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BOOK I.-CONTINUED.

CHAP. XXV.

Archelaus procures a reconciliation between Alexander, Pheroras, and Herod.

§. 1. Now as to Alexander, since he perceived it impossible to persuade his father [that he was innocent,] he resolvto meet his calamities how severe soever they were; so he composed four books against his enemies, and confessed that he had been in a plot; but declared withal that the greatest part [of the courtiers] were in a plot with him, and chiefly Pheroras, and Salome; nay, that Salome once came, and forced him to lie with her in the night time, whether he would or no. These books were put into Herod's hands, and made a great clamour against the men in power. And now it was that Archelaus came hastily into Judea as being affrighted for his son-in-law, and his daughter; and he came as a proper assistant, and in a very prudent manner, and by a stratagem he obliged the king not to execute what he had threatened; for when he has come to him he cried out, "Where in the world is this wretched son-in-law of mine? "Where shall I see the head of his which contrived to mur"der his father, which I will tear to pieces with my own "hands. I will do the same also to my daughter, who hath "such a fine husband: for although she be not a partner in "the plot, yet, by being the wife of such a creature, she is "polluted. And I cannot but admire at thy patience, against "whom this plot is laid, if Alexander be still alive; for as "I came with what haste I could from Cappadocia, I expected to find him put to death, for his crimes long ago; "but still in order to make an examination with thee about "my daughter, whom, out of regard to thee, and thy dig. nity, I had espoused to him in marriage; but now we "must take counsel about them both; and if thy paternal affection be so great that thou canst not punish thy son, who hath plotted against thee, let us change our right "hands, and let us succeed one to the other in expressing our rage upon this occasion."

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2. When he had made this pompous declaration, he got Herod to remit of his anger, though he were. in disorder, who thereupon gave him the books which Alexander had composed to be read by him, and as he came to every head, he considered of it, together with Herod. So Archelaus took hence the occasion for that stratagem which he made use of, and by degrees he had the blame on those men whose names were in these books, and especially upon Pheroras; and when he saw that the king believed him [to be in earnest,] he said, "We must consider whether the young man "be not himself plotted against by such a number of wicked "wretches, and not thou plotted against by the young man ; "for I cannot see any occasion for his falling into so horrid "a crime, since he enjoys the advantages of royalty already, "and has the expectation of being one of thy successors; I mean this unless there were some persons that persuade "him to it, and such persons as make an ill use of the facility they know there is to persuade young men; for by "such persons, not only young men are sometimes imposed upon, but old men also, and by them sometimes are the "most illustrious families and kingdoms overturned.”

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3. Herod assented to what he had said, and, by degrees, abated of his anger against Alexander; but was more angry at Pheroras; for the principal subject of the four books was Pheroras, who perceiving that the king's inclinations changed on a sudden, and that Archelaus' friendship could do every thing with him, and that he had no honourable method of preserving himself, he procured his safety by his impudence. So he left Alexander, and had recourse to Archelaus, who told him, that "he did not see how he could "get him excused, now he was directly caught in so many "crimes, whereby it was evidently demonstrated that he had plotted against the king, and had been the cause of those "misfortunes which the young man was now under, unless "he would moreover leave off his cunning knavery, and his "denials of what he was charged withal, and confess the "charge, and implore pardon of his brother, who still had 66 a kindness for him; but that if he would do so, he would "afford him all the assistance he was able."

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4. With this advice Pheroras complied, and, putting himself into such a habit as might most move compassion, he came with black cloth upon his body, and tears in his eyes, and threw himself down at Herod's feet, and begged his par

don for what he had done, and confessed that he had acted very wickedly, and was guilty of every thing that he had been accused of, and lamented that disorder of his mind, and distraction which his love to a woman, he said, had brought him to. So when Archelaus had brought Pheroras to accuse and bear witness against himself, he then made an excuse for him, and mitigated Herod's anger towards him, and this by using certain domestical examples; " for that "when he had suffered much greater mischiefs from a bro"ther of his own, he preferred the obligations of nature, be"fore the passions of revenge; because it is in kingdoms as "it is in gross bodies, where some member or other is ever "swelled by the body's weight, in which case it is not proper to cut off such member, but to heal it by a gentler " method of cure."

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5. Upon Archelaus' saying this, and much more to the same purpose, Herod's displeasure against Pheroras was mollified; yet did he persevere in his own indignation against Alexander, and said, he would have his daughter divorced, and taken away from him, and this till he had brought Herod to that pass, that, contrary to his former behaviour to him, he petitioned Archelaus for the young man, and that he would let his daughter continue espoused to him: but Archelaus made him strongly believe that he would permit her to be married to any one else, but not to Alexander, be-. cause he looked upon it as a very valuable advantage, that the relation they had contracted by that affinity, and the privileges that went along with it might be preserved. And when the king said, that his son would take it for a great favour to him if he would not dissolve that marriage, espe cially since they had already children between the young man and her, and since that wife of his was so well beloved by him, and that as while she remains his wife she would be a great preservative to him, and keep him from offending, as he had formerly done; so if she should be once torn away from him, she would be the cause of his falling into despair; because such young men's attempts are best mollified, when they are diverted from them by setting their affectious at home. So Archelaus complied with what Herod desired, but not without difficulty, and was both himself reconciled to the young man, and reconciled his father to him also. However, he said he must by all means, be sent to

Rome to discourse with Cæsar, because he had already written a full account to him of this whole matter.

6. Thus a period was put to Archelaus' stratagem, whereby he delivered his son-in-law, out of the dangers he was in but when these reconciliations were over, they spent their time in feastings and agreeable entertainments. And when Archelaus was going away, Herod made him a present of seventy talents, with a golden throne set with precious stones, and some eunuchs, and a concubine who was called Pannychis. He also paid due honours to every one of his friends according to their dignity, in like manner did all the king's kindred, by his command, make glorious presents to Archelaus; and so he was conducted on his way by Herod and his uobility, as far as Antioch.

CHAP. XXVI.

How Eurycles calumniated the sons of Mariamne: and how Eu aratus of Cos's apology for them had no effect.

§ 1. Now a little afterward there came into Judea a man that was much superior to Archelaus' stratagems, who did not only overturn that reconciliation that had been so wisely made with Alexander, but proved the occasion of his ruin. He was a Lacedemonian, and his name was Eurycles. He was so corrupt a man, that, out of the desire of getting money, he chose to live under a king, for Grecce could not suffice his luxury. He presented Herod with splendid gifts, as a bait which he laid in order to compass his ends, and quickly receiv ed them back again manifold; yet did he esteem bare gifts as nothing, unless he embrued the kingdom in blood by his purchases. Accordingly he imposed upon the king by flattering him, and by talking subtilely to him, as also by the lying encomiums which he made upon him; for as he soon perceived Herod's blind side, so he said and did every thing that

This vile fellow, Eurycles- the Lacedemonian, seems to have been the same who is mentioned by Plutarch, as 25 years before a companion to Mark Antony, and as living with Herod: whence he might easily insinuate himself into the acquaintance of Herod's sons, Antipater and Alexander, as Usher, Hudson, and Spanheim justly suppose. The reason why his being a Spartan rendered him acceptable to the Jews, as we here see he was, is visible from the public records of the Jews and Spartans, owning those Spartans to be of kin to the Jews, and derived from their common ancestor Abraham, the first patriarch of the Jewish nation. Antiq. B. xii. chap. iv, § 10. B. xiii. chap. v. § 8. vol. iii, and 1 Macc. B. xii chap. vii.

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