Hadassa: OR THE HISTORY OF QVEENE ESTER: With Meditations thereupon, Diuine and Morall.
By FRA. QVARLES.
AT LONDON, Imprinted for Richard Moore, and are to be sold at his shop in Saint Dunstans Church-yard, in Fleetstreet. 1621.
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[Page]TO THE MOST HIGH AND MIGHTY PRINCE, RENOWNED FOR LEARNING, PIETY, AND ALL GRACIOVS GOVERNEMENT:
IAMES, BY THE GRACE OF GOD, KING OF GREAT BRITTAINE, FRANCE AND IRELAND, DEFENDER OF THE FAITH.
FRANCIS QVARLES, HIS MOST HVMBLE SERVANT, and faithfull Homager, dedicates, presents, and consecrates these his labours, to receiue honour from his gracious countenance, and to be glorified by his approbation.
A PREFACE TO THE READER.
A Sober vaine best suits Theologie: If therefore thou expectst such elegancy as takes the times, affect some subiect as will beare it. Audire fabulas, est impedimentum cognitioni veritatis. Arist. 2. Metaphis. Had I laboured with ouer-abundance of * fictions, or flourishes, perhaps they had exposed me, censurable, and disprized this sacred subiect: Therefore I rest more sparing in that kind.
Two things I would treat of: First, the matter, secondly, the manner of this History.
1 As for the matter, (so farre as I haue dealt) it is Canonicall, and indighted by the holy Spirit of God, not lyable to errour, and needs no blanching.
In it Theologie sits as Queene, attended by her handmaid The excellence and vse of this History. Philosophy; both concurring, to make the vnderstanding Reader, a good Diuine, and a wise Moralist.
As for the Diuinity, it discouers the Almighty in his two great Attributes; in his Mercy, deliuering his Church; in his Iustice, confounding her enemies.
As for the Morality, it offers to vs the wholy practicke part of Philosophy, dealt out into Ethicks, Politicks, and Oeconomicks.
1 The Ethicall part (the obiect whereof is the Manners of a priuate man) ranges through the whole booke, and empties [Page] it selfe into the Catalogue of Morall vertues, either those that Heiland in Eth. Mores instituūt ad virtutem. gouerne the body; as Fortitude, Chap. 9. 2. and Temperance, Chap. 1. 8. or those which direct the soule, either in outward things, as Liberality, Chap. 1. 3. Magnificence, Chap. 1. 6. Magnanimity, Chap. 2. 20. and Modesty, Chap. 6. 12. or in conuersation, as Iustice, Chap. 7. 9. Mansuetude, Chap. 5. 2, &c.
2 The Politicall part (the obiect whereof is Publike Society) instructs, first, in the behauiour of a Prince, to his Subiect; in punishing his vice, Chap. 7. 10. in rewarding of vertues, Chap. 8. 2, 15. Secondly, in the behauiour of the Subiect to his Prince; in obseruing his Lawes, and discouering his enemies, Chap. 2. 22. Thirdly, the behauiour of a Subiect, to a Subiect; in mutuality of loue, Chap. 4. 7. in propagation of peace, Chap. 10. 3.
3 The Oeconomicall part (the obiect whereof is Priuate Society) teacheth, first, the carriage of the Wife, to her Husband; in obeying, chap. 1. 22. of the Husband, to his Wife, in ruling, chap. 1. 22. Secondly, of a Father, to his Child, in aduising, chap. 2. 7, 10. of a Child, to his Father, in obseruing. chap. 2. 20. Thirdly, of a Master, to his Seruant, in commanding. chap. 4. 5. of a Seruant, to his Master, in effecting his command, chap. 4. 6.
Furthermore, in this History, the two principall faculties of the soule are (nor in vaine) imployed.
First, the Intellect, whose proper obiect is Truth. Secondly, Arist. Eth 3. Obiectum voluntatis non est nisi bonum. Arist. Eth. 10. the Will, whose proper obiect is * Good, whether Philosophicall, which that great Master of Philosophy cals * Wisdome; or Theologicall, which we poynt at now, hoping to enioy hereafter.
