_ 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of King Astiages, there dwelt in Babylon a certaine man called Ioa •… him, loued particulerly of ech one sor his vertue, & honored generallie of all men for his parentage and progenie, more adorned with v •… rtuous perfections, then endued with wealthie possessions, and yet counted one of the •… reatest wealth in all Babylon, so that hée was feared of most for his riches, and 〈◊〉 aboue all for his Justice. This Ioachim. willing to take a wife and to linke himselfe in the holie league of Matrimonie, coueted caresullie to finde out such a match that he might neither haue ca •… se to rue his chance, nor repent him of his choice, knowing that after that knot was once knit (had I wist) would come to late. He therefore sought out one Susanna, the daughter of Helchias, a man who carefullie sought to keepe the lawe, and tooke surpassing paines in the diligent instructing of his daughter, knowing that hir vertuous qualities would be a comfort to him, and a credit to hir selfe. This Susanna was indued with such exquisite beautie and excéeding vertue, as it was heard to iudge whether the pure complexion of of hir bodie, or the persect constitution of hir minde, held the supremacie Ioachim •… rst noting the godlie disposition of hir parents, began to thinke, that such trée such fruit, that if the stocke were good the graft woulde be the better, that seldome out of a right Oliue grewe a wilde branch that the best vine beareth the best grapes, and the honestest parents the most vertuous children: then hearing the singuler report that al Babylon made 〈◊〉 vertuous qualities (for he counted it y• point of a wise man rather to loue by •… are than like by the eie) he thought himselfe fortunate that it was his chaunce to make so good a choise, knowing that a peaceable woman, and of a good hart, is a gift of the Lord, and there is nothing so much woorth as a woman well instructed, that a shamfast and faithful woman is adouble grace, & there is no treasure to be compared to hir continent mind, that as the glittering beames of the Sunne when it aryseth, decketh the Heauen, so the glistering beautie of a good wise adorneth the house, and that as golden pillers doe shine vpon the sockets of siluer, so doth a faire face with a vertuous minde. Ioachim I saie considering this, and finding in Susanna beautie to féede his fancie, and vertue to content his heart, by the consent of hir parentes, tooke hir to his wife, who whiles they lyued and loued togither in fortunate prosperitie, it happened that there were clected two of the most aunciente of the people to bée Iudges, such as the LORDE speaketh of, that the iniquitie came from Babilon, and from the auncient Iudges that séemed to rule the people. These two beautie, and were enflamed towardes hir with inordinate affection, fond fancie had alre •… die giuen them the foyle, and their aged haire yéelded vnto vanitie, so that they tourned awaie their minds from God, and durst not lift vppe their eies to heauen, least it should be a witnesse of their wickednesse, or a cor •… ue to their guiltie conscience, for the remembraunce of God is a terrour to 〈◊〉 vnrighteous, and the sight of his creatures is a sting to the minde of the reprobate. These therefore feeling their deuillish heartes to be perplexed with such hellish passi •… ns cast of carelesselie the feare of GOD, from before their ei •… , neither remembring that they were Elders to giue good example, nor Iudges of the people to minister right, their hoarie haires could not hale them from sinne, nor their calling conuert them from filthinesse, but they greedilie 〈◊〉 vp the dregges of vnrighteousnesse, and carefullie busied their braines to oppresse the simple. Yet although they ha •… wholie soulde themselues ouer to sinne, and yeelded their neckes to the yeake of 〈◊〉 , they durst not so much as in countenannce shewe what their wicked willes did pretende. For albeit they were lincked togither in the league of •… itie, and were such professed fréendes as the consent of the one was a constraint to the other, and though they were both fettered in the snare of hir beautie, and 〈◊〉 with the like flame, yet they durst not be wray their gr •… , howe fondlie •… ancie had bewitched them, neither vnfold how fleshlie desire had drawne them to disordinate lust, for the wicked is ashamed more of man than of God, and feareth to be detected of that which he careth not to commit in the sight of the almightie. While thus they st •… de in dread to bewraie their •… oating 〈◊〉 , they dailie watched verie diligentlie to feede their •… ies with the fighte of hir beautie, and to gaze on the perfection of hir bodie, neither fleeing that which bredde their owne 〈◊〉 , nor remembring the counsell of the wise, who wisheth a man not to gaze vpon the glittering beautie of a woman, least he fall through that which is precious in hir, nor to yeeld to the alarumes of inordinate lust, that he both d •… stroie not himselfe, and his heritage. This holesome doctrine nothing cooling their desires, they stil 〈◊〉 with the Sow in their wickednesse, yea their former custom •… n sining had so taken away the féeling of their offence, that although their owne conscience draue them from attempting openlie such a fault, yet they greedilie sought in secret to commit so haynous a fact, each of them carefullie coniecturing by what meanes hee might b •… st bring to passe his pretended