue and escape the sworde those shalt thou leade away captiue If so be it they desire to haue Ioseph to be their king we are content therwith In any wise remember to be ruled by Iosephs counsaile he shall be thy father thou his sonne After this Ioseph departed from Rome and came to Alexandria to Titus who hearinge of Iosephs arriual was wonderous glad and al the auncient and wise men with him For Iosephe was full of the spirite of wisedome vnderstandyng counsaile valiauntnes knowledge and feare of God Wherfore he went forth to mete hym accompanied with the captaines of the Romains armye receiued him with great honour Then Ioseph deliuered to Titus his fathers letters Whiche Titus hauinge red saide vnto Ioseph What so euer my father hathe written in these letters I would haue done thē by mine own accord but now that my father admonisheth me of the same I ought to do it the more Wherefore remaine here with me and I will be thy sonne and thou shalt be my father to rule and gouerne me with thy counsel So Ioseph abode with Titus at Alexandria a hole moneth after he came from Rome Then consulted they together to go to Ierusalem and besiege it for Ioseph vnderstode wel inoughe that this came of the Lorde and that his vvorde could not be letted nor hindered Titus therfore and Ioseph with him departed from Alexandria withal their army and pitched their tentes at Nicopolis from thence they came by water to Thanisa so forthe to Iraclea and leauinge that came to Pelisis From thence they trauailed through the desert to Baale Iouim after that to Dicron so to Gaza next to Askelon then to Inboam after to Iapho and so to Cesarea In these iourneis he wan Asam Askalon Iapho withall their townes and castels lying about them THe first yeare of the reign of Vaspasian December the tenthe moneth and senenth daye of the same came Titus with Ioseph and his armye to Cesaria a famous citye built by king Herod In this city he soiourned vntil his hole host were come together as wel of Romaines as of other natione that were vnder the dominion of the Romaines and came to aide them in the siege of Ierusalem Therefore Titus armye was wonderful huge and puissant wherewith he aboade at Cesarea til the could of winter was paste and the moneth of Af drewe nye Iulye The same yeare the ciuil warres grew and encreased in Ierusalem for the Citizens slue one an other withoute anye truce reaste or quietnesse no not in winter when as warres were wonte to cease but sommer and winter both the warres neuer
almost semed to couer the earth This done he toke his iourney from Caesaria with his power and came to Samaria where the Citizins receiued him with great ioye and did him much honoure Wherefore he spared them and did them no harme From thence he came Aielona xxx furlonges from Hierusalem there he pitched his tentes and leauynge them there toke sixe hundreth horsmen with him and came to Hierusalem to viewe the towne to knowe what height the walles were what strength there was in the towne speciallye of the sedicious of whom euerie where great rumoure was finallye to receiue peaceablye all such as were desierous of peace So as he came to the wall he saw no manne nether go out nor in for the gates wer shut vp the sedicious had laied an am bush without the toune to trappe Titus who went somewhat before accompanied with a fews the rest folowynge a pretye way behinde Whiles therfore he was in vewing the walles the sedicious issued out of their ambushe that they had layed nye vnto Aielonia and set vpon the back of Titus men behind Then issued an other forte out of the towne so that they had Titus betwene them and runnynge vpon him seperated him from his men and enuironed him on euerye side where they slue lx of his men and might haue slaine him also saue that they coueted to take him aliue Titus seinge him selfe beset and forsaken of his own men that thought it was impossible for him to escape perceiuyng also that they went not about to kyll him but to take him aliue more ouer that he could in no wise escape except he woulde make an irruption and runne through their bandes he toke a good hearte vnto him and valiauntly brake throughe sleaynge whomsoeuer came in his waye to laye holde of him and so escaped If they had entended to haue slaine him they might haue done it but beinge desierous to take him aliue as is saied they absteyned from strikynge him and so they loste hym And GOD woulde not deliuer hym into their handes that by hym hes myght scourge Israel But the Iewes seinge hym to be thus escaped repented fore that they hadde not killed him saiynge one to another What meant we that we killed hym not whyle wee might it is yll handeled of vs. Therfore they pursued him hurlinge and shootinge after hym with engines of Warre but they coulde not ouer take him for God preserued him that he◠might afterwarde deliuer