Who the Pen-man of this sacred History was, or why the De dubijs non definies, sed suspensam teneas sententiam; Seneca de formali vita. name of God (as in few other parts of the Bible) is vnmentioned in this, it is immateriall, and doubtfull. For the first, it is enough for an vncurious questioner to know, it was indited [Page] by the Spirit of God: for the second, let it suffice, that, that Spirit will'd not here to reueale his name.
2 As for the Manner of this History (consisting in the Periphrase, the adiournment of the Story, and interposition of Meditations) I hope it hath not iniured the Matter: For in this, I was not the least carefull, to vse the light of the best Expositors ( Authoritatis quorum sum germanus) not daring to goe vn-led, for feare of stumbling. Some say, Diuinity in Verse, is incongruous and vnpleasing: such I referre to the Psalmes of Dauid, or the Song of his sonne Salomon, to be corrected. But in these lewd times, the salt, and soule of a Verse, is obscene scurrility, without which it seemes dull, and liuelesse: And though the sacred History needs not (as humane doe) Poetry, to perpetuate the remembrance, (being by Gods owne mouth blest with Eternity) yet Verse (working so neere vpon the soule, and spirit) will oft times draw those to haue a History in familiarity, who (perchance) before, scarce knew there was such a Booke.
Reader, be more than my hasty pen stiles thee: Reade me with aduice, and thereafter iudge me, and in that iudgement censure me. If I iangle, thinke my intent thereby, is to toll better Ringers in. Farewell.
THE INTRODVCTION.
THE ARGVMENT OF THE HISTORY.
KIng Assuerus makes two feasts: to that, he inuites his Courtly ghests, to this, the Citizens of Susa, wherevnto he sends for Queene Vashti, who denyes to come; whereupon the King is angry, and referres the censure of her offence to his Councell, who giue sentence that shee should be degraded from her Princely estate: Forthwith the King commands the fairest Virgins in the Land to bee brought before him, for him to take his choyce, among whom Ester (the Orphane of a Iew) is chosen, married, and Crowned Queene. Mordecai, Queene Esters Vnkle, discouers a treason, which was entred into the Records: Haman, the son of Amedatha, is promoted into the Kings fauour: the King commands his Subiects to bow to him, which Mordecai alone refused to doe: whereupon Haman is full of wrath, and (directed by a lot) begs of the King to destroy all the Iewes in his Prouinces vpon the thirteenth day of the twelfth moneth; which the King granting, Haman sends Letters in the Kings name to make the Massacre vpon that day: The Queene vnderstanding the plot, ventures in to the King, (vncalled:) The King demanding the cause of her comming; she inuites him, and Haman to a feast: They come: the King is pleased to demand her further suit; whereupon she inuites them both to a second Feast. In the meane while Haman, aduised by his wife, builds vp a Gallowes for Mordecai, (intending [Page] at the Banquet to beg his life.) That night, the King (indisposed to sleepe) reades the Chronicles, where hee findes, that Mordecai discouered a Treason; which seruice the King intending to reward, askes Haman (who then came to beg Mordecai's life) what Worship best befits him that the King meanes to honour? Haman (supposing himselfe the man) spake largely: whereupon the King commands him to doe that very honour to Mordecai: So Haman goes home discomforted, and is straight sent for to attend the King to the Queenes Feast; where (in his presence) the King vrges the Queene to mooue her suit; whereupon shee humbly begs hers, and her peoples life, which Haman sought to betray: wherat the King is inraged, & cōmands Haman to be hanged on the Gallowes which he built for Mordecai, and giues his Estate to the Queene, and his Honour to Mordecai: The Queene earnestly requests the King, that he would reuerse the letters which Haman had deuised for the Iewes destruction: the King referres it to the Queene, and Mordecai, who sent Letters in the Kings name, that the Iewes should defend themselues on the day that Haman had appoynted for their slaughter; vpon which day the Iewes slay in Susa fiue hundred men, and the ten sonnes of Haman, and in the other Prouinces 70000. Whereupon the Queene desires the King, that the next day the Iewes might likewise defend themselues from their enemies: and that the dead sons of Haman may be hanged vp; all which the King grants: so as the Iewes slew the next day in Susa, 300. men, and Hamans ten sons were hanged vp; whereupon the Feasts of Purim are instituted, and in the Kings name confirmed for euer.