purpose, so that t •… e one said to the other seeing that our businesse is done, and our office diligentlie executed, let vs not delaie anie longer, but hie vs home to dinner, either of them seeking by this subtill shift to shake off the others companie, that hee might finde fit oportunitie to giue the onset, they being therefore departed and hauing taken their leaue, went home with a flea in their eares, hauing the pricke of lasciuious lust as a cōtinuall spur in their side, neither of them taking anie rest till they returned and met in the same place from whence before they parted, which sodaine and vnlookt for méeting, draue them both into such a dumpe as they stood amazed at this strange chaunce, vntill at last the eldest of them burst foorth into these speeches. Brother quoth he, I cannot but both muse and maruell what •… inde hath driuen you so sodeinlie into this coast, haue you such serious businesse with maister Ioachim, or are you pestured with such importunate sutours that your returne is so spéedie, but tis hearde brother to delay when the deuill driues, or to •… ull backe the foote when loue or necessitie soundes the march, I am not such a dunce but, I can deuine by a little motion what the minde meaneth, nor so had a physitian but I can coniecture by the water what the patientes paine is, I s •… brother by imagination what you fele in •… ct, and tis heard to hault before a créeple •… I therefore adiure you by the sacred b •… nd of fréendship, which hath and shall remaine vnuiolable betwixt, vs, that you (without faining) vnfold vnto me y• cause of your sodaine comming, swearing vnto yo •… by the God of our fathers, that be it neuer so weightie, I wil be as secret as a brother, & be it neuer so dangerous I wil helpe thee as a freend. The other Iudge hearing his strange salutation, made him this answere. Brother quoth he, I smell your fetch, but tis heard to catch the fishe when the hooke is bare, and yll taking of the foxe when the traps is descried, 〈◊〉 that will iuggle without arte, must plaie his feates vnder the boorde, least want of cunning cracke his credite, you cannot by musing at my speedie arriuall, and by inquiring the cause make mée cease from maruatling at your so sodaine comming, and to examine the case, for your spéed •… is as suspicious as my haste. But in a néedefull matter to leaue this néedelesse nicenesse, which bewitcheth fréendes, is friu •… lus trusting vpon your troth, and reposing my confidence on your protestro freendship, I will fréelie without 〈◊〉 vnfolde vnto you my vnfortunate state. I call it vnfortunate bicause I am halfe past hope to obtaine my purpose, and if I get that I ga •… e for yet my greatest gaine shall be losse. So it is brother that the beautie of Susanna hath so bleared mine eies, and hir comelie perfection so bewitched my senses, hir singuler feature hath so fiered my fancie, and hir swéete face so fettered my fréedome that I am perplexed with a thousand contrarie passions, the feare of God perswades from such wicked fondnes, but the de •… re of hir beauty driues me to such wretched follie, my conscience continuallie exhorteth me not to attempt such a fact, but cō cupiscence perswadeth to persist in my purpose, but he y• is so serupulous for the obseruing of the law, shall both passe his daies without pleasure, and yet at last be found a sinner. I meane therfore whatsoéuer y• lawe wisheth at this time to haue mine owne will. In troth quoth the other, tis follie to couer smoke, and more fondnesse to conceale loue, but he is most fole of al that fereth to bewray a serious matter to a secret fréend, knowe therfore brother that we are both feathered of on wing, & thy loue exceedeth not my lust, y• burnest not more than I do, Susanna is the saint whom I doe serue and hir exquisite perfection hath inchaunted mée, thy sore is my sorrowe, and the same pain doth pinch vs both alike, as therfore we haue one maladie, we will both haue oné medecine, and as we haue both happened on one pretence, so we will fr •… ndlie hazard to extaine one purpose. These two cursed caitifes, of the séede of Chanaan southing one another in this deuillish imagination, concluded when they might finde hir alone, to sucke the bloude of this innocent lambe, and with most detestable villanie to assaile the simple minde of this sillie Susanna. Perststing therfore in this hellish purpose, manie daies were not passed ere they spied •… t oportunitie (as they thought to obtaine their desire, for the season being very hot and the tender bodie of Susanna being sore parched with heat, she 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 of hir housholde, much lesse anie stranger had bin in the garden, went in as hir vse was with two maidens, onlie thinking their secretlie to washe hirselfe, and seing the coast cléere, and hirselse solitarily said thus vnto them, bring me quoth she oyle and sope where with to washe, and sée that you shut the doores surelie. The maidens carefullie obaieng their mistresse commande, shut the garden gates, and went out themselues at a bac •… e doore, to fet what their mistresse had willed them, not seeing the elders bicause they were hi •… , who no sooner sawe the maidens gone, and Susanna a fit pray for their filthy 〈◊〉 , but they rose vp and ran vnto hir, the one of them beginning to perswade hir on this manner. Be not amazed mistresse Susanna quoth he to sée vs thus sodenlie and secretly arriued, neither let our presence