Hierusalem into his hands So he returned to Aielona and perceiued the heartes of kinges to be in the handes of GOD. The nexte morowe brought Titus all hys armie to Hierusalem determininge to encampe hym selfe vpon the mount Oliuet wherefore he firste spake vnto his souldiours in this wise This daye ye go to fyght against a most mightye nation whose warriers be strong as lions valiant as liberdes and nimble as townes that run in the mountaines to ouerturne chariots and such as sit vppon thē Now therfore take good harts vnto you and be couragious for so it standes you in hande Dooe not thinke theim to be like the nations that heretofore ye haue had to do withall I my self haue experience otherwise of their dalianntnes and sleightes of warre This saied he marched in araye moste strongly that they shold not be scatred asunder and gaue them charge speciallye to the vawarde to take heede of stumbling vppon Welles or Cesterns whereby they might be hindred for as yet the daie was scarce broken and besides that Titus had knowledge howe the Iewes fearing of his comming had digd secrete trēches pitfals Wherfore to auoid thē he led his host by the mount Oliuet in which place it neuer came in their mindes to digge Therfore when he came to the mount Oliuet he encamped there againste Hierusalem ryght ouer agaynste the Brooke Cedron that ran betwene the citie and the hyll and many times ranne very shalowe Titus campe was about sixe furlongs from the towne The next morow thei of the towne seing Titus to be encamped vpon the mount Oliuet the capitaines of the sedicious with their companies assembled together and fell at agrement euerye man wyth an other entendynge to turne their crueltye vppon the Romains confirmyng and ratifiynge the same attonement and purpose by swearyng one to an other and so became peace amongst them Wherfore ioynyng together that before were three seuerall partes they set open the Gates and all the best of them issued out with an horrible noyse and shoute that they made the Romayns afrayed withall in suche wise that they fled before the sedicious which sodainlye did set vpon them at vnwares But Titus seinge his men flee rebuked them saiinge Are ye not ashamed of this timerious cowardnes when ye are so many and a hundreth for one of thē What ignominye is it so manye to be repulsed of so few Wherwithal Titus staied them and brought theim manfullye to withstand the Iews so that very many were slayne on bothe sides But the Romaynes were not able longe to abide the force of the Iewes albeit that Titus wyth his elect and most valeant Souldiours did manfullye keepe their grounde and neuer reculed Titus also laboured to encourage the rest to fyght but they were so dismayed that they wiste not what to do For to forsake Titus they were ashamed and to resist the vyolence of the Iewes they were not able Notwithstandyng Titus and his companye made their partye good against the Iewes who at length left the fielde and withdrewe them selues toward the towne Then Titus being wroth with his souldiers that they had fled frō the Iewes saied vnto thē Shal I not be auenged of these Iewes shall so fewe of them put vs to flight not able to stande in their handes and will ye flee or recule seinge mee abide by it The next daye Titus toke all his at my saue a few that he lest in his campe to kepe the baggage and wente downs the Mount Oliuet settinge his men in battaile ray euen against the gates of the city Then exhorted he thē to plays the men and although they were come downe the hil yet they should not fear the Iewes for their cāpe that they had left behind them for the broke Cedron saithe he is betwene oure campe and the Israelites with these wordes they were encouraged and determined to encounter with the Iewes vnder the walles hard at the gates of the citye trusting to the sauegarde and defence of the brooke Cedron The captaines of the seditious likewise vsed pollicye For they deuidinge their men sente one company to passe sodenli the broke Cedron to inuade and spoile the Romaine campe that were lefte in the Mounte Oliuet These therfore wente and foughte with the Romaines vppon the Mounte and droue them oute of their campe Titus lokinge behinde him and perceiuinge that the Iewes had gotten ouer the broke and were in hande with his menne he was wonderfullye afraide seinge him selfe so enuironned with
