Esther · Chapter 1

[ edit] In þe daȝes of king Aſſueri, þat regnede fro Jude vnto Eþiope, vp on an hundrid and ſeuene and twenti prouynces, whan he ſat in þe ſee of his regne, Suſa cyte was þe begynnyng of his rewme. Þe þridde þanne ȝer of his empire he made a gret feſte to alle þe princis, and to his moſt ſtrong childre of Perſis, and of Meedis, to þe noble men, and to þe prefectus of prouincis, beforn hym, þat he ſhewe þe richeſſes of þe glorie of his regne, and þe mykilneſſe, and þe boſt of his power myche tyme, an hundrid, þat is, and foure ſcore daȝes.

And whan þe daȝes of þe feſte weren ful endid, he bad al þe puple þat is founde in Suſys, fro þe moſte vnto þe leſte; and he comaundede ſeuene daȝes a feſte to be maad redi in þe veſtiarie of þe ȝerd and of þe wode, þat was ſett togidere wiþ þe kingis enournyng and hond. And þer heengen on eche ſide tentis of þe colour of þe eir, and of goldene colour, and of iacinctin, ſuſtened wiþ bijs cordis, and purper, þat weren inſet wiþ yuer cerclis, and þei weren vnderſet wiþ marbil pileeris; alſo goldene ſetis and ſiluerene vp on þe raied pament ſmaragd and pario ſtones weren diſpoſid; þe whiche þing þe peynteur wiþ wonder diuerſete made fair.

Forſoþe þei, þat weren biden, drunken of goldene cuppis, and wiþ oþer and oþere veſſelis metis weren broȝt in; win alſo, as it was wrþi for þe kingis grete doing, plente and chef was ſet. And þer was not þat conſtreynede to drinke hem þat wolden not; but ſo þe king hadde ordeyned, befor ſettende ſunder men of his princis to þe bord, þat eche man ſhulde take þat he wolde. Alſo Vaſþi, þe quen, made a feſte of wymmen in þe paleis, wher king Aſſuer was wont to dwelle.

And ſo þe ſeuenþe dai, whan he was gladere cherid, and after to myche drinking was chaufid wiþ win, he comaundede to Naumam, and Baracha, and Arbana, and Gabaþa, and Zaraþ, and Abgaþa, and Carþas, ſeuene geldingis, þat in his ſiȝte mynyſtreden, þat þei ſhulden bringen in Vaſþi, þe quen, befor þe king, put vp on hir hed a diademe, þat he ſhewe to alle princis and puplis þe fairneſſe of hir; forſoþe ſhe was ful fair. Þe whiche forſoc, and at þe kings heſte, þat bi þe geldingis he hadde comaundid, ſhe diſpiſide to comen.

Wherfore þe king wroþ, and wiþ myche wodneſſe tend, aſkide þe wiſe men, þat of þe kingis maner euermor weren neeȝ to hym, and dide alle þingus bi þe counſeil of hem, kunnende þe lawe and þe riȝtis of more men; forſoþe þe firſte and þe nexte weren Carcena, and Secaba, Admaþa, and Tharſis, and Mares, and Marſana, and Mamucha, ſeuene dukis of Perſis and of Medis, þat ſeȝen þe face of þe king, and firſt after hym weren wont to ſitten; to what ſentence quen Vaſþi ſhulden vnderlyn, þat þe heſte of king Aſſuer, þe whiche bi geldingis he hadde ſent, ſhe wolde not do.

And Manucha anſwerde, herende þe king and þe princis, Not onli quen Vaſþi haþ greued þe king, but alle þe princis and puplis, þat ben in alle þe prouyncis of king Aſſuer. Forſoþe þe woord of þe quen ſhal gon out to alle wymmen, þat þei diſpiſe þer huſbondis, and ſeyn, King Aſſuer comaundide, þat Vaſþi, þe quen, ſhulde gon in to hym, and ſhe wolde not. And bi þis exſaumple alle þe wiues of princis of Perſis and of Medis ſhuln diſpiſe þe heſtis of þer huſbondis; wherfore riȝtwis is þe kingis indignacioun.

If it pleſe to þee, go þer out a maundement fro þi face, and be it writen after þe lawe of Perſis and of Medis, þe whiche to ouerpaſſen is vnleeful, þat no more Vaſþi go in to þe king, but his reume an oþer, þat is betere þan ſhe, take. And þis be pupliſhid in eche empire of þi prouynce, þat is moſt brod, þat alle wyues, boþe of more and of laſſe, bere to þer huſbondis wrſhipe. And his counſeil pleſide to þe king and to þe princis; and þe king dide after þe counſeil of Manucha, and ſente epiſtelis bi alle prouyncis of his reume, þat eche folc heren and reden myȝte, wiþ diuerſe tungis and lettris, men to be princis and more men in þer houſis; and þat bi alle puplis to be puppliſht.