Content

CAP 4
1 Simount forsothe biforseid, accusere of `cuntree, and of richessis, spak yuel of Onyas, as if he had stirid Heliodore to these thingis, and he hadde be stirere of yuels;
2 and he durst seie the puruyour of the citee, and defendere of his folc, and louyere of the lawe of God, traitour of the rewme.
3 But whanne enemytees camen forth in so myche, that also bi summe famyliar frendis of Symount mansleyngis weren don,
4 Onyas bihelde the perel of strijf, and that Appolonye was wood, as duyk of Celessirie and Fenyce, for to encreesse the malice of Symount. And Onyas yaf him silf to the kyng;
5 not as accusere of citeseyns, but biholdyng anentis him silf the comyn profit of al the multitude.
6 For he siy, that it was impossible that pees were youun to thingis with out the kyngis puruyaunce, and that Symount myyte not ceesse of his foli.
7 But after the passyng out of Seleucus lijf, whanne Antiok, that was clepid noble, hadde takun rewme, Jasoun, the brother of Onyas, coueitide the hiyeste presthod; and Jason yede to the kyng,
8 and bihiyte to hym thre hundrid talentis and sixti of siluer, and of othere rentes fourescore talentis;
9 ouer these thingis he bihiyte also othere talentis an hundrid and fifti, if it were grauntid to his power, for to ordeyne a scole, and gaderyng, `ether bordel hous, of yonge men to hym; and for to write hem that weren in Jerusalem `men of Antiochus.
10 And whanne the kyng hadde grauntid this, and he weldide the prynshod, anoon he bigan for to translate to hethene custom men of his lynage.
11 And whanne these thingis weren don awei, whiche bi cause of humanyte, `ether curtesie, weren ordeyned of kyngis to Jewis bi Joon, the fadir of Eupolemy, which was ordeyned in lawful message of frenschip and felouschip anentis Romayns, he distriede lawis of citeseyns, and made schrewid ordenaunces;
12 for he was hardi for to ordeyne a scole of hethenesse vndur that hiy tour, and for to put alle the beste of faire yonge men in bordel housis.
13 Forsothe this was not bigynnyng, but sum encreessyng and profit of hethene and alien lijf, for the vnleueful and vnherd greet trespas of vnpitouse, and not prest Jason;
14 so that prestis not now weren youun aboute offices of the auter, but thei dispisiden the temple, and leften sacrifices, and thei hastiden for to be maad felowis of wrastling, and of vniust yyuyng of hym, and in ocupaciouns of a disch, `ether pleiyng with a ledun disch.
15 And sotheli thei hadden onouris of fadris at nouyt, and demyden Greke glories beste.
16 For cause of which perelouse contension hadde hem, and thei folewiden her ordynaunces; and bi alle thingis thei coueitiden hem for to be lijk hem, whiche thei hadden enemyes and distrieris.
17 Forsothe for to do vnfeithfuli ayens Goddis lawes it bifallith not with out peyne, but the tyme suynge schal declare these thingis.
18 Sotheli whanne iustus, doon onys in fyue yeer, was maad solempli in Tire, and the kyng was present,
19 Jason ful of grete trespassis sente fro Jerusalem men synneris, berynge thre hundrid double dragmes of siluer in to sacrifice of Erculis; whiche these men that baren out axiden, that tho weren not youun in sacrifices, for it nedide not, but that tho schulen be ordeyned in to othere spensis.
20 But sotheli these weren offrid of him that sente in to the sacrifice of Ercules; sotheli for men present tho ben youun in to makyng of grete schippis.
21 Forsothe Appolonye, sone of Nestei, was sent in to Egipt for primatis, `ether princes, of Tolome Philometor, the kyng; whanne Antiok knew him maad alyen fro nedis of the rewme, he counselide for his owne profitis, and yede fro thennus, and cam to Joppe, and fro thennus to Jerusalem.
22 And he was resseyued of Jason and the citee worschipfuli, with liytis of brondis, and preisyngis, and wente yn, and fro thennus he turnede the oost in to Fenyce.
23 And aftir the tyme of thre yeer Jason sente Menelaus, the brother of Symount aboue seid, berynge richessis to the kyng, and of necessarie causis to berynge answeris.
24 And he was comendid to the kyng, and, whanne he hadde magnefiede the face of his power, he turnyde in to hym silf the hiyeste presthod, and settide aboue Jason thre hundrid talentis of siluer.