appale your senses, for we come not cruellie as as foes, but 〈◊〉 as fr •… nds, if our comming be strange, the cause is as straight, and where necessitie for •… eth there it is harde to striue against the streame, be that seeketh no waie against his owne will oft times kicketh against the pricke, and he that striueth to withstand 〈◊〉 hoppeth against the hil. These things considered if we offence in being to 〈◊〉 , your beautie shall beare the blame, as the onlie cause of this enterprise, for to omitte all friuolous circumstances and to come to the matter, so it is that your deuine hartes 〈◊〉 haue so béene perplexed with the passions of loue, and haue beene so déepely drowned in the desire of your person, that there is no torment so terrible, no paine so pinching, no woo so gréeuo •… s, as the the gréefe which hath griped vs, since we haue burned in loue towardes you. Sith therefore our liking is such, let it be repaide againe with loue, let our firme fanste be requited with mutuali affection, and in lieu of our good will, cönsent vnto vs, and lie with vs. That sinne which is secretlie committed is alwaies halfe pardoned, she liueth 〈◊〉 enough that liueth charely, the garden gates are surely 〈◊◊〉 can sée vs, whereby to detect vs of the cryme. The credit which we carie in Babylon shall be sufficient to shrow •… you from shame, our office shall be able to defende you from •… istrust, and our graie haires a shielde to defend you from suspition, and by this small offence, you shall both pleasure vs and purchase to your selfe two such trusty fréends as you may in all duetifull seruice commaunde. Susanna hearing this subtill serpent to breath out such brutishe reasons, woondered to sée two of their calling so blinded with the vale of la •… ciuious lusts, as to 〈◊〉 so 〈◊〉 against there owne conscience, insomuch that for a good space the stoode astonished, vntill at last gathering hit wittes togither, shée burst foorth int •… these spéeches. Tis a saieng quot •… shée, not so common as true, that wh •… so sinneth against his conscience sinneeth against his owne soule, and he that knoweth the Lawe and wilfullie di •… obeieth it, deserueth manie stripes, whic •… sacred sentence I wyshe you to consider, and no doubt it will be a sufficient modestie and account me for euer as a common harlot, for the Lord suffreth not the wicked to go vnrewarded. She saith the wise man that is not continent but common in hir loue, and yeeldeth that which is proper to hir husbande into the possession of a stranger, disobeieth the lawe, maketh breach of hir plighted faith, and lastlie plaieth the wh •… re in most hellish adulterie, hir children shall not take roote, nor hir braunches shall bring foorth no fruite, hir name shall bee spotted with infamie, and hir discredite shall not quight be forgotten. And shal I then knowing this wilfullie worke mine owne woe, shall I repaye the troth my husbande reposeth in me, with such treacherie, shall I requite his loue with such disloyaltie, shall such guilefull discourtesie be a guerden for his vnfained good will, no the feare of God is a fortresse vnto me against such follie, the loue I beare to my husbande is a shielde to fence mée from such shamelesse fansie, and the care of mine owne honour is a conserue against such filthy concupiscence. Wheras you saie that the finne which secretly is committed is halfe pardoned, and that she liueth Caste: which liueth Caute, that the gates are shut, that no man can espie our follie, and that the place is so secret that the offence cannot be preiudiciall to my good name. I answere, that I more estéeme the wrath of God than the words of men, and I dread more to commit such a deuillish fact before the sight of the almightie, than before the eies of all the worlde, man iudgeth but the bodie, but God the soule, the one being but a small pinch, the other a perpetuall paine. 〈◊〉 (saieth the wyse man that breaketh wodlocke and thinketh thus in hys heart, who seeth mée, the mistie clouds haue couered mée, and I am compassed about with a clowdie darkenesse, my offence shall not bée an obiect vnto anie mans eyes, neither can anie man discerne my •… ooinges, I am secretlie closed with in the walles, whom m •… de I to feare, and as for the LORDE •… e is mercifull, and will not remember anie mans sinnes, hée is slowe vnto wrath, and promiseth spáedilie to pardon the faults of the wicked. Such a one that feareth more the eye of a mortall man, than the sight of an immortall God, and knoweth not that the eies of the Lord is ten thousand times brighter than the glittering beames of the sunne, beholding the verie thoughts of men, and searching the hart and the raines, the same man shall bee punished with earthlie plagues and hellish torments, he shall sodainelie be taken in his owne trappe, and he shal fal before the face of euerie man, bicause hée preferred his owne pleasure before the feare of the Lorde. But alas it is vnfite for the yoong fawne to lead the old bucke, for a blind man to be a guid to him which hath his sight, nor méete for a séelie simple woman to instruct the Elders and Iudges of the people, is it my part to exhort you vnto vertue, or rather is it not your dutie to perswade me from vice, but I hope this proffer is but to make a triall of mine honesti •… , and to sift out my secret intent, if otherwise, your wils and your wordes be a like, •… ease your sut •… , for you may wel gape, but neuer gaine you looke for.

