ut, that "a nation that had been injurious to no man
was to be destroyed." And he went on saying thus as far as to the king's
palace, and there he stood, for it was not lawful for him to go into it
in that habit. The same thing was done by all the Jews that were in the
several cities wherein this decree was published, with lamentation and
mourning, on account of the calamities denounced against them. But as
soon as certain persons had told the queen that Mordecai stood before
the court in a mourning habit, she was disturbed at this report, and
sent out such as should change his garments; but when he could not be
induced to put off his sackcloth, because the sad occasion that forced
him to put it on was not yet ceased, she called the eunuch Acratheus,
for he was then present, and sent him to Mordecai, in order to know of
him what sad accident had befallen him, for which he was in mourning,
and would not put off the habit he had put on at her desire. Then did
Mordecai inform the eunuch of the occasion of his mourning, and of
the decree which was sent by the king into all the country, and of the
promise of money whereby Haman brought the destruction of their nation.
He also gave him a copy of what was proclaimed at Shushan, to be carried
to Esther; and he charged her to petition the king about this matter,
and not to think it a dishonorable thing in her to put on a humble
habit, for the safety of her nation, wherein she might deprecate the
ruin of the Jews, who were in danger of it; for that Haman, whose
dignity was only inferior to that of the king, had accused the Jews, and
had irritated the king against them. When she was informed of this,
she sent to Mordecai again, and told him that she was not called by
the king, and that he who goes in to him without being called, is to
be slain, unless when he is willing to save any one, he holds out his
golden scepter to him; but that to whomsoever he does so, although he go
in without being called, that person is so far from being slain, that he
obtains pardon, and is entirely preserved. Now when the eunuch carried
this message from Esther to Mordecai, he bade him also tell her that
she must not only provide for her own preservation, but for the
common preservation of her nation, for that if she now neglected this
opportunity, there would certainly arise help to them from God some
other way, but she and her father's house would be destroyed by those
whom she now despised. But Esthe