in heauen and from thence after a reuolution of the heauens departing are againe commanded to dwel in chast bodies And that they who haue vvrought their owne death goe vnto darke hell and that God punisheth this their offence vpon all their posteritie Hence it is that God is displeased therewith and it is forbidden by our most wise lawmaker For if any amongst vs kill themselues it is decreed that till the sunne go downe they shall lie vnburied yet we hold it lawfull to burie our enemies Other nations cause their right hands to be cut off who haue killed themselues iudging that as the soule thereby was made a straunger to the bodie euen so by that fact was the hand made a straunger vnto it Wherefore O companions thinke on that which is decent and not to adde to our humane misery impietie against God who created vs. If vve desire to be saued let vs saue our selues for it is no disgrace to receiue our liues at their hands vvho are witnesses of so many valiant deeds of ours If we desire to die let vs die by their hands that haue ouercome vs. I will not go into my enemies campe to be a traitor against my selfe For I beare not their mind who forsake their owne company to flie vnto their enemies for they flie vnto them to saue their liues but I go vnto them to worke mine owne death euen the death of my selfe And I would to God that the Romans would breake promise with me for if they kil me after they haue promised to saue my life I shall willingly die and with great courage hauing their breach of promise and periurie for a comfort of the last victorie Ioseph spake much to this effect to disswade his companions from killing themselues But they stopping their eares with desperation wherewith they had armed themselues to die came furiously towards him with their swords drawne vpbraiding him that he was a coward and euerie one was readie to strike him Then Ioseph calling one by his name and looking vpon another with a countenance like a gouernour holding anothers hand and intreating the rest distracted in such daunger at last escaped from being killed at that instant for stil as one came neere him to strike him he turned his face vpon him like some cruell beast and some of them who remembred how he had beene their captaine in their extremitie with reuerence of his personage trembled so that their swords fel out of their hands and many lifting vp their armes to strike him of their owne accord let their weapons fall Ioseph notwithstanding his desperate estate yet was he not voide of counsell but assisted by Gods prouidence he hazarded his life and spake vnto them as followeth Seeing quoth he that ye are all determined to die let vs cast lots who shall kill one another and he vnto whom the lot falleth shall be killed by him who next ensueth and so the lots shall be cast vpon euerie one of vs so that none of vs shall be forced to kill our selues For it were iniustice that when some of vs be slaine the rest should repent themselues and so escape They all liked well of this and alwaies he vpon whom the lot fell was slaine by him that followed as though they were now to die with their captaine for death was more acceptable because they thought Ioseph should die with them Now it hapned by the prouidence of God that Ioseph remained aliue only with one other and then perswaded him who was left aliue to liue and not seeke death for feare the lot should fall vpon himselfe and for that if he suruiued he should be polluted with the murther and slaughter of his owne nation Thus Ioseph deliuered both from the warres of the Romans and also of his owne nation went with Nicanor vnto Vespasian All the Romans came about him to see him and pressing about their generall they made a great noyse some reioycing that he vvas taken others crying out to punish him others striuing to come neere to behold him better and they who were a farre off cried to kill their enemie but those that vvere neere him and beheld him remembring his prowesse vvere astonished to see that chaunge And there was no captaine nor ruler but although before they were all moued against him yet now beholding him they all began to pitie him and especially Titus who being of a gentle disposition admited Iosephs vaiour his constancy in aduersitie and his age and thereby was moued to take compassion vpon him remembring what a manner of man he had beene during the wars and vvhat he now was being fallen into his enemies hands calling also to mind the force and power of fortune and how small a stay the chance of warres had and that no humane affaires had any stay or hold in them wherefore he drew many mens minds to pitie him so that Titus vvas the chiefe author of Iosephs life yet Vespasian caused him to be carefully kept as though he meant to send him to Caesar. Which Ioseph hearing requested that he might speake a vvord or two with him alone then all but his sonne Titus departing and two of his friends Thou O Vespasian quoth he thinkest onely that thou hast Ioseph for thy captiue but I am a messenger vnto thee of greater matters from God otherwise I knew my countrey lawes and how it behooued the generals of our nation to die and not to be taken aliue by their enemies Wilt thou send me to Nero Wherefore As though Nero should still liue and thou not succeed him Thou O Vespasian art Caesar and the Emperour of Rome and Titus also thy sonne and keepe me in bonds with thee for thou art not onely my Lord but Lord of all the world and sea and land and all mankind And if I now faine these things in this state that I am of my owne mind against God let me be reserued vnto a greater punishment After hee had thus spoken Vespasian gaue small credit vnto his words and onely thought that Ioseph feined these things of himselfe to saue his life yet by little and little hee began to giue credit vnto him because God put it in his mind to hope for the Empire and foretelling his reigne by many signes and tokens he also found Ioseph to tel the truth in other matters For one of Vespasians friends answered that it was marueile that hee knowing that could not prophecie the euent of the warres against Iotapata and what was like to befall himselfe that so he might haue auoided those euils Ioseph answered that he foretold the Citizens of Iotapata that after seuen and fortie dayes they should be destroyed and that the Romans should keepe him aliue in hold Vespasian secretly enquired of these matters and finding by the relation of the captiues that it was true he began to giue more credit vnto that which Ioseph had told him concerning himselfe
him safety and bring him before him the Tribunes names were Paulinus and Gallicanus But Ioseph would not accept their offer fearing that because he had been the author of all the euilles that the Romans had endured that therefore they sought him out to punish him till Vespasian sent vnto Ioseph Nicanor the third tribune one of Iosephs acquaintance Nicanor recounted vnto him how milde the Romans were towards them whome they had conquered and that the Romane Captaines rather admired him for his vertue then hated him Moreouer that his Generall intended not to punish him which if he pleased hee might doe whether he yeelded himselfe or no but to saue him who was so valiant a man adding also that if Vespasian ment ill he would neuer haue employed his friend in such a message to vse friendship so noble a vertue to so euill a purpose as to worke treson and that he though Vespasian had been so minded wouldneuer haue consented to haue betrayed his friend Ioseph after Nicanor wordes began to studie as doubtfull what was best to do Whereat the souldiers being angrie began to cast fire into the caue but Vespasian hindered them being desirous to take Ioseph aliue Nicanor ceased not to entreate him and he perceiuing how his enemies began to waxe angrie and calling to minde the dreames he had in the night wherein God fore-told him of all the Iewes calamities and what should betide the Romane princes for hee could interpret dreames whatsoeuer God obscurely shewed being instructed in the holy bookes of the Prophets and himselfe a priest as his parents were So at that time being as it were filled with the spirite of God and recording the dreames and horrible visions which hee saw in his sleepe he prayed secretly to God after this manner O creator quoth hee seeing that it pleaseth thee to ruinate the nation of the Iewes that all good fortune is gone vnto the Romans that thou hast chosē my soule to foretell future euents I yeeld vnto the Romans tosaue my life protesting that I meane not to goe to them to play the traytour vnto my countrey but as thy minister and hauing thus spoken he yeelded himselfe vnto Nicanor But they who fled into the caue where Ioseph was perceiuing that Ioseph yeelded vnto the Romans flocked all about him and cried out How are our countrey lawes violated Where are those promises of God made vnto the Iewes where are those gallant minds that contemne and despise death Art thou O Ioseph desirous to liue and see thy selfe to become a vile bondslaue How soone hast thou forgotten thy selfe How many hast thou perswaded to embrace death for their libertie sake Truly thou hast but a shadow of valour and prudence in thee if thou doest hope that they vvill saue thy life against vvhom thou hast so behaued thy selfe or if they vvould saue thee to desire life at their hands But seeing the Romans offer hath made thee forget thy selfe yet we to preserue the honour and credite of our countrey vvill lend thee our armes and swordes and so if thou beest vvilling to die die like the generall of the Iewes which if thou refuse to do thou shalt whether thou vvilt or no die like a traitour vnto thy countrey When they had thus said they all threatned to kill him vvith their swordes if hee did yeelde vnto the Romanes Ioseph feared their violence and perswaded himselfe if he died before hee had put them in minde of Gods commaundements that then he should die a traitour vnto God wherefore he began to make a Philosophicall discourse vnto them concerning this present estate what was to be done Wherefore O my friends quoth he are we become murtherers of our selues Wherefore do we make warre betweene things so vnited as are the soule the bodie Will any man say that my mind is changed Why the Romans know that it is a thing most honourable to die in wars not any way but according to the law of armes to wit by the conquerers hand If I entreat the Romans to spare my life then am I worthie to perish with mine own sword hand but if they think good to spare their enemies should not we thinke it good likewise to spare our own selues Truly it is meere folly to do that vnto our owne selues for the which we fight against them I confesse it is a commendable thing to die for ones libertie but yet to die in fight and by their hands who tooke away that libertie but now neither do they warre against vs nor kill vs. He is not only to be iudged a coward who refuseth to die when need requireth but also he who will die when no need vrgeth Moreouer what withholdeth vs from offering our selues vnto the Romans truly feare of death Shall we therefore make that certaine our selues which we feare at the Romans hands But some will say how if not then we are made captiues consider what liberty we now haue You will say it is the part of him that is valiant to kill himselfe nay truly it is the part of a varie coward For I thinke him to be a timorous seaman who perceiuing a tempest comming before it fa◅l sinketh the ship wherein he is Moreouer it is against the law of nature and the nature of all creatures to kill themselues and thereby we should commit a hainous crime against God There is no liuing creature that of his owne seeking would willingly die for euery one feeleth in himselfe the strong and forcible law of nature whereby they desire to liue and for this cause we iudge them for our enemies that seeke to take it from vs and punish them that do take it indeede And do you thinke it is not a great contempt of God for a man to despise his gift For we of him receiued our first being and from him let vs expect our ending The bodie is mortall framed of corruptible matter but our soules are immortall and there is a little part of God placed in our bodies If any one abuse that which another man putteth him in trust with presently we think him a perfidious wicked man and shall we thinke that if we cast away out of our bodies that which God hath put vs in trust withall and placed in the same that he shall not know of it whom wee haue so abused We hold those slaues worthy to be punished that runaway from bad masters and shall not we then be held for impious who flie from so good a master as God is Do ye not know that they who according to the law of nature depart out of this life and render that to God which they receiued of him when he vvho gaue it requireth it shall leaue behind them a perpetuall name to their posteritie and family And that vnto those soules vvho are obedient vnto their creator when he calleth them he giueth a holy and sacred mansion
by reason of their affluence prosperitie and great riches and committed outrages against men and impieties against God in such manner as they had forgotten the benefits which they had receiued at his hands hating strangers and disdaining to conuerse the one with the other but in disordinate and abhominable incests Whereat God being displeased he decreed to punish their into lerable pride to ruinate their citie from the top to the bottome and in such sort to make desolate their countrey that from thence forward it should neither nourish plant nor bring foorth fruit After that God had pronounced this sentence against the Sodomites Abraham as he sate vnder the Oake at Mambres before the dore of his tent beheld three Angels and supposing them to be men and strangers he arose and saluted them and approaching neere vnto them he desired them that they would accept of his entertainment and lodge with him Whereunto when they had condescended he commanded his seruants to bake them bread of the finest flower and hauing killed and rosted a calfe he set it before them as they sate vnder the Oake supposing they would eare but they inquired of him where Sara his wife was to whom he answered that she was within in the tent They told him then that they would returne againe and that they should find her a mother But when his wife smiled thereat and said that it was impossible for her to beare children especially in that her selfe was at that time 90. yeares olde and her husband 100. they discouered themselues and said they were Angels of God and that they were sent one of them to assure him that he should haue a sonne the other two to destroy the Sodomites Which when Abraham heard he was sorie for the Sodon it es and arising besought God that he would not destroy both the iust and the vniust to gither To whom God gaue this answere that there was not one iust man among the Sodomites and that if he might but finde ten he would spare the citie from punishment Whereupon Abraham held his peace and the Angels entred into Sodome where no sooner were they arriued but Lot inuited them to take their lodging in his house for he was a man much giuen to hospitalitie and such a one as for bountie had been Abrahams scholler But the Sodomites perceiuing that those yoong men which vvere entred Lots house vvere of excellent beautie began to offer outrage and villany to their persons notwithstanding that Lot exhorted them to moderate themselues and not to offer villanie to his guests but in some sort to haue a respect to his house telling them that rather then they should continue in that intemperance that he would giue them his daughters to vse at their pleasure But he preuailed nothing with them whereupon God was in such wise prouoked by their iniquitie that he blinded their eies in such sort as they could not find the gate to enter into Lots house and condemned the Sodomites to a generall perdition But Lot foremonished by him of their future ruine departed from them and tooke with him his wife and his two daughters as yet vnmaried for their betrothed husbands although they were forewarned by him contemned held him for a dotard Then did God shoote his arrow vpon the citie burning it and all the inhabitants therein and desolating by the same fire all the countries round about in such sort as it hath alreadie beene declared by me in the Historie I wrote of the warres of the Iewes But Lots wife as they retired thence looking backe towards the Citie and more curiously beholding the destruction thereof contrarie to the commandement of God was transformed into a piller of salt which I haue seene for it remaineth euen vntill this day As touching Lot he and his daughters fledde and dwelt in a little countrey farre from the fire which was called Zoar which in Hebrew signifieth little In this place which was void of men and scant of victuals Lot dwelled a long time leading a solitarie and poore life and his daughters supposing that all mankind was extinguished vpon the earth subtily circumuenting their father they lay with him when he least suspected it and the reason that drew them thereunto was for that they feared least mankind should be vtterly exterminated By this their approchment they bare him two sons the elder Moab which is as much to say as of my father and this is he that was the father of the Moabites which euen at this day are yet a great nation and of the yoonger sister came Ammon which signifieth the sonne of Race or kind and both these two nations inhabite the countrey of Coelesyria In this sort departed Lot from the Sodomites As touching Abraham he went and dwelt in Gerar in the countrey of Palestine leading with him his wife Sara in manner of his sister vsing the same subtiltie which before time hee had practised for feare of the Egyptians for he feared Abimelech the king of that countrey who surprised with the loue of Sara would haue rauished her had he not been hindred by a most grieuous sicknesse which God inflicted vpon him so that being out of all hope of recouerie at such time as he slept there appeared vnto him a vision which tould him that he should take heed least he offered any outrage to the strangers wife who was come into his countrey and after he was somewhat recouered he tould his friends how God had sent him that sicknesse to warrantise the right of the stranger and to preserue his wife from violence for that she was not his sister but his lawfull wife willing Abraham thence forward to be of good cheere promising him that the honour of his wife was inuiolat This said he dismissed Abraham by the counsaile of his friends and tould him that he needed not to suspect his wife by reason she had suffered no villanie Assuring him that God had care of her and that he deliuered her in safetie to him being to that end protected by his mightie power and in confirmation thereof he called God to record and the vvomans conscience vowing that he vvould not haue required her if he had knowne she had been married moreouer he required him to be at peace vvith him and by his praiers to appease Gods vvrath vvhich was kindled against him And that if thenceforward he vvould stay vvith him he should vvant nothing or if he listed to depart he promised him guides and all other things for vvhich he came vnto him Abraham answered him that he had in no sort dissembled vvith him as touching the alliance of his vvife but that she vvas his brothers daughter and that he thought that he might not safely trauell thorough his countrey except he had vsed that subtiltie auowing moreouer that he had not been the cause of that sicknesse vvhich had befalne him but that he singularly affected his good and vvas readie to