The Iudges hearing séelie Susanna thus cunninglie to confute their deuilish cōnclusions, séeing she had infringed their reasons, by the power of the law thought to wrest hir vpon a higher pin, and to lay such a blot in hir way as she shoulde hardlie wipe out. For although they knewe she did rightlie refell their frantike follie, and perfectlie perceiue hir godlie counsel was a cooling carde to their inordinate •… sires, ye •… they were so blinded with the v •… le of •… ciuious vanitie, and so dimmed with the cloud of concupiscence, that the 〈◊〉 of God was of no force to hale them from this hellish follie, but that the other Elder gaue Susanna this sharpe and wicked answere.

Susanna quoth he, Helias counsell did litle preuaile to perswade Ahab from eni •… ieng the vineyarde of Naboth, but that he both obtained his desire, and rewarded such an obstinate subiect with cruell death. Barsabe coulde not withholde Dauid both from sacking hir honor and honestie and also from murdering cruelly hir louing husbande Vrias, neither sh •… ll these painted speeches preuaile against our pretended purpose, for he is a cowarde that yeeldeth at the •… rst shotte, and he not woorthie to weare the budde of beautie that is daunted with the first deniall, we haue the tree in our hande, and meane to enioie the fruite we haue veaten the bushe, and will n •… t nowe let the birdes escape, and seing we haue you here alone, your stea •… ne 〈◊〉 shall stande for no sterling, b •… t if y •… consent be assnred of two trustie fren •… if not hope for no other hap 〈◊〉 de •… h for your deniall. Tis a saieng n •… so common as true, that a womans 〈◊〉 treasure is hir good name, and that the which hath crackt hir credite is halfe hanged, for death cutteth off all miseseries, but infamie is the beginning of all sorrowes. Sith then loathsome •… iscredit is woorse then losse of life, assur •… thy selfe if thou denie vs, we will beate th •… with the rodde, for wee both will witnesse against thee, that we tooke thee committing adulterie with a yoong man and that the more couertlie to cloake thy whoredome thou didst secretlie sende awaie thy maides, that so thou mightest enioy thy pleasure, and they not espie thy practise. Our office and authoritie, our age and honor shall suffice to witnes our wordes to be true, so that thou shalt purchase to thy freends and thy fame perpetuall discredite, and to thy bodie without pardon, a most pinching and shamefull death, séeing therefore by consent thou shalt still keepe the report of thy chastitie, and by discredite thou shalt reape death and discredite, shewe thy selfe a wise woman, and of two euils chose the best.