the .iii. time ye haue approched the wals this is the .iii. time ye haue ben slain for your labours And al this coÌ„meth bicause ye wil not be ruled by me but transgresse your generall lords coÌ„mauÌ„dmeÌ„t But now mi brethreÌ„ take hede what ye do herafter it becometh you not to rebel agaiÌ„st mi words which yet ye haue done ofteÌ„times Do ye not remeÌ„bre a certain nâ—ble man of our couÌ„try in the wars of Augustus Caesar against the Persians how he put his own son to death bicause the contrary to his fathers commaundemeÌ„t who was grand captain of the army vnder Augustus he had fough with his enemies yea although he kild iii. PersiaÌ„s But what speke I of once ye haue oftentimes set life by my coÌ„maundemeÌ„ts skirmishing dayly with the Iewes that without al discretioÌ„ rashly out of order wherthrough your coÌ„flicts can haue no good successe If you coÌ„tinue these maners it shall redownde vnto your owne dishonours Wherefore it were better for you to leue of this and lay away your pryde contumaâ—ye and stubburunesse whiche if ye dooe thinges shall be in better sauegarde Muche more spake Titus to his men rebuking them sharpely not mencioned here but declared at large in the volume that wee writ vnto the Romains When he had said his princes and captains fel euery one prostrate to the earth besought him of pardon for their rashnes in that they had so vnaduisedlye and without order against his mind encofitred with the Iewes Then Titus taking pitie of theÌ„ pardoned them requesting theÌ„ to be ware herafter that they coÌ„mitted nothing agaiÌ„st his coÌ„maundmeÌ„t nother in word nor dede so doing theâ— shold haue his fauour auoid his displesure dauÌ„ger of deth for the coÌ„trary But if thei refused to do it whatsoeuer he wer the shold traÌ„sgres his coÌ„maundmeÌ„t he wold not spare him but put him to death geue his body to be eateÌ„ of the fouls of thayre They aunswered all with one voyce We are content with these condicioÌ„s and wil do what so euer thou shalt coÌ„maunde vs. After this Titus considering howe earnestly the Ierosolimites were set one againste an other howe they were become such cruel and morâ—al enemies that eche of them conspired others death he caused the pittes cesterns and trenches that were about Ierusalem to be damde vp and stopte with earthe that the waies mighte be leuilled for his army That don he enâ—aÌ„pt him self nearer the wals Against whiche attempte the Iewes issued not out of the town after their accustomed manner to put them backe from the walles For Schimeon was otherwise occupied he had enterteined ten thousande men of the best of the seditious Iewes and ioyned him selfe to Iacob the Edomite captaine of .ix. thousande Edomites with whome he had made a conspiracy vtterly to destroye captaine Iehochanan And settinge vppon him they coÌ„pelled him to flie into the courte of the temple where he remained in the gate of thentrance of the temple with eight thousand and .iiii. hundreth good men of war al wel appointed in â—acks Eleasar also was against him and ioyned with Schimeon becomming an enemy to him that before had saued his life and so they both together aâ—â—ailed Iehochanan neglectinge the defence of the towne By this meanes the Romaines encamped them selues aboute the walles at their pleasure raisings toures and castinge trenches to plante their iron Rammes vpon to batter the wals The coÌ„mon people of the Iewes that were vnder the rule and gouernment of the three seditious captaines namelye Schimeon Eleasar and Iehochanan which although they were ill inough al yet the tiranny of Iehochanan far passed Schimeon Schimeon was far worsse then Eleasar thoughe Eleasar was the head author and firste beginner of sedicion in al Israel were amongst them as she pe redy to be killed For the forsaid sedicious captains slew the people at their pleasures and deuided them into bandes casâ—yng lots vpon them who should haue which so that one had anothers men another man his And this did they not onelye with their owne men but also with al the rest of the people in suche wise that when the Romains made any assault then ioyned they together as one man to resist the Romayns wheÌ„ they had geuen them a repulse then wouldthey returne to their câ—uel warres fal together by the eares among them selfes Extreme and dreadfull was the ciuyll conflict at that season betwene the thre foresaid captains and so sore that the bloude streamed downe the chanel out of the gates of Hierusalem like as a broke that runneth out of a fountayne and well sprynge The Romeynes seinge it were moued with much pitie that they wept bitterly But Ioseph that was amongst theÌ„ was striken with so great heauinesse that he burst out into a sorowful lamentation liftyng vp his woful voyce in this wise ALas alas Ierusalem the citie of the great kinge howe shail I now call thee at this daye or what name shal I geue thee Sometyme thou wast called Iebus of Iebusaeus that builded thee first in all thys lande After that thy name was Zedek that is iustice wherupon thy kinge Iehoram was called Malkizedek for hee was a ryghteous kyng and because he raygned in thee wyth sustice therefore was thy name Zedek Then ryghtuousnesse hadde his abidyng in thee and thy bright starre that shined in thee was Zedek Moreouer in his time was thou called Schalem as the Scripture