eat among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of
his brethren; seeking the good of his people, and speaking peace to
all his race.

{80}

JUDITH

PERSONS OF THE STORY.

_Judith, a widow of Bethulia_.
_Holofernes, captain of the hosts of Nebuchadnezzar_.
_Ozias, elder in Bethulia_.
_Maid of Judith's_.
_People of Bethulia, soldiers of Holofernes_.

PLACE OF THE STORY.

_Bethulia_.
_Camp of Holofernes_.
_Tent of Holofernes_.

JUDITH.

(The story of Judith, and how she delivered Israel by cutting off the
head of Holofernes, a great captain of the armies of King
Nebuchadnezzar, is told in the Apocrypha.

According to the story, King Nebuchadnezzar made war upon Arphaxad,
king of the Medes. He summoned all nations to aid him, and having been
victorious, he sent an army of 132,000 men to take vengeance upon
those nations which refused to come at his call. This great army swept
down from the North, destroying everything in its path.)

_The March of Holofernes_.

And Holofernes went forth from the presence of his lord, and called
all the governors and the captains and {81} officers of the host of
Asshur; and he numbered chosen men for the battle, as his lord had
commanded him, up to a hundred and twenty thousand, and twelve
thousand archers on horseback; and he ranged them, as a great army is
ordered for the war. And he took camels and asses and mules for their
baggage, an exceeding great multitude; and sheep and oxen and goats
without number for their provision; and great stores of food for every
man, and exceeding much gold and silver out of the king's house. And
he went forth, he and all his host, on their journey, to go before
King Nebuchadnezzar, and to cover all the face of the earth westward
with their chariots and horsemen and chosen footmen. And a great
company of many nations went forth with them like locusts, and like
the sand of the earth: for they could not be numbered by reason of
their multitude.

And they went out of Nineveh three days' journey toward the plain of
Bectileth, and encamped from Bectileth near the mountain which is at
the left hand of the upper Cilicia. And he took all his host, his
footmen and horsemen and chariots, and went away from thence into the
hill country, and destroyed many peoples.

And the fear and the dread of him fell upon them that dwelt on the sea
coast, from the north to the south. And they sent to him messengers
with words of peace, sayi