Susanna hearing the mischeuous pretence of these subtill serpentes and seeing that they had so laide the traine that she coulde no waie escape the trappes but either she must incur the •… aunger of the bodie, or the destruction of the soule, was perplexed with such doubtfull passions, and cumbred with such carefull thoughts th •… shee 〈◊〉 foorth into trickling teares, sorrowfull sighes, and wofull wailings, which poore soule shée blubbred foorth in this wise.

Alas quoth she most vilde and vniust wretches, is the feare of God so far from your minds, as you séeke not only to sack mine honor, but to suck my blud, is it not iniurie inough in that you couet to spoile mine honestie, but that you long to spill my life, hath this swéete loue you pretend such bitter taste, is this the fruite of your fained fansie, no doubt the cause must be pernicious when the effect is so pestilent, flatter not your selues in this your folly, nor sooth not your selues in your sinnes, for there is a God that séeth and will reuenge, and hath promised that who so bindech two sinnes togither, shall not bée vnpunished in the one. But alas what auaileth it to talke of wisdome to the foole, or of the wrath of God to a wilfull reprobate. The charmer charme he neuer so wiselie charmes in vaine if the Adder bée deafe, and the wise casteth stones against the winde, that seeketh to draw the wicked from his follie. Let me therfore poore soule more narrowly consider mine own case, I am alas perplexed with diuers doubtfull passions and gréeuous troubles assaileth me on euerie side, if I commit this crime, though neuer so secretlie, yet the eies of the Lorde séeth the verie inwarde thoughts, and mine owne conscience shall continuallie be a witnesse against me of this wickednes, the reward of sinne is death, then what other hap can I hope for, but perpetual damnation if I doe this wicked déede, sith the Lorde himselfe hath promised to be a swift witnesse against all wilfull adulterers. And if I consent not vnto these vnrighteous Iudges I am like to be vniustlie accused of the like crime, so that both I shall suffer death without cause, & yet (which is most gréefe, not die without shame. By this meanes what dishonour shal I bring to my parents, what discredite to my husbande, and what infamie to my selfe and my séelie children. The hoarie haires of my father Helchias shall be brought with sorrowe vnto the graue, Icachim shall be ashamed to shewe his face in the stréetes of the cittie and my poore babes shall be counted as the seede of an harlot, and yet alas I my selfe altogither sacklesse, why my secret offence shall preuent all this open shame, the Lorde is slow to wrath, and his mercie eccéedeth all his works, he wisheth not the death of a sinner, and hartie repentance pacifieth his displeasure. But O vile wretch that I am, why do I thus blaspheme against the Lord & his law, why do I breath out these hellish spéeches, can I say I wil repent at my pleasure, or shall I therefore sin in hope bicause the Lord is merciful. No, no, it is better for me to fall into your hands, and not commit the offence then to sin in the sight of the Lord, shal I not rather feare God than man, & drea •… him more that killeth both bodie & soule, than him y• hath power but to kil the bodie only, yet his scare shalbe my defence. And with that she cried with a loud voice and the two Elders cried out against hir and the one of them ran and opened the gate, y• more to verifie their vild intent. Now when the seruants hard the cry in the garden, they hastily rushed in at the backe doore, to sée what violence was offered to their mistres. But when y• Elders had declared the matter vnto them y• seruants were gretly ashamed for such an infamous report had neuer bin bruted of Susanna: the fame of this heinous fact being spred throughout all Babilo •… euery man began diuersly to coniecture as fansie led them, hir frends sorrowing suspected y• cancred minds of y• cruel iudges, hir foes laughing said y• dissembled holines was dooble sin, & that the holiest countenance hath not alwais y• honest est conscience both frend & foe, notwithstanding wondring, at the strange chaunce. Well as y• nature of man is desirous of noueltie, so on the morow after y• people flocked to Ioachims house, to heare this case throghly canuased & thither came the two Elders also, hauing their mindes fraught with furie and their harts full of hate, mischiuou •… ie imagining against Susanna to put hir to deth. They therfore commanded presently before al the people to sende for Susanna the daughter of Helchias Ioachims wife & immediatly they sent for hir who came accompanied with hir father and mother, hir children and all hir kinred. The Iudges séeing Susanna to be come, and that she had hir face couered with a vale, commaunded presentlie to vncouer hir face, that so they might satisfie their filthie lust with the sight of hir beautie, and féede their doting fansie with the glistering hewe of hir deuine feature. The people nowe more narrowlie noting hir erquisite perfection, and singuler beautie taking pittie of hir mishap sorrowed and wept. But the two Elders stood vp in the middest of the assemblie, and laieng their hande vppon Susannas heade, which powred foorth teares, and heaued vp hir eies towards heauen, for hir heart trusted in the Lord, begun their tale of this manner.

We are sorie quoth they that wée haue cause this daie to accuse Susanna the daughter of Helchias, and wife of our fréende Ioachim, neither would we willingly be witnesse against hir, if our own conscience did not compell vs to beare a true testimonic, we are Iudges & Elders of the people, appointed by God and chosen by the multitude and constrained by the lawe to haue no respect of persons, but to doe iustice vnto all men, neither to be parcial to our fréendes, nor enuious to our foe, but with the ballance of equitie to measure euerie man according to his merrit, and with the sworde of iustice t •… vpholde vertue, and to beate downe vice. This considered we are driuen of force to bewrate a hainous offence, which this Susanna hath committed as followeth. We both hauing occasion s •… cretlie to consult of weightie affaires, and often frequenting the house of our fréend Ioachim coueting solitarely to confer of our secret businesse, thought it best (as our custome before had béene) to walke in the garden: where we had not walked longe but Susanna came in accompanied with two of hir maides, whom presentlie she sent awaie from hir, most surelie shutting the garden gates, and they were no sooner gone, but a yoong man which had secretlie hid himselfe in the garden came vnto hir, and laie with hir, we stand •… ng in a corner, and seing this wickednes were astonished to see such a straunge facte, & remembring what report was spread abrod of Susannas chastity stood in doubt whither we dreamed of such a deede or no, but at last we hastilie ranne vnto them, and sawe them as they were togither, willing therefore such wickednesse shoulde not be vnpunished, nor that such adulterous wretches shoulde escape without the penaltie of the law, assayed to take this yoongue man, that he might haue tasted of the tormentes due for such an offence, but hée was stronger than we, and in despight of vs he opened the gate, and leaped out, well although he had escaped our hands yet wée laide fast holde vpon Susanna, and demaunded of hir what the yoongue man was, of what tribe and what was his name, but shée held hir peace and saide nothing. Thus quoth they haue you hearde this hainous crime wherevnto we are witnesses, sorrowing that such sinne shoulde be founde in Israel, and especiallie in the childe of so honest a father, & in the wife of so honest a husband. The Iudges hauing finished this their forged tale, the people gaue credite to their word •… and beleued them as they that were Iudges and Elders of y• people thinking that such subtill shifts coulde neuer lie hid in such simple age, that such hoarie haires would neuer deuise such diuelish practises, & vpon their credit they condemned hir to death. Susanna hearing the fatall doome pronounced against hir by these vniust Iudges, cried out vnto the Lorde with a loude voice and saide.

