All that night the king could not sleep; so he would have the annals of his reign brought to him, the record of times past, and they began to read these out in his presence.

In the reading of them, they came upon the story of the plot made by two chamberlains, Bagathan and Thares, to murder the king, and how Mardochaeus gave information of it.

And for this loyalty, the king asked, what honours or rewards were given to Mardochaeus? But page and courtier were agreed, Mardochaeus was never the better for it.

Who is out there in the court? the king asked. It was Aman, come into the inner court to find audience with the king, and have Mardochaeus hanged on his gallows;

so when they told him it was Aman, Let him come in, the king said.

Aman, said Assuerus, when he came in, what should a king do, if his heart is set on raising one of his subjects to great honour? And Aman, casting about in his mind, could think of no other man that would be so marked out for the royal favour, but himself.

Why, said he, if such a man is to be honoured indeed,

he should be dressed in royal robes, mounted on the king’s own horse, and crowned with the royal crown;

and let him ride through the city streets, with the noblest of all the king’s vassals crying out at his bridle-rein, So he rides, whom most the king would honour.

Lose no time, then, the king answered; bring robe and horse, and do as much thyself for the Jew Mardochaeus, that sits there at the palace gates. And have a care that none of the ceremonies thou speakest of goes unobserved.

So Aman must bring robe and horse, must dress Mardochaeus and mount him, and then go through the city streets at his bridle-rein, crying out, So he rides, whom most the king would honour.

That done, Mardochaeus went back to his post at the palace gates, while Aman made the best of his way home, weeping loud and hiding away his head.

To his wife Zares and to all his friends he told the story of what befell; but from wife and counsellors he could get no comfort. If he is of the Jewish race,✻ they said, this Mardochaeus who has begun to outmatch thee, thou wilt never get the better of him; yield to him thou must.

And even as they spoke, in came the royal chamberlains, and hurried him off to the feast the queen had prepared for him.