villany, said that it was Salome who was the framer of this plot; and that the words came from her. But as soon as she heard that (for she was at hand,) she cried out, like one that would be believed, that no such thing ever came out of her mouth; that they all earnestly endeavoured to make the king hate her, and to make her away; because of the good will she bore to Herod; and because she was always foreseeing the dangers that were coming upon him; and that at present there were more plots against him than usual, for while she was the only person who persuaded her brother to put away the wife he now had, and to take the king's daughter, it was no wonder if she were hated by him. As she said this, and tore her hair, and beat her breast, her countenance made her denial to be believed: but the perverseness of her manners declared at the same time her dissimulation in these proceedings. But Pheroras was caught between them, and had nothing plausible to offer in his own defence.While he confessed that he had said what was charged upon him, but was not believed when he said he had heard it from Salome. So the confusion among them was increased, and their quarrelsome words one to another. At last the king, out of his hatred to his brother and sister, sent them both away: and when he had commended the moderation of his son, and that he had himself told him of the report, he went in the evening to refresh himself. After such a contest as this had fallen out among them, Salome's reputation suffered greatly: since she was supposed to have first raised the calumny. And the king's wives were grieved at her, as knowing she was a very ill-natured woman, and would sometimes be a friend, and sometimes an enemy, at different seasons. So they perpetually said one thing or other against her; and somewhat that now happened made them bolder in speaking against her.

There was one Obodas, king of Arabia, an inactive and slothful man in his nature. But Sylleus managed most of his affairs for him. He was a shrewd man, although but young; and was handsome withal. This Sylleus, upon some occasion, coming to Herod, and supping with him, saw Salome; and set his heart upon her and understanding that she was a widow, he discoursed with her. Now because Salome was at this time

less in favour with her brother, she looked upon Sylleus, with some passion; and was very earnest to be married to him. And on the following days there appeared many indications of their agreement together. Now the women carried this news to the king, and laughed at the indecency of it. Accordingly Herod inquired about it of Pheroras, and desired him to observe at supper, how their behaviour was towards each other: and he learnt, that by the signals which came from their heads and their eyes, they both were evidently in love. After this, Sylleus the Arabian, being suspected, went away; but came again two or three months afterward; as it were on that very design, and spake to Herod about it, and desired that Salome might be given him in marriage; for that this affinity might not be disadvantageous to his affairs, by an union with Arabia; the government of which country was already in effect under his power, and more evidently would be his hereafter. Accordingly when Herod discoursed with his sister about it, and asked her, whether she were disposed to this match? she immediately agreed to it. But when Sylleus was desired to come over to the Jewish religion, and then he should marry her; and that it was impossible to do it on any other terms; he would not hear that proposal, but went his way. For he said that, if he should do so, he should be stoned by the Arabs. Then did Pheroras reproach Salome for her incontinency; as did the women much more and said, that Sylleus had debauched her. As for that damsel, whom the king had betrothed to his brother Pheroras, but he had not taken her, as I have before related, because he was enamoured of his former wife; Salome desired of Herod she might be given to her son by Costobarus: but he was dissuaded from it by Pheroras: who pleaded, that this young man would not be kind to her, since his father had been slain by him, and that it was more just that his son, who was to be his successor in the tetrarchy, should have her. 'Accordingly the damsel, upon this change of her espousals, was disposed of to this young man, the son of Pheroras: the king giving, for her portion, an hundred talents.

THE

CHAP. VIII.

OF FRESH DISTURBANCES WHICH AROSE IN HEROD'S FAMILY; HARSH TREATMENT OF ALEXANDER, AND HIS SUBSEQUENT RECONCILIATION TO HIS FATHER.

