ng
sat with a golden scepter in his hand, which he held out when he had
a mind to save any one of those that approached to him without being
called, and he who touched it was free from danger. But of this matter
we have discoursed sufficiently.

4. Some time after this [two eunuchs], Bigthan and Teresh, plotted
against the king; and Barnabazus, the servant of one of the eunuchs,
being by birth a Jew, was acquainted with their conspiracy, and
discovered it to the queen's uncle; and Mordecai, by the means of
Esther, made the conspirators known to the king. This troubled the king;
but he discovered the truth, and hanged the eunuchs upon a cross, while
at that time he gave no reward to Mordecai, who had been the occasion
of his preservation. He only bid the scribes to set down his name in the
records, and bid him stay in the palace, as an intimate friend of the
king.

5. Now there was one Haman, the son of Amedatha, by birth an Amalekite,
that used to go in to the king; and the foreigners and Persians
worshipped him, as Artaxerxes had commanded that such honor should
be paid to him; but Mordecai was so wise, and so observant of his
own country's laws, that he would not worship the man [18] When Haman
observed this, he inquired whence he came; and when he understood that
he was a Jew, he had indignation at him, and said within himself, that
whereas the Persians, who were free men, worshipped him, this man, who
was no better than a slave, does not vouchsafe to do so. And when he
desired to punish Mordecai, he thought it too small a thing to request
of the king that he alone might be punished; he rather determined to
abolish the whole nation, for he was naturally an enemy to the Jews,
because the nation of the Amalekites, of which he was; had been
destroyed by them. Accordingly he came to the king, and accused them,
saying, "There is a certain wicked nation, and it is dispersed over all
the habitable earth the was under his dominion; a nation separate from
others, unsociable, neither admitting the same sort of Divine worship
that others do, nor using laws like to the laws of others, at enmity
with thy people, and with all men, both in their manners and practices.
Now, if thou wilt be a benefactor to thy subjects, thou wilt give order
to destroy them utterly, and not leave the least remains of them, nor
preserve any of them, either for slaves or for captives." But that the
king might not be damnified by the loss of the tribut