returne backe againe to his friendes he should depart with such rewards and honours as might well beseeme a friend so neerely allied vnto him as he was Which when Iacob vnderstood he answered that he would willingly indure any sort of labour in Labans seruice and that his deuoire towards him would be a delight to himselfe but that in lieu of his labours he required Rachel to wife who deserued to be honoured by him with no lesse title for many causes but in especiall for that she had brought him thither auowing that the loue which he bare vnto her was the cause why he vsed those speeches Laban being highly delighted and contented with this his discourse granted him his consent in the mariage telling him that he could not haue wisht for a better sonne in lawe and that if he would soiourne a while with him he would make him Lord of all that his heart desired especially for that he was no waies minded to send his daughter among the Chananites and that it repented him that by reason of mariage his sister had beene drawen thither Iacob coâ—…descended vpon these conditions and couenanted to abide with him for the space of seuen yeares for he determined to serue his father in law during that terme of yeares to the end that hauing made proofe of his vertue it might the better appeare what he was Now the time which was couenanted betweene them being expired and Iacob expecting the contented possession of his loue which was promised him Laban prepared a nuptiall feast and when the night drewe on and Iacob least suspected he bringeth his daughter lesse faire in face and more elder in yeares and layeth her by him who deceiued with the darknes and for that he had drunke liberally lay with her but the day after discouering the deceithe questioned with Laban and accused him who asked him pardon alledging the necessitie which inforced him to doe that which he did For he had not brought in Lea vnder intent to deceiue him but that the custome of the countrey compelled him thereunto yet that the same should no waies hinder him but that he should enioy Rachel and receiue see and haue vse of her after seuen yeares more were fully expired Herewith Iacob grewe pacified and suffered himselfe to be perswaded in that the loue which he bare vnto Rachel suffered him to doe no other waies and when the other seuen yeares were expired he maried Rachel Now both of these had two chambermaids which their father had giuen them Leas maid was called Zelpha and Rachels Bala who were no slaues but onely subiectes Lea was touched with great griefe in that Iacob bare greater affection to her sister then to her selfe bethinking her oftentimes that if she might haue children she should be better esteemed and beloued by her husband for which cause she continually besought Almightie God that it might please him to giue her issue whereupon it happened that God gaue her a sonne and Iacobs affection was turned towards her for which cause she called him Ruben that is to say the sonne of Vision because she had obtained him thorow the mercy of God After him she bare three children Simeon whose name signifieth that God had heard her Leui which is as much to say as the firmenes of societie and last of all Iuda which signifieth thanksgiuing At that time Rachel fearing least she should lose the better part of her husbands loue by reason of the fertilitie and fruitfulriesse of her sister caused her chambermaide Bala to lie with him by whom he had a sonne called Dan that is to say the iudgement of God and after him Nepthalim which signifieth ingenious by reason that she had vsed subtiltie to requite her sisters subtiltie In like sort of Zelpha he begat Gad which signifieth aduenturous and after him Aser that is to say good hap bringer because that Lea was more honoured by the multitude of her progeny Ruben the eldest of all the sonnes of Lea brought his mother apples of Mandragora which when Rachel had perceiued she desired her to giue her a part thereof in that she longed to tast of the same whereunto Lea would yeeld no consent replying that she ought to contentheâ—… selfe in that she had the prerogatiue in loue in respect of both their beloued which was Iacob Rachel mollifying the heart of her sister with kind words said vnto her that she would be content that Iacob should lie with her for that night which Iacob performed for the loue of Rachel Lea once more had children namely Isachar which signifieth Come by hire and Zabulon which importeth a pledge of good will besides whom she had a daughter also called Dina. Not long after this Rachel lay with Iacob and brought forth a sonne who was called Ioseph which name signifieth an addition During all this time which was for the space of twentie yeares Iacob had the gouernment of his father in lawes flockes but afterwards he thought good accompanied with his wiues to returne to his owne inheritance which when his father in lawe apperceiued he would in no sort giue his consent thereunto for which cause he couertly determined to forsake him To this intent he made trial of his wiues to see how theywere affected towards his flight who hartned him by their consents insomuch as Rachel hauing surprised all the Images of those Gods which were honoured in that countrey fled away with her sister who both of them led with them all their children on both sides their handmaids with the rest of all their substance Iacob also droue away the moitie of the cattell without the witting or will of Laban Rachel also bare with her the Images of the Gods althongh she had beene taught by Iacob to contemne them and yeeld them no honour but she supposed that if Laban pursued and ouertooke them in hauing recourse to them she might obtaine pardon But Laban a day after the departure of Iacob and his wiues had notice thereof and being therewith sore aggreeued he pursued after them intending to assaile them by force and on the seuenth day he ouertooke them vpon a certaine hil where they sat them downe to take their rest in that it was euening but God appearing to him in a dreame gaue him counsell to vse no violence neither towards his sonne in lawe nor his daughters but rather to pacifie his ire towards them and to listen to a peaceable accord betwixt himselfe and Iacob assuring him that if in contempt of Iacobs weaken esse he should lift vp his arme to assaile him that he himselfe would ioyne with Iacob to yeeld him succours The next day after that Laban had receiued this Oracle from the mouth of God as soone as it was day he called Iacob vnto him to the ende they might conferre together hiding nothing from him which the night before he had beheld in his dreame As soone as Iacob was come
God at such time as he slew the Philistine Dauid hauing gotten it fled out of the countrey of the Hebrewes and went vnto Geth a countrey of the Philistines wherein Achis was king There being knowne by the kings seruants hee was discouered and noted to be that Dauid that had slaine many thousand Philistines Dauid fearing to be put to death by him and suspecting least he should fall into the same daunger which hee had escaped by flying from Saul counterfeited himselfe to be foolish and mad so that the some frothed and issued out of his mouth and counterfeited in all things so cunningly that he made the king of Geth beleeue most stedfastly that he was besotted and frenzie in his sicknesse For which cause the king was wroth with his seruants in that they had brought him a madman and commanded them with all expedition that might be to driue him out of his countrey Hauing in this sort escaped out of the countrey of the Geths he transported himselfe into the tribe of Iuda and being in the caue of Adullam he sent vnto his brothers to let them vnderstand that he was there who came vnto him with all their linage and diuers others that either were in need or stood in feare of Saul resorted vnto him saying that they were ready to performe whatsoeuer he should command them all which amounted to the number of foure hundreth or thereabouts Dauid therfore being thus assured by reason of the succours and forces that come vnto him dislodged from thence went to the king of the Moabites beseeching him that he would bee pleased to entertaine his father and mother in that countrey vntill such time as he vnderstood what should be the issue or end of his affaires The king vouchsafed him this fauour and did them great honour all the time they were in his countrey And as touching Dauid he hauing receiued instructions by the commandement of the Prophet to abandon the desart to soiourne in the tribe of Iuda he obeyed him so that comming to Saron he made his aboade in that place But when Saul had vnderstood that Dauid had beene seene with a number of men he fell into an extraordinarie feare and trouble of minde for knowing both the vnderstanding and courage of the man he thought inwardly with himselfe that he would attempt no action that was not great and such a one as might not onely endanger his kingdome or at leastwise breed him much difficultie labor For which cause assembling his friends and captaines and those of his tribe in Gaba where he kept his royall court there sitting in a place called Aror where all his honourable and ciuill magistrates with the rest of his captaines and souldiers enuironed him round about hee spake vnto them after this manner Beloued friends I know that you can beare witnesse of my bountie and how I haue aduanced some of you to honours signiories and possessions and haue preferred you to the chiefest dignities and prerogatiues amongst the people Now would I know of you whether you hope or expect from the sonne of Iesse greater bountie and larger benefits then I haue bestowed vpon you I know that all of you are confederated with him and that my sonne Ionathan likewise is of the same faction and hath perswaded you to follow and fauour him For I am not ignorant both of the othes and couenants that are past twixt him and Dauid and am well assured that he is both a counseller and assister vnto him in whatsoeuer he vndertaketh against me yet are none of you touched with these cares but intending your owne quiet you expect the euent of these matters When the king had spoken thus there were none of the assistants that replied onely Doeg the Syrian master of the kings mulets arose and said That he had seene Dauid in the Citie of Nob who resorted to the high Priest Achimelech to aske counsel of him as touching his assaires that there he had receiued those things that were needfull to furnish him in his voyage and Goliahs sword likewise and how he was safely conducted towards the place whither he pretended to go Hereupon Saul sent for the high Priest and all his kinred and spake thus vnto him What wrong or displeasure haue I done thee that thou hast entertained the sonne of Iesse and hast deliuered him victuals and armes to him I say that seeketh but the meanes to possesse himselfe of my kingdome What answere hast thou made him as touching those demaunds he presented thee in regard of his future fortunes for thou hast not been ignorant that he fled from me and what hatred he beareth against both me my family The high priest denied none of these things but freely confessed that he had deliuered him such things as were reported but not with an intent to gratifie Dauid but the king for I entertained him said he not as thine enemy but as thy faithfull minister and tribune nay which is more as thy sonne in law and such a one as was tied vnto thee by neere alliance For who would haue thought that he who was intitled to so much honour by thee should be thine enemie nay rather who would not esteeme him for thy sauourite and neerest friend And where as he asked counsell of me as touching Gods will this is not the first time I haue answered him but oft many other times haue I aduised him And where as he said that he was sent by thee about some hastie and secret businesse should I haue refused him those supplies which he required at my hands I might haue bin iudged rather to haue done iniurie to thy maiestie then to him For which cause thou art not to suspect or thinke euil of me or if thou hast receiued any aduertisement that Dauid at this time intendeth some trouble innouation against thee oughtst thou to thinke that by reason of the curtesie I haue shewed him that I either fauor him or maintain him against thee for what I bestowed I imployed as on thy friend thy sonne in law and thy tribune and whatsoeuer curtesie he receiued from me it was done vnto thee Notwithstanding all these iust allegations yet could Saul be no waies induced to beleeue them but contrariwise his vehement feare made him suspect the true iustifications of Achimelech so that he commanded certaine armed men that were about him that they should put both him and all his family to the sword But when they held it no lesse then sacriledge to violate by violent death such as were men consecrated vnto God Saul commanded Doeg the Syrian to perpetrate the slaughter who ioyning to himselfe certaine other sacrilegious and impious men he murthered Achimelech and all his race who were in number three hundreth thirtie and fiue men He further sent to Nob the citie of the Priests and put all of them vnto the sword neither sparing woman nor childe nor hauing respect vnto any
affectionate friend for such as enterprise any wicked action do often and subtilly dissemble and make shew of honestie to the end to expell out of the innocents mind all iealousie or euill suspition where singling him from his other company and making a shew to informe him of certaine secrets and hauing drawne him into a by-way besides the wall accompanied only with his brother Abisai he drew his rapier and thrust it into his short ribbes Of which wound Abner died surprised by the treason of Ioab who pretended and coloured that act of his with the reuenge and death of his brother Azael whom Abner had slaine vpon the chase in the first warre at Hebron but in truth it was but the suspition of his greatnesse and honour fearing least he should be depriued and Abner inseated by obtaining the next degree of honour vnto Dauid Hereby may a man conceiue how many and how mightie things men attempt and hazard for their auarice and ambition sake and to the end they may not be inferiour vnto any others in those matters For when as they desire to attaine riches and honours they atchieue it by ten thousand mischiefes and at such time as they feare to be dispossest they striue to continue their estates by meanes more pernicious because they thinke it to be the lesse sinne and that the calamitie is lesse actiue rather not to haue obtained to any greatnesse and power then after the possession thereof to fall into disgrace Thence it commeth that all of them intend and practise many hazards and difficult encountries thorow the feare they haue to lose their degree But it sufficeth to haue briefly touched this point Dauid hauing notice of the murther of Abner conceiued a great griefe in his heart and called all his assistants to witnesse lifting vp his hands vnto God and protesting that he was no partaker of the murther and that Abner had beene slaine without his commandement or will He likewise vttered most grieuous curses against the murtherer his house and accomplices by which he wished them to be subiect to the fatal penalty of murther for he greatly suspected least he should be held in suspition to be a party in that which had hapned vnto Abner contrarie to his faith oth and promise which he had past vnto him Moreouer he commanded that all the people should weep and lament for him and that the funerals of his bodie should be honored according to the accustomed fashion in renting of garments and putting on sackcloth and that the same should be done the coffin being carried before which both he and the chiefest gouernours of the Israelites followed beating on their breasts and shedding teares and testifying the loue which they bare vnto him during his life and their displeasure to see him dead who had bin murthered contrary to their wil and intention He was entombed in Hebron with great magnificence and Epitaphs composed in his praise by Dauid himselfe who setting himselfe on the tombe first of all lamented and gaue others cause of lamentation And so much was hee confused at the death of this Abner that he swore to forbeare all kind of meat vntill the sunne-set notwithstanding all the instances of his friends who vrged him to take refection which act of his purchased him much good will and loue amongst the people For they that loued Abner were verie glad to be witnesses of that honour which he did him in his death and that faith which he maintained in honouring him euerie way according to the custome as if he had been his kinsman or friend and not embasing him with a vilde and contemptible tombe as if he had beene his enemie And in generall all of them were so glad of the curtesie sweetnesse and royall nature of king Dauid that they esteemed in the like case that he would haue the like estimate of them as they saw him haue of deceased Abner And by this means Dauid happely maintained his credit and increased the peoples good opinion of him escaping thereby the suspition and conceit that he might in some sort haue bin accessarie to his death He protested also vnto the people that he conceiued no small griefe at the losse of so good a man declaring thereby that it was no small staine vnto the state of the Hebrewes to be depriued of him who had the meanes to maintaine their peace by his good aduise and to ratifie the same by his executions and warlike valour But God said he who hath care of all things shall not suffer him to die vnreuenged And he it is that shall beare me witnesse that it lieth not in my power to punish Ioab and Abisai who haue greater credit in the armie then my selfe yet shall they not escape Gods iustice for this fault Thus ended the life of Abner CHAP. II. Isboseth is slaine thorow the treason of his friends and followers the whole kingdome descendeth to Dauid WHen Isboseth Sauls sonne had notice of Abners death he was sore displeased not onely for that he perceiuing himselfe to be depriued of his neere kinsman but also of so great a personage as had setled the crowne on his head Neither did he himselfe long time remaine aliue after him but by the sonnes of Ieremon Banaoth and Thannus he was traiterously done to death These two being Beniamites and of the chiefest nobilitie amongst them made their reckoning that they would make away Isboseth and thereby obtaine great recompence at Dauids hands supposing that such an act of theirs would get them the chiefest place and dignitie in the army or some other credit For which cause finding Isboseth alone in his house about mid-day laide on his bed and asleepe and vnassisted by any of his guard and perciuing likewise that the porter was fast who thorow his trauaile and other businesse by reason of the extreme heate was laid downe to rest they entred into his lodging whereas Isboseth was a sleepe and slew him and hauing cut off his head they trauelled all the night and day long as if they fled from those whom they had offended and sought their rescues from them who would succour and assure them from perill and when they came to Hebron they presented Dauid with Isboseths head offering themselues as his most dutifull liegemen to doe him seruice who had deliuered him of an enemy and made away an aduersarie against his royaltie But Dauid allowed not their act in such sort as they hoped but spake thus vnto them O cursed men said he on whom I intend presently to execute iustice haue you not heard how I punished him that murthered Saul and brought his royall crowne vnto me Yea although he slew him vpon his owne instant request and to the intent the enemy should not surprise him aliue Were you of that opinion that I was changed and that I am not the same that I was but that I take delight to be partakers with you in your mischiefes
and to that intent he sent his sonne Adoram vnto him to testifie and expresse what contentment he had receiued for that he had defeated Adarezer his enemy and to contract with him amitie and confederation He seht him presents also namely vessels of antique worke of gold of siluer and of brasse whereupon Dauid made a league with Thani for so was the king of Amath called and receiued the presents that were sent vnto him and afterwards dismissed his sonne with conuenient honor both for the one and the other and consecrated that to God which he had sent him togither with the gold and siluer which he had taken from other cities and nations that were subiect vnto him For God did not only so farre fauour him as to make him victorious and happy in his owne wars but hauing also sent Abisai Ioabs brother the lieutenant of his army against the Idumeans he likewise granted him victorie for Abisai slew in the battell about eighteene thousand of them and filled all Idumaea with garrisons challenging a tribute throughout the countrey by the pole This king loued iustice of his own nature and exercised iudgement according to veritie He had for his lieutenant generall in all his armies Ioab and appointed Iosaphat the son of Achilles chiefe ouer the Registers After Abiathar he established Sadoc of the house of Phinees for high priest who was his friend Sisa was his secretarie Banaia the sonne of Ioiada was captaine ouer his guard and all the elders were ordinarily about him to guard and attend him He remembring himselfe also of the conuentions and oathes that were past twixt him and Ionathan the sonne of Saul and of 〈◊〉 â—…itie and affection that had been betweene them for besides all other graces which he had he most freshly retained them in memorie from whom in times past he had receiued any friendship He caused a search to be made if any one of the house and family of Ionathan were left-aliue to the intent he might remunerate the friendship which he had receiued at Ionathans hands Where upon a certaine man was brought vnto him who was enfranchised by Saul that might enforme him what one of his race was aliue who asked him if he could name him any of Ionathans sons then liuing whom he might make partaker of those curteous fauors graces which in times past he had receiued by Ionathan Who answered him that he had one sonne remaining whose name was Mephiboseth who was lame of his legs for that at such time as the newes came that both his father and grandfather were slaine in the battell his nurse fearfully snatching vp the child and flying suffered him vnfortunately to fal from her shoulders and so hurt him When as then he was aduertised where and with whom he was brought vp he sent vnto the citie of Labath to Machir with whom Mephiboseth was kept commanded him to be brought vnto him Now when he came to Dauids presence he cast himselfe prostrate on his face to do him reuerence but the king exhorted him to be of good courage and to hope hereafter for better fortune and gaue him his fathers house with all the possessions that were purchased by Saul his grandfather appointing him to sit and feed with him at his owne table yea to eate of his royall prouision not letting one day slip wherein he accompanied him not at meales The yong man did him reuerence humbly thanking him for the gratious words and roiall offers be had made vnto him At that time Dauid called for Siba and certified him how he had giuen Mephiboseth his fathers house and all Sauls purchases commanding him to manure and husband his possessions and to haue care of all things and to returne the reuenew to Ierusalem for that Mephiboseth was euery day to take his refectioÌ„ at his table charging both him his 15. sons and 20. seruants to doe him seruice After the king had thus disposed of him Siba did him reuerence and after he had protested to performe whatsoeuer he had giuen him in charge he departed and Ionathans sonne remained in Ierusalem where he liued at the kings table and was entertained and tended as carefully as if he had beene his owne sonne he had a sonne also called Micha These were the honors that those children which suruiued after Ionathan and Sauls death receined at Dauids hands About the same time died Naas king of the Ammonites who during his life time was Dauids friend and his sonne succeeded him in his kingdome to whom Dauid sent embassadors to comfort him exhorting him to disgest his fathers death with patience assuring him that he would expresse no lesse loue towards him then he did vnto his father But the gouernours of the Ammonites entertained this embassage verie contumeliously and not according as Dauid had kindly intended it and murmured against their king telling him that they were but spies sent by Dauid to seeke into his forces and discouer the strength of his countrey vnder a pretext of humanitie counselling him to stand vpon his guard and not to giue eare to his protestation least being deceiued he should fall into some remedilesse inconuenient Naas king of the Ammonites supposing that his gouernors spoke nothing but truth outraged the embassadors that were sent vnto him with great iniuries for causing the halfe of their beards to be shauen close by the chin and cutting away the halfe of their vestments he sent them back againe returning their answeres not in words but in deeds Which when Dauid saw he was grieuously displeased and made it knowne that he would not suffer that mockerie and iniurie so easily to be disgested but that he would make warre on the Ammonites and reuenge those indignities that were offered to his embassadors The friends and gouernors of Naas considering how they had violated and broken the peace and how for that occasion they deserued to be punished prepared for the war and sent one thousand talents to Syrus king of Mesopotamia requiring him that he would be their consederate in that warre and receiue their pay they requested the like of Subas these kings had 20000. footmen in camp They hired also with their mony the king of the countrey called Michas and the fourth called Istob which two had with them 12000. thousand souldiers CHAP. VII How Dauid ouercame the Mesopotamians BVt Dauid was no whit amated neither with the confederacie nor force of the Ammonites but trusting in God resolued that the cause of his warre was iust for which cause he continued in reuenge of those outrages which he had receiued by them Hauing therefore mustered vnder Ioab the flower of his whole army he commanded him to depart and make warre vpon them who came and incamped himselfe before their chiefest Citie called Aramath which when the enemies perceiued they issued foorth and arranged themselues in battell not altogether but in two seuerall parts For their confederates and allies were
