the wars of the jews-第23节

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y　threatened　them　a　little；　as　a　king；　but　for　the　main；　he　admonished　them　as　a　father；　and　exhorted　them　to　love　their　brethren；　and　told　them　that　he　would　pardon　their　former　offenses；　if　they　would　amend　for　the　time　to　come。　But　they　refuted　the　calumnies　that　had　been　raised　of　them；　and　said　they　were　false；　and　alleged　that　their　actions　were　sufficient　for　their　vindication；　and　said　withal；　that　he　himself　ought　to　shut　his　ears　against　such　tales；　and　not　be　too　easy　in　believing　them；　for　that　there　would　never　be　wanting　those　that　would　tell　lies　to　their　disadvantage；　as　long　as　any　would　give　ear　to　them。

5。　When　they　had　thus　soon　pacified　him；　as　being　their　father；　they　got　clear　of　the　present　fear　they　were　in。　Yet　did　they　see　occasion　for　sorrow　in　some　time　afterward；　for　they　knew　that　Salome；　as　well　as　their　uncle　Pheroras；　were　their　enemies；　who　were　both　of　them　heavy　and　severe　persons；　and　especially　Pheroras；　who　was　a　partner　with　Herod　in　all　the　affairs　of　the　kingdom；　excepting　his　diadem。　He　had　also　a　hundred　talents　of　his　own　revenue；　and　enjoyed　the　advantage　of　all　the　land　beyond　Jordan；　which　he　had　received　as　a　gift　from　his　brother；　who　had　asked　of　Caesar　to　make　him　a　tetrarch；　as　he　was　made　accordingly。　Herod　had　also　given　him　a　wife　out　of　the　royal　family；　who　was　no　other　than　his　own　wife's　sister；　and　after　her　death　had　solemnly　espoused　to　him　his　own　eldest　daughter；　with　a　dowry　of　three　hundred　talents；　but　Pheroras　refused　to　consummate　this　royal　marriage；　out　of　his　affection　to　a　maidservant　of　his。　Upon　which　account　Herod　was　very　angry；　and　gave　that　daughter　in　marriage　to　a　brother's　son　of　his；　＇Joseph；＇　who　was　slain　afterward　by　the　Parthians；　but　in　some　time　he　laid　aside　his　anger　against　Pheroras；　and　pardoned　him；　as　one　not　able　to　overcome　his　foolish　passion　for　the　maid…servant。

6。　Nay；　Pheroras　had　been　accused　long　before；　while　the　queen　＇Mariamne＇　was　alive；　as　if　he　were　in　a　plot　to　poison　Herod；　and　there　came　then　so　great　a　number　of　informers；　that　Herod　himself；　though　he　was　an　exceeding　lover　of　his　brethren；　was　brought　to　believe　what　was　said；　and　to　be　afraid　of　it　also。　And　when　he　had　brought　many　of　those　that　were　under　suspicion　to　the　torture；　he　came　at　last　to　Pheroras's　own　friends；　none　of　which　did　openly　confess　the　crime；　but　they　owned　that　he　had　made　preparation　to　take　her　whom　he　loved；　and　run　away　to　the　Parthians。　Costobarus　also；　the　husband　of　Salome；　to　whom　the　king　had　given　her　in　marriage；　after　her　former　husband　had　been　put　to　death　for　adultery；　was　instrumental　in　bringing　about　this　contrivance　and　flight　of　his。　Nor　did　Salome　escape　all　calumny　upon　herself；　for　her　brother　Pheroras　accused　her　that　she　had　made　an　agreement　to　marry　Silleus；　the　procurator　of　Obodas；　king　of　Arabia；　who　was　at　bitter　enmity　with　Herod；　but　when　she　was　convicted　of　this；　and　of　all　that　Pheroras　had　accused　her　of；　she　obtained　her　pardon。　The　king　also　pardoned　Pheroras　himself　the　crimes　he　had　been　accused　of。