O God which seest the secrets of al heartes, and knowest all things before they come to passe, which descriest the verie inwarde thoughts, and triest the hearte and the raines, thou knowest that bicause I woulde not co •… sent vnto the •… ilthie lu •… te of these dooting leathers, nor agree by defyling my husbandes bedde, to fulfill their fleshlye desyres, that they haue sclaundered mee with that crime whereof I was neuer guiltie that they haue vniustlie accused of that fault, whereas not so much as in thought I committed such a fact, they haue to satisfie their malicious mindss without cause inuented this fals crime, I confesse my selfe, O Lord to be a most gréeuous offender, but not in this fault to deserue deth but not for this deed. Heare then, O Lorde my praier, and let the innocencie of my case pleade before thy maiestie, if it be thy wil preuent their practises, confound their counsailes, and let them which haue diggcd the pit for others fall into the snares themselues. Thou hast neuer O Lord yet left the innocent without helpe, but hast deliuered them which feare thée frō all aduersitie, thou didst deliuer Ioseph from the hands of his brethren which sought to spill his bloud, and didest preuent the practises of Saule, which pretended to slay his ser •… ant Dauid, Elizeus béeing besieged within Dothan was not onlie fréed from his foes, but also garded about with a troupe of holie Angels. Elias was preserued from the crueltie of Iesable, and 〈◊〉 with Rauens, nay who hath trust •… in thy mercy, which hath come to mishap? or who hath put his hope in thee which hat •… suffered harme? •… u O Lord if it be thy wil thou •… anst disclose the deuises of these doating Iudges, and vnfold the 〈◊〉 - 〈◊〉 of the false •… nesses, helpe then O Lord for in thée is my hope. The people hearing the solemne protestation of sorrowfull Susanna; thought she had spoken these wordes to excuse hir fault, but not that she was guiltlesse of the fact, giuing more credit to the reuerende age of the Iudges, then to the y •… ng yéeres of a simple woman, supposing that hir spéech was more of custome to cloake hir follie then of conscience to cleare hir of that crime, and therefore they led •… it to the pla •… e of execution. But the Lord who neuer leaueth them in distresse that put their trust in him heard hir voice, and raised vp the the holie spirit of a yoong childe whose name was Daniell, who seeing Susanna carried by hir •… alse accusers to be put to death, cried with a lowde voice from the 〈◊〉 of this woman. Then al the people a •… onished at this strange •… rie, and amazed at the wordes of this y •… ng child tourning towarde him saide, what 〈◊〉 these wordes that thou hast spoken, then Daniel imbouldned by the spirit of God, made this answere.

