John Trapp on Esther 2:18

Verſe 18. Then the King made a great feaſt] Feaſts are never more in ſeaſon, then at the recovery of the loſt rib. See the note on Gen. 29.22.

Ʋnto all his Princes and his ſervants] So did Mauritius the Emperour of Greece, Niceph. l. 18. c. 8. when he married Conſtantina; and Henry the third Emperour of Germany, when he married Agnes, daughter to the Prince of Pictavia, at Ingelheim. Whither when a great ſort of Players, Fidlers, Jeſters and Juglers reſorted,Funcc. [illegible: 1 letter]d annum 1044. he not only ſent them away without reward, but alſo without meat and drink, which he liberally beſtowed upon the poor.

Even Eſthers feaſt] So he called it, to teſtifie his great affection and reſpect toward his Spouſe. This is no warrant for that Popiſh cuſtome, of dedicating feaſts to the honour of Saints; or for that heatheniſh practice, in ſome places amongſt us, of keeping Wakes.

And he made a releaſe to the Provinces] That is, he cauſed it to be kept Holiday, as Joſephus hath it. Or rather he granted to his ſubjects a relaxation, on feeed me from their taxes, tributes and publike payments, for a time at leaſt, that thereby the New Queen might get favour and authority amongſt them, and all men might wiſh them much joy and happineſſe, that the loines of the people might bleſſe their Prince and his marriage for this breathing and intermiſſion; when as formerly his Exactours received from his ſubjects no leſſe ſummes of curſes then of coine, to maintaine his luxury.

And gave gifts] Such as Xenophon reckoneth up, bracelets, chaines of gold, garments, horſes with rich trappings,Cyr[illegible: 1 letter]ſal. l. 8. diſhes from his own table, &c. This was Kingly, this was god-like, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. James 1.5. His ſonne Artaxerxes Longimanus was wont to ſay, that he had therefore one hand longer then another, that he might be readier to give then to receive. Of Cyrus it is ſaid, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Xenoph. Bonſin. that he took more content in giving then receiving. Of Steven King of Hungary, and of Oſwald King of England, that their right hands rotted not off, a long while after they were dead, becauſe oft ſtretched out in giving gifts, and dealing almes. Chriſt received that he might give, Pſal. 68.18. Eph. 4.8. And held it more bleſſed to give then to receive, Acts 20.35. Be wiſe now therefore, O ye Kings, &c. by your bounty and liberality the people ſhall be obliged, the State fenced, vertue encouraged, miſery relieved, that you have ſecured. For, Extra for tunam eſt quicquid donatur amicisMar[illegible: 1 letter]ial. Q[illegible: 1 letter]as dederis ſolas, ſemper habebis opes.

According to the ſtate of the King] Not pinchingly and ſparingly, but bountifully, and as became a King: as Alexander the Great, when he ſent his Tutour a ſhip full of frankincenſe: and when a poor man asked him for an almes, he gave him a City, which when the poor man ſtarted at and made ſtrange of, Alexander ſaid unto him, Non quaero quid te accipere deceat, ſed quid me dare, Sen. de benef. l. 2. c 16. The queſtion is not what thou ſhouldeſt receive, but what it beſeemeth me to give. And thus is the marriage of Eſther ſolemnized with ſtate and pomp ſuitable: thus is Gods Promiſe made by Jeremy fulfilled, that if Jechoniah would not ſtand out againſt Nebuchadnezzar, but yield up the City, and go into captivity, it ſhould be well with him and the people in the land of their captivity. It was ſo with him,Pſal. 89 33. Jer. 52.31. it was ſo likewiſe with Eſther, Daniel, and many others by their meanes. And why? God will not ſuffer his faithfulneſſe to faile, nor alter the word that is gone out of his month.