7。　But　the　storm　of　the　whole　family　was　removed　to　Alexander；　and　all　of　it　rested　upon　his　head。　There　were　three　eunuchs　who　were　in　the　highest　esteem　with　the　king；　as　was　plain　by　the　offices　they　were　in　about　him；　for　one　of　them　was　appointed　to　be　his　butler；　another　of　them　got　his　supper　ready　for　him；　and　the　third　put　him　into　bed；　and　lay　down　by　him。　Now　Alexander　had　prevailed　with　these　men；　by　large　gifts；　to　let　him　use　them　after　an　obscene　manner；　which；　when　it　was　told　to　the　king；　they　were　tortured；　and　found　guilty；　and　presently　confessed　the　criminal　conversation　he　had　with　them。　They　also　discovered　the　promises　by　which　they　were　induced　so　to　do；　and　how　they　were　deluded　by　Alexander；　who　had　told　them　that　they　ought　not　to　fix　their　hopes　upon　Herod；　an　old　man；　and　one　so　shameless　as　to　color　his　hair；　unless　they　thought　that　would　make　him　young　again；　but　that　they　ought　to　fix　their　attention　to　him　who　was　to　be　his　successor　in　the　kingdom；　whether　he　would　or　not；　and　who　in　no　long　time　would　avenge　himself　on　his　enemies；　and　make　his　friends　happy　and　blessed；　and　themselves　in　the　first　place；　that　the　men　of　power　did　already　pay　respects　to　Alexander　privately；　and　that　the　captains　of　the　soldiery；　and　the　officers；　did　secretly　come　to　him。

8。　These　confessions　did　so　terrify　Herod；　that　he　durst　not　immediately　publish　them；　but　he　sent　spies　abroad　privately；　by　night　and　by　day；　who　should　make　a　close　inquiry　after　all　that　was　done　and　said；　and　when　any　were　but　suspected　＇of　treason＇；　he　put　them　to　death；　insomuch　that　the　palace　was　full　of　horribly　unjust　proceedings；　for　every　body　forged　calumnies；　as　they　were　themselves　in　a　state　of　enmity　or　hatred　against　others；　and　many　there　were　who　abused　the　king's　bloody　passion　to　the　disadvantage　of　those　with　whom　they　had　quarrels；　and　lies　were　easily　believed；　and　punishments　were　inflicted　sooner　than　the　calumnies　were　forged。　He　who　had　just　then　been　accusing　another　was　accused　himself；　and　was　led　away　to　execution　together　with　him　whom　he　had　convicted；　for　the　danger　the　king　was　in　of　his　life　made　examinations　be　very　short。　He　also　proceeded　to　such　a　degree　of　bitterness；　that　he　could　not　look　on　any　of　those　that　were　not　accused　with　a　pleasant　countenance；　but　was　in　the　most　barbarous　disposition　towards　his　own　friends。　Accordingly；　he　forbade　a　great　many　of　them　to　come　to　court；　and　to　those　whom　he　had　not　power　to　punish　actually　he　spake　harshly。　But　for　Antipater；　he　insulted　Alexander；　now　he　was　under　his　misfortunes；　and　got　a　stout　company　of　his　kindred　together；　and　raised　all　sorts　of　calumny　against　him；　and　for　the　king；　he　was　brought　to　such　a　degree　of　terror　by　those　prodigious　slanders　and　contrivances；　that　he　fancied　he　saw　Alexander　coming　to　him　with　a　drawn　sword　in　his　hand。　So　he　caused　him　to　be　seized　upon　immediately；　and　bound；　and　fell　to　examining　his　friends　by　torture；　many　of　whom　died　＇under　the　torture＇；　but　would　discover　nothing；　nor　say　any　thing　against　their　consciences；　but　some　of　them；　being　forced　to　speak　falsely　by　the　pains　they　endured；　said　that　Alexander；　and　his　brother　Aristobulus；　plotted　against　him；　and　waited　for　an　opportunity　to　kill　him　as　he　was　hunting；　and　then　fly　away　to　Rome。　These　accusations　though　they　were　of　an　incredible　nature；　and　only　framed　upon　the　great　distress　they　were　in；　were　readily　believed　by　the　king；　who　thought　it　some　comfort　to　him；　after　he　had　bound　his　son；　that　it　might　appear　he　had　not　done　it　unjustly。

CHAPTER　25。

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　resolved　to　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　clamor　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　was　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　him　which　contrived　to　murder　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　by　dignity；　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。〃

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　Archclaus　took　hence　the　occasion　for　that　stratagem　which　he　made　use　of；　and　by　degrees　he　laid　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　he　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