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suspicions　about　him　afterwards。

7。　At　this　time　a　report　went　about　the　city　Jerusalem　among
Herod's　enemies；　that　Antony　had　tortured　Herod；　and　put　him　to
death。　This　report；　as　is　natural；　disturbed　those　that　were
about　the　palace；　but　chiefly　the　women；　upon　which　Alexandra
endeavored　to　persuade　Joseph　to　go　out　of　the　palace；　and　fly
away　with　them　to　the　ensigns　of　the　Roman　legion；　which　then　lay
encamped　about　the　city；　as　a　guard　to　the　kingdom；　under　the
command　of　Julius；　for　that　by　this　means；　if　any　disturbance
should　happen　about　the　palace；　they　should　be　in　greater
security；　as　having　the　Romans　favorable　to　them；　and　that
besides；　they　hoped　to　obtain　the　highest　authority；　if　Antony
did　but　once　see　Mariamne；　by　whose　means　they　should　recover　the
kingdom；　and　want　nothing　which　was　reasonable　for　them　to　hope
for；　because　of　their　royal　extraction。

8。　But　as　they　were　in　the　midst　of　these　deliberations；　letters
were　brought　from　Herod　about　all　his　affairs；　and　proved
contrary　to　the　report；　and　of　what　they　before　expected；　for
when　he　was　come　to　Antony；　he　soon　recovered　his　interest　with
him；　by　the　presents　he　made　him；　which　he　had　brought　with　him
from　Jerusalem；　and　he　soon　induced　him；　upon　discoursing　with
him；　to　leave　off　his　indignation　at　him；　so　that　Cleopatra's
persuasions　had　less　force　than　the　arguments　and　presents　he
brought　to　regain　his　friendship；　for　Antony　said　that　it　was　not
good　to　require　an　account　of　a　king；　as　to　the　affairs　of　his
government；　for　at　this　rate　he　could　be　no　king　at　all；　but　that
those　who　had　given　him　that　authority　ought　to　permit　him　to
make　use　of　it。　He　also　said　the　same　things　to　Cleopatra；　that
it　would　be　best　for　her　not　busily　to　meddle　with　the　acts　of
the　king's　government。　Herod　wrote　an　account　of　these　things；
and　enlarged　upon　the　other　honors　which　he　had　received　from
Antony；　how　he　sat　by　him　at　his　hearing　causes；　and　took　his
diet　with　him　every　day；　and　that　he　enjoyed　those　favors　from
him；　notwithstanding　the　reproaches　that　Cleopatra　so　severely
laid　against　him；　who　having　a　great　desire　of　his　country；　and
earnestly　entreating　Antony　that　the　kingdom　might　be　given　to
her；　labored　with　her　utmost　diligence　to　have　him　out　of　the
way；　but　that　he　still　found　Antony　just　to　him；　and　had　no
longer　any　apprehensions　of　hard　treatment　from　him；　and　that　he
was　soon　upon　his　return；　with　a　firmer　additional　assurance　of
his　favor　to　him；　in　his　reigning　and　managing　public　affairs；
and　that　there　was　no　longer　any　hope　for　Cleopatra's　covetous
temper；　since　Antony　had　given　her　Celesyria　instead　of　what　she
had　desired；　by　which　means　he　had　at　once　pacified　her；　and　got
clear　of　the　entreaties　which　she　made　him　to　have　Judea　bestowed
upon　her。

9。　When　these　letters　were　brought；　the　women　left　off　their
attempt　for　flying　to　the　Romans；　which　they　thought　of　while
Herod　was　supposed　to　be　dead；　yet　was　not　that　purpose　of　theirs
a　secret；　but　when　the　king　had　conducted　Antony　on　his　way
against　the　Partnians；　he　returned　to　Judea；　when　both　his　sister
Salome　and　his　mother　informed　him　of　Alexandra's　intentions。
Salome　also　added　somewhat　further　against　Joseph；　though　it　was
no　more　than　a　calumny；　that　he　had　often　had　criminal
conversation　with　Mariamne。　The　reason　of　her　saying　so　was　this；
that　she　for　a　long　time　bare　her　ill…will；　for　when　they　had
differences　with　one　another；　Mariamne　took　great　freedoms；　and
reproached　the　rest　for　the　meanness　of　their　birth。　But　Herod；
whose　affection　to　Mariamne　was　always　very　warm；　was　presently
disturbed　at　this；　and　could　not　bear　the　torments　of　jealousy；
but　was　still　restrained　from　doing　any　rash　thing　to　her　by　the
love　he　had　for　her；　yet　did　his　vehement　affection　and　jealousy
together　make　him　ask　Mariamne　by　herself　about　this　matter　of
Joseph；　but　she　denied　it　upon　her　oath；　and　said　all　that　an
innocent　woman　could　possibly　say　in　her　own　defense；　so　that　by
little　and　little　the　king　was　prevailed　upon　to　drop　the
suspicion；　and　left　off　his　anger　at　her；　and　being　overcome　with
his　passion　for　his　wife；　he　made　an　apology　to　her　for　having
seemed　to　believe　what　he　had　heard　about　her；　and　returned　her　a
great　many　acknowledgments　of　her　modest　behavior；　and　professed
the　extraordinary　affection　and　kindness　he　had　for　her；　till　at
last；　as　is　usual　between　lovers；　they　both　fell　into　tears；　and
embraced　one　another　with　a　most　tender　affection。　But　as　the
king　gave　more　and　more　assurances　of　his　belief　of　her　fidelity；
and　endeavored　to　draw　her　to　a　like　confidence　in　him；　Marianme
said；　Yet　was　not　that　command　thou　gavest；　that　if　any　harm　came
to　thee　from　Antony；　I；　who　had　been　no　occasion　of　it；　should
perish　with　thee；　a　sign　of　thy　love　to　me？〃　When　these　words
were　fallen　from　her；　the　king　was　shocked　at　them；　and　presently
let　her　go　out　of　his　arms；　and　cried　out；　and　tore　his　hair　with
his　own　hands；　and　said；　that　〃now　he　had　an　evident
demonstration　that　Joseph　had　had　criminal　conversation　with　his
wife；　for　that　he　would　never　have　uttered　what　he　had　told　him
alone　by　himself；　unless　there　had　been　such　a　great　familiarity
and　firm　confidence　between　them。　And　while　he　was　in　this
passion　he　had　like　to　have　killed　his　wife；　but　being　still
overborne　by　his　love　to　her；　he　restrained　this　his　passion；
though　not　without　a　lasting　grief　and　disquietness　of　mind。
However；　he　gave　order　to　slay　Joseph；　without　permitting　him　to
come　into　his　sight；　and　as　for　Alexandra；　he　bound　her；　and　kept
her　in　custody；　as　the　cause　of　all　this　mischief。

