John Trapp on Esther 7:8

Verſe 8. Then the King returned one of the Palace-Garden] Where he had either increaſed his choler, and caſt on more fuel by plodding, or (as ſome think) ſtrove to diſgeſt it, as horſes do by biting on the bit.

Ʋt fragilis glacies occidit ira morâ.Ovid.

Ʋnto the houſe of the banquet of wine] Called alſo by the Hebrew Beth-mittoth, Stuccius tiq. Cor[illegible: 1 letter] the houſe of beds triclinium: becauſe at beds they uſed to ſit, as we do at tables to eat and drink. See chap. 1.6.

And Haman was fallen upon the bed whereon Eſther was] he had ſtood up before, (for he ſaw the Queen took no felicity in his company) to make requeſt for his life, which now was in ſuſpenſe; here he falls down, either as ſwooning, or ſupplicating at the Queens feet, to beg her favour. But ſhe very well knew, that there is both a cruel mercy, and a pious cruelty, and that although the ſword of juſtice ſhould be furbiſhed with the oyle of mercy, yet there are caſes (and this was one) wherein ſeverity ought to caſt the ſcale: when there is no hope of curing, men muſt fall to cutting: Immedicabile vulnus, &c.

Then ſaid the King, will be force the Queen alſo] Haman had little minde of any ſuch matter, as being now in the hands of the King of terrours, and ready to be devoured by the firſt-borne of death, as Bildad hath it, Job 18.13. But the angry King was willing to miſinterpret him, and to take all things at the worſt. It is an eaſie matter to finde a cudgel for a dog, to pick a quarrel where men intend a miſchief Ahaſhuerus was not, unwilling to miſconſtrue the poſture of Hamans body, whiles proſtrate he ſpred his armes in a vehement imploration up to the Queens bed. How oft might he have done ſo and more, whileſt he was in favour, uncenſured? Actions are not the ſame when the man alters. Men either judge or not judge as their paſſions and affections carry them. See this Acts 23.9. Before Paul had diſcovered himſelf to be a Phariſee, this man is not worthy to live, ſaid they, but when he had cried out in the Council, I am a Phariſee, the ſonne of a Phariſee, oh how finely do they mince the matter? Perhaps an Angel bath revealed it to him, &c. Paul was an honeſt man then. Impedit ira animum, ne poſſit cernere verum. But though the King were unjuſt in judging thus amiſſe of Haman, yet God was righteous in meaſuring to him as he had meted to others, by belying and ſlandering ſo many innocents as he had deſigned to deſtruction. The devil was and ſtill is, firſt a liar, and then a murtherer, he cannot murther without he ſlander firſt. But God loves to retaliate and proportion device to device, Mic. 2.1, 3. frowardneſſe to frowardneſſe, Pſ. 18.26. ſpoiling to ſpoiling, Eſa. 33.1. tribulation to them that trouble his people, 2 Theſ. 1.6.

As the word went out of the Kings mouth] Either the former words, or elſe ſome words of command not here related, ſuch as are Corripite, velate vultum, take him away, cover his face. And this word was to Haman the meſſenger of death, driving him from the light into darkneſſe, and chaſing him out of the world, Job 18.18. Nay worſe. That book of Job elegantly ſets forth the miſery of a wicked man dying, under the notion of one not only driven out of the light by devils, where he ſhall ſee nothing but his tormentors, but alſo made to ſtand upon ſhares or grinnes with iron teeth, ready to ſtrike up and grinde him to pieces, having gall poured down to his belly, with an inſtrument raking in his bowels, and the pains of a travelling woman upon him, and an hideous noiſe of horrour in his eares,Job. 18.18. & 20.24, 15. & 15.20, 21, 26, 30. and a great Giant with a ſpeare running upon his neck, and a flame burning upon him round about, &c. and yet all this to hell it ſelf is but as a prick with a pin, or a flea-biting.

They covered Hamans face] In token of his irrevocable condition. See Job 9.24. Eſa. 22.17. The Turks caſt a black gown upon ſuch, as they ſit at ſupper with the great Turk,Grand. Sign. Serag. 148. and preſently ſtrangle them. Many of their Viſiers or greateſt Favourites die in this ſort, which makes them uſe this proverb, He that is greateſt in office is but a Statue of glaſſe. Plutarch wittily compareth great men to counters, which now ſtand for a thouſand pound, and anon for a farthing.— Sic tranſit gloria mundi. Quem dies veniens vidit ſuperbum, Hunc dies abiens vidit jacentem. Haman for inſtance, and ſo Sejanus, the ſame Senatours who accompanied him to the Senate, conducted him to priſon; they which ſacrificed unto him as to their god, which kneeled down to adore him, ſcoffed at him, ſeeing him dragged from the Temple to the Goale, from ſupreme honour, to extreme ignominy. Ludit in humanis divina potentia rebus. [illegible: 1 letter]ertinax Imp. fortunae pila dictus eſt. One reaſon why the King flang out of the room, and went into the Palace-garden, might be becauſe he could not endure the ſight of Haman any more. Wherefore upon his return they inſtantly covered his face. Some ſay, the manner was, that when the King of Perſia was moſt highly offended with any man,Tanquam indignus qui regem oculis u [illegible: 1 letter]rparet Druſ Sen. Tac. Tull. pro Rab. Liv. his face was immediately covered, to ſhew that he was unworthy to ſee the Sun, whom they counted their god; or to be an eyeſore to the diſpleaſed King. Among the Romanes it was, Majeſtas laeſa ſi exe[illegible: 2 letters]ti Proconſulimerettix non ſun movetur, high treaſon for any Strumpet to ſtand in the Proconſuls way, whenſoever he came abroad. The ſtatues of the gods were tranſported or covered in thoſe places where any puniſhment was inflicted. That in Tully and Livy is well knowen, I[illegible: 1 letter]lictor colliga manus, caput abnubito, arbori infelici ſuſpendito. Go Hangman, binde his hands, cover his face, hang him on the Gallow-tree. This was their condemnatory ſentence.