Esther · Chapter 2

[ edit] And ſo þeſe þingus don, after þat þe indignacioun of king Aſſuer fro feruour hadde paſſid, he recordide of Vaſþi, and what ſhe hadde do, and what ſhe hadde ſuffrid. And þe childer and his mynyſtris ſeiden to þe king, Be þer ſoȝt to þe king child wymmen, maidenes and faire; and be þer ſent, þat beholden bi alle prouyncis faire child wymmen and maidenes; and bringe þei hem to Suſa cite, and take þei in to þe hous of wymmen, vnder þe hond of Egei, gelding, þat is prouoſt and kepere of þe kingus wymmen; and take þei wymmenus ournemens, and oþere þingus to vſe neceſſarie. And who euere among alle to þe eȝen of þe king ſhal pleſe, ſhe regne for Vaſþi.

Þe woord pleſide to þe king; and ſo as þei hadden moued, he comaundide to be do. Þer was forſoþe a Jew man in þe cite of Suſis, Mardoche bi name, þe ſone of Jair, ſone of Semei, ſone of Cis, of þe linage of Gemyny; þat was tranſlatid fro Jeruſalem þat time þat Nabugodonoſor, king of Babiloyne, hadde tranſlatid Jeconye, þe king of Juda; þe whiche was þe nurſe of þe doȝter of his broþer, Ediſſe, þat bi an oþer name was clepid Eſter, and eiþer fader and moder hadde laft, ful myche fair, and ſemeli in face; and hir fader and moder dead, Mardoche clepid hir to hym in to doȝter.

And whanne þe maundement of þe king more wex knowen, and after his heſte manye faire maidenes were broȝt to Suſem, and to Egeo, gelding, wer taken, Eſter alſo among oþere child maidenes is take to hym, þat ſhe wer kept in þe noumbre of wymmen. Þe whiche pleſide to hym, and fond grace in his ſiȝte, þat he ſhulde heȝen þe wymmen enournyng, and ȝeue to hir hir partis and ſeuene moſt faire child wymmen of þe hous of þe king; and boþe hir and hir dameſelis ſhe ſhulde enournen and araȝen. Þe whiche wolde not to hym ſhewe þe puple and hir kuntre; forſoþe Mardoche hadde comaundid to hir, þat of þis þing vtterli ſhe ſhulde holde hir pes.

Þe whiche wente eche dai befor þe veſtiarie of þe hous, in þe whiche choſene maidenes weren kept, doende cure of þe helþe of Eſter, and willende to witen, what to hir ſhulde falle. And whan tyme was comen of alle þe child wymmen by order, þat þei ſhulden gon in to þe king, alle þingus fulfild þat to wymmenys enournyng pertende, þe twelfþe moneþ was turned ouer; ſo onli þat ſixe moneþis þei ſhulde ben enoynt wiþ myrtine oile, and oþere ſixe þei ſhulden vſe maner pimentis and ſwote ſpice. And goende in to þe king, whateuere þei hadden aſkid pertenende to ournyng, þei token; and, as it to þem hadde pleſid, enourned, of þe chaumbre of wymmen to þe kingus priue chaumbre wenten.

And ſhe þat cam in at euen, wente oute at morn; and þennes in to þe ſecounde houſis weren broȝt, þat weren vnder þe hond of gelding Zagazi, þat ſtod before to þe ſecoundarie wyues of þe king; and ſhe hadde no power of turnyng aȝeen more to þe king, but if þe king wolde, and hir hadde comaundid to come bi name.

Forſoþe þe tyme turned ouer bi order, þe dai ſtood, in þat Eſter, þe doȝter of Abihael, broþer of Mardoche, whom to hym he hadde clepid in to doȝter, ſhulde gon in to þe king; þe whiche ſoȝte not wymmenes enournyng, but whateuere þing wolde Egee, gelding, þe kepere of maidenes, þoo þingis to hir to enournyng he ȝaf; forſoþe ſhe was ful ſemeli, and wiþ vntrouable fairneſſe, and to þe eȝen of alle men gracious and looueſum was ſeen. And ſo ſhe is lad to þe priue chaumbre of king Aſſuer, þe tenþe moneþ, þat is clepid Thebeþ, þat is, Januer, þe ſeuenþe ȝer of his regne.

And þe king loouede hir more þan alle þe wymmen, and ſhe hadde grace and mercy befor hym ouer alle þe wymmen; and he putte þe diademe of þe reume vp on hir hed, and he made her to regnen in þe ſtede of Vaſþi. And he comaundide a ful glorious feſte to be maad redi to alle þe princis and to his ſeruauns, for þe coupling and þe bridalis of Eſter; and he ȝaf reſte to alle prouyncis, and grauntide large ȝiftis aftir principal gret doing. And whan þe ſeconde maidenes weren ſoȝt, and gedered togidere, Mardoche dwelte at þe kingis ȝate.

And ȝit not Eſter hadde told out þe kuntre and hir puple, after þe heſte of hym; what euere þing forſoþe he comaundide, Eſter kepte wel, and ſo alle þingus ſhe dide, as ſhe was wont þat tyme, þat he nurſhide hir a litil child. Þat time þanne þat Mardoche at þe kingus ȝate dwelte, ben wroþe Bagaþan and Thares, two geldingis of þe king, þat weren porteres, and in þe firſte entre of þe paleis dwelten; and wolden aȝen riſen in to þe king, and ſlen hym. Þe whiche þing was not vnknowen to Mardoche, and anoon he tolde to quen Eſter, and ſhe to þe king, of name of Mardoche, þat to hir þe þing hadde told.

It is ſoȝt, and is founde, and eiþer of hem is hangid in þe iebet; and it is comaundid to þe ſtories, and taken to þe bokis of ȝeris deedis, befor þe king.