owne but because he onely had incensed Aman vnto displeasure in that he would not adore him or performe that honour vnto him which is onely due to God for which cause in despite he hath imagined this thing against them who would not transgresse the diuine ordinances The people likewise praied to the like effect beseeching God that he would haue care of their preseruation and warrantize the Israelites in what place soeuer they were from the misery at hand which was before their eies and alreadie expected by them Esther also besought God according to her countrey manner casting her selfe prostrate on the earth clothed in sackcloth and abstaining for three daies space from meat and drinke and what thing soeuer else was delectable beseeching God to haue compassion vpon her that when she presented her selfe before the king she might haue words fit to perswade and mollifie him and grace and beautie farre more amiable then euer she had to the end that by these two meanes she might be the better enabled to appease the king if so be he were displeased against her and to succour her brethren agitated and tossed in extreme daunger wherethrough the king might enforce his hatred against the enemies of the Iewes and take compassion of their imminent daunger which without his preuention would surely fall vpon them After she had in this sort for three daies space both fasted and praied she cast off her mourning attire and changed her habite attiring her selfe like a maiesticall Queene hauing two of her seruants on whom she leaned and the third that followed her carried vp with the tops of her fingers her traine which was large and trailed on the ground and in this equipage came she vnto the king hauing her cheeks stained with crimson blushes making shew of maiestie mixed with beautie not altogither estranged from feare But when she beheld the king sitting aloft in his throne glorious in his garments distinguisht with gold and adorned with pearle and rich stones a certaine feare sodainly fell vpon her and by chance he had cast a frowning and yreful looke on her whereupon being presently astonished her members failed her her colour faded and she fel betwixt her handmaids armes in a swoune Hereon the king by the will of God as I verily esteeme chaunged his affection and suspecting least feare should cause his wife to fall into some grieuous accident he sodainly lept from his throne and embrasing her with both his armes he raised her vp and kissed her and spake comfortable words vnto her praying her to be of good courage and not to suspect any sinister misfortune for that she came vnto him without any motion of his That the ordinance was onely made for his subiects for which cause he willed her who was equall in gouemment with him to seare nothing whereupon he tooke his scepter in his hand and laid it on the Queenes necke according to the law enforcing himselfe to deliuer her from all feare by which meanes she recouered her vigour and courage and spake after this manner O king said she I cannot easily expresse vnto you the inconuenience that is sodainly fallen vpon me For as soone as I beheld the great faire and redoubted maiestie of your person my spirits forsooke me and my heart failed me Now whilest she spake these words with paine and feeblenesse the king was touched with compassion so as he animated and encouraged her and commaunded her to expect nothing but good yea said he if thou demaundest the halfe of my kingdome I will grant it thee But Esther onely requested this at his hands that onely he and his intire friend Aman would vouchsafe to grace her with their presence at her banquet which the king readily granted her Now when they were come vnto the banquet and in the midst of their cups the king commaunded Esther to aske what she would and he would grant it her assuring her that he would refuse her in nothing yea although she demaunded the halfe of his kingdome But she deferred to discouer her suit vntill the next day requiring him once more to repaire with Aman vnto her banquet When the king had promised to reuisit her Aman departed with great ioy for that he alone had the credit to banquet with the king and Esther and no other had euer obtained the like honour amongst any kings of that dominion But in his returne perceiuing Mardocheus in the court he was sore moued because that notwithstanding he had lookt vpon him he had not done him honour when as therefore he came home vnto his house he called Zaraza his wife and his friends and told them what honour not onely the king but the queene also had done him and how he onely with the king had supped that day with the queene and was inuited the next day also to banquet with the king and her notwithstanding he told them that he was discontented because he saw Mardocheus the Iew in the court Zaraza his wife told him that he should cause a gallowes to be raised of fiftie cubits high and that the next day he should demaund licence of the king that Mardocheus might be hanged on that gibbet Aman praising his wiues counsel commaunded his seruants to prepare the timber and erect the gallowes in his court to the end to hang Mardocheus thereon which they diligently performed But God mocked at Amans cursed hope and knowing certainly what should happen tooke pleasure to see it prepared For the verie same night he depriued the king of sleepe who verie loth to spend the time idlely whilest he was awake but to imploy it in some thing that was profitable for his kingdome he commaunded his secretarie to bring him the Chronicles of the kings his predecessors and of those things that were done by himselfe and to read the same When as therefore they were brought and read he found that a certaine man whose name was there set downe had receiued a great possession for reward in reacknowledgment of his vertue He red likewise of an other that had obtained recompence for his fidelitie and consequently of others till at last he came to the place where the Eunuches Bagotheus and Theodestes were noted downe for a secret conspiracie against the person of the king and how it was discouered by Mardocheus Now when the secretarie hauing onely recited this accident turned ouer to an other historie the king staied him and asked him if he found therein written that he had giuen any recompence to Mardocheus He answered that he found nothing set down Whereupon the King commanded him to giue ouer and inquired of those to whom that office appertained what houre of the night it was and knowing that the morning was alreadie discouered he commaunded that some one should certifie him which of his familiars attended before the pallace at this time it chanced that Aman was found there who repaired thither sooner then he was accustomed with an intent
and of his sonne Titus who behaued themselues with such moderation after so great a warre and so grieuous battels as they had fought against vs. Now will I returne to my purpose from whence I haue digressed At such time as Antiochus the great raigned in Asia the countrey of Iewry was grieuously spoiled and both the Iewes and the inhabitants of Coelesyria endured many miseries For Antiochus making war against Ptolomey Philopator and his son called Ptolomey the Famous they were pitifully perplexed For whether Antiochus either ouercame or was ouercome they were continually spoiled so that betwixt the prosperitie aduersity of Antiochus they fared like a ship tossed and tormented with a storm Finally after Antiochus had ouercome Ptolomey he conquered Iewry After the death of Philopator his sonne sent a great army into Coelesyria vnder the conduct of Scopas who seazed a great number of those Cities and our nation also was inforced by warre and conquered by him Not long after this Antiochus fought with Scopas neere vnto the floud Iordan and obtained the victorie discomfiting the greater part of his enemies army at which time Antiochus recouered againe those Cities of Coelesyria which were before time surprised by Scopas He tooke Samaria also which when the Iewes perceiued they submitted themselues of their owne accord vnto him and hauing entertained him in the Citie of Ierusalem they gaue both his army and his Elephants abundance of prouision and willingly assisted him with their forces to subdue those garrisons which Scopas had planted in the fortresses of the higher Citie For which cause Antiochus supposing it to be a matter behoouefull for his honor to acknowledge and remunerate the affection and forwardnesse which the Iewes had expressed in his seruice wrote vnto his captaines and friends signifying vnto them how forward the Iewes had been in his warres and to expresse likewise what gifts he intended to bestow vpon them Hereafter I will insert the copy of his letters which he wrote in fauour of them after I haue recited that which Polybius the Megalopolitane writeth answerable to this purpose which I will recite out of the sixteenth booke of his histories Scopas saith he the generall of Ptolomeies army marching towards the midland did in one winter ouercome the whole nation of the Iewes He reciteth also in the same booke that after that Scopas had beene ouercome Antiochus seazed Bathanaea Samaria Abila and Gadara and anon after the Iewes which dwelt at Ierusalem where the temple was ioyned themselues with him and although we are to speake more amply and particularly of that apparition that hapned neere vnto the temple yet notwithstanding we will referre the recitall thereof vntill an other time This is that which Polybius hath written But to returne vnto our purpose I will recite in this place the copy of those letters which were sent by the King King Antiochus to Ptolomey Health Whereas the Iewes haue giuen vs a most apparant testimony of their affection towards vs since the first time of our entrance into their countrey and haue magnificently entertained vs at such time as we were in person before their Citie by presenting themselues before vs with all their Elders and haue also furnished vs largely with all that which was necessarie for our souldiers and our Elephants and haue likewise taken armes with vs against the Aegyptian garrison we haue thought it a matter answerable to our honor to affoord them some satisfaction in repairing their Citie ruinated by humane casualties to the intent it might be inhabited and peopled againe by gathering togither those Iewes that are scattered abroad in diuers places and planting them againe in the same And in especiall to the end that the seruice of God may be renued we haue set downe a certaine summe of money to be imployed in sacrifices and in buying beasts for their offrings wine oyle and incense that is to say twenty thousand sicles of siluer and for fine flower according to the law of the place one thousand four hundreth and sixtie measures of wheate and three hundreth seuentie and fiue measures of salt And my will is that all these things that are abouenamed be deliuered vnto them according to the forme of our ordinance We likewise commaund that the worke of the temple be finished with the galleries and other necessary buildings and that all the stuffe of timber be brought out of Iudaea and other places and especially out of Libanus without any taxe or tallage which exemption also shall take effect in all other necessaries that are requisite towards the reparation of so famous a temple My pleasure likewise is that all they of the same nation gouerne their estate according to their owne lawes Let the ancient Priests and Scribes of the temple also and the singing men be freed from all taxations that are paide by the powle and the tributes of the crowne and all other whatsoeuer And to the end that the city may be the sooner builded I grant vnto all them that inhabite the same at this present or that hereafter shall transport themselues thither within the moneth of October to inhabite the same exemption of all charges for three yeeres space We forgiue them moreouer the third part of their tributes to the intent they may recouer themselues of their losses We will also that those Citizens that haue beene forcibly led from thence into seruitude be set at liberty both they themselues as also those that are of their alliance commanding their goods to be restored vnto them Farewell These were the contents of this letter And to yeeld the more honour vnto the temple he sent an edict thorow all his kingdom to this effect That it should not be lawful for any stranger to enter within the inclosure of the temple without the Iewes permission except those that should be purified according to the law and custome of the place That no man should bring into the Citie any flesh of horse mulet wilde or tame asses leopards foxes or hares or generally of any cattell prohibited to be eaten by the lawes of the Iewes That it should not be lawful likewise for any man to bring their skins into the Citie or to nourish any such beasts in the same but that it might onely be lawfull to vse those beasts which might be sacrificed vnto God according to the law of their ancestors That whosoeuer should contradict those inhibitions he should pay 3000. drachmes of siluer vnto the Priests Furthermore to expresse his pietie and fidelitie towards vs at such time as he heard of the troubles that hapned in Phrygia and Lydia he wrote also vnto Zeuxis gouernour of one of the higher prouinces and his intire friend commaunding him to send certaine of our nation from Babylon to Phrygia writing vnto him to this effect King Antiochus to Zeuxis his father Health If thou art well I am glad of it I likewise am no lesse healthy Vnderstanding that those
the solemnizing of this marriage Alexander by letters inuited the high Priest Ionathan commanding him to repaire vnto him to Prolemais Where after he was arriued and had both presented his seruice with other magnificent presents to both the kings he was highly honoured by both insomuch as Alexander constrained him to put off his ordinarie garments and to put on a purple to be and after that to sit vpon a royall throne commanding his captaines to march before him thorow the Citie and to commaund by publike edict that no man should dare to speake any thing against him neither offer him any cause of discontent in what sort soeuer All which the captaines performed so that they who purposely and maliciously repaired thither to accuse him seeing the honour that was done vnto him by this publication fled away hastily for feare least some mishap should befal the. This king Alexander loued Ionathan so intirely that he affoorded him the chiefest place amongst the number of his deerest friends CHAP. VIII Demetrius the sonne of Demetrius ouer commeth Alexander obtaineth the kingdome and contracteth friendship with Ionathan IN the hundreth sixtie and fifth yeere of the raigne of the Greekes Demetrius the sonne of Demetrius accompanied with diuers hired soldiers whom Lasthenes Candiot furnished him with departed out of Candia and came into Cilicia Which newes as soone as Alexander heard he was grieuously vexed troubled for which cause he instantly posted from Phaenicia to Antioch with intent to assure the affaires of his kingdome in that place before the arriual of Demetrius He left behind him for his gouernor in Coelesyria Apollonius Dauus who comming vnto Iamnia with a great army sent a messenger vnto the high Priest IonathaÌ„ signifying vnto him that it was not conuenient that he onely should liue in assurance at his owne ease and in authoritie without submitting himselfe vnto a King and that it was a great indignitie for him in all mens eies for that he had not inforced himselfe to stoupe vnder the obedience of a King For which cause said he deceiue not thy selfe neither hope thou by skulking in the mountaines or depending on thy forces to continue thy greatnes but if thou trustest to thy power come down into the field encounter with me my army in the plaine to the end that the issue of the victory may shew which of vs is most valiant Be not thou so ignorant that the noblest of euerie Citie beare armes vnder one who haue alwaies ouercome thy predecessors For which cause I challenge thee to meet me in that place where we may vse our swords and no stones and where the vanquished shall haue no aduantage by his flight Ionathan whetted by this bitter message chose out ten thousand of his best soldiers and departed from Ierusalem accompanied with his brother Simon and came vnto Ioppe and encamped without the Citie because the Citizens had shut the gates against him for they had a garrison planted in that place by Apollonius But as soone as he addressed himselfe to batter the Citie the inhabitants were afraid for feare least he should surprise the same by force and for that cause they opened him the gates Apollonius vnderstanding that Ioppe was taken by Ionathan he tooke three thousand horsemen and eight thousand footmen with him and came into Azot whence he departed leading out his army with a sober march foot by foot arriuing at Ioppe he retired back to draw Ionathan into the field assuring himselfe vpon his horsemen and grounding his hope of victorie vpon them But Ionathan issuing out boldly pursued Apollonius as farre as Azot who finding himselfe in the champion field tumed backe vpon him and charged him Ionathan was in no sort abashed to see the thousand horsmen that Apollonius had laid in ambush neere vnto a certaine streame to the end they might charge the Iewes behind but disposed his army in such sort that his soldiers on euery side turned their faces vpon the enemy commaunding his mento defend themselues on both sides fighting with those that assailed them eyther in the vantgard or the rereward This battell continued vntill euening and Ionathan had giuen his brother Simon a part of his forces charging him to set vpon the enemies battell as for himselfe he drew himselfe and his soldiers into a forme of a battalion resembling a Tortuse to the end that being couered with their bucklers ioyned the oâ—…e with the other they might beare off the horsmens arrowes to which all of them shewed themselues obedient The enemies horsemen shooting all their arrowes against them did them no harme for they pierced not as farre as the flesh but lighting vpon the bucklers enclosed and fastned the one within the other they were easily beaten backe borne off and fell downe being shot all in vaine But when as the enemies were wearied with shooting from betimes in the morning vntill euening and that Simon perceiued they could charge no further he set vpon them with his soldiers so couragiously that he put them all to flight The horsmen of Apollonius perceiuing that the footemen were disarâ—…aid grew heartles likewise and wearied also for that they had fought vntill the euening and hauing lost the hope that they had in the footmen they took their flight in great disorder and confusion so that they brake their rankes of themselues and were scattered thorow all the plaine Ionathan also pursued them as farre as Azot and taking the Citie by assault he slue diuers of them constraining the rest that were in despaire to flie into the temple of Dagon which is in Azot and taking the Citie by assault he burned it with the villages round about and spared not the temple of Dagon but burned it and al 〈◊〉 that were therein The number as well of those that were slaine in the battell as of those that were consumed by fire in the temple was eight thousand men Hauing therefore in this sort discomfited this army he departed from Azot and marched towards Ascalon and as he was encamped without the Citie the Ascalonites came out vnto him and both presented and honoured him He willingly entertaining their good affection departed from thence and iournied towards Ierusalem charged with great spoiles which after his victory against his enemy he droue before him after he had spoiled the countrey As soone as Alexander heard that Apollonius the generall of his army was discomfited and forced to flie he made a shew that he was glad thereof pretending that it was against his will that Ionathan had beene molested by warre who was both his friend and ally Whereupon be sent an Embassadour vnto him to signifie vnto him how much he reioyced at his victory offering him presents and honours with a chaine of gold such as the kings were accustomed to giue to those of their kinred he likewise gaue him Accaron and the countrey thereunto belonging to him and his heires for euer
