to do some valiant act. Moreover these men came not of the seed of those, by whose hand deliverance was given unto Israel.

Ry. They decked. p. cxxii.

Lesson III.

HOWBEIT the man Judas and his brethren were greatly renowned in the sight of all Israel, and of all the heathen, wheresoever their name was heard of; insomuch as the people assembled unto them with joyful acclamations. Afterward went Judas forth with his brethren, and fought against the children of Esau in the land toward the south, where he smote Hebron, and the towns thereof, and pulled down the fortress of it, and burned the towers thereof round about. From thence he removed to go into the land of the Philistines, and passed through Samaria. At that time certain priests, desirous to shew their valour, were slain in battle, for that they went out to fight unadvisedly. Ry. They praised. p. cxxii.

THURSDAY.

Of the 1st Book of Maccabees.

Lesson I. Chap. vi.

A1 BOUT that time king Antiochus travelling through the high countries heard say, that Elymais in the country of Persia was a city greatly renowned for riches, silver, and gold; and that there was in it a very rich temple, wherein were coverings of gold, and breastplates, and shields, which Alexander, son of Philip, the Macedonian king, who reigned first among the Grecians, had left there. Wherefore he came and sought to take the city, and to spoil it; but he was not able, because they of the city, having had warning thereof, rose up against him in battle: so he fled, and departed thence with great heaviness, and returned to Babylon. Moreover there came one who brought him tidings into Persia, that the armies, which went against the land of Judea, were put to flight: and that Lydias,

VOL. II.

who went forth first with a great power, was driven away of the Jews. Ry. The LORD open. p. cxx. Lesson II.

AND that they were made strong by

the armour, and power, and store

of spoils, which they had gotten of the armies, whom they had destroyed; also that they had pulled down the abomination, which he had set up upon the altar in Jerusalem, and that they had compassed about the sanctuary with high walls, as before, and his city Bethsura. Now when the king heard these words, he was astonished and sore moved: whereupon he laid him down upon his bed, and fell sick for grief, because it had not befallen him as he looked for. And there he continued many days: for his grief was ever more and more, and he made account that he should die.

Ry. The LORD hear. p. cxx.

Lesson III.

WHEREFORE he called for all his

friends, and said unto them, The sleep is gone from mine eyes, and my heart faileth for very care. And I thought with myself, Into what tribulation am I come, and how great a flood of misery is it, wherein now I am! for I was bountiful and beloved in my power. But now I remember the evils that I did at Jerusalem, and that I took all the vessels of gold and silver that were therein, and sent to destroy the inhabitants of Judea without a cause. I perceive therefore that for this cause these troubles are come upon me, and, behold, I perish through great grief in a strange land.

Ry. Our enemies. p. cxxi.

FRIDAY.

Of the 1st Book of Maccabees.

Lesson I. Chap. vii. IN the hundred and one and fiftieth

year Demetrius the son of Seleucus departed from Rome, and came

k

up with a few men unto a city of the sea coast, and reigned there. Now when Demetrius was set upon the throne of his kingdom, there came unto him all the wicked and ungodly men of Israel, having Alcimus, who was desirous to be high priest, for their captain and they accused the people to the king, saying, Judas and his brethren have slain all thy friends, and driven us out of our own land.

Now therefore send some man whom thou trustest, and let him go and see what havock he hath made among us, and in the king's land, and let him punish them with all them that aid them.

Ry. Fear ye not. p. cxxi.

Lesson II.

THEN the king chose Bacchides, a friend of the king, who ruled beyond the flood, and was a great man in the kingdom, and faithful to the king. And him he sent with that wicked Alcimus, whom he made high priest, and commanded that he should take vengeance of the children of Israel. So they departed, and came with a great power into the land of Judea, where they sent messengers to Judas and his brethren with peaceable words deceitfully. But they gave no heed to their words; for they saw that they were come with a great power.

Ry. The heathen. p. cxxi.
Lesson III.

THEN did there assemble unto Alcimus and Bacchides a company of scribes, to require justice. Now the Assideans were the first among the children of Israel that sought peace of them: for said they, One that is a priest of the seed of Aaron is come with this army, and he will do us no wrong. So he spake unto them peaceably, and sware unto them, saying, We will procure the harm neither of you nor your friends. Whereupon they believed him: howbeit he took of them threescore men, and slew

them in one day, according to the words which he wrote, The flesh of thy saints have they cast out, and their blood have they shed round about Jerusalem, and there was none to bury them.

Ry. Thine, O LORD. p. cxxii.

SATURDAY.

Of the 1st Book of Maccabees.

Lesson I. Chap. viii.

NOW Judas had heard of the fame

of the Romans, that they were mighty and valiant men, and such as would lovingly accept all that joined themselves unto them, and make a league of amity with all that came unto them; and that they were men of great valour. It was told him also of their wars and noble acts which

they had done among the Galatians, and how they had conquered them, and brought them under tribute; and what they had done in the country of Spain, for the winning of the mines of the silver and gold which is there; and that by their policy and patience they had conquered all the place, though it were very far from them; and the kings also that came against them from the uttermost part of the earth, till they had discomfited them, and given them a great overthrow, so so that the rest did give them tribute every year.

Ry. The sun shone. p. cxxii.

Lesson II.

IN consideration of these things,

Judas chose Eupolemus the son of John, the son of Accos, and Jason the son of Eleazar, and sent them to Rome, to make a league of amity and confederacy with them, and to intreat them that they would take the yoke from them; for they saw that the kingdom of the Grecians did oppress Israel with servitude. They went therefore to Rome, which was a very great journey, and came into the senate, where they spake and said, Judas Maccabeus with his brethren, and the people of the Jews, have sent

us unto you, to make a confederacy and peace with you, and that we might be registered your confederates and friends. So that matter pleased the Romans well. And this is the copy of the epistle which the senate wrote back again in tables of brass, and sent to Jerusalem, that there they might have by them a memorial of peace and confederacy.