Are you such fooles O yée 〈◊〉 , quoth he, that you wil confirme the caus •… before you haue discust the cafe or •… supposed truth with out sufficient triall, or condemn •… anie person without du •… proofe, will you accept the witnesses 〈◊〉 any man touching life before you haue sifted him by secret examination, knowe you not how that partie is s •… ne condemned whose death the Iudges do conspire, and where the Elders do beare euill will or seeke reuenge, th •… re the innotent is euer oppressed, for the weakest (a •… the old prouerbe saith) is alwaies thrust to the wall. Will you admit him which is an accuser, to be a con •… ner, what i •… stice can there be then, in iudgement sh •… ll he which commeth in a •… plai •… determine the defendant doubts, who then will looke for eq •… itie. if the witnesse will and worde may •… ande for a lawe without contradiction; then right shall be wrested according t •… the wishe of euerie wilfull wretch. No le •… him which is an Elder of the people, and commeth in to be a witnesse, not be a Iudge also, least the innocent perish, and true Iustice be perner •… od, which nowe O ye fonde Isralites yee shall trie by experience, for yee hau •… suffred these vniust Iudges to con •… mne a daughter o •… Isr •… ell without cause, and haue let them beene wicked witnesses to 〈◊〉 the innocent blou •… . 〈◊〉 sentence prono •… nced against Su •… is vniust, and the witnesse of the Iudges is 〈◊〉 periurie, therefore returne to iudgement, and the Lord •… will •… isclose who rig •… deserueth the the dea •… h. The people hearing this •… ourned 〈◊〉 in all ha •… e and •… he Gl •… ts saide thus vnto him. Since it hath pleased GOD quoth they that •… ere is wisedome founde in thy lippes, and vnderstanding in thine hearte, and that thou hast knowledge giuen thee from about to searche out that which hath béene hidden from vs al, come sit downe amongst vs, and execute the office of an Elder that through thee the iustice of God may be made manifest in rewarding the wicked, and defending the innocent. Then saide Daniell vnto them, put these two aside one from another, and I will examine them, so when they were seperated, he called one of them to whom he vttred these words.

Tis a sai •… ng quoth he not so common as true, that he which looketh continually on the Sunne, shall at last be blind, that who so handleth pitch must néeds be de •… led ther with, the trée that abideth so many blastes, at last falleth by the carpenters are, the birde that striketh at euery stale cannot long escape the snare, so long goeth the pitcher to the brouke, that at laste it comes broken home, and he that securelie swimmeth in 〈◊〉 , shall surelie bée drowned in iniquitie, who so bindeth two •… nnes togither shall neuer be vnreuenged in the one, and he that delighteth to offende in youth, shall no doubt féele the •… unishment in age, the pouer •… e is olde, and yet verie true, Quod defertur non aufertur, Though God for a time suffer a man safelie to wallow in his own wi •… kednesse, and to saie vnto his so •… le, •… ush the Lorde regardeth not thé waie of sinners, nor suspecteth not the misdéedes of men, he is slow to wrath, and prone to pittie, yet at last the Lord loketh downe from heauen, and reuengeth all his sins with a greeuous plague, yea he rooteth him out from the face of th •… earth, and his place is no more séene. Consider this then thou miserable •… aitife, who hast gathered thy treasure with iniquitie, and builded vp thine house with •… nne, that wert in thy youth addicted vnto vanitie, and art nowe waxen olde in vice, how those sins which in thy yoong yeres thou didst commit secretlie are now in thy hoarie age reuealed openlie, yea the Lorde hath deferred his punishment, that his mercie may seeme the mo •… e, and thy •… nne the greater He that hath the dro •… e drinketh while he bursteth, and yet not satisfied, the Leach hath two •… ughters that neuer crieth en •… h: he that is •… ung with the •… erpent Dipsas burn •… th, but can neuer be cooled, and who is so inflamed with sinne which thirsteth continuallie after wickednesse, vntill he hath supped the d •… egs of Gods displeasure to his own destruction, which now is verified in thee, for thou hast pronounced false iudgments and hast condemned the innocent, thou hast taken bribes to peruert iustice, and thou hast weighed the lawe in a false balance, but the Lorde shall sende vpon thée cursing, trouble, and shame in all that which thou settest thy hande to doe, vntill thou be destroied and perish quickelie, bicause of the wickednesse of thy workes, wherein thou hast forsaken him, for thou art commaunded not to ouer throwe th •… poore in his sute, but to defende 〈◊〉 cause of the needie. •… is the dutie of a Iudge to •… eept him far from a •… alse matter, and t •… measure all things in the ballance of equitie, and not •… to deale vniustlie with with the innocent and righteous, but to heare the plaint of the poore, least the Lorde take their cause in hande, and consume •… im in his heauie •… pleasure. But thou who from thy youth ha •… sworne to doe wickedlie, hast let the guiltie go frée, and borne false witnesse against the sacklesse soule, and hast euer peruerted the seate of iudgement: Well if thou hast seene Susanna commit this heinous crime, and defile the bed of hit husbande, if thou hast taken hir in adulterie, and seene hir in the verie acte, tell mée vnder what trée thou diddest see them commit the offence. The Iudge answered vnder a •… Lentiske tree. Then saide Daniell verilie thou hast lied against thine owne life, thou vast in betraieng the innocent blasphemed against GOD, offended in bearing 〈◊〉 witnesse, and s •… ulde thy soule to S •… han by committing wilfull periurie, so that the Angell of GOD hath receiued the sentence to cut thee in two.

Daniell had no s •… ner vttere •… these wordes, but the people presentlie put him aside, and brought foorth the other to whome Daniell vttered these bitter speeches.

