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Ow it came to paſſe in the dayes of Ahaſuerus, (this is Ahaſuerus which reigned from India, euen vnto Ethiopia, ouer an hundred, and ſeuen and twentie prouinces.)

That in thoſe dayes, when the King Ahaſuerus ſate on the throne of his kingdome, which was in Shuſhan the palace:

In the third yeere of his reigne, he made a feaſt vnto all his Princes, and his ſeruants, the power of Perſia and Media, the Nobles and Princes of the prouinces being before him.

When he ſhewed the riches of his glorious kingdome, and the honour of his excellent maieſtie, many dayes, euen an hundred and foureſcore dayes.

And when theſe dayes were expired, the king made a feaſt vnto all the people that were † preſent in Shuſhan the palace, both vnto great and ſmall, ſeuen dayes, in the court of the garden of the kings palace.

Where were white, greene, and ‖ blew hangings, faſtened with cords of fine linnen, and purple, to ſiluer rings, and pollers of marble: the beds were of gold and ſiluer, vpon a pauement of ‖ red, and blewe, and white, and blacke marble.

And they gaue them drinke in veſſels of gold, (the veſſels being diuers one from another) and † royall wine in abundance, according to the † ſtate of the king.

And the drinking was according to the law, none did compell: for the king had appointed to all the officers of his houſe, that they ſhould doe according to euery mans pleaſure.

Alſo Vaſthi the Queene made a feaſt for the women, in the royall houſe which belonged to king Ahaſuerus.

¶ On the ſeuenth day, when the heart of the King was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the ſeuen ‖ chamberlens that ſerued in the preſence of Ahaſuerus the king,

To bring Vaſthi the Queene before the king, with the Crowne royall, to ſhew the people, and the Princes her beautie: for ſhe was † faire to looke on.

But the Queene Vaſthi refuſed to come at the Kings commandement † by his chamberlens: therefore was the King very wroth, and his anger burned in him.

¶ Then the king ſaide to the wiſe men, which knew the times (for ſo was the Kings maner towards all that knew law, and iudgement:

And the next vnto him, was Carſhena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarſhis, Meres, Marſena, and Memucan, the ſeuen * Princes of Perſia, and Media, which ſaw the Kings face, and which ſate the firſt in the kingdome.)

† What ſhall wee doe vnto the Queene Vaſthi, according to law, becauſe ſhe hath not performed the commandement of the king Ahaſuerus, by the chamberlens?

And Memucan anſwered before the king and the Princes; Vaſthi the Queene hath not done wrong to the king onely, but alſo to all the Princes, and to all the people that are in all the By 2pro-