CHAPTER　4。

How　Cleopatra；　When　She　Had　Gotten　From　Antony　Some　Parts　Of
Judea　And　Arabia　Came　Into　Judea；　And　How　Herod　Gave　Her　Many
Presents　And　Conducted　Her　On　Her　Way　Back　To　Egypt。

1。　Now　at　this　time　the　affairs　of　Syria　were　in　confusion　by
Cleopatra's　constant　persuasions　to　Antony　to　make　an　attempt
upon　every　body's　dominions；　for　she　persuaded　him　to　take　those
dominions　away　from　their　several　princes；　and　bestow　them　upon
her；　and　she　had　a　mighty　influence　upon　him；　by　reason　of　his
being　enslaved　to　her　by　his　affections。　She　was　also　by　nature
very　covetous；　and　stuck　at　no　wickedness。　She　had　already
poisoned　her　brother；　because　she　knew　that　he　was　to　be　king　of
Egypt；　and　this　when　he　was　but　fifteen　years　old；　and　she　got
her　sister　Arsinoe　to　be　slain；　by　the　means　of　Antony；　when　she
was　a　supplicant　at　Diana's　temple　at　Ephesus；　for　if　there　were
but　any　hopes　of　getting　money；　she　would　violate　both　temples
and　sepulchers。　Nor　was　there　any　holy　place　that　was　esteemed
the　most　inviolable；　from　which　she　would　not　fetch　the　ornaments
it　had　in　it；　nor　any　place　so　profane；　but　was　to　suffer　the
most　flagitious　treatment　possible　from　her；　if　it　could　but
contribute　somewhat　to　the　covetous　humor　of　this　wicked
creature：　yet　did　not　all　this　suffice　so　extravagant　a　woman；
who　was　a　slave　to　her　lusts；　but　she　still　imagined　that　she
wanted　every　thing　she　could　think　of；　and　did　her　utmost　to　gain
it；　for　which　reason　she　hurried　Antony　on　perpetually　to　deprive
others　of　their　dominions；　and　give　them　to　her。　And　as　she　went
over　Syria　with　him；　she　contrived　to　get　it　into　her　possession；
so　he　slew　Lysanias；　the　son　of　Ptolemy；　accusing　him　of　his
bringing　the　Parthians　upon　those　countries。　She　also　petitioned
Antony　to　give　her　Judea　and　Arabia；　and；　in　order　thereto；
desired　him　to　take　these　countries　away　from　their　present
governors。　As　for　Antony；　he　was　so　entirely　overcome　by　this
woman；　that　one　would　not　think　her　conversation　only　could　do
it；　but　that　he　was　some　way　or　other　bewitched　to　do　whatsoever

she　would　have　him；　yet　did　the　grossest　parts　of　her　injustice
make　him　so　ashamed；　that　he　would　not　always　hearken　to　her　to
do　those　flagrant　enormities　she　would　have　persuaded　him　to。
That　therefore　he　might　not　totally　deny　her；　nor；　by　doing　every
thing　which　she　enjoined　him；　appear　openly　to　be　an　ill　man；　he
took　some　parts　of　each　of　those　countries　away　from　their　former
governors；　and　gave　them　to　her。　Thus　he　gave　her　the　cities　that
were　within　the　river　Eleutherus；　as　far　as　Egypt；　excepting　Tyre
and　Sidon；　which　he　knew　to　have　been　free　cities　from　their
ancestors；　although　she　pressed　him　very　often　to　bestow　those　on
her　also。

2。　When　Cleopatra　had　obtained　thus　much；　and　had　accompanied
Antony　in　his　expedition　to　Armenia　as　far　as　Euphrates；　she
returned　back；　and　came　to　Apamia　and　Damascus；　and　passed　on　to
Judea；　where　Herod　met　her；　and　farmed　of　her　parts　of　Arabia；
and　those　revenues　that　came　to　her　from　the　region　about
Jericho。　This　country　bears　that　balsam；　which　is　the　most
precious　drug　that　is　there；　and　grows　there　alone。　The　place
bears　also　palm　trees；　both　many　in　number；　and　those　excellent
in　their　kind。　When　she　was　there；　and　was　very　often　with　Herod；
she　endeavored　to　have　criminal　conversation　with　the　king；　nor
did　she　affect　secrecy　in　the　indulgence　of　such　sort　of
pleasures；　and　perhaps　she　had　in　some　measure　a　passion　of　love
to　him；　or　rather；　what　is　most　probable；