O thou cursed séede of Canaan quoth he, and not of luda, who hast béene nursed vp in sinne, and no •… ed vp in wickednes, the glittering heue of beautie hath blinded thee, & las •… ious lust hath be witched thy hart, found fancie hath giuen thée th •… foile, and fleshlie desire hath charmed thy affection, thou ha •… spente thy youth in follye and nowe meanest to ende thin •… age in wickednes. But as it is impossible for a foole to scape without reproch, so as harde it is for a wilsull sinner to escape without reuenge. Dost thou not knowe t •… t the lawe forbiddeth adultrie, and yet wilt thou entise a daughter of luda to such follie, naie art thou not driuen by dutie to rewarde this sinne with death, and yet wilt thou perswade the innocent to such a deuillish de •… de. Is the feare of God so far from thine eies, as thou wilt willinglie worke such wickednes, h •… st tho •… so small regarde to the lawe as thou wilt suffer thy hart to be sub •… rted by lust. The 〈◊〉 so abhorreth this crime, as he kill •… the Liones for committing this fact, the Storke neuer m •… leth but with his mate, nay the stone Iasent will not be worne on the finger of an adult •… rer, neither will the Oliue trée growe if it he planted by him that leadeth his life in vnlawfull lustes, and wilt thou vild wretch she we thy selfe more carelesse in this crime then brute beastes, moreckles then vnreasonable cretures, more sauage then sencelesse stones, yea far lesse in virtue than a man, and far more in vice then a beast, the Lord shall looke downe from heauen vpon this thy lewdnesse, & crosse thée with such a gree •… ous curse, as y• shalt be rooted out from among the people. Is thy minde so mislead with ingratitude, or art thou so deuoide of humanitie as thou wilt repaie the good will that Ioachim she weth thée, with such guilefull treacherie, is thy conscience such as to requighe his curtesie with wilfull crueltie, hath he fostered thée as a fréend, and wilt thou abuse him as a foe, hath he wisht thy blisse and wilt thou worke his bane, hath hée sought thy weale, and wilt thou seeke his woe, wilt thou without cause accuse his wife of adulterie, bicause she would not 〈◊〉 to thy lure, if this be the duty of a Iudge, or the deuocion of an Elder, let all Babilon iudge.

But perhappes thou wilt saie these wordes ar •… winde, and this long parle tendes little to the purpose, that thou art greatlie abused, for reprchending of sinne to be so roughlie reprooued, well if it be so that thou hast weighed thy freends case in the ballance of equitie, & hast had such a 〈◊〉 to the executing of thine office, that no force of fraend •… hip coulde preuaile to peruerte true Iustice but that thou hast of a cléere conscience accused Susanna of this filthie fact. Tell me vnder what trée diddest thou sée them cominit this crime.

The Judge although that hee had wrongfullie sought to oppresse the guiltlesse person, yet he neuer shruncke from his purpose, but boldlie answered vnder a Myrtle tr •… .

Daniell hearing this doating leacher to make so loud a lie answered. Art thou so sencelesse quoth he, to suppose that although thou canst kéepe thy s •… ne secret from men, yet thou canst hide it from God, who not onelie knoweth the deede but seeth the verie inwarde thought. No for although thou hast hitherto couered the substance of vice with the vale of vertue, and hast cloaked thine iniquitie with the visour of equitie, yet the LORDE willing to vnrip vp this thy follie, hath nowe discouered thy dooings, yea thou art fallen into the pit which thou hast prepared for others, thou art taken in thine owne trappe, and snared in the nette which thou didst laie to intangle the innocent, yea thou hast lyed against thine owne heade, and the Angell of GOD waiteth with the sworde to cutte thee in two.

With that all the whole multitude hearing howe the Elders were trapped in their owne talke, and that the LORDE had mightilie wrought by the meanes of a childe to discouer the hellishe practise cried out with a loude voice, and praised God that saueth them which put their trust in him, 〈◊〉 séein •… that Daniell had conuicte the Elders of false witnesse by their owne mouth, according to the lawe of Moyses, the people delt with them as they •… ought to dealt with S •… fanna, for the •… ord hath promised that a false witnes shall not be vnpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish, so they were put to death, and the innocent bloud was saued the same daie.

Helchias and his wife séeing that their •… aughter was by the power of God preserued from the wicked pretence of these vniust Indges, and Ioachim hir husband hearing his wife clered of this crime, yea al hir kindred seing y• there was no disho •… nestie found in hir, but that she was with out spot, and their stock vnstained: They all praised God, that the innocent lambe was deliuered, and the faithfull hipocrites so fitlie detected. And from that daie foorth Daniell was in great reputation amongst all the people.