About the same time king Ptolomy Philometor set out an army by sea and another by land to repaire into Syria and to succour his sonne in law Alexander and in his way all the Cities entertained him verie affectionately according as Alexander had commaunded them and conducted him as farre as the Citie of Azot in which place all of them exclaimed before him and chalenged Iustice at his hand for that the temple of Dagon was burned and destroyed accusing Ionathan for the firing thereof and the slaughter of many people therein But Ptolomey hearing these accusations answered them not a word But when Ionathan came forth to meete him at Ioppe he courted him with royall presents and all the honour that was possible and after hee had kept him company as farre as the flood called Eleutherus he dismissed him and sent him backe to Ierusalem When Ptolomey was come to Ptolemais he hardly escaped death and that contrarie to all expectation by Alexanders owne complotting and Ammonius his friends mediation Which trechery being discouered Ptolomey wrote vnto Alexander requiring him that Ammonius might be punished for his treasons and conspiracies practised against him which in their natures required a seuere and cruell punishment But seeing that Alexander deliuered him not vp into his hands he coniectured and concluded that he himselfe was the authour thereof and conceiued a hainous displeasure against him In like manner before that time Alexander had offended the Antiochians by the meanes of the said Ammonius who had loaden them with many wrongs and incommodities but in the end Ammonius was punished for these his ou◅agious misdemeanors and disgracefully slaine like a woman whilest in a womans attire he fought to hide himselfe as we haue expressed it in another place At that time Ptolomey began to accuse himselfe for bestowing his daughter in mariage on Alexander and for resusing Demetrius to be his friend and confederate so that he brake off the affinitie that he had with him and after he had withdrawen his daughter from him he presently sent Embassadors vnto Demetrius to confirme a league of peace and affinitie with him promising him to bestow his daughter vpon him in mariage and to establish him in his fathers kingdome Demetrius verie ioyfull to heare of this Embassage accepted both of the confederation and marriage There onely remained one difficulty for Ptolomey to surmount which was how he might perswade the Antiochians to admit Demetrius against whom they were so grieuously incesed for the indignities which his father Demetrius had offered them but this difficulty ouercame he by this meanes that ensueth The Antiochians hated Alexander because of Ammonius as we haue expressed heretofore and by that meanes were the more easily drawen to driue him out of the Citie He perceiuing himselfe to be thrust out of Antioch came into Cilicia Whereupon Ptolomey came vnto Antioch and was both by the Citizens and soldiers therein ptoclaimed king and was constrained to take two Diademes the one as king of Asia the other asking of Aegypt Hee was a man of a gentle and iust nature no waies ambitions but such a one as prudently did forecast what was to ensue st◅riuing by all meanes possible to auoid the hatred and iealousie of the Romans For which cause assembling the Antiochians together he wrought so much with them that at last he perswaded them to accept of Demetrius assuring them that if he should receiue that benefit at their hands he would no more keepe in memory those things that had fallen out betwixt them and his father protesting for his own part that he would instruct him both how to order the course of his life honestly to manage his publike affaires rightly and promising thē that if he attempted to worke them any inconuenient he himself would be the formost to chastice him alledging for his own part that he would content himselfe to be king of Aegypt And by this meanes the Antiochians were induced to receiue Demetrius But when as Alexander was departed out of Cilicia with a g◅eat army and was come into Syria and had burned and spoiled the countrey of the Antiochians Ptolomey accompanied with his sonne Demetrius for he had alreadie maried his daughter vnto him issued out with their armies and obtained a ioint and mutuall victorie by ouercomming Alexander who was constrained to flie into Arabia It came to passe in that conflict that Ptolomeies horse hearing the noise of an Elephant was troubled and stumbled in such sort as he threw his master on the ground which when his enemies perceiued they ran al togither vpon him and gaue him diuers wounds in the head whereby he was in danger to haue been slaine vnlesse his guard had rescued him notwithstanding he was so sicke for foure daies space that he could neither heare nor speake But Zabel the potentate of Arabia beheaded Alexander and sent his head vnto Ptolomey who being somewhat come vnto himselfe after his wounds on the fift day and hauing some knowledge heard and saw togither a thing both delightfull in his eare and pleasant in his eie which was the death and the head of his enemy But some few daies after he died himselfe be◅ng full of ioy in that he saw his enemies fall This Alexander surnamed Balles raigned for the space of fiue yeeres as we haue elsewhere declared Demetrius surnamed Nicanor hauing obtained the kingdome began thorow his malice to dismember Ptolomeies army forgetting both the confederacy and affinitie that he had with him by reason of Cleopatra his wife who was Ptolomeies daughter But the men of warre hating his ingratitude fled into Alexandria to warrantize themselues from his wickednesse notwithstanding they left the Elephants in his power and possession But the high Priest Ionathan hauing assembled an army of all the countrey of Iudaea began to besiege the castle of Ierusalem where there was a garrison of the Macedonians and a great number of wicked Apostates that were fallen from the Iewish religion who in the beginning set light by the engines that Ionathan had raised to surprise the place in the strength whereof they reposed too much confidence But in the end some of these miscreants breaking out by night came vnto Demetrius and certified him of the siege who was sore displeased thereat taking a strong army with him departed from Antioch to make warre vpon Ionathan At such time as he came to Ptolemais he wrote to Ionathan and commanded him to come vnto him notwithstanding Ionathan gaue not ouer the siege but tooke the Elders and the Priests with him with gold and siluer robes a great quantitie of presents to beare vnto Demetrius and when he had deliuered them into his hands he appeased his wrath and after he had receiued many honors at his hands he obtained the confirmation of his priesthood in as ample manner as hee enioyed it du◅g the times of his predecessors And although the miscreant Iewes accused him yet did
nation of the Iewes were ready to innouate and rebell and continued their good affection toward Antigonus in regard of the hatred they conceiued against Herod he concluded with himselfe to take his head from him at Antioch For the Iewes could scarcely containe themselues Strabo of Cappadocia testifieth no lesse in these words Anthony hauing brought Antigonus the Iew to Antioch caused his head to be cut off and was the first among the Romans that hath caused a king to be beheaded in this manner supposing that the Iewes might neuer otherwaies be induced to change their opinions and receiue Herodeâ—… yet this opinion of his was not answerable to equitie For notwithstanding whatsoeuer impulsion he might deuise yet could they not be induced to call him king in so high estimate and account held they their former king But Anthony supposed that that infamie would obscure his renown and lessen the generall hate that they bare to Herode See here what Strabo writeth As soone as the high priest Hircanus who was prisoner among the Parthians heard that Herode had taken possession of the kingdome he returned backe vnto him being deliuered after this manner following Barzapharnes and Pacorus princes of the Parthians had taken Hircanus who was first high priest and afterwards king and with him Phasaelus Herodes brother and led them away prisoners with them into their own countrey Phasaelus not able to endure the dishonour of imprisonment and preferring an honorable death before a reprochful and ignominious life murthered himselfe as I haue heretofore declared CHAP. II. How Hircanus dismissed by the Parthians returned vnto Herode PHraates king of Parthia vnderstanding how nobly Hircanus was descended who was brought prisoner vnto him entertained him gratiously and for this cause drew him out of prison permitting him to conuerse in Babylon in which place there were a great number of Iewes who honoured Hircanus verie much and no lesse then their high priest and king The like also did all they of that nation inhabiting as farre as Euphrates which did not a little content Hircanus But after that he was aduertised that Herode was possessed of the kingdome he transferred his hopes another waie being of his owne nature tenderly affected toward his friends expecting that one day Herode would requite him for that he had deliuered him from death whereunto he was condemned and in danger likewise of the penalty and punishment He began therefore to consult with the Iewes as touching his iourney who in way of duetie and loue came to visit him and who besought him and importuned him to abide with them offering him all seruice and honour assuring him that he should in no lesse manner be respected among them then their high priest and king yea in farre higher regard then he might any waies be in his owne countrey by reason of the maime he had in his bodie thorow Antigonus tyranny alleadging that kings doe not ordinarily call to their remembrance those pleasures that they haue receiued in their infant fortunes because that with their estates they change both their manners and inclinations But notwithstanding all these or such like allegations yet could not Hircanus be withdrawne from the desire he had to repaire homeward Herode also wrote vnto him that he should require Phraates and the Iewes that inhabited his kingdome in no sort to enuie his felicitie in that he should partake with him both in dignitie and royaltie alleadging that the time was now come wherein he might acknowledge the benefits he had receiued by being heretofore nourished and preserued by him With these letters he sent Samaralla likewise on an embassage to Phraates furnished with great rich presents endeuouring by that meanes to winne him that he in no sort should hinder his gratulation and good intent towards one that had so highly deserued at his hands yet were not his protestations answerable to his pretence For insomuch as he gouerned not with that vprightnes which became a iust king he feared least some alteration might befall him according to his demerites for which cause he sought to get Hircanus vnder his power or at leastwise to dispatch him out of his life which he afterwards performed When as therefore Herode had perswaded the Parthian to dismisse Hircanus and the Iewes to furnish him with money sufficient to beare his expence in his iourney he receiued him with all honour In common assemblies he gaue him alwaies the highest place and in the time of festiuals he made him alwaies sit downe before him and the more closely to deceiue him he called him brother endeuouring himselfe by all means wholy to extinguish in him all colour and cause of suspicion of treacherie neitherintermitted he any other stratagems whereby in his opinion he might any waies further or promote his cause and yet by these meanes occasioned he no small sedition in his owne familie For carefully prouiding least any one among the nobilitie should be established high Priest he sent to Babylon for a certaine man of bace condition called Ananel and gaue him the Priesthood For which cause Alexandra grew sodainly displeased not being able to endure that outrage This woman was Hircanus daughter and Alexanders wife who was king Aristobulus sonne who had two children by her husband the one wondrous beautifull who also was called Aristobulus the other was Mariamme who was likewise faire and maried to Herode She was sore moued and highly displeased to see her sonne so much indignified for that during his life another was called to the honour of high Priesthood for which cause she wrote vnto Cleopatra by the meanes of a certaine Musition beseeching her to beg the high Priesthood at Antonius hands for hir sonne But for that Antonius made little reckoning of those suites a certaine friend of his called Gellius who was come into Iury about certain of his affaires and who had seene Aristobulus fell in loue with him by reason of his beautie and being abashed likewise at his great and goodly stature and allured by Mariammes admirable beautie he openly protested that he accounted Alexandra a happie mother in her children and deuising to this effect with her he perswaded her to send the pictures of her two children to Antonius for that if hee should but behold them he would refuse him in nothing wherein he should request his friendship Alexandra perswaded by these words sent their pictures vnto Antonius Gellius also made the matter more wonderfull telling him that the children seemed rather to be engendred of no mortall straine but by some diuine power labouring as much as in him lay that Antonius might be allured to affection them Who supposing it to be a matter ill be seeming him to send for Mariamme who was married to Herode and desirous likewise to auoid Clopatras suspicions wrote vnto Herode that vnder some honest pretext he should send Alexandras sonne vnto him with this addition if it might
not seeme troublesome vnto him Which matter when Herode vnderstood he thought it no waies incident to his securitie to send Aristobulus who was a faire young man and little more at that time then sixteene yeeres olde so nobly borne considering that Antonius was at that present in such authoritie that no one in Rome was in greater credit then he and who besides that was verie much addicted to his pleasures which he openly hunted after without feare of punishment in regard of his greatnes and power He therefore wrote him this answere that if the young man should but onely depart out of the countrey all the land would incontinently be filled with warre and troubles for that the Iewes pretended alteration in gouernment and sought to innouate by preferring a new king When as therefore he had in this sort excused himselfe vnto Antonius he resolued to entertaine both the younger Aristobulus and his mother Alexandra with more respect Moreouer his wife Mariamme did continually importune him to giue the priesthood to her brother alledging that by that honour he might preuent the occasion of his trauell For which cause assembling his friends togither in counsell he grieuously accused Alexandra before them protesting that she secretly conspired against the kingdome and that by the mediation of Cleopatra she laboured to dispossesse him of the soueraigntie to the intent that her sonnes by Antonius meanes might gouerne in his steed Which practise of hirs was so much the more vniust because she depriued her owne daughter of that honour wherein she was inseated raised vp troubles likewise in that kingdome which he had conquered with great trauel and extreme daunger Yet notwithstanding that he willingly forgat that which was past and forgaue those wrongs she had vrged against him and vvas readie notwithstanding to shew all kindnes and courtesie both to her and hers Furthermore he gaue the high priesthood to young Aristobulus alledging that heretofore he had established Ananel in that place for no other respect then for that Aristobulus was vnder yeeres After that he had thus seriously and considerately discoursed in the presence of the Ladies and the consistorie of his friends Alexandra almost beside her selfe not only thorow the ioy she had conceiued by this vnexpected good fortune but also for the feare she had to be suspected began to defend her selfe with teares protestations saying that al whatsoeuer she had either practised or done was to prefer her son vnto the Priesthood whō she saw dishonoured but as touching the kingdome that she had neuer pretēded neither would if so be she should be presented therwith receiue the same thinking her selfe for the present sufficiently honoured both for that she saw Aristobulus in that estate as for the assurance that all her progeny should receiue in that he was lifted vp in dignitie aboue the rest Being therefore ouercome by those merits she accepted willingly the honour for her sonne and shewed her selfe obedient in all things requesting him that if she had committed any thing rashy and thorow inconsideration of passion either in respect of her children or in vnbridled cariage of her tongue hee would be pleased to pardon her After these debates and interchangeable discourses on either side they shooke hands the one with the other in token of a more fixed and vnfained friendship then was before burying as they then pretended all euill suspition or cause of vnkindnes CHAP. III. Herode preferreth Aristobulus his wife Mariammes brother to the Priesthood and afterwards pu◅eth him to death HEreupon Herode tooke away the Priesthood instantly from Ananel who was not that countriman borne as we haue heretofore declared but was borne amongst those Iewes that inhabite and were planted beyond Euphrates by the Assirians For diuers thousand Iewes inhabite the countrey of Babylon and from thence tooke he his originall also being otherwise of the race of the Priests and intirely affected toward Herode for a long time before with whom he had familiar acquaintance He had preferred him to this honour at such time as he was made king and degraded him likewise to appease the troubles of his family demeasning himselfe herein contrarie to the law of the countrey For whereas any one hath once beene installed in that degree he is neuer to be displaced The first that transgressed this ordinance was Antiochus Epiphanes who dispossessed Iosuah and preferred his brother Onias to his place The second was Aristobulus who tooke it away from his brother Hircanus and vsurped it himselfe Herode was the third who gaue the Priesthood to Aristobulus establishing him in Ananels place before he was dead and by this meanes supposing that he had found out a remedie to appease the discords of his family he notwithstanding all this liued not without suspition what euent would follow after this reconciliation For he feared Alexandra least demeasning her selfe in such sort as before time she had done she should seeke occasion hereafter to raise new troubles He commaunded her therefore to containe her selfe within the roial pallace and to doe nothing of her owne authoritie Besides that he had appointed certaine intelligencers who should diligently obserue that nothing should be done without his knowledge no not concerning her particular expences and table All which things exasperated her hate and increased the same against Herode for being full of feminine pride she disdained to see her selfe thus wrongfully suspected desiring rather to suffer any thing then to be depriued of the liberty of free speech and vnder colour to be honoured to liue continually in seruitude and feare Whereupon she sent certaine of her trustie friends to Cleopatra to complaine and lament vnto her the importable miseries of her present estate requiring her according to her power to giue readie and speedie reliefe Whereupon Cleopatra sent her word that both she and her sonne should resort vnto her into Aegypt with as great secrecie as might be possible Vpon which aduice and the allowance thereof she practised this policy She caused two coffins to be made such as men were wont to burie the dead in in which she hid both her selfe and her sonne commaunding those seruants of hers that were priuie to her deliberation to carie them out in the night time and to bend their course directly towards the sea where there was a barke in readinesse prepared to shape their course and conuey them into Aegypt But Esop one of her household seruants declared this enterprise of hers to Sabbion one of Alexandras friends supposing that he had beene made priuie thereunto who had no sooner inkling thereof but for that before times he was Herodes enemy by reason he was suspected to haue beene one of those that sought to poison Antipater he determined by discouery of this secret flight to conuert Herodes hate into assured friendship and presently discouered Alexandras secret enterprise to the king Who dissembling the matter vntill it
there to meete with Caesar. And as soone as he arriued in that citie he tooke the Diademe from his head and laid it apart but as for his other princely ornaments he chaunged them in no sort and being admitted to Caesars presence he at that time gaue a more ample testimony of the greatnes of his magnanimitie and courage for neither addressed he his speech to intreat his fauour according to the custome of suppliants neither presented he any request as if he had in any sort offended him but gaue account of al that which he had done without concealing or mistrusting any thing For he freely confessed before Caesar that he had intirely loued Antonius and that to the vtmost of his power he had done him seruice to the end that he might obtaine the soueraigntie and monarchie not by annexing his forces vnto his in that he was otherwaies imployed in the Arabian warre but in furnishing him both with wheat and money and that this was the lest office which it behooued him to performe towards Antonius for that being once his professed friend it behooued him not onely to imploy his best endeuours on his so princely benefactor but also to hazard both his head and happines to deliuer him from perils All which said he I haue not performed according as I ought to haue done yet notwithstanding I know that at such time as he was ouercome in the Actian battell I did not alter my affection with his fortune neither did I restraine my selfe for although I befriended not Antonius with my presence and assistance in his Actian warre yet at leastwise I assisted him with my counsaile certifying him that he had but one onely meanes left him for his securitie and preuention of his vtter ruine which was to put Cleopatra to death for that by cutting her off hee might enioy her estate and might more easily obtaine his peace and pacifie thy displeasure against him And for that he gaue but slender regard for these mine admonitions by his owne sottishnesse and indiscretion he hath hurt himselfe and profited you because as I said he did not follow my counsaile Now therefore O Caesar in regard of the hate which you beare vnto Anthony you condemne my friendship also I will not denie that which I haue done neither am I affraid freely and publikely to protest how much I haue loued him but if without regard of persons you consider how kindly I am affected towards my benefactors and how resolute and constant a friend I am and how mindefull of kindnesse the effect of that which I haue done may make me knowne vnto thee For if the name be onely changed the friendship notwithstanding may remaine and deserue a due praise By these words which were manifest testimonies of his resolute and noble courage he so inwardly indeered himselfe vnto Caesar who was a magnificent and worthy monarcke that hee conuerted this his accusation into an occasion to winne and worke him to be his friend for which cause Caesar in setting the diademe vpon his head exhorted him that he should no lesse respect his friendship then he had in former time Anthonies and withall did him much honour certifying him moreouer that Capidius had written vnto him how much Herode had assisted him in his warres that he had with the monarches of Syria Herode seeing that he was thus entertained and that contrarie to his expectation the kingdome was more surely confirmed vnto him then before time both by Caesars bountie as also by the decree of the Senate which he had practized to obtaine for his greater assurance accompanied Caesar as farre as Aegypt presenting both himselfe and his friends with many rich gifts beyond the proportion of his estate endeuouring by these means both to win their fauors and to shew also the greatnes of his courage requiring moreouer at Caesars hands that Alexander who was one of Anthonies deerest friends might not be sought out to be punished yet notwithstanding he could not obtaine the same by reason of an oath that Caesar had past before he sollicited him That done he returned backe againe into Iewry with more greater honour and assurance then before whereby he stroke them with wonderfull amazement who expected his contrarie successe as if by Gods especiall prouidence he alwaies ouerwent his dangers to his greater honour Incontinently therefore hee prepared himselfe to entertain Caesar who returned out of Syria to take his iourney into Aegypt and receiued him at Ptolemais with all royall honour and gaue his army presents with all abundance of munition so that he was accounted for one of Caesars most affectionate friends and rode about with him at such time as he tooke the view of his army he entertained him also and his friends with one hundreth and fiftie men adorned with most rich and sumptuous apparell And for that they were to passe thorow a countrey wherein there was great scarcitie of water he furnished them both with water and wine so that they needed neither of them He gaue Caesar also eight hundreth talents and so royally satisfied he all men that they confessed themselues to haue had farre greater entertainment then the reuenues and profits of his kingdome could affoord them By which meanes he gaue the more ample testimonie of his forward friendship and free affection to deserue well and making vse of the opportunitie of the time he obtained the reputation of a prince of an heroicke and noble spirite so that hee was helde inferiour vnto no man for the good entertainment that he gaue to the chiefest Romans in their returne out of Aegypt CHAP. XI Herode being incensed by false accusations putteth his wife Mariamme to death BVt as soone as he returned into his kingdome he found all his houshold troubled and both his wife Mariamme and her mother Alexandra grieuously displeased with him For they supposing and not without cause that they were not shut vppe in that Castle for their securities sake but as it were in a prison so that in as much as they neither might make vse of other mens nor enioy their own goods they were highly discontented Mariamme also supposed that her husband did but dissemble his loue rather for his owne profit and commoditie then for any intire affection he bare towards her But nothing more grieued her but that she had not any hope to liue after him if so be he should happen to die especially for the order he had left as concerning her neither could she euer forget what commandement before that time he had left with Ioseph so that by all meanes possible she laboured to winne the affections of those that had the charge of her and especially Sohemus knowing verie well that her safetie depended wholy on his hands Who in the beginning behaued himselfe verie wisely and faithfully containing himselfe verie circumspectly within the bounds of his commission but after these Ladies had with prettie presents and feminine
