Esther · Chapter 16

[ edit] Artaxerſes, þe grete king, fro Ynde vnto Eþiope, of an hundrid and ſeuene and twenti prouyncis, to dukis and princis, þat to oure comaunding obeſhen, ſeiþ greeting. Manye þe goodneſſe of princis and wrſhipe, þat in to hem is ȝiuen, han mys vſid in to pride; and not onli enforcen to opreſſe þe ſogetis to þe king, but þe glorie ȝiue to hem not berende, in to þem þat ȝiuen waiten aſpies; ne ben not paȝid to not do gracis to benefetis, and defoule þe riȝtus of humanyte in to þem; but alſo demen hemſelf to moun flee þe ſentence of God demende alle þingus.

And in ſo myche to wodneſſe breken out, þat to hem þat beſili kepen þe offis taken to hem, and ſo alle þingus don, þat þei ben wrþi þe preiſing of alle men, wiþ þe priue and ſotile flateringus of leſingus þei enforſen to turne vp ſo doun, whil þe ſymple eris of princis and of þer kinde oþer men eymende wiþ fel gile deſceyuen. Þe whiche þing and of olde ſtories is proued, and of þeſe þingus þat ben don eche dai; hou bi euele ſogeſtiouns of ſumme men þe ſtudies of kingus ben depraued. Wherfore it is to purueye to þe pes of alle prouyncis.

Ne ȝee ſhul not wene, if diuers þingus we comaunde, to come of liȝtneſſe of oure inwit; but for qualite and neceſſite of tymes, as þe profit of þe comun þing aſkeþ, to do ſentence. And þat ȝee more openli vndirſtonde þat wee han ſeid; Aaman, þe ſone of Amadaþi, wille and kinrede of Macedo, and alien fro þe blod of Perſis, and oure pite wiþ his cruelte defoulende, a pilgrim is taken of vs; and ſo myche humanyte expert in hymſelf, þat oure fader he were clepid, and honoured of alle men þe ſecounde after þe king; þe whiche in ſo myche ſwelling of pride is born, þat he enforcide to priuen vs þe reume and ſpirit.

For Mardoche, bi whos feiþ and benefetis wee liuen, and þe felawe of oure reume Eſter, wiþ al hir folc, wiþ newe maner and vnherd engynes ful out aſkide in to deþ; þeſe þingus þenkende, þat, hem ſlain, he ſhulde aſpie to oure onlihed, and þe reume of Perſis to ouerbern in to Macedoynes. Wee forſoþe outerli finden in no blame þe Jewis, ordeyned to deþ of þe werſte man of deadli men; but aȝeenward vſende riȝte lawis, and þe ſones of þe heȝeſt, and þe moſte, and euermor liuende God, þurȝ whos benefet and to oure fadris and to vs þe reume ys taken, and vnto to dai is kept. Wherfore þo lettris, þat vnder oure name he ȝaf forþ, witeþ to ben as none.

For þe whiche hidous gilte befor þe ȝatis of þis cite, þat is, Suſis, and he þat caſte, and al his kinrede, hangeþ in iebetis; not vs, but God to hym ȝeldende þat he deſeruede. Þis forſoþe maundement, þat wee now ſenden, in alle cites be purpoſid, þat it be leful to Jewis to vſe þer lawis. To whom ȝee ſhul be to helpe, þat þo men, þe whiche hemſelf to þer deþ hadden maad redi, þei moun ſlen, þe fourtenþe dai of þe twelfþe moneþ, þat is clepid Adar; þis forſoþe dai of ſorewe and of weiling þe Almyȝti God turnede to hem in to ioȝe.

Wherfore and ȝee among oþer feſte daȝis þis dai haueþ, and halewiþ it wiþ alle gladneſſe; and herafter alle men knowe, þat feiþful obeſhen to Perſis, for feiþ to take wrþi mede; þei forſoþe þat waiten to þe regne of hem, to perſhe for þe hidous gilte. Eche forſoþe prouynce and cite, þat wil not of þis ſolempnete ben parcener, bi ſwerd and fyr perſhe he; and ſo be he don awei, þat not onli to men but to beſtis wiþ oute wei be in to euer mor, for exſaumple of diſpiſing and vnobeiſaunce. Explicit.