-LIB. XXI. Ahafuerus feafling,&c• .-=:n:-:-----:-::- A the l~"'ts ofPtrjians 1nJ Mtdittns)thAt it be,oJ AlttrtJ)thtlt YAjhti&lmt,omlrtbefort ..Ah.[iurru;Andla the Kinggiveber roy•Uej/Atttl4nltlmthAt i< /;mer then jbe.Howbold aword was this, andhow hazardous~ Had Ah.jiurm more loved the beauty of rAjhti, then his h~n.or, MemuCAn had fpoken againft his owne life:Howfoever,a Queene offo great fpmrs, could not want ftrength offavour, and fatlion, in the Perfian Court; which could nor bur rake fire at fo defperate a motion. Fairhfull Srarefmen overlooking private refpetl.s, ~uft bend their eyes upon publique dangers, labour~ mg to prevent acommon mifchicle, though With the adventure of their owne. Nature had taught rhefe Pagans the necelliry ofa female fubjetlion 1 and tile hate and fcorne of a proud difobedience, They have unlearned the very dil.tatesofNatur~ that can abide the head to be fer below the ribbe. n I cannot ~a>: bur r.[hti was worthy ofa fharpe cenfure ; I cannot fay !he was war. thy a .repud~ation ..This.plaifte.rdrew too hard;, Ir wa~ bur hearhen juftice ro punifh the Wives difobe~ience mone indifferent at!, with a divorce : Nothing bur rhe vio. htton ofthe marnage. bed,can wherbrrak or unry rhe knotofmarriage. Had fhe nor beena QQeene, had not that contemptuousatl beeu publique, the fenrence had nor been fo hard; now the punifhment mu!\ be exemplary,let\ the fin fi10uld be fo. Ma. ny a one had fmarred ldfe, if their perfons, if their place had beon meaner. The King, the Princesapprove this heavy judgment of c.Mtmuc.n;It is nor in the power of the faire faceofrA[htl, towarranrher flomach: No doubt many rneffa. ges paffed ere the rigour of this execurion: That great heart knowes nor to rdenr, bur Will rather break,rhcn yedd to an humble deprecation. When the !lone and the C fteele meet, fire is flricken1 it is a foft anfwer that appeaferh wmh. r ajbti is caft off. Letters are fentfrom the King, into all his Provinces, to command that every ma~ fi10uld rule at home; The Court affordothem an awfull patterne ofaYthoriry. Mad not Ah•(utrm doted much upon rajbtits beauty, he had not called her forth at the feaft, to be wondred at, by his Peeres and people, yet now hefo feeles thewound of his reptltation, that he forgers be ever felt any wound of his affetlion. Even the greateft love may be over-tlrained; It is no!fafeprefuming upon the deepeft affu. rances of dearneffe: There is no heart that may not be eftraoged. It is not poffible that great Princes fi1ould want foothing up in all their inclinations, in all their atlions:Whiles AhAjimru is following the chafe ofhis ambirion,in the wanes of Grttct, his followers are providing for his lull at home; Nothing could found more pleaD fing to acarnalleare, then that all the faire young virgins, thorowout all his dominions, fhould be gathered into his palace at Sh•fb••, for his a!fay, and choife: The de. cree is foon publifhed: The charge is committed to Htg•i,the Kings chamberlaine, both of their purification, and ornaments. What ftrife; whatemulation was now, among!! all the Ptrfi"" damofds, that either were, or thoughtrhemfelves faire! Every one hopes to be a ~eene, and fees no reafon why any other fhould be thought more excellent ; How happy were wee if we could be fo ambitious ofourefpoufals to the King of heaven! Among(l all rhis throngofVirgins, God hath provideda wife for A!.•fotrllf 1 having determined his choife, where moft advantage !hall rife to his forlorne people. The ltrPts were miferably fcattered over the world, in that wofull deportation E under Tmniah; fcarce a bandfull oF them returned to ltruf•lem; the reft remaine flill difperfed where they may, bur have leave to live. There are many thoufandsof rhem turned overwith the B•hyl.nian Monarchy, to the Ptrjian ; amongft the reft, was M~rdt&Ai,the fon'of J~ir, ofthe tribe of BtnjAmin;a man of no 01('30 note or abi· litk; who,living in Sh11/b•n,had brought up Hadalfah,or Ejlhtr,his uncles daughter, in a liberall fafhion: It was hzppy for this Orphane, that in a region of captivity, fi1e lightioto fuch good hando1 Her wife kinfman finds it fir, that herbreeding, and habit fhould be Ptrfian like; in ourward and civil! formes, therewas no need to va· ry from the heathen; her Religion muft bee her owne; the reft wasfo altogether theirs, that her veryNationwas not difcerned. · The fame God that had given incomparable beauty to this lt,.t/Jt, gave her alfo I favour in the eyes of Htgai,the keeperof the women;She is not only taken into the Uuuuu Ptr.Ji•n
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=