with like hatred that they were hated of them For they for their ingenuous manners and noble race dissembled not their anger but with lauish tongues declared their mindes But Salome and Pheroras contrariwise enuiously and craftily prepared themselues a way by calumniations alwaies prouoking the magnanimous spirits of these young men whose fiercenesse might soone bring them into suspition with their father to the intent that hee might gather hereby that they wanted not will to reuenge their mothers death yea euen with their owne hands forasmuch as they were not ashamed to be the children of such a mother and would contend that she was vniustly put to death And now all the whole Citie talked of them euerie one pitying the young mens simplicitie Salome not ceasing to gather by their owne speeches probable arguments of suspition that they did not only take their mothers death impatiently but also raging like young men did both bewaile her death and their owne case who were compelled to liue with the murtherers of their infortunat mother as it were contaminat themselues with liuing amongst them And the absence of the king greatly increased this their dissension who being returned and hauing made a speech vnto the people he presently was admonished both by Pheroras and Salome his sister that he was in great danger by reason of the two young men who did openly boast that they would be reuenged of them that killed their mother feining moreouer that they were incouraged for that they hoped that Archelaus king of Cappadocia would helpe them to accuse their father vnto Caesar. Herod hearing this was greatly troubled and so much the more for that he heard the same also reported vnto him by others And hereby he was put in memorie of that which was past how that for the dissension of his house he could not long enioy his friends and dearest wife And as it were foreseeing by that that was past what would ensue and fearing some greater calamitie would befall him he was altogither amazed And truely as abroad he was most fortunate aboue all hope so at home he was most vnhappy and infortunate beyond mens opinion So that one may well doubt whether his fortunate successe abroad did counteruaile his misfortunes at home or whether it had beene more expedient for him to haue had neither the one nor the other but to haue had onely a common and ordinarie fauour at fortunes hands Deliberating thus with himselfe he thought it good to call vnto the court another sonne of his whom he begat when he was a priuate man and to grace him with honours and to oppose him against the other two brethren to the end to bring downe and represse their fierce and hautie mindes this sonne of his was called Antipater not minded which after ouercome by affection he did to make him sole heire of all but thinking hereby to bridle Mariammes children and to diminish their arrogancie by setting them see that it was not needfull to keepe the inheritance of so flourishing a kingdome onely for them wherefore he introduced Antipater one opposed against them that thereby the young men laying their pride aside might shew themselues more tractable to their father and so now hee thought he had by this meanes prouided for the safetie of these young men But it fell out farre otherwise then he expected for the young men esteemed this fact as an iniurie done vnto them And Antipater was of that nature that hauing gotten promotion contrarie to his expectation he did endeuour all waies possible to be in greater account with his father then the two young men who was now through false accusations alienated from him and euerie day as he also desired ready to beleeue any thing that might incense him against them Wherefore this was all his labour yet had he an especiall care not to be thought an accuser of his brethren but he vsed others of his accomplices whom the king nothing suspected who for the trust the king put in them might also haue better credit giuen vnto their words For now this man had many followers and fauourers as it were gaping after preferment by his meanes who with a kinde of counterfeit goodwill made a shewe of loue and goodwill towards Herode And being many in number and trusty one to an other the young men were euerie day entrapped more and more for many times they shed teares for very griefe of the contumelies and iniuries that they suffered and many times they mentioned their mother and complained vnto those whom they thought to be their friends of their father as one that dealt not well with them all which Antipaters partakers malitiously noting and adding therunto something of their own inuention they did presently tell it vnto Herode and so did nourish the dissension of his house For the king being mooued hereat and purposing to humble Mariammes children did daily encrease and augment Antipaters honours and at his entreaties at last brought his mother into the court and many times secretly writing vnto Caesar in fauour of Antipater he especially commended him in particular vnto him and being to sayle to salute Agrippa who now was to depart out of Asia hauing gouerned that prouince ten yeeres he onely tooke with him Antipater of all his sonnes whom also he committed vnto Agrippa with many gifts to go with him to Rome and to be brought into fauour with Caesar so that now all things seemed to be done as it were by this mans becke and the young men to be already disinherited CHAP. VII How Antipater liuing at Rome Herode brought Alexander and his brother thither and accused them before Caesar. THis iourney did greatly aduantage Antipater and increase his honour and preeminence aboue his brethren for he became famous at Rome being by his fathers letters commended vnto all his friends there yet this was a great griefe vnto him that he could not daily calumniate his brethren for he feared least his fathers minde should change and so hee should affect Mariammes children most This was his daily cogitation but though he were absent yet he ceased not by letters to incite his father against them as hauing care of his safetie but in deede for that he thereby through his bad practises hoped to obtaine the kingdome so that he so encreased Herodes wrath against them that he now was become a deadly enemy vnto the young men But indeuouring to resist this affection and fearing rashly in his anger to commit any thing to preiudice them he determined to saile againe to Rome and there accuse his sons before Caesar least he being lead away thorow indignation and displeasure conceiued against the young men should seeme to cast off all loue fatherly affection towards them And repairing to Rome and not finding Caesar there he followed him vnto Aquileia and comming to speech of him and requesting him to take notice of his misfortunes he presented his
most excellent in their art and champions that wrastled being naked and annointed with oyle there was also a great many that fought with swords a great number of sauage beasts and all things else that at such times were vsed and in account either at Rome or in other countries These sports were also consecrated vnto Caesar and were to be renewed euery fifth yeere All this prouision the king at his owne cost and charges prouided to be brought from any place whatsoeuer to shew the greatnes of his magnificence Iulia Caesars wife also bestowed much of hir owne to the furnishing hereof and sent many precious things out of Italy so that the worth of them all amounted vnto fiue hundreth talents And a great company being gathered togither to beholde these sports he receiued all Embassadours sent vnto him from other nations to thanke him for the benefits he had bestowed on them and he lodged feasted and sported them and being all day long amongst the people to see those sports at night he receiued them with banquets and shewing them his magnificence and gaining great praise and commendations for a worthie king For he in all things so prouided that the last was more pleasing and gratefull then the first and caused him to be more admired And it is reported that Caesar himselfe and Agrippa often did say that Herodes magnanimitie was greater then his present reuenewes could beare and that he well deserued an empire as big as all Syria and Egypt These sports being ended he builded another towne in a field called Capharsaba chusing for it a watery soyle fit for plants the citie was compassed with a riuer and he also planted round about it a wood full of most goodly trees This towne he called Antipatris after his fathers name Antipater After which he also builded a castell aboue Iericho called after his mothers name Cypron which was verie strongly defenced and adorned within with rare and sumptuous edifices And not forgetting his brother he dedicated vnto him most goodly buildings for first he built a tower as bigge as Pharo in the citie in remembrance of his dead brother and called it by his name Phasaelus which also was the strongest hold and defence in all the citie After this he builded a towne neere vnto the valley of Iericho as one goeth toward the north whereby the fields that before almost lay desert were now tilled and inhabited by the townesmen so that of them it was named Phasaelus field It were hard to recount all his liberalitie in particular shewed both vnto the Cities of Syria and Grecia and all other places wheresoeuer he came for he helped many either by building publike places or if there were any new workes begun and not finished for want of money by giuing them money to finish them the chiefest amongst all which were that he builded at his owne cost and charge the temple of Apollo at Rhodes and gaue them many talents of siluer to build their ships He also builded the greatest part of the publike houses and places in the Citie by Actium which Caesar built for the Nicopolitanes there inhabiting and that with his owne proper costs and charges He also for the Antiochians inhabiting the greatest Citie of Syria builded porches on each side of the greater streete that goeth quite thorow the middest of the Citie and doth as it were part it into two and that street it selfe that lay open he paued with polished stone which worke was as great a commoditie to the inhabitants as a beautie vnto their Citie He also helped to maintaine the sports at Olympus with yeerely reuenues that now for want of maintenance began to decay so that by his meanes there were more solemne sacrifices and all things more sumptuous to please them that came to behold them for which his liberalitie he was declared a perpetuall master and maintainer of those sports It is admirable to see in one man such diuersitie of mindes for on the one side if we respect his liberalitie and beneficence towards all men we must needs say he was of a most free and bountifull nature contrariwise if we consider the iniuries and crueltie he shewed against his subjects and dearest friends we must confesse him to haue been a hard man and intractable and who passed all bounds of modestie so that we would thinke him to haue beene of two contrarie dispositions But I am otherwise perswaded and thinke that both these did proceed from one matter for because he thirsted after glorie and honour and wholy applied himselfe thereunto he became liberall wheresoeuer he was in hope either to reape present thankes for his labour or a future remembrance Wherefore spending aboue his reuenues for this matter he was forced to be chargeable vnto his subiects for it was necessatie that he that so lauishly bestowed such huge summes of money vpon others should some where get it though with euill meanes Lastly seeing himselfe for such like iniuries hated of his subiects he thought it a hard matter to get their good wils which he could doe no way else but by remitting the tribute they paid him Wherefore he abused the hatred of his people for his owne commoditie for if any one of them did not tolerate that slauerie wherein they liued or did endeuour to shake off the yoke of his dominion against such he vsed a meruailous crueltie and outraged them no lesse then as if they had been his enemies neither respecting friendship nor kindred for that he desired alone to be honoured of all men And how greedy of honour he was we may guesse by the honours he did vnto Caesar Agrippa and others of their friends for he desired to be an example vnto his subiects that as he himselfe honoured men better then himselfe so they should all honour him likewise thereby declaring what thing he did naturally most desire But the Iewes religion doth not permit them license to honour potentates who of necessitie ought to haue greater care and respect of right and equitie then of such officiousnesse toward superiours for it was disprofite enough vnto the Iewes that they could not with statuaes and temples obtaine the kings fauour and with such like flatteries satisfie the fonde appetites of a vaineglorious man And this seemeth to me to be the reason that Herode was vniust and hard towards his friends and to those whom he made partakers of his counsels and enterprises and franke and bountifull towards strangers CHAP. X. Of the Embassage of the Cyrenian and Asian Iewes vnto Caesar. THe Asian and Cyrenian Iewes were greatly afflicted by the Citizens of those countries who hauing had the same priuiledges granted vnto them by the auncient kings that the Citizens had were now greatly iniured by the Greeks as though they carried money out of the countrey and were preiudiciall vnto the rest of the inhabitants And the Greeks making no end of these their iniuries they were
but rather encreased he hauing a shamefull beginning and comming to a sorrowfull end Herod had three Eunuches whom he greatly esteemed for their beauty one of them was his butler the other his cooke and the third his chamberlaine whom also he was wont to employ in serious affaires of his kingdome Some one or other enformed the king that these three Eunuches were corrupted by his sonne Alexander with great summes of money and being vpon tortures examined if they had accompanied with him they confessed all yet they affirmed that they knew no practise of his attempted against his father But their torments being encreased by Antipaters fauorites they were forced to confesse that Alexander secretly hated his father and he exhorted them to forsake Herode who was now good for nothing who dissembled his age by painting his face to make himselfe seeme younger then he was and colouring his head and beard blacke which were alreadie growne verie white through age but rather fer their mindes vpon him who would in despite of his father enioy his kingdome due vnto him and that then he would aduance them to the highest honors of the kingdome for he had not onely title vnto it by his birth but also was now prepared likewise to inuade it and that he had many of the captaines of the souldiers and many of the kings friends on his side who were prepared to doe or endure any thing for his sake Herode hearing this feare and anger did inuade him by reason that his sonnes words seemed both contumelious and threatning and being for both these causes in a rage he feared some greater matter to be put in practise against him which he could not sodainly and hauing so little warning auoide and not daring to make open enquirie he set secret spies a worke to tell him how all matters stood himselfe now mistrusting all men and accounting it his securitie to mistrust all euen them that deserued it not and not moderating his suspicious minde now whosoeuer was the nearest vnto him was the more suspected as of most power to iniure him As for others that were but onely named by his spies he presently esteemed it his safetie to put them to death Then they of his household euerie one being carefull to saue himselfe were one turned against another euerie one deeming it his owne safetie to preuent others by accusing them vnto Herode which done presently they incited other mens enuie against them and euerie one of them to desire such measure as they had measured vnto others and thus they also reuenged their priuate quarrels and presently after they themselues were taken and did by other mens meanes suffer the like being intrapped in the same trappe they set for their enemies For the king did quickly repent himselfe because he had put verie many to death who were not conuicted yet for all that he was not hereby admonished to beware of the like hereafter but on his repentance for their death raged so farre as to cause him to inflict the same punishment vpon their accusers which he had done vpon them So great trouble and feare then fell vpon all the whole court He then commaunded many of his dearest friends and them especially whose fidelitie he had before times experienced not to come in his sight nor within his court gates For he did now shake off the friendship between Andromachus and Gemellus and himselfe who were his auncient friends and oftentimes had gone Embassadors for him and alwaies been of his counsell and had been tutors vnto his children in whom he had alwaies reposed more trust then in any others the one of them for that his sonne Demetrius was familiar with Alexander and Gemellus for that he knew him to wish well vnto Alexander for he was one of them who had brought him vp and had aboad with him at his being at Rome And no doubt but he had censured them with some more heauie sentence had it not been that they were so eminent persons Wherfore at that time he was contented to haue banished them and depriued them of all their authoritie to the end that hauing now disgraced these good men he might the more freely play the tyrant Antipater was the cause of all this mischiefe who from the first time that he perceiued his father to be fearefull and suspicious still after that ioined with him as a counsellor and as it were increased his rage and crueltie and then he gallantly plaied his part endeuouring that whosoeuer would resist him should be made away Wherfore Andromachus the rest of his friends being now banished the court the king presently tortured all that he imagined any way to fauor Alexander to see if they were guilty or if they knew of any treason to be practised against him but they knowing nothing to informe him of died amidst their torments Where he so much more tortured others for that contrarie to his opinion he found not so much as an euill thought against him Antipater craftily interpreting it that they had rather in torments conceale the truth then to shew themselues not trustie to their masters and friends wherefore many being taken he caused them to be tortured to get some thing out of some of them At last one amongst the rest not able to endure those torments imposed vpon him said that he had often heard Alexander say so often as any one commended his goodly stature or skilfull shooting the rest of his vertues that these qualities nature bestowed vpon him rather then other benefits for his father for enuy hereat was offended so that when he talked with him he did vpon purpose draw his body togither least his father should perceiue the talnes of his stature and that when he went a hunting with him he vpon purpose did misse the mark he could haue hit because he knew his father could not endure that he should be cōmended And whilest these his words were considered pondred and his torments intermitted he again accused Alexander to haue conspired with his brother Aristobulus to kill his father when he was hunting then to flie with speed vnto Rome and begge the kingdome of Caesar. There were also found some of this young mans letters written vnto his brother complaining of the iniurious dealing of his father who had giuen certaine grounds vnto Antipater the yeerely reuenues whereof amounted vnto two hundreth talents Then Herode thinking himselfe to haue probabilitie enough his former suspition was now confirmed and so he tooke Alexander and cast him in prison and againe he began to rage notwithstanding that himselfe did scarcely beleeue the informations against him neither could he himselfe deuise any cause wherefore they should seeke to worke treason against him And those complaints seemed childish neither was it probable that hauing openly killed his father he would afterwards haue gone to Rome Wherfore endeuouring to finde some stronger argument of his sonnes impietie