witnesseth and Malki zedek king of Schalem and that because the iniquitie of the people that dwelte in thee was then fulfilled For at that tyme chose Abraham oure father of worthye memorye to worship god in thee and to take thee to his enheritaunce to plant in thee the rote of good woorkes Whereupon the tabernacle of God remayneth in thee to thys daye as it was reuealed vnto the same our father Abraham In the say His the sanctuarye of the Lorde For in that place did Abraham binde his onlye Sonne vpon the toppe of one of thy hilles that is called mount Moriah holy and halowed and therfore art thou called Ierusalem because oure father Abraham of famous memory called the place of thy sanctuary Adonai ijreeh the Lorde shall see Then thy late name beinge Schelem this ioyned to it made it Ijreshalem For the Lord God shall behold the place of thy sanctuarye at what time as it shal be Schalem that is pure vncorrupte without lacke or spot but wheÌ„ so euer it is polluted and defiled as it is at this daye then wil he turne awaye his face from it Furthermore thou arte also called Ierushalaim therfore because that who so vnderstande the dignity and worthinesse of the place wherin thy sanctuary is shall bid the angelles of heauen to teache in it the doctrine of the holye ghoste and the spirite of wisdome and vnderstanding wherwith litle childreÌ„ and the vnlearned in thy lande may be made wise He also that ministred in thy
haâ—â—d them as men voyd of all perceyuing without weying considering that sence the timeye were vnder theÌ„ ye haue alwayes liued in most quietnes and peace I my self when I withstood the Romains in Gahle knew very wel that I shuld be ouercomed at lenght but I cold do nothing for the seditious persones that were with me whyche wolde in no wyse folowe my counsel yea it stode me in hand to take heed of myne owne person that I wer not killed of them after I had once counseled and moued them to geue vp the toune Wherfor seyng the matter stood soo and God knew my hart I thought beste to fight agaynste the Romaynes as I mought and when occasion serued to escape to the Romaynes to take it Further whan I was in the caue wyth my forty coÌ„pamoÌ„s I had ben lost vndone had not God geueÌ„ me couÌ„sel making me away to escape saue my â—yfe For they had almooste slayne me bycause I gaue them councell to yeld them selues to the Romaynes and to obey them For I sawe this was the tyme for the Romaynes to beare rule and that God had appointed them to be Lordes ouer all nacions For this is hys manner lyke as aboue he hath made some to be rulers ouer other some euen so benethe also he hath set rulers ouer the kinges of the earthe Who can iudge him that is stronger then he The Romaynes at thys presente haue the dominion ouer all landes and people ouer the Aegiptians Assirians Persians and Chaldeis to euery one of these you haue bene in bondage and ouer other nationes also whych neuerthethelesse till theyr ground sawe mawe plante and gather in theyr fruytes who hath the profyte of thys goodes and labour but the Romaynes who whyles the other toyle and trauayle liue in peace rest theÌ„ selues wherfore mark this also my brethrn the king of Macedonia but at this daye theyr empyry is taken frome them and they ar become subiectes to the Romaines They whan the Romaines fyrste fet vpoÌ„ them were very hautye and coye determined to resist the Romaynes Notwithstanding they were ouer come of the Romaines and are vnder there subiection at this daye What shuld I speake of the people of Philistins Which her to for alwayes haue vexed anoyed you doth not the meanest amongst al the Princes of the Romaines bear rule ouer them what hope then haue you to escape when ye know the Philistins were euer stroÌ„ger then you you were oftentymes ouercome of them as for example Saul your kinge was slayn by them But you wyll saye Dauid the annoynted of the Lorde of Israel pulled them doun and brought them into subiection Wote ye what then God loked vpon you with a favourable contenauÌ„ce and fought your battayles him selfe but at thys day he is in no wyse present with you for he hath turned away his countenauce of saluacion from you bycause you haue sinned against hym And which of you can say he hath intelligence of the secrete of the Lord or hath receiued any such watche word as god gaue at that tyme vnto Dauid 2. Samuel 5. VVhen thou shalte heare a sound of mouing in the toppes of the Mulbery trees then shalt thou set forvvarde for then shall the Lorde goo forth before thy face to smite the tentes and campes of the Philistines Whosoeuer I say hath knoledge of any such token let him vtter it to hys neyghbour and I cold wel consent to folow it But seyng there is no suche thinge herken vnto me my deare brethren come serue the Romaines in peace tranquillity It shal be no dishonesty for you with the kinges of