with Haman,
to her banquet.

10. Now when the king had promised so to do, Haman went away very glad,
because he alone had the honor of supping with the king at Esther's
banquet, and because no one else partook of the same honor with kings
but himself; yet when he saw Mordecai in the court, he was very much
displeased, for he paid him no manner of respect when he saw him. So he
went home and called for his wife Zeresh, and his friends, and when they
were come, he showed them what honor he enjoyed not only from the king,
but from the queen also, for as he alone had that day supped with her,
together with the king, so was he also invited again for the next day;
"yet," said he, "am I not pleased to see Mordecai the Jew in the court."
Hereupon his wife Zeresh advised him to give order that a gallows should
be made fifty cubits high, and that in the morning he should ask it
of the king that Mordecai might be hanged thereon. So he commended her
advice, and gave order to his servants to prepare the gallows, and to
place it in the court, for the punishment of Mordecai thereon, which was
accordingly prepared. But God laughed to scorn the wicked expectations
of Haman; and as he knew what the event would be, he was delighted at
it, for that night he took away the king's sleep; and as the king was
not willing to lose the time of his lying awake, but to spend it in
something that might be of advantage to his kingdom, he commanded the
scribe to bring him the chronicles of the former kings, and the records
of his own actions; and when he had brought them, and was reading them,
one was found to have received a country on account of his excellent
management on a certain occasion, and the name of the country was set
down; another was found to have had a present made him on account of his
fidelity: then the scribe came to Bigthan and Teresh, the eunuchs that
had made a conspiracy against the king, which Mordecai had discovered;
and when the scribe said no more but that, and was going on to another
history, the king stopped him, and inquired "whether it was not added
that Mordecai had a reward given him?" and when he said there was no
such addition, he bade him leave off; and he inquired of those that were
appointed for that purpose, what hour of the night it was; and when he
was informed that it was already day, he gave order, that if they found
any one of his friends already come, and standing before the court, they
should tell him. Now