not imitate them in that wrong they did vnto Herode who being during his life time bountifully graced by him by many benefits do now after his death go about to violate his last and truest testament 〈◊〉 that rather like a friend and confederate he would confirme his will who like his faithfull and sworne welwiller had committed all things to his trust For that there must needs be a great difference betweene their malice and Caesars vertue and faith which was renowmed thorow the whole world For which cause he would not iudge his decree to be inconsiderately past who left his succession to his well deseruing sonne and referred all things to his trust For that it was vnlikely that he should erre in the choise of his successor who had so discreetly submitted all things to Caesars iudgement After this manner Nicholas also finished his discourse Hereupon Caesar courteously raised Archelaus who lay prostrate and humbled before his feet telling him that he was most worthie to be king by giuing an apparant testimony that he was constant in his resolutions pretending that he would do nothing but that which should be answerable to Herodes testament and Archelaus profit and seeing the young man was confirmed in some good hope with this his promise he determined nothing more for that time but dismissing the councell he debated with himselfe whether he should ratifie the kingdome to Archelaus onely or deuide it amongst Herodes kinred especially since all men had need of his assistance CHAP. XII The Iewes mutinie against Sabinus and how Varus punisheth the authors of the sedition BVt before Caesar had determined any thing certainly in this behalfe Marthalce Archelaus mother died of a sicknes Varus the presideÌ„t of the Iews in Syria had sent letters which certified the emperor of the rebellioÌ„ of the Iewes For after Archelaus departure al the natioÌ„ was in an vprore To pacifie which Varus resorted thither punished the authors of the same after he had in this sort appeased all things he returned to Antioch leauing a regimeÌ„t of soldiers in Ierusalem to restraine the factious invocations amongst the Iewes yet preuailed he nothing by this his pollicy For as soone as Varus was departed Sabinus who inteÌ„ded Caesars affaires remaining in that place grieuously burthened the Iews trusting to that power that was left him supposing that he was alreadie enabled to withstand the multitude For he armed diuers souldiers and made vse of them to oppresse the Iewes and to prouoke them to sedition For he enforced himselfe to surprise their fortresses and forcibly to make search after the kings treasures for his priuate lucre and couetousnes sake When as therefore the feast of Whitsontide was come which is one of our festiuals diuers thousands from all parts repaired to Ierusalem not onely for religion sake but also for the despite and hatred they had conceiued against those violences and iniuries which Sabinus had offered them And not onely were those of Iudaea grieuously offended but diuers also resorted out of Galilee and Idumaea from Iericho and the Cities scituate on the other side of Iordan desiring all of them to be reuenged on Sabinus And deuiding their campe into three bands after this manner the one part of them tooke vp the Hippodrome and of the other two the one seazed the southerne quarter of the temple and the other the easterne and the third which was in the Hippodrome were planted to the westward where the kings pallace stood and thus prepared they al things that were necessarie to set vpon the Romans whom they had besieged on all sides At that time Sabinus fearing their number and resolution who were resolued either to die or to ouercome sent present letters vnto Varus requiring him with all expedition to send him a supply because the regiment that was left by him was in great daunger and must needs vtterly perish without his speedie rescous as for himselfe he withdrew into the tower and dungeon of the castle Phasaelus which was a fortresse which was builded and so called in honour of Herodes brother who was slaine by the Parthians and from the top thereof made a signe to the Romanes that they should sally out vpon the Iewes being afraid to trust himselfe to his owne friends and supposing that the rest ought to expose their liues to daunger in maintenance of his seruice The Romans hauing made this sally there arose a desperate skirmish wherein the Romanes diuers waies had the vpper hand yet were not the Iewes any waies discomforted notwithstanding they had lost many men but wheeling about so long till at last they seazed the outward galleries and those that encompassed the temple and in that place there was a hot assault for they flung downe stones with their hands and slings and there were certaine archers mixed amongst them who in that they had recouered a place of aduantage grieuously gauled the Romans which were below in that they had no meanes to auoid their shot but were in such sort exposed therunto as their enemies had the better And with this disaduantage fought the Romans a long time till at length sore aggrieued at this their present indignitie they secretly fired the galleries and porches without any discâ—…uery of those that were therein which fire brought thither by many and fedde with such matter as would speedily flame incontinently tooke holde of the roofe because the roofe was couered with pitch and waxe and guilded vpon the waxe so that these great and excellent buildings were burnt downe to nothing in a moment and they that were resorted thither were all of them consumed before they were aware For some of them fell with the roofe of the Galleries othersome shot at and slaine by those that stood round abouts othersome despairing of their liues and amazed at the mischiefe either cast themselues into the fire or slew themselues with their one swords and all those that retired vnder hope to saue themselues by that way they ascended were encountred by the Romans who slew them all in that they were discouraged and disarmed though furiously desperate so that no one of them that ascended the porches escaped with life Afterwards the Romans thrusting forward one another by those waies where the fire was aslaked entred the treasure house where the sacred money was kept by which meanes a great part thereof was stolne away by the souldiers and Sabinus to all mens knowledge carried away foure hundreth talents But the Iewes being afflicted with a double calamitie first of all with the losse of their friends in that fight and lastly with the spoile of the treasurie yet assembled they a troupe of the most valiantest souldiers and besieged the pallace threatning to burne the same with Sabinus and all other the Romans that were therein except they speedily departed and in so doing they promised both them and Sabinus all assurance and securitie whereby it came to passe that
her husband how Anubis would banquet and lie with her Whereunto he consented knowing how great his wiues chastitie was She therefore repaired to the temple and after she had supt and the time was come wherein she was vsually accustomed to lay her downe to rest and the gates were lockt vp by the priests that were therein and the lights likewise were taken away Mundus who was hidden within failed not to accost her who thinking that it was the God Anubis satisfied his desires all the night long and in the morning betimes before the priests who were priuie to this trecherie were stirring he retired himselfe Paulina also early in the morning repaired to her husband and certified him how Anubis had appeared vnto her and boasting her selfe among her familiars what conference he had vsed with her But some of them beleeued her not in regard of the manner of their entertainment the rest were altogither amazed supposing those things to be no waies incredible at such time as they bethought themselues of the Ladies chastitie Some three daies after this act was committed Mundus meeting with Paulina said vnto her You haue saued me two hundreth thousand drachmes wherewith you might haue augmented your treasure and this notwithstanding you haue not failed to satisfie my request neither am I grieued that you haue contemned me vnder the name of Mundus since that vndertaking Anubis name I haue accomplished my desire and this said he departed But she presently amated with the mans audacious impudence tore her garments and hauing told her husband of all this subtill circumâ—…ention she requested earnestly his assistance and that he would not forsake her in the prosecution of her reuenge who presently certified the Emperour of each particular thereof Now when Tiberius had diligently vnderstood how all things had happened by the inquisition and examination of the Priests he condemned them and Ida who had been the inuentor and complottor of this treason against Paulina to be hanged he pulled downe the temple also and cast Anubis statue into Tyber and banished Mundus supposing that he ought not to be more grieuously punished considering that the fault which was committed by him proceeded from extreme loue Behold here the insolence committed in the temple of Isis by the priest that appertained to that temple Now intend I to declare that which hapned to the Iewes that were at that time in Rome according as heretofore I both purposed and promised CHAP. V. Of that which befell the Iewes that were at Rome in Pilates time THere was a certaine Iewe that hauing been accused for the breach of the lawes of his countrey and fearing to be punished for the same fled from thence being without respect a man of a most mischieuous behauiour He dwelling at that time in Rome professed himselfe to be an expounder of Moses lawe and drawing vnto him three other no lesse reprobates then himselfe he followed his ordinarie profession Fuluia a Ladie of much honour became their scholer and had embraced the religion of the Iewes whom they had perswaded to send certaine purple and gold to the temple of Ierusalem which after they had receiued at her hands they conuerted it to their owne vse as before that time they had determined to doe Tiberius who was informed hereof by Saturnine his familiar friend and Fuluias husband who had discouered the same vnto him commaunded all Iewes whatsoeuer to depart out of Rome Of these the Consuls chose out and enrowled to the number of foure thousand men whom they sent into Sardinia and punished diuers of them that refused to beare arms for feare they should transgresse the ordinances of their countrey So that by reason of the loose behauiour of foure wicked persons all those of our nation were driuen out of the Citie of Rome Neither was the nation of the Samaritanes exempt from this trouble for a certaine subtill companion who sought by all the meanes hee might to encroch vpon the peoples fauour perswaded them to withdraw themselues with him to the mount Garizim which they supposed to be the holiest amongst all their mountaines in which place he auowed that he would shew them the sacred Vessels buried in a certaine place where Moses had laid them and at that time they being gathered togither in armes by his perswasion incamped themselaes in a burrough called Tirathaba where they entertained those that repaired thither to adioyne themselues with them to the end they might ascend the mountaine with the greater companie But Pilate preuented them and got vp before them with his horsemen and footmen who charging those that were assembled in the burrough put them to flight and slaying some and putting the rest to flight led away a great number of them prisoners with him Pilate executed the chiefest ringleaders amongst them and those also of greatest force among the fugitiues The tumult of these Iewes being published abroad and their misfortune made knowne the Senate of Samaria addressed themselues to Vitellius who had bin Consul and who at that time gouerned Syria before whom they accused Pilate for the murther of those whom he had slaine saying that they assembled not in Tirathaba to rebell against the Romans but to warrantize themselues against Pilates tyrannie Whereupon Vitellius sent Marcellus his friend to take charge of Iudaea commaunding Pilate to returne to Rome and to satisfie the Emperor in those things whereof the people had accused him Hereupon Pilate after he had soiourned ten yeeres in Iewrie repaired to Rome hauing no meanes to contradict that commandement that Vitellius had giuen him But before he arriued there Tiberius was departed and dead CHAP. VI. Vitellius commeth to Ierusalem AS soone as Vitellius came into Iudaea he went vp to Ierusalem and celebrated there the feast of the passeouer and after he had been magnificently entertained in that place he forgaue the Citizens the tribute of all those fruits which were solde He deliuered them also the ornaments of the high priests with all the rest of the priestly furniture within the temple committing the charge thereof vnto the priests according as in times past they had the same But at that time they were laid vp in the castle of Antonia for this cause which followeth Hircanus the high priest the first of that name for diuers haue been so called hauing builded a tower neere vnto the temple did for the most part make his residence therein and there kept his vestments that were committed to his charge the rather for that he onely had the authority to put them on and returne them into their place at such time as hee came downe into the Citie and put vpon him his accustomed rayment His sonne and his sonnes sonnes entertayned the same custome till such time as Herode being exalted to the kingdome and seeing this tower to be strongly scited builded the same most magnificently and called it Antonia in honour of Antony who was his great friend
by so many exactions he thought it a good pollicy in him and a better prouision for them not to send them new gouernours continually who might after the manner of flies sucke them to the quicke especially if to their innated couetousnes he should annex the feare of their sodaine displacing Now to approue that to be true which I haue declared of Tiberius disposition this action of his may suffice to iustifie me For hauing beene Emperour for the space of twentie and two yeeres all those gouernours which he sent into Iury were two namely Gratus and Pilate his successour neither demeasned hee himselfe otherwise towards the rest of his subiects of the empire And as touching his prisoners the reason why he delaied so much to giue them audience was to the end that they who had beene condemned to death should not speedily be deliuered from those torments wherewith he threatned them and which they had deserued by their wickednes For whilest he kept them in that paine their mishappe increased the more For this cause Eutychus could not obtaine audience at his hands but was long time detained prisoner Afterwards in processe of time Tiberius transported himselfe from Capreas to Tusculanum which was distant from Rome some hundreth furlongs There did Agrippa sollicite Antonia to cause Eutychus to be called to his answere as touching the accusation which he pretended against him Now Antonia was in great fauour with Tiberius both in regard of the affinitie that was betweene them in that she was Drusus wife who was Tiberius brother as in respect of her modestie For she being young continued in her widowhood and would not marie with any other notwithstanding Augustus importuned her to wed but liued alwaies in honour without blame Besides that she had done Tiberius a great pleasure for at such time as Seianus his friend and a man in great account in those daies by reason he had the gouernment of the army practised a conspiracie against him whereunto diuers of the Senate and of his freemen and his men of warre likewise were accessarie yet brought she all their intents to nothing This attempt had taken a great head and Seianus had finished his purpose had not Antonia vsed more aduised courage then Seianus did in executing his treason For hauing discouered the daunger that threatned Tiberius she wrote and sent her expresse letters by Pallas one of her trustie seruants vnto him to Capreas certifying him in particular the whole processe of the conspiracy Caesar hauing true vnderstanding thereof caused Seianus and his consederates to be executed Although therefore that before that time he honoured Antonia greatly yet did he afterwards honour her farre more in such sort as he trusted her in all things When as therefore she intreated him to giue Eutychus audience Tiberius answered if said he Eutychus hath falsely obiected any thing against Agrippa it sufficeth that he endure that punishment which I haue enioyned him But being in the torture he maintaine that which he hath spoken to be true it is to be feared least Agrippa intending to punish his free man do rather heape the punishment vpon his owne head When Antonia had reported this answere of his to Agrippa he did the more instantly solicit her requiring her that the matter might be brought to tryall And for that Agrippa ceased not to importune her Antonia took the occasion which was this Tiberius being after dinner time catied in his litter hauing Caius and Agrippa before him she walking foot by foot by the litter besought him to call Eutychus to his tryall whereunto he replied The Gods said he know that that which I doe I doe it not of mine owne will but for the necessitie I am presied with vpon your request and hauing spoken thus he cōmanded Macron Seianus successor to bring Eutychus before him which was performed with all expedition Whereupon Tiberius asked him what he had to say against him vvho had enfranchised him My soueraign said he Caius that is heere present Agrippa rode one day togither in the same Coach I sate at their feet After diuers discourses held betweene them Agrippa began to speake after this manner vnto Caius O said he would God the day were come wherein the olde man departing out of this world would make you gouernour thereof For his sonne Tiberius would be no hindrance vnto you for him might you make away Then should the world be happy and I likewise haue my share in the felicitie Tiberius esteeming this his accusation to be true and hauing of long time conceiued a grudge against Agrippa for that notwithstanding he had commaunded him to honour Tiberius who was his nephew and Drusus sonne Agrippa had giuen small regard to his commaundement and had not honoured him but was wholy addicted vnto Caius For vvhich cause said he to Macron bind me this fellow He scarcely vnderstanding that vvhich he spake and no vvaies suspecting that he should giue that commandement in respect of Agrippa deferred the performance vntill such time as he might more exactly vnderstand his mind vvhen as therefore Caesar turned into the Hippodrome and by chance met with Agrippa in the teeth This is he said he Macron vvhom I haue commaunded to be bound and demāding of him once more by vvhom he spake It is Agrippa said he Then had Agrippa recourse to submissiue and humble praiers refreshing the memory of his sonne vvith vvhom he had bin brought vp and alledging the education he had vsed towards his nephew Tiberius But he preuailed nothing but vvas led away bound in those purple ornaments vvhich he then wore At that time it was verie hot weather and being in distresse of wine he was extremely thirsty and distressed yea more then became one of his qualitie Whereupon espying Thaumastus one of Caius seruants who caried water in a pitcher he required him to giue him drinke which when he had willingly bestowed on him he dranke and afterwards said vnto him This seruice thou hast done me in giuing me drinke shall do thee good one day For as soone as I shall escape out of these bonds it shall not be long before I obtaine thy liberty at Caius hands for that thou hast not neglected to do me seruice in this my imprisonment as thou hast before time done me whilest I was in my prosperitie and dignitie Neither deceiued he the mans expectation of his promise but rewarded gratified him For afterwards whē he had obtained the kingdom he begged Thaumastus liberty at Caius hands made him superintendēt of his affairs after his decease he gaue order that he should serue in the same place with his son Agrippa his daughter Bernice so that he died very olde and much honoured But this hapned afterwards But at that time Agrippa stood before the pallace bound with other companions who were likewise in bonds and thorow the griefe he cōceiued he leaned against a certain tree on