Persia to be subiecte to the Romaines they that somtyme were your maysters shal be now your felowes and companiones If you wyll perseuer stande in your opinion still I will reason the matter with you thus Tell me I praye you when were euer your auncetors free when were they not entangled with the wars of the gentiles and the dominion of other natioÌ„s had you not euer the victory froÌ„ the tyme you came out of Aegipt vntyll the reign of Saule the sonne of Cis. So long as the lord was your king you were in bondage to no maÌ„ you serued god as your only king But after that your euyll and corrupt desyre stired you to be yrk of the lorde and lest he should reygn alone to chuse a man to haue the dominion ouer you according as the custome was in other nationes I meane Saul the son of Cis and the other kinges euery one then serued you him you your sonnes the chefest of you became his ministers your goodliest doughters were made his coÌ„fectionaries his cookes his bakers After Saule reygned Dauid of worthy memory who ruled ouer manne nations But euen he also brought you into bondage and put dyuers of you to death to satisfie hys pleasure withall He beyng dead you serued Salomon his sonne who neuer a whit lesse them the other euen as he listed exercised dominion ouer you he also toke vp your sones and doughters and made them his slaues After thys came other moste wicked kinges so the from that tyme your cuntrye began to go to wrecke and he that was the beste amongst them was Rehoboam whyche sayde vnto you my father corrected you with whippes but I will scourge you wyth scorpions And so dyd the reste of the kynges whyche reigned after hym very fewe of them pleased God All thother wrought abomination not one of them did any good or reygned in the feare of the Lorde And in this maner remained the Empyre longe tyme with you vntyll the kinges of Chaldea came and led you captiue into Babilon where as you were kept vntill Coresches tyme king of Persia who seÌ„t you agayn into your cuntrey wyth a woÌ„derful deal of gold and siluer with great honour which was couÌ„ted vnto him for rightousnes After Coreschs death rose against you the most wicked kinges of Grece who warrynge vpon you gaue you greate ouerthrowes vntill God stirred vp the spirites of certaine sage priestes of the stocke of Chasmonani that reuenged your iniuries At that time were you brethren and frendes of the Romayns and frendship grew betwixte you manie yeares After that you fell from the stocke of Chasmonani which had deliuered you and chose one whose name was Herode who oppressed you grenouslye After him succeaded Archelaus his sonne he yet layed a sorer yoke vpoÌ„ you wherfore falling from him ye protested neuer after to serue the Kynges of Iuda So goynge to the Romayns willinglye you submitted youre selues vnder their subiection to serue Augustus themperour who ordred you gentilly Him you serued as other nacions did and it was to your prayse because ye were vnder a good gouernoure Therfore nowe my brethren and children of my people what meane you at this present that you haue determined to dye and dooe not rather spare your selues and your children Consider
was hard harted and wolde not be intreated for it was Gods will that Amittai shuld be punished bycause he was the bringer of Schimeon into Ierusalem therfore fel he into his handes which for good rewarded him with euill Schimeon commaunded a sorte of murtherers to place Amittai vpon the walles in the syght of the Romaynes and sayde vnto hym seest thou Amittai why doo not the Romaynes delyuer and rescue the oute of my handes the I say whyche woldest haue fled away vnto them Amittai answered nothing to thys but still besought hym that before hys death he might kisse hys sonnes bid them fare wel but Schimeon vtterly denied hym Wherfore Amittai wept a loude sayng to hys sonnes I brought deare chyldren I brought thys thiefe into thys toun wherefore I am counted nowe for a thiefe my selfe all thys mischyefe whyche is comed vpon me and you it is myne own doynge bycaufe I brought this seditious villain into this holy City I thought then perauenture he wil be a helpe to the toune but it is nowe proued contrarye for he hathe bene a moste cruell enemy of the same It was not enough for vs to kepe one seditious person Iehochanan I mean whyche tooke vnto hym Eleasar the fyrste begynner of sedition but I muste bringe in also thys wycked Schimeon whyche is ioyned to oure fooes to destroye vs. In deed I neuer brought him in for any loue that I bare vnto hym but all the Priestes and the hoole multitude of the people sent me to fetche hym notwithstanding I am worthy of this iuste iudgement of God bycause I tooke vpon me suche an ambasage What shoulde I speake of thee thou moste wycked Schimeon for whyther so euer thou turnest thee thou bringst all thinges out of frame In deed