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and to offre the wod at tymes appoynted, and the first frutes. Thynke thou vpon me (O my God) for the best.

And no man was appoynted what he shulde drinke: for the kynge had commaunded all the officers of his house, that euery one shulde do as it lyked him.

And the quene Vasthi made a feast also for the wemen in the palace of Ahasuerus.

to fetch the quene Vasthi with the crowne regall, that he might shewe ye people and prynces hir fairnesse: for she was bewtifull.

And the kynge spake to ye wyse men that had vnderstondinge in the ordinaunces of the londe (for the kinges matters must be hadled before all soch as haue knowlege of the lawe and iudgment:

for this dede of the quene shall come abrode vnto all wemen, so that they shall despyse their hu?bandes before their eyes, and shall saye: The kynge Ahasuers comaunded Vasthi ye quene to come before him, but she wolde not.

Then sayde the kynges seruauntes: Let there be fayre yonge virgins soughte for the kynge,

and he norished Hadassa (that is Hester) his vncles danghter: for she had nether father ner mother, and she was a fayre and beutyfull damsell. And whan hir father and mother dyed, Mardocheus receaued her as his awne daughter.

And Hester shewed it not vnto hir people & hir kynred: for Mardocheus had charged her, yt she shulde not tell it.

And whan the appoynted tyme of euery damsell came that she shulde come to ye kynge Ahasuerus, after that she had bene twolue monethes in the deckynge of the wemen (for their deckynge must haue so moch tyme, namely sixe monethes with Balme & Myrre, & sixe monethes wt good spyces, so were the weme beutifyed)

And as yet had not Hester shewed hir kynred and hir people, acordinge as Mardocheus had bydden her: for Hester dyd after the worde of Mardocheus, like as whan he was hir tutoure.

And all the kynges seruauntes that were in the gate, bowed their knees, and dyd reuerence vnto Aman: for the kinge had so comaunded. But Mardocheus bowed not the knee, and worshipped him not.

And whan they spake this daylie vnto him, and he folowed them not, they tolde Aman, that they mighte se whether Mardocheus matters wolde endure: for he had tolde them, yt he was a Iewe.

that he shulde laye hondes onely on Mardocheus: for they had shewed him ye people of Mardocheus, but he sought to destroye the people of Mardocheus, and all the people that were in the whole empyre of Ahasuerus.

and came before the kynges gate: for there might no man entre within the kynges gate, that had a sack cloth on.

And Mardocheus tolde him of all yt had happened vnto him, and of the summe of siluer that Ama had promysed to weie downe in the kynges chamber because of ye Iewes for to destroye them,

and he gaue him the copye of the commaundement, that was deuysed at Susan to destroye them, that he mighte shewe it vnto Hester, and to speake to her and charge her, yt she shulde go into the kynge, and make her prayer and supplicacion vnto him for hir people.

All the kynges seruauntes, and the people in the londes of the kynge knowe, that who so euer commeth within the courte vnto ye kynge, whether it be man or woman, which is not called, the comaundement is that the same shal dye immediatly, excepte the kynge holde out the golde cepter vnto him, that he maye lyue. As for me, I haue not bene called to come in to the kynge now this thirtie dayes.

for yf thou holdest thy peace at this tyme, then shal the Iewes haue helpe and delyueraunce out of another place, & thou & thy fathers house shalbe destroyed. And who knoweth whether thou art come to the kyngdome, for this tymes sake?

Go thou yi waye then, & gather together all ye Iewes yt are founde at Susan, & fast ye for me, yt ye eate not & drynke not in thre dayes, nether daye ner nighte. I & my damsels wil fast likewyse, & so wyl I go into the kynge cotrary to the comaundement: yf I perishe, I perishe.