It was so
then after the death of his mother, Tobias went from Nineveh with his
wife and his sons, and the sons of his sons, and returned unto his
wife's father and mother, whom they found in good health and good age,
and took the cure and charge of them, and were with them unto their
death, and closed their eyes. And Tobias received all the heritage of
the house of Raguel and saw the sons of his sons unto the fifth
generation. And when he had complished ninety-nine years he died in the
dread of God, and with joy they buried him. All his cognation [kindred]
and all his generation [offspring] abode in good life and in holy
conversation, and in such wise as they were acceptable as well to God as
to men, and to all dwelling on the earth.

HERE BEGINNETH THE STORY OF JUDITH

_Which is read the last Sunday of October_

Arpaxhad, king of the Medes, subdued into his empire many peoples and
edified a mighty city, which he named Ecbatane, and made it with stones
squared, and polished them. The walls thereof were of height seventy
cubits, and of breadth thirty cubits, and the towers thereof were an
hundred cubits high. And he glorified himself as he that was mighty in
puissance and in the glory of his host and of his chariots.
Nebuchadnezzar then in the twelfth year of his reign, which was king of
the Assyrians, and reigned in the city of Nineveh, fought against
Arphaxad and took him in the field, whereof Nebuchadnezzar was exalted
and enhanced himself, and sent unto all regions about and unto Jerusalem
till the Mounts of Ethiopia, for to obey and hold of him. Which all
gainsaid him with one will, and without worship sent home his messengers
void, and set nought by him. Then Nebuchadnezzar, having them at great
indignation, swore by his reign and by his throne that he would avenge
him on them all, and thereupon called all his dukes, princes, and men of
war, and held a counsel in which was decreed that he should subdue all
the world unto his empire. And thereupon he ordained Holofernes prince
of his knighthood, and bade him go forth, and in especial against them
that had despised his empire; and bade him spare no realm ne town but
subdue all to him. Then Holofernes assembled dukes and masters of the
strength of Nebuchadnezzar, and numbered one hundred and twenty thousand
footmen, and horsemen shooters twelve thousand. And tofore them he
commanded to go a multitude of innumerable camels laden with such things
as were ne