thou dealest iustly with me bicause I haue sinned vnto God to his people and his citye in that I haue brought the in to be a plage to it Wherefore I were worthy to be stooned notwithstanding it had bene thy parte thou wycked murtherer to deliuer me and my sonnes frome the haÌ„des of the other seditions for I haue wrought them displeasure but to thee haue I done good Howbeit our God will not altar nor chaunge his iudgmentes whyche is that I shuld fall into the sword of thy hand for that I made thee to enter into this city wher in I offended God greuously If euer I had purposed to flee vnto the Romaynes could I not haue done it before euer I brought in thee for at that tyme barest thou no rule ouer vs. And before we called in thee Iehochanan with his sedition was an offence vnto this city wherfore wee perswaded all the anuncient of the toun that thou shuldest be an ayde vnto vs to dryue out our foes but thou in whom we put our trust arte become our enemye yea thou haste been worse then they for the other put men to death pryuily thou doest it openly Who is he that hath strengthened the power of the Romains art not thou he which hast killed the souldiers of God in the middest of thys citye Ierusalem for fewe haue bene slayn wythoute Titus woulde haue made peace with vs taking pitie vpon vs but that same didest thou let and hinder euery daye mouing new warres and stiring new battailes Titus gaue charge to hys souldiâ—rs to laye no handes vpon the temple but thou hast polluted and defyled the temple of the Lorde sheding bloud without measure in the middes thereof Titus went back from vs vpon the holy daye of the Lorde and ceased from fighting saying go and obserue your holy feastes in peace but thou vnhalowedst the feast of the Lord and leshedst out the continuall fyre wyth innocent bloud Al these euilles which thou hast committed thou murtherer at imputed vnto me bicause I brought the into the toune Now therfore this bengeaunce is appointed to mine age of the lord God and by thy haÌ„des shall I goo to my graue with sorow bicause I by my foolishnes was a doar in this mischief that is wrought by thee Albeit now thou wicked Schimeon in this that thou killest me before mine eyes may see the burnynge of the temple it pleaseth me very well but whanedeth thee thou murtherer to put my sonnes to death before my face whye doest thou not spare mine age Would God that like as I shall not se the burning of the temple so also I might not see the bloud of my children shed before my face But what shal I dooe when God hath deliuered me into the hands of a most wicked man Wee that were the auncients of Hierusalem abhorreâ— Iehochanan because he murthered olde men without al reuerence but he slew no yonge men thou destroyest â—ld and yonge greate and small without anye pitte or mercye Iehochanan mâ—uâ—ned for the dead and buried them also thou playest vpon instrumentes at their burials singest to the Lute and seundest the trumpet Then spake he to Schimeons seruaunte who was ready with a swerde in his hande and an are to kyll hym and to cutte of his heade saiynge Goe to nowe and execute Schimeons thy masters commaundement be head Sonnes in sighte of their father and let mee heare the voyce of cruelrye in my sonnes whyche notwithstandynge I forgeue thee For as I shall see and heare that againste my wyll so I dare saye thou killest them not willynglye Woulde God that Schimeon woulde suffer mee to kysse my Sonnes and whyles I am aliue to embrace theim or they dye But thou gentle minister in one thinge shewe thy pitie towards me that when thou hast put my soÌ„nes and mee to execution seperate not our bodies nether ley in sunder their corses from mine but so that my bodye mayâ— lye vppermost and couer theirs to defende them from the foules of the ayre lest they deuour my sonnes bodyes for it maye fortune they maie be buried I beseche thee also that my mouth and tongue when I am deade may â—ouche my sonnes faces that so I maye both embrace and kysse theim But what do I delay or tarye any lenger seynge the enemy denyes me this to kisse theÌ„ whyles we are yet aliue See thou therefore that our bodies be not seuered and if Schimeon will not permit this that our bodies may be ioyned in this world yet can he not let our souls to be ioyned for after I shal be once dead I doubt not but I shall see the lyght of the Lord. His sonnes hearing their fathers wordes began to wepe very sore with theyr father who sayd vnto them Alas my sonnes why wepe ye what auayleth teares why doo ye not rather go before me and I wil folow as I maye for what should I do now seyng God hath geuen me into the handes of a moste cruel tirant who spareth nether mine age nor youre youthe But I truste we shall lyue together in the light of the lord and although I can not be suffred now to see you enough yet when we shall come