testimonie of assurance That done Artabanus sent backe Anilaeus to perswade his brother Asinaeus to come to the court Artabanus did this supposing that this his amitie with the two brothers would be a bridle for the Iewes who otherwaies might encroach vpon his gouernments For he feared least if any rebellion should happen and he should be troubled in that warre Asinaeus and they of Babylon should grow more strong both by the voluntarie submission of the Iewes as by force and thereby should do him the more mischiefe Vpon this deliberation he sent Anilaeus who easily perswaded his brother giuing him to vnderstand among other things what goodwill the king bare him and the oath that he had sworne so that both of them resorted to Artabanus who receiued them verie gratiously admiring Asinaeus vertue who had so great a courage to exercise his enterprises considering especially that hee was a man of a lowe stature and who to looke on seemed to be contemptible And hee told his friends that without comparison he had a greater heart then his bodie And whē as in banqueting he had named Asinaeus shewed him to Abdagasis the general of his army signifying vnto him with what valour these brethrē were endowed in feats of arms Abdagasis required that it might be lawful for him to kil Asinaeus to the end that he might punish the wrōgs he had done to the estate of the Parthiās Neuer said the king wil I giue my consent to betray a man who hath committed himselfe to my protection and hath giuen me his hand and who buildeth vpon the oath I haue past vnto him in the name of the Gods But if thou art a valiant man in feats of armes thou hast no need to make me foresweare my selfe to the end I might do iustice on him for his outrages committed against the Parthians but at such time as he and his brother shall depart from hence assaile him and ouercome him by thy valour prouided that I be not priuie to thy attempt And afterwards calling Asinaeus to him in the morning It is time said he that thou returne homeward for feare thou prouokest diuers of the captains of my court which contrary to my will vvill endeuour themselues to kill thee I commit the countrey of Babylon to thy protection and guard which by thy care and vigilancy shal remaine exempt from all robberies and other such calamities Reason it is that I procure thy good because I haue engaged mine honour faith irreuocably vnto thee not vpon any light matter but for things that importune thee as neerly as thy life This said he gaue him certaine presents and incontinently disinissed him Now as soone as he returned home to his owne fortress he fortified the places both those which before time he had thorowly defenced as the other which as yet no man had attempted to strengthen and in short time he grewe to that greatnes as no one man of so obscure fortune beginning attained before him Neither contented with the honours of the Babylonians he was also held in great account by the captaines of the Parthians who were sent to gouern in the neighbouring prouinces yea so much increased his authority with his power that all Mesapotamia was at his commaund In this felicitie and increasing glory of his he continued for the space of fifteene yeeres which neuer began to waine vntill such time as neglecting the auncient studie of vertue and contemning the lawes of his forefathers both he and his factious followers being deuoured in pleasure yeelded themselues captiue to forraine lusts It fortuned that a certaine gouernour of those Parthians came into that countrey accompanied with his wife not onely enriched and endowed with other perfections but also admired for her incomparable comlines and beauty Whom without euer seeing her only by report of her beautie Anilaeus Asinaeus brother loued intirely and when as by no one of his allurements he could obtaine her fauour neither had any other hope to enioy the Lady he could not bridle his vnruly lust but he made warre against her husband and killing the Parthian in their first conflict his wife became his both in subiection and bed-seruice which thing was the originall of many mightie calamities both to himselfe and towards his brother For when as hauing lost her former husband she was led away captiue she carried with her the images of the gods of her country which she highly esteemed according as it was the custome of those that inhabited that place to haue their gods whom they adored in their houses whom at such time as they trauell into a forraine country they carrie about with them She therfore brought them with her and vsed them according to the fashion of her countrey at the first secretly but after she was knowne for Anilaeus wife then adored she them according to the custome and with the same seruice which she vsed during her first husbands daies sacrificing to her gods Their chiefest friends seeing this first of all reprooued them for that Anilaeus committed such things as were no waies vsed amongst the Hebrewes and altogither repugnant to their lawes for that he had married a woman of a forraine nation that contradicted and violated their accustomed religion for which cause they aduised them to beware least in submitting themselues too much to their vnbridled pleasures they should lose the honor and power they had receiued from God euen vntill that present But seeing their perswasions profited nothing and that Anilaeus likewise had villanously slaine one of his deerest friends who had somewhat too freely reproued him who at such time as he lay a dying being touched with the zeale of the lawes of his auncestors with griefe against his murtherer wished that Asinaeus and Anilaeus and all their associates might die the like death they for that they were transgressors of the lawe the other for that they succoured not themselues in that oppression which they suffered for the maintenance of their lawes They were sore displeased yet notwithstanding they contained themselues calling to their remembrance that their felicity proceeded from no other cause but from the valour of those brethren But when they vnderstood that the Parthian gods were adored by this woman they bethought them that it behooued them not any more to beare with Anilaeus in contempt of their lawes for which cause addressing themselues to Asinaeus in great assemblies they exclaimed against Anilaeus saying that he ought although at first he had no power to dispose of himselfe yet now at last to correct this error before it should redound to their publike plague for that both his mariage was disallowed in all mens eies as altogither contrarie to their countrey lawes and that the superstitious obseruance of the gods which the woman presumed to vse was an apparant iniurie offered to the true God But he although he knew that his brothers fault would breed some great inconuenience both to
that I was not wholy cleere of that which was obiected against me I besought them to vnderstand to what vse I reserued that pray that was brought vnto my hand after which if they list they might kill me And whilest the multitude commaunded me to speake the armed men returned backe and beholding me rushed in vpon me with an intent to murther me but being restrained by the peoples exclamations they moderated their furie supposing that after my confession of treason and reseruation of the kings money they might haue a better occasion to finish my Tragedy For which cause after silence I began thus Men and brethren said I if in your opinion I deserue death I refuse not to die yet before my death will I certifie you of the whole truth Truly when as I perceiued that this Citie was most commodious and fit to entertaine strangers and that I perceiued that many men forsaking their owne countries were delighted with your conuersations and willing to partake with you in all sorts of fortune I was resolued to build vp your wals with this money for which being thus destinated to doe you good your indignation is prouoked against me Vpon these words the Taricheans and strangers cried out giuing me thankes and willing me to be of a good courage But the Galileans and Tiberians continued in their hatred insomuch as they grew to debate betwixt themselues the one threatning me with punishment the other contrariwise willing me to assure my selfe of securitie But after I had promised the Tiberians that I would reedifie their wals and fortifie other conuenient Cities they giuing credit to my words repaired euerie one of them to their owne houses And I beyond all expectation escaping from so great a perill with certaine of my friends and some twentie souldiers returned to my house But once againe the theeues and authors of sedition fearing least they should be punished for these their offences begirt my lodging with six hundreth armed men intending to consume it with fire Of whose arriuall as soone as I had intelligence imagining with my selfe that it would be much dishonour for me to flie I resolued to vse valour and courage against them for which cause commanding the gates to be shut I required them from the top of the house that they would send in some of them vnto me to receiue that money for which they had been drawn into this mutinie whereby they might haue no further cause to be incensed against me Which done laying hold of one of the most troublesome fellowes that with the rest came in vnto me I caused him to be beaten with many grieuous strokes and his hand to be cut off and hung about his necke and thus handled we thrust him out of doores to returne vnto those who had sent him But they being wondrously affraid herewith and suspecting the like punishment if they should stay there any longer for that they suspected that I had diuers armed souldiers in my house they sodainly all of them fled away and so by this stratageme escaped I the other dangers Yet wanted there not some who incited the people once more against me saying that the kings seruants who were fled vnto me for refuge ought not to liue except they submitted themselues to their lawes and customes from whom they required protection They likewise accused them that they were of the Roman faction and poisoners and presently the people began to mutinie being deceiued by their words who laboured to flatter them Which when I heard of I once more enformed the people that they ought not to persecute those who resorted vnto them for rescous and I iested at their folly who accused them of impoisoning and that the Romans would not vainly nourish so many thousands of souldiers if they pretended to make away their enemies with poison Being by these words somewhat pacified they had scarcely withdrawn themselues awhile but that by certaine outcasts and wicked men they were incited against the nobilitie so that with armed weapons they resorted to the houses of the Taricheans intending to murther them Which when I heard I was sore affraid that if this wickednesse should be committed no man hereafter should dare to trust his life in my hands For which cause being assisted by diuers others I hastily resorted to their lodging and shut vp the gates and cutting a trench betwixt it and the lake I called for a barke and entring into the same with them I crossed ouer into the confines of the Hippenians and furnishing them with money to buy them horses for that they could not transport their owne with them in that flight I dismissed them requiring them to digest their present misfortunes with a constant minde For I my selfe tooke it verie heauily that I was once more inforced to land those men in the enemies countrey who had committed themselues to my trust yet thinking that if it should so fall out that they should fal into the Romans hands they should be safer then if by suffering them to remaine in my countrey I should see them opprest I aduentured them thus Yet were they saued and the king gaue them pardon And this was the end of this tumult But they of Tiberias wrote vnto the king requiring him to send a garrison into their country and promising him to reuolt and follow him Which done as soone as I came vnto them they required me that I would build them those wals which I had promised them for they had alreadie heard that Taricheas was inuironed with wals Whereunto I condescended and gathering stuffe from euerie place I set the workemen to their taske But some three daies after departing from Tiberias towards Taricheas which was thirtie stades distant from thence by chance a troupe of Roman horsemen were discouered not farre from the Citie which made the inhabitants beleeue that they were the kings army Whereupon they presently began to vtter many things in honour of the king and more in my reproch And presently a certaine friend posted vnto me and told me what their minde was and how they intended to reuolt from me Which when I vnderstood I was wondrously troubled For I had sent backe my men of warre from Taricheas to their houses for that the next day was the Sabboth day For I would by no means that the Citizens of Tarichea should be charged or troubled with entertaining souldiers And at all times when I remained in that citie I tooke no care of the guard of mine owne person hauing had often proofe of the loyaltie of the inhabitants towards me Being therefore at that time attended onely with seuen souldiers and a few of my friends I knew not what to do For I thought it not fit to call backe my forces for that the day was welny past and although they should haue beene with me the next morning yet they might not haue taken armes because our lawes forbad the same how
The Castle was so rich and sumptuous that it was equall vnto the kings pallace and in the honour of Antonius he named it Antonia He builded himselfe a pallace also in the vpper part of the Citie and in it two houses huge and richly adorned so that the temple was not to be compared vnto them And calling them by his friends names he tearmed one of them Caesarea and another Agrippa vvhose names and memories he did not onely solemnize and write in his priuate houses but also throughout all the vvhole countrey and in euerie part of the Citie For in the countrey of Samaria he compassed a towne with a wal which was about twentie stounds and called it Sebaste and he sent thither six thousand inhabitants giuing them a most fertile soile and demeasnes There also amongst other buildings he erected a verie huge temple and dedicated it to Caesar and gaue the inhabitants of that place especiall priuiledges About the temple was there a piece of ground containing three stounds and a halfe For this monuments sake Caesar added vnto his dominion another countrey for vvhich cause he erected another temple vnto him neere vnto the head of Iordan of vvhite marble in a place called Panium vvhere there is a mountaine rising an infinite height into the ayre at the side whereof there is an obscure valley vvhere there are high rockes that by droppes of water falling on them are made hollow so that the water standing in their concauitie till they run ouer falleth downe with a streame of such a length as is admirable At the foote of this valley on the out side there spring certaine fountains and many thinke this to be the head of the riuer Iordan which whether it be true or no vve will declare hereafter At Iericho also betweene the castle of Cyprus the other auncient kings houses he erected other buildings fairer and more commodious for them that came thither calling them after the names of his friends Finally there was no conuenient place in the vvhole kingdome vvherein he erected not some thing in the honour of Caesar and hauing in euerie place of his owne kingdome deuised and dedicated temples vnto him he in Syria also where he ruled did the like founding in verie many cities temples vvhich he called by the name of Caesar. And perceiuing that amongst the cities of the sea coast there was one called Stratons tower the which being verie old was ruinated and for the scituation thereof deserued reparation and cost he repaired it all with vvhite stone and built a verie roial pallace therin vvherin chiefly he shewed a mightie mind For this citie standing in the middest betweene Dora and Ioppe there was no port nor hauen in that coast so that whosoeuer sailed from Phoenicia into Aegypt vvere in great danger by reason of the violent windes that blew from Africa vvhich blowing but a verie easie gale enforce the water with such a violence against the rocks on the shore that the waues rebounding backe againe a good way vvithin the sea make the whole sea tempestuous But the king vvith his liberalitie and cost ouercomming nature builded a port or hauen in that place far bigger then that of Piraeum and vvithin it made most safe stations for ships And although the nature of that place was altogether contrarie to his intent yet he so ouercame that difficultie that the sea could doe that building no harme and it was so gallant and beautifull to behold as though there had been no let any way to hinder the adorning thereof For hauing measured out such a place as we haue spoken of for the port he laid a foundation in the bottome twentie elles deepe of stone vvhereof most of them were fiftie foote long nine foote thicke and ten foote broade and some bigger and all the bottome of the hauen vvhere the water came was laid with these stones Which done he raised a wall of two hundreth foote vvhereof a hundreth foote was builded to breake the violence of the waues and had a name according to the vse it serued for The other hundreth foote serued for a foundation of the wall vvhereof the hauen was compassed vvhich was replenished with many goodly towers the greatest and fairest whereof he named Drusius after the name of Caesars kinsman There were verie many vautes also to conduct such things into the towne as were brought into the hauen and about them a paued place for them to walke in that came out of the ships The entrance thereunto was on the north side for by reason of the scituation of the place the northwinde there is the calmest Before the entrance were three great colossus held vp on euerie side with pillers they which are on the left hand are propt vp by a tower which is a solid rocke of stone But at the entrance on the right hand were two huge stones ioined togither which make a greater tower then the other There is also a house adioyning vnto the hauen builded of white stone the streetes of the Cities comming to that place are of one bignesse and proportion Vpon a hill opposite vnto the mouth of the hauen was there builded a temple verie beautifull and exceeding great which he dedicated vnto Caesar wherein was placed Caesars colossus fully as great as Iupiters at Olympus for it was made after that example equall to that at Rome and that of Iunoes at Argos The Citie he builded for the inhabitants of that prouince and the port or for hauen to seafaring men The honour and credit he attributed to Caesar and by his name called it Caesarea He also made other buildings as the Market the Theater and the Amphitheater which are worth the memorie And he euerie fift yeere ordained certaine sports called them after the name of Caesar. And himselfe first proposed very ample rewards in the 192. Olympiade insomuch that he not only gaue royall gifts to the victors but also to the second and third after them Hee repaired Anthedon also which was destroyed by the warres and called it Agrippium and louing Agrippa verie dearely he caused her name to be engrauen ouer the portall that he builded in the temple Neither was he vnmindfull of his parents for in the richest soile of the whole kingdome he built a Citie for a monument of his father and by his name called it Antipatris being a verie rich soile both for trees and riuers At Iericho also he built a verie gorgious and strong Castle and called it Cyprus in honour of his mother He likewise builded a tower in memorie of his brother Phasaelus at Ierusalem and called it Phasaelus his tower of the compasse beautie of this tower we wil speake hereafter He also called another citie Phasaelus which is scituate in a valley beyond Iericho toward the north Hauing thus eternized the memorie of his friends and kinsfolke he did not forget to doe the like to himselfe for he built a Castle on
fauourable vnto Alexander when he came to plead his cause And after this entertainement he conducted Herode vnto Zephyrius giuing him gifts to the value of thirtie talents and so tooke his leaue of him Herode so soone as he came to Ierusalem assembled the people togither being assisted by his three sons he shewed vnto them the cause of his going to Rome and blessed God and thanked Caesar who had appeased the discord of his house and that had made his sons friends which he esteemed more then his kingdome and I quoth he will make their friendship firme For Caesar appointed me king and gaue me leaue to chuse whom I pleased for my successour for the which I giue him heartie thanks And now I here constitute al three of my sons kings which purpose of mine first I beseech Almightie God and secondly you to fauour for the one of them for his yeers the other for their nobilitie of birth haue right to the crown kingdom which is so large that it may suffice many so that you for your parts reuerēce them whom Caesar conioyned and I their father ordained giuing them not vnfit nor vnlike honours but such as they haue deserued For a man cannot do a greater pleasure vnto him whom he honoureth aboue his yeeres then he shall giue discontent vnto him whom he dishonoureth For which cause I will constitute to euery one of them such friends welwillers as with whom they be most conuersant and of them I will require pledges of a concord and vnitie amongst them For I know that discords and contentions arise by malice of those who are conuersant with Princes and that if they be well disposed they will encrease friendship And I request that not onely these but also all such as beare rule in my army that they hope in me onely for the present for I giue not my sonnes the kingdome but the honour and dignitie thereof and they shall haue pleasure as though they were kings themselues yet I my selfe will beare sway although I am vnwilling to do it Let euery one of you consider my age my course of life and pietie for I am not so olde that any one may quickly despaire of me nor I haue not accustomed my selfe to such kind of pleasure as is wont to shorten young mens daies and we haue beene so religious that we are in great hope of long life But if any one despise me and seeke to please my sonnes such a one will I punish I doe not forbid them to be honoured whom my selfe haue begotten for that I enuie them but because I know wel that such applauses nourish pride and arrogancie in the fierce minds of young men Wherefore if all they that apply themselues in their seruice consider that I will be readie to reward the good and that those who are seditious shall find their malice to haue an vnprofitable euent at their hands whom they so flatter I easily perswade my selfe that all men will be of my mind that are of my sonnes mind For it is good for them that I raigne and that I am friends with my sonnes And you O my good sonnes retaine in your minds that sacred nature which maketh the very brute beast to entertaine naturall affection then reuerence Caesar who rconciled vs and last of all obey me who request and entreat that at your hands which I might commaund namely that you remaine brethren And I will now giue you both kingly attire and honour and I pray God that if you will continue and remaine friends I may continue in this mind After he had thus spoken he saluted them verie louingly and dismissed the people some praying that it might be as he had said others who desired alteration made as though they had heard nothing Yet for all this the dissension amongst the brethren was not appeased but each of them mistrusting worser euents departed from one another For Alexander and Aristobulus stomached the matter that Antipater had his desert confirmed and Antipater was grieued that his brethren should haue the second place after him yet he could craftily so carrie himselfe that no man could perceiue his hatred towards them And they deriued of a noble race spake all they thought and many endeuoured to set them on and others as friends insinuated themselues into their companie to learne what newes so that Alexander could not speake a worde but presently it was carried to Antipater and from him to Herod with an addition so that when Alexander spake any thing simply meaning no harme it was presently interpreted in the worst sense possible and if hee chaunced at any time to speake freely of any matter presently it was made a great thing Antipater suborned men to set him on that so his lies might be shadowed with a colour of truth and that if he could prooue any one thing true all lies and tales els diuulgated might thereby be iustified to be true Now all Antipaters familiars were either naturally secret or els he stopped their mouthes with bribes least they should disclose his intents so that one might iustly haue termed his life a secrecie of malice All Alexanders friends were either corrupted by mony or flattering speeches wherwith Antipater ouercame al made thē theeues and proditors of such things as were either done or spoken against him and himselfe doing all things he dealt so warily that at last those calumniations came vnto Herodes eare and he counterfeited his brothers person and suborned other tale carriers telling what they could against Alexander pretēding good will towards his brother at first fainedly reproued thē afterward seriously alleadged their sayings as accusations so that hereby Herod was verie wrath but turned all as though Alexander went about treason and sought to kill his father and nothing made so much credit be giuē to these calumniations as that Antipater colorably excused his brother Herod incēsed herat euerie day withdrew his affection more more frō the two brethren daily encreased his loue towards Antipater The nobilitie also were inclined after the same manner partly of their onwe accord and partly for that they were so commanded so did Ptolemaeus the chiefest of all the nobilitie and the kings brethren and all his kinred for all mens expectation was vpon Antipater And that which grieued Alexander the more was that all these mischiefes wrought to his ouerthrow were done by the counsell of Antipaters mother for she being a step mother was cruell and hated them being borne of a Queene farre more then a steppe mother doth her sonnes in lawe And although all men followed Antipater for the hope which they had of him yet were they also compelled thereunto by the kings commaunde who gaue an especiall charge to their dearest friends that none should follow Alexander or his brother so that he did not only terrifie those of his owne kingdome but also those of other forraine nations