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THE affairs of Herod's family were no better; but perpetually became more troublesome. And an accident happened, which proceeded so far as to bring great difficulties upon him. There were certain eunuchs whom the king had : and, on account of their beauty, he was very fond of them and the care of bringing him drink was intrusted to one of them; of bringing him his supper to another; and of putting him to bed to a third, who also managed the principal affairs of the government. Now some person told the king that these eunuchs were corrupted by his son Alexander, with great sums of money. And when they were asked whether Alexander had had criminal conversation with them, they confessed it: but said, they knew of no farther mischief of his against his father. But when they were more severely tortured, and were in the utmost extremity, and the tormentors, out of compliance with Antipater, stretched the rack to the very utmost; they said, that Alexander bore great ill will and innate hatred to his father; and that he told them, that Herod despaired to live much longer; and that in order to cover his great age, he coloured his hair black; and endeavoured to conceal what would discover how old he was. But that if he would apply himself to him, when he should attain the kingdom; which, in spite of his father, could come to no one else; he should quickly have the first place in that kingdom under him. For that he was now ready to take the kingdom, not only as his birth-right; but by the preparations he had made for obtaining it because a great many of the rulers and a great many of his friends, were on his side, and those, ready both to do and suffer whatsoever should come on that

account.

Herod heard this confession, with mingled emotions of rage and fear: some parts of it seeming to him reproachful, and some making him suspicious of dangers which attended him, insomuch that on both accounts he was provoked; and bitterly afraid lest some more heavy plot was laid against him than he should be then able to escape. He, therefore, sent about spies to watch such as he suspected. For he was now overwhelmed with suspicion aud hatred against all about him: and indulging abundance of those suspicions, in order to his preservation, he continued to suspect those that were guiltless. Nor did he set any bounds to himself: but supposing that those who stayed with him had the most power to hurt him, they were to him very frightful. And for those that did not use to come to him, it seemed enough to name them to make them suspected: and he thought himself safer when they were destroyed. And at last his domestics were come to that pass, that, being no way secure of escaping themselves, they began accusing one another :.imagining that he who first accused another was most likely to save himself. Yet when any had overthrown others, they were hated: and they were thought to suffer justly, who unjustly accused others; and they only thereby prevented their own accusation. Nay, they now executed their own private enemies by this means, and when they were caught they were punished in the same way. Thus these men contrived to make use of this opportunity, as an instrument, and a snare, against their enemies: yet when they tried it, were themselves caught also in the same suare which they laid for others. And the king soon repented of what he had done, because he had no clear evidence of the guilt of those whom he had slain. And yet, what was still more severe in him, he did not make use of his repentance in order to leave off doing the like again; but in order to inflict the same punishments upon their accusers.

In this state of disorder were the affairs of the palace: and Herod had already told many of his friends directly, that they ought not to appear before him, nor come into the palace and the reason of this injunction was, that when they were there he had less freedom of acting, or a greater restraint on himself on

their account. For at this time it was that he expelled Andromachus and Gemellus: men who had of old been his friends; and been very useful to him in the affairs of his kingdom; and been of advantage to his family by their ambassages, and counsels; and had been tutors to his sons; and had, in a manner, the first degree of freedom with him. He expelled Andromachus, because his son Demetrius was a companion to Alexander; and Gemellus, because he knew that he wished him well: having been with him in his youth, when he was at school, and absent at Rome. These he expelled out of his palace; and was willing enough to have done worse by them. But, that he might not seem to take such liberty against men of so great reputation, he contented himself with depriving them of their dignity, and of their power to hinder his wicked proceedings.

Now the author of all these mischiefs was Antipater; who, when he knew what a mad and licentious way of acting his father was in, he hurried him on; and then thought he should bring him to do somewhat to purpose, when every one that could oppose him was taken away. When, therefore, Andromachus and his friends were driven away, and had no discourse nor freedom with the king any longer; the king in the first place examined by torture all whom he thought to be faithful to Alexander, whether they knew of any of his attempts against him: but these died without having any thing to say to that matter. This, however, only made the king more zealous after discoveries; when he could not find out what evil proceedings he suspected them of. As for Antipater, he was very sagacious to raise a calumny against those that were really innocent; as if their denial were only their constancy and fidelity to Alexander; and thereupon provoked Herod to discover, by the torture of great numbers, what attempts were still concealed. Now there was a certain person among the many that were tortured, who said, that he knew the young man had often said, that when he was commended as tall in stature, and a skilful marksman; and that in his other commendable exercises he exceeded all men ; these qualifications given him by nature, though good in themselves, were not advantageous to him; because his father was