withdrawn from her,
and be placed on her that was with him. Accordingly, he was persuaded to
follow this advice, and gave order to certain persons to choose out of
the virgins that were in his kingdom those that were esteemed the most
comely. So when a great number of these virgins were gathered together,
there was found a damsel in Babylon, whose parents were both dead, and
she was brought up with her uncle Mordecai, for that was her uncle's
name. This uncle was of the tribe of Benjamin, and was one of the
principal persons among the Jews. Now it proved that this damsel, whose
name was Esther, was the most beautiful of all the rest, and that the
grace of her countenance drew the eyes of the spectators principally
upon her. So she was committed to one of the eunuchs to take the care
of her; and she was very exactly provided with sweet odors, in great
plenty, and with costly ointments, such as her body required to be
anointed withal; and this was used for six months by the virgins, who
were in number four hundred. And when the eunuch thought the virgins had
been sufficiently purified, in the fore-mentioned time, and were now fit
to go to the king's bed, he sent one to be with the king ever day. So
when he had accompanied with her, he sent her back to the eunuch; and
when Esther had come to him, he was pleased with her, and fell in love
with the damsel, and married her, and made her his lawful wife, and kept
a wedding feast for her on the twelfth month of the seventh year of his
reign, which was called Adar. He also sent angari, as they are called,
or messengers, unto every nation, and gave orders that they should keep
a feast for his marriage, while he himself treated the Persians and
the Medes, and the principal men of the nations, for a whole month,
on account of this his marriage. Accordingly, Esther came to his royal
palace, and he set a diadem on her head. And thus was Esther married,
without making known to the king what nation she was derived from. Her
uncle also removed from Babylon to Shushan, and dwelt there, being every
day about the palace, and inquiring how the damsel did, for he loved her
as though she had been his own daughter.

3. Now the king had made a law, [17] that none of his own people should
approach him unless he were called, when he sat upon his throne and
men, with axes in their hands, stood round about his throne, in order to
punish such as approached to him without being called. However, the ki