Additions to Esther 15

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

¹Forsooth in the third day she putted off the clothes of her adorning, or of her mourning, and was encom-passed with her glory.

²And when she shined in the king’s clothing, and had inwardly called the Governor of all things and the Saviour God, she took two servantesses,

³and soothly she leaned on one, as not sustaining to bear her own body, for delights and full great tenderness;

⁴but the other servantess or damsel pursued or followed the lady, and bare up her clothes trailing or flowing down upon the earth.

⁵Soothly she was beshed with colour of roses in the cheer/And Esther in her face was coloured with rose colours, and with her pleasant and shining or bright eyes she covered her sorrowful soul, that was drawn together with full much dread.

⁶Therefore she entered or gone in through all the doors by order, and she stood against the king, where he sat upon the seat or the see of his realm, and was clothed in the king’s clothes, and shined in or shining with gold and precious stones, and he was dreadful or fearful in sight.

⁷And when he had raised up his face, and had showed the madness, or austereness, of his heart with burning eyes, the queen felled or fell down before him; and when her colour was changed into paleness, she rested her head bowed down upon her handmaid.

⁸And God turned the spirit of the king into mildness, and he hasted, and dreaded, and skipped or started out of the seat/and the king hasting, and dreading, rose up anon of his seat; and he sustained her/he held up the queen with his arms, till she came again to herself; and he spake fair to her by these words,

⁹Esther, what grief hast thou? I am thy brother; do not thou dread,

¹⁰thou shalt not die, for this coming to me without calling; for this law is not made for thee, but for all men. Therefore nigh thou hither or Come hither then,

¹¹and touch the sceptre, that is, the king’s rod. And when she was still or held her peace, he took the golden rod, and putted or put up on her neck;

¹²and he kissed her, and said, Why speakest thou not to me?

¹³And she answered, Lord, I saw thee as an angel of God, and mine heart was troubled or disturbed for the dread of thy glory;

¹⁴for, lord, thou art full wonderful, and thy face is full of graces.

¹⁵And when she spake, again she felled down in a swoon, and was almost dead or utterly swooned.

¹⁶Soothly the king was troubled, and all his servants comforted her.