and presently leauing the citie they went vnto Simon of whom we will speake hereafter and so they departed home Their departure was against the expectation of both parts for the people not knowing that the Idumaeans were penitent for that they had done reioiced as now deliuered from their enemies and the Zelous grew more insolent and proud as though they neuer had needed helpe but now were deliuered from them in reuerence of whom they abstained from villanie So now they vsed no delaie to effect their impietie for they spent not much time in taking aduise but whatsoeuer seemed best vnto them presently without any delay they put it in practise But chiefly they murthered those men that were strong and valiant for they enuied the nobilitie for their vertue And they thought it a principall point first to be effected not to leaue any one man of account aliue Wherefore they slew amongst the rest Gorion a noble man of great birth and dignitie one who loued the people and was verie bountifull and a louer of libertie so that there was none amongst the Iewes like him who for desire of libertie and his other vertues was put to death But neither could Niger Peraita escape their hands a man who in the warres against the Romans had shewed himselfe â—…aliant who although he often cried out and shewed the scars of his wounds receiued in defence of his country yet they ceased not for all this most shamefully to drag him through the citie and being led out of the citie despairing of life he entreated that he might be buried But the barbarous people denying his request slew him Who at his death besought God that the Romans might come and reuenge it vpon them and that plague and famine and ciuill discord might light vpon their citie Whose praiers God heard sending all vpon them which he did iustly require and first of all they were plagued with ciuill warres amongst themselues Niger being thus slaine they were freed from the feare that they had of him how that he would resist their wickednes There was no part of the common people who were not by some forged tale or other put to death For some were slaine for that long since they had borne armes against their owne citizens and they who were innocent in all points were put to death for some occasion deuised in the time of peace and they who did not conuerse with them were murthered as such that contemned them and they that did freely and friendly conuerse with them were slaine as men that sought to betraie them and the greatest offenders and the least offenders were all punished alike to wit with death for no man escaped except he was either poore or of verie base condition CHAP. II. The ciuill discord amongst the Iewes IN the meane while the Romans addressed all their courage against the citie of Ierusalem and seeing them at great variance amongst themselues thought this to be for their great aduantage Vpon this they incited Vespasian their generall affirming that it was Gods prouidence who fought for them that the Iewes should be at ciuill wars amongst themselues and that therefore he should not ouerslip so good an opportunitie for the Iewes would quickly be friends againe one with another either by the wearines of ciuill wars or else repenting themselues of that which they had done To whom Vespasian answered that they were ignorant what was to be done being rather desirous as it were in a theater to shew their forces strength then with him to consider what was profitable and expedient For said he if we presently assault them our comming will make concord amongst our enemies and so we shall bring vpon our selues their forces yet firme and strong but by expecting alittle while they should haue lesse adoe to conquer them their chiefest forces being destroied by their owne ciuill wars And that God was more their friend then they were aware of who without their labour and paine deliuered the Iewes into their hands and will giue vs the victorie without indaungering of our armie And that therefore it was rather their parts to be as it were beholders of that tragedie then to fight against men desirous of death and troubled with the greatest euill that possiâ—…le could be to wit domesticall sedition and ciuill wars And if anie thinke that the victorie is not famous being gotten without fight let him know and consider the vncertaine euent of wars and that it is better if it be possible to get a victorie without bloudshed then therewith to hazard the victory For they who by counsell and aduice do any worthie act deserue no lesse praise then they who by force of armes atchieue a victorie Moreouer in the meane time that the enemie one destroied another his souldiers might take rest and so be stronger and better able to fight when need should require Beside that it seemed not that there was so much haste required to get the victorie for the lewes neither prepared armes or engines of warre nor leuied any forecs nor sought for aide and so by delaie no domage could insue but that they would plague one another more by ciuill wars then his armie would by taking them and their citie And therefore whether they considered it best to abstaine from assaulting them who fought with one another for securitie sake or else for vaine glorie thought the honour of the victorie diminished thereby yet he held it not meet to fight against them who were at ciuill wars amongst themselues for so it would be iustly said the victorie was not to be imputed to vs but to their discord The captaines all consented and thought this aduise of Vespasians best And presently it appeared how profitable his counsell was For euerie daie manieâ—…led vnto him to escape the hands of the Zealons yet it was hard dangerous to â—…ie because all the waies were garded with watchmen And if anie man vpon anie occasion whatsoeuer were taken vpon the waie he was presently killed as one who intended to haue fled vnto the Romans yet he that feed the watchmen with monie escaped awaie safelie and he that did not was counted as a traitor so that onely richmen could escape and the poore were left to the slaughter The multitude of dead bodies that lay on heapes togither was innumerable and manie of them who â—…d fled vnto the Romans returned againe into the citie chusing rather to die there for the hope they had to be buried in their natiue soile made death there seeme more tolerable But they became so cruell that they neither permitted them who were slaine within nor them without the citie to be buried But like men that had now determined togither with their countrey lawes to abolish the law of nature yea and by their impietie to pollute the sacred diuinitie with iniustice let the dead bodies rot aboue the ground and whosoeuer attempted to burie anie one of them that were
agreed in this to wit to put the iust men to death who best deserued to liue Day and night nothing could be heard saue only the noise of them that sought one against another yet the lamentable cries of them that liued in a perpetual feare was farre more miserable who euerie day had new causes and occasions of sorrow giuen them yet durst they not publikely lament for feare and so not daring to shew their griefe they secretly sorrowed now ◅o man obserued any reuerence to them that were aliue amongst them nor tooke any care to burie the dead The cause of both which was that euerie man despaired of himselfe For whosoeuer were not ioyned with the seditious grew to be carelesse of all things as making account presently to die a thousand deaths But the seditious gathering the dead bodies vpon heapes continued their fighting and troad vpon them and as it were encouraging themselues by the dead vnder their feete they became more cruell still deuising one pernicious practise or other and presently executing whatsoeuer they deuised without any commi◅eration omitting no way to murther and leauing no tyrannie vnattempted so that Iohn abused the holy things o◅ the temple to make engines of warre For before time when the priests and people had determined to vnderprop the temple and build it twentie cubits higher king Agrippa with great cost and charges brought them very goodly timber sufficient for their purpose from mount Libanus And this worke being preuented by warres Iohn tooke them and seeing them fit for his purpose he erected a tower to fight against those that assaulted him frō off the temples which he bullt along the wall ouer against the chapterhouse that standeth on the West side of the temple for he could builde it in no other place by reason that all other places were filled with staires And hauing thus impiously prouided engines he hoped hereby to destroy his enemies But God shewed his labour to be in vaine and before he could preuaile against them he brought the Romans against the Citie For after that Titus had now gathered togither part of his army and by writing appointed the rest to meete him at Ierusalem he departed from Caesarea hauing three legions that lately vnder the conduct of his father Vespasian had wasted all Iudaea and the twelfth legion that sometime vnder Cestius were ouercome and put to flight by the Iewes who though they were otherwise valiant enough yet they desired to fight against the Iewes to reuenge themselues for that disgrace Titus commanded the fist legion to meete him at Ierusalem and go by Emmaus and that the tenth legion should march by lericho the rest he tooke with himselfe accompanied with the kings forces that came to helpe him hauing now more helpe then before and many also out of Syria Titus also brought men with him to supply the number that was wanting being sent by Vespasian with Mutianus into Italy For he brought two thousand chosen men from the legions at Alexandria and three thousand followed him from Euphrates togither with Tiberius Alexander his chiefest friend and one next him in most authoritie who before was gouernour of Aegypt and as then thought a fit man worthy to be gouernour of the army for that he was the first that did entertaine the Emperour being new elected who faithfully ioyned with Vespasian though yet he knew not what successe he should haue and he was present with him in all his affaires as his chiefest counseller renowmed both for his wisedome and experience CHAP. II. How Titus went to Ierusalem to see their strength and how he was in great danger TItus being now to go into the countrey of the enemy caused all those that came to help him to march in the formost place after whom followed they that were to mende the waies and to pitch the tents and after them they which carried the baggage of the rulers and gouernours of his ◅my and with them the armed souldiers Next after these came Titus himselfe accompanied with chosen men and with him many that bare his colours next the horsemen going immediately before the engines And the Prefects and Tribunes with certaine chosen men and their companies followed After them the Eagle with many other ensignes and the trumpets went before them And after them followed the army marching six in a rancke then the multitude of seruants that followed euerie legion did driue their baggage before them lastly came the hirelings and those that were appointed to guard them Marching in such comly warlike manner as the Romans are wont he came by Samaria into Gophna which place was already conquered by his father and then also was vnder the custody of the Roman garrisons And staying there one night he departed from thence the next day and after a daies iourney he pitched his tents in a place which in the Iews language is called Acanthonaulona that is the valley of thorns neere vnto a village named Gabath Saul which signifieth the valley of Saul which is almost thirtie furlongs from Ierusalem From thence accompanied with six hundreth chosen horsemen he went to Ierusalem to view how strong it was of what courage the Iewes were to see if peraduenture at sight of him they would yeeld without any further war for feare For Titus vnderstood and it was true that the people desired peace but they were oppressed by the seditious and so durst not attempt any thing being not able to encounter or resist the rebels Titus riding along the high way that went straight to the wals saw no man all the way but turning aside towards the tower Psephinos with his horsemen an infinite number presently issued out by the towers of women at a gate opposite to Helens toombe and brake his rancke of horsemen into two parts and opposed themselues hindring those horsemen that were yet in the high way to come and ioine with the rest that had crost the way and so did single out Titus accompanied only with a few men So he could go no further for the ditch of the town wall on one side for the garden pales on the other side and there was no hope for him to returne vnto his souldiers the enemies being betweene him and home And many of his souldiers not knowing their Generall to be in any danger but supposing him to haue been amongst them still fled away Titus seeing that he had onely his owne valour to trust vnto turned his horse against his enemies and with a lowd voice exhorted his followers to doe the like and so he brake violently into the midst of them hastning to get vnto his companie It was euident at that time that God giueth the victorie and hath a particular care of kings and princes and Emperours For notwithstanding that an infinite number of darts and arrowes were shot at Titus and he had no armour at all for as we haue already said he
thorow extreame thirst are inforced to yeeld to thâ—… Iewes Ant. lib. 〈◊〉 cap. 7. Herods oration to Augustus Caesar. Herode speaketh freely before Câ—… The yeare of the world 3934. before Christs birth 30 Caesars anâ—… to Herod Herods gratulation toward Caesar. Caesar increaseth Herodes Dominion Herode made gouernour of Syria The yeâ—…re of the world 3947. before Christs birth 17. Ant. lib. 15. cap. 10. 12. 13. 14. Herodes buildings The yeare of the world 3947. before the birth of Christ. 17. The fountaine head of Iordan Herod maketh a greater port then that of Piraeum An apt description of a haueÌ„ The yeere of the world 3947. before Christs birth 17. Caesarea in time past called the tower of Straton Ant. lib. 15. ca. 10. 12. lib. 17. cap. 5. Agrippium Antipatris Cyprus Phasaelus tower Herodium Herodium a castle resembling a citie Herods bountie to all men Herod famous thorow the world The yeare of the world 3954 before Christs birth 10. Herode a great hunter The yeare of the world 3954. before Christs Natiuitie 8. Herod besides the vertue of mind and body had the blessings of fortune Ant. lib. 15. cap. 3. 8. lib. 16. cap. 13. Herod expelseth Antipater out of the citie and killeth Hyrcanus his wiues grandmother Herods children by Maririamme Mariamme hatefully vpbraideth Herode with Hyrcanus death Herods mother and sister do falsely accuse Mariamme to him Herod secretly chargeth Ioseph to kill his wife Herodes suspition betwixt Ioseph and his wife The yeare of the world 3954. before Christs birth 10. Herode commandeth both Ioseph and Mariamme to be slaine Mariammes sons inheritor of her displeasure The yeare of the world 3956. before Christs birth 8. Herods debate with those sons he had by Mariamme Ant lib. 16. cap. 4. Antipater by disgracing his brothers is declared his fathers heire Herod accuseth Alexander before Caesar. A reconciliation betweene Herode and his sonnes Archelaus kindly entertaineth Herod and his sonnes Herods worthy oration to the people wherein he distributeth honours to his three sonnes The yeare of the world 3956. before the birth of Christ. 8. Herod giueth not the kingdome to his sons but the honours of the kingdome Herode conuerteth his speech to his sonnes Herod by his words did not vtterly extinguish the hatred betweenâ—… his sonnes Antipaters treason against his brother Alexander By whatmeans Antipater corrupted his brother Alexanders friends Anupater whetâ—…eth Herode and his courtiers against Alexander The yeare of the world 3956 before Christs birth 8. Glaphyra Alexanders wiâ—…e increased his conceiued suspition by her words Aristobulus obiecteth to his wife her base birth Ant. lib. 16. cap. 7. Alexander and Aristobulus often times bewaile their mother and by that meanes prouoke their father The two brothers excuse themselues before their father Herod The yeare of thâ—… world 3956. before Christs Natiuitie 8. Alexander corrupteth his fathers Eunuches and telleth them â—…e 〈◊〉 to succeed in the kingdome Herod seareth his sonne Alexander Ant. lib. 17. cap. 8. Hrods cruelty Herode casteth Alexander into prisoâ—… and tortured his friends Alexander during his imprisonment wrote â—…oure bookes against his enemies Archelaus king of Cappadocia The yeare of the world 3956. before Christs birth 8. Archelaus and Herode consulte vpon Alexanders bookes Herode is incensed against his brother Pheroras Pheroras attired in a mourning garment with teares falleth before Herodes 〈◊〉 and craueth pardon Pheroras by Archelaus meanes pacifieth Herode Archelaus compelleth Herode of his owne accord to be intreated for Alexander Herod dismisseth Archelaus and his friends with great presents Ant. lib. 16. cap. 11. Eurycles the Lacedemonian secretly accuseth AlexaÌ„der to his father and is the cause of his death The yeare of the world 3956. before Christs birth 8. Eurycles by fained friendship deceiueth Alexander Another false accusation of Alexander his brother moueth Herod to indignation The yeere of the world 3956. before Christs birth 8. Diophanrus the kings notary writeth fained letters in Alexanders name Cous Euaratus Ant. lib. 16. cap. 12. Herode by Salomes counsaile imprisoneth his sons The yeare of the world 3961. before Christs birth 3. Ant. lib 16. cap. 13. Herode gathereth a councell against Alexander Aristobulus Herode accuseth his sonnes in open iudgement Herodes sentence against his sonnes The yeare of the world 3961. before the birth of Christ. 3. Tiro an olde souldier exclameth against Herodes crueltie Tyro with his sonne are by the kings command laid hands on Ant. lib. 16. cap. 13. Another false accusation against Tyro Herode commaundeth his sonnes to be strangled and to be buried with Alexander their mothers vncle Ant. lib. 17. cap. 21. Anupater striueth by gifts and bribes to creepe into mens fauours The yeare of the world 3961 before Christs birth 3. Herode grieuously bemoned his sons expressing the same by his â—…ation toward their children Herode betrotheth his nephewes Herodes children by his seuen wiues Herode is perswaded by Antipaters flatteries to breake off the mariages Ant. lib. 17. cap. 3. Antipater buildeth vpon the kingdome Adebaâ—… betwixt the Ladies in y t court The yeare of the world 3961. before Christs birth 3. Ant. li. 17. ca. 4. Herode forbiddeth Antipater of his brothers company or to haue conference with his wife Fabatus Caesars gouernor discouereth Syllaeus secrets Herod banisheth his brother Pheroras and and his wife Pheroras died and was buried in Ierusalem Ant. lib. 17. cap. 5. The yeare of the world 3961. before Christs birth 3. A witch of Arabia The confession oâ—… the women in their tortures Doris Antipaters mother is spoyled of her Iewels and thrust out of the pallace Pheroras wife freely confesseth what was become of the poyson The yeare of the world 396â—… before Christs Natiuitie 3. Gods iustice leaueth nothing vnpunished Antipaters treasons against Archelaus and Philip his brothers Antipater giueth a great summe of money to those that counterfait letters against his brothers Ant. lib. 18. cap. 8. Antipater is solicited By Herode with many kind words to hasten his returne The yeare of the world 3961 before Christs birth 3. Antipater hated in Caesarea Antipaters entertainment at his fathers hands Antipater is iudged before Varus Herods accusation against Antipater The years of the world 3961. before Christs birth 3. Herodes kindnes towards his children Herode loued Antipater aboue the rest and bestowed many benefits on him Antipaters answer and excuse Antipater calleth Rome and Caesar to witnesse The yeere of the world 3â—…61 before Christs birth 3. Nicholaus by the kings commaund beginneth a most hainous and bitter accusation against Antipater Nicholaus peroration The venome tried vpon a condemned man An other proofe against Antipater Herod intendeth Antipaters punishment therefore blotteth his name out of his Testament Ant. lib. 17. cap. 8. The yeare of the world 3963. before Christs Natiuitie 3. Iudas and Matthias perswade the people to pul downe the golden Eagle The yong men that puld downe the Eagle are brought before Herod