25 And bi maundementis takun of the kyng, he cam, sotheli hauynge no thing worthi to presthod; but he bar the soule of a cruel tiraunt, and wraththe of wielde beeste.
26 And sotheli thilke Jason, that took his owne brother caitif, was disseyued, and outlawid, and put out in to the cuntree of Amanythen.
27 But Menelaus forsothe weldide the prinshod, but of richessis bihiyt to the kyng he dide no thing, whanne Sostratus, that was souereyn of the hiy tour, made `maisterful axyng,
28 for whi reisyng of tributis perteynede to hym; for whiche cause bothe weren clepid to the kyng.
29 And Menelaus was remoued fro presthod, and Lysimacus, his brother, was successour; sotheli Sostratus was maad souereyn of men of Cipre.
30 And whanne these thingis weren don, it bifelle Tarsensis and Mallotis for to moue debate, for that thei weren youun in yifte to the concubyn of Antiok, kyng.
31 Therefor the kyng hastili cam, for to swage hem, and lefte oon of his eerlis suffectus Andronyk `in dignyte, `ether lutenaunt.
32 Forsothe Menelaus demyde that he hadde taken couenable tyme, and stal summe goldun vessels of the temple, and yaf to Andronik, and he selde to Tire othere, and bi niy citees.
33 And whanne Onyas hadde knowun this thing most certeynli, he repreuyde hym, and helde him silf in a sikir place at Antiochie, bisidis Daphnen.
34 Wherfor Menelaus yede to Andronik, and preiede that he wolde sle Onyas. And whanne he cam to Onyas, and hadde youe riythondis with an ooth, thouy he was suspect to him, he counselide hym for to go forth of asile, and anoon he slow hym, and dredde not riytwisnes.
35 For which cause not oneli Jewis, but and othere naciouns, weren wrothe, and baren heuyli of the vniust deth of so greet a man.
36 But Jewis at Antiochie, and Grekis, togidere playneden of the vniust deth of Onyas, and wenten to the king, that turnede ayen fro places of Cilicie.
37 Therfor the kyng Antiok was sori in soule for Onyas, and was bowid to merci, and schedde teeris, and bithouyte on the sobrenesse and myldenesse of the deed man.
38 And his herte was kyndlid, and he comaundide that Andronyk, vnclothid of purpur, be led aboute bi al the citee, and that in that place in which he hadde don vnpitee ayens Onyas, the cursid man be priuyd of lijf; for the Lord yaf to hym euene worthi peyne.
39 Forsothe whanne manye sacrilegijs weren don of Lisymacus, bi counsel of Menelaus, in the temple, and the fame was pupplischid, multitude was gaderid ayens Lisymacus; for myche gold was thanne borun out.
40 Forsothe whanne the cumpenyes risiden, and soulis weren fillid with wraththe, Lisymacus bigan for to vse almest thre thousynd armyd wickid hondis, bi sum tyraunt ledere, elde in age and also in woodnesse.
41 But as thei vndurstoden the enforsyng of Lysimacus, othere token stoonys, othere stronge stafis, summe sotheli castiden aische in to Lysimacus.
42 And many sotheli weren woundid, summe forsothe weren cast doun, alle forsothe weren togidere turnyd in to fliyt; also thei slowen hym sacrilegere, ether `theef of hooli thingis, bisidis the treserie.
43 Therfor of these thingis dom bigan for to be mouyd ayens Menelaus.
44 And whanne the kyng cam to Tire, thre men weren sent of the eldere men, and brouyten the cause to him.
45 And whanne Menelaus was ouercomun, he bihiyte for to yyue many richessis to Tolome, for to counsele the kyng.
46 Therfor Tolome wente to the king, set in sum porche, as for cause of refreityng, ether coolding, and ledde awei fro sentence;
47 and assoilide fro crymes Menelaus, gilti treuli of al the malice. Forsothe he dampnede bi deth these wretchis, whiche schulden be demed innocentis, yhe, if thei hadden led cause anentis Scitis.
48 Therfor soone thei yauen vniust peyne to hem, that pursueden cause for the citee, and puple, and hooli vessels.
49 Wherfor and men of Tire weren wrothe, and weren most liberal ayens the biriynge of hem.
50 Forsothe for coueitise of hem that weren in power, Menelaus dwelte in power, wexynge in malice, and to disseitis of citeseyns.