Ry. They decked. p. cxxii.

GOOD

Lesson III.

success be to the Romans, and to the people of the Jews, by sea and by land for ever: the sword also and enemy be far from them. If there come first any war upon the Romans or any of their confederates throughout all their dominion, the people of the Jews shall help them, as the time shall be appointed, with all their heart: neither shall they give any thing unto them that make war upon them, or aid them with victuals, weapons, money, or ships, as it hath seemed good unto the Romans; but they shall keep their covenants without taking any thing therefore. In the same manner also, if war come first upon the nation of the Jews, the Romans shall help them with all their heart, according as the time shall be appointed them.

Ry. They praised. p. cxxii.

F

THIRD SUNDAY IN OCTOBER.
FIRST NOCTURN.
Of the 1st Book of Maccabees.

Lesson I. Chap. ix. URTHERMORE when Demetrius heard that Nicanor and his host were slain in battle, he sent Bacchides and Alcimus into the land of Judea

the second time, and with them the

chief strength of his host: who went forth by the way that leadeth to Galgala, and pitched their tents before Masaloth, which is in Arbela, and after they had won it, they slew much people. Also the first month of the hundred fifty and second year they encamped before Jerusalem: from

whence they removed, and went to Berea, with twenty thousand footmen and two thousand horsemen. Now Judas had pitched his tents at Eleasa, and three thousand chosen men with him: who seeing the multitude of the other army to be so great were sore afraid; whereupon many conveyed themselves out of the host, insomuch as there abode of them no more but eight hundred men.

Ry. The LORD open. p. cxx.

Lesson II.

WHEN Judas therefore saw that the battle pressed upon him, he was his host slipt away, and that sore troubled in mind, and much distressed, for that he had no time to gather them together. Nevertheless unto them that remained he said, Let us arise and go up against our enemies, if peradventure we may be able to fight with them. But they dehorted him, saying, We shall never be able: let us now rather save our lives, and hereafter we will return with for we are but few. Then Judas said, our brethren, and fight against them: GOD forbid that I should do this thing, and flee away from them: if our time be come, let us die manfully for our brethren, and let us not stain our honour. With that the host of Bacchides removed out of their tents, and stood over against them, their horsemen being divided into two troops, and their slingers and archers going before the host, and they that marched in the foreward were all mighty men.

Ry. The LORD hear. p. cxx.
Lesson III.

AS for Bacchides, he was in the

right wing: so the host drew near on the two parts, and sounded their trumpets. They also of Judas' side, even they sounded their trumpets also, so that the earth shook at the noise of the armies, and the battle continued from morning till night. Now when Judas perceived that Bac

in his stead, that thou mayest fight our battles. Upon this Jonathan took the governance upon him at that time, and rose up instead of his brother Judas. But when Bacchides gat knowledge thereof, he sought for to slay him.

Ry. Judas said. p. cxxii.

Lesson II.

THEN Jonathan, and Simon his brother, and all that were with him, perceiving that, fled into the wilderness of Thecoe, and pitched their tents by the water of the pool Asphar; which when Bacchides understood, he came near to Jordan with all his host upon the sabbath day. Now Jonathan had sent his brother John, a captain of the people, to pray his friends the Nabathites, that they might leave with them their carriage, which was much. But the children of Jambri came out of Medaba, and took John, and all that he had, and went their way with it.

A

Ry. They decked. p. cxxii.

Lesson III.

FTER this came word to Jonathan | and Simon his brother, that the children of Jambri made a great marriage, and were bringing the bride from Nadabatha with a great train, as being the daughter of one of the great princes of Chanaan. Therefore they remembered John their brother, and went up, and hid themselves under the covert of the mountain where they lifted up their eyes, and looked, and, behold, there was much ado and great carriage: and the bridegroom came forth, and his friends and brethren, to meet them with drums, and instruments of musick,

and many weapons. Then Jonathan and they that were with him rose up against them from the place where they lay in ambush, and made a slaughter of them in such sort, as many fell down dead, and the remnant fled into the mountain, and they took all their spoils.

Ry. They praised. p. cxxii.

TUESDAY.

Of the 1st Book of Maccabees.

Lesson I. Chap. xii.

NOW when Jonathan saw that the

time served him, he chose certain men, and sent them to Rome, for to confirm and renew the friendship that they had with them. He sent letters also to the Lacedemonians, and to other

places, for the same purpose. So they went unto Rome, and entered into the senate, and said, Jonathan the high priest, and the people of the Jews, sent us unto you, to the end ye should renew the friendship, which ye had with them, and league, as in former time. Upon this the Romans gave them letters unto the governors of every place, that they should bring them into the land of Judea peaceably.

Ry. This is. p. cxxiii.

Lesson II.

AND this is the copy of the letters

which Jonathan wrote to the Lacedemonians: Jonathan the high priest, and the elders of the nation, of the Jews, unto the Lacedemonians and the priests, and the other people their brethren send greeting: There were letters sent in times past unto Onias the high priest from Darius, who reigned then among you, to signify that ye are our brethren, as the copy here underwritten doth specify. At which time Onias entreated the ambassador that was sent honourably, and received the letters, wherein declaration was made of the league and friendship.

Ry. Thou, O LORD. p. cxxiii.

Lesson III.

THEREFORE we also, albeit we

need none of these things, for that we have the holy books of scripture in our hands to comfort us, have nevertheless attempted to send unto you for the renewing of brotherhood and friendship, lest we should become strangers unto you altogether: for there is a long time passed since ye