the wars of the jews-第27部分

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　brought　against　them　so　strong　as　there　is　to　demonstrate　this　son　to　have　plotted　against　me？　Yet　does　this　parricide　presume　to　speak　for　himself；　and　hopes　to　obscure　the　truth　by　his　cunning　tricks。　Thou；　O　Varus；　must　guard　thyself　against　him；　for　I　know　the　wild　beast；　and　I　foresee　how　plausibly　he　will　talk；　and　his　counterfeit　lamentation。　This　was　he　who　exhorted　me　to　have　a　care　of　Alexander　when　he　was　alive；　and　not　to　intrust　my　body　with　all　men！　This　was　he　who　came　to　my　very　bed；　and　looked　about　lest　any　one　should　lay　snares　for　me！　This　was　he　who　took　care　of　my　sleep；　and　secured　me　from　fear　of　danger；　who　comforted　me　under　the　trouble　I　was　in　upon　the　slaughter　of　my　sons；　and　looked　to　see　what　affection　my　surviving　brethren　bore　me！　This　was　my　protector；　and　the　guardian　of　my　body！　And　when　I　call　to　mind；　O　Varus；　his　craftiness　upon　every　occasion；　and　his　art　of　dissembling；　I　can　hardly　believe　that　I　am　still　alive；　and　I　wonder　how　I　have　escaped　such　a　deep　plotter　of　mischief。　However；　since　some　fate　or　other　makes　my　house　desolate；　and　perpetually　raises　up　those　that　are　dearest　to　me　against　me；　I　will；　with　tears；　lament　my　hard　fortune；　and　privately　groan　under　my　lonesome　condition；　yet　am　I　resolved　that　no　one　who　thirsts　after　my　blood　shall　escape　punishment；　although　the　evidence　should　extend　itself　to　all　my　sons。〃

3。　Upon　Herod's　saying　this；　he　was　interrupted　by　the　confusion　he　was　in；　but　ordered　Nicolaus；　one　of　his　friends；　to　produce　the　evidence　against　Antipater。　But　in　the　mean　time　Antipater　lifted　up　his　head；　（for　he　lay　on　the　ground　before　his　father's　feet；）　and　cried　out　aloud；　〃Thou；　O　father；　hast　made　my　apology　for　me；　for　how　can　I　be　a　parricide；　whom　thou　thyself　confessest　to　have　always　had　for　thy　guardian？　Thou　callest　my　filial　affection　prodigious　lies　and　hypocrisy！　how　then　could　it　be　that　I；　who　was　so　subtle　in　other　matters；　should　here　be　so　mad　as　not　to　understand　that　it　was　not　easy　that　he　who　committed　so　horrid　a　crime　should　be　concealed　from　men；　but　impossible　that　he　should　be　concealed　from　the　Judge　of　heaven；　who　sees　all　things；　and　is　present　every　where？　or　did　not　I　know　what　end　my　brethren　came　to；　on　whom　God　inflicted　so　great　a　punishment　for　their　evil　designs　against　thee？　And　indeed　what　was　there　that　could　possibly　provoke　me　against　thee？　Could　the　hope　of　being　king　do　it？　I　was　a　king　already。　Could　I　suspect　hatred　from　thee？　No。　Was　not　I　beloved　by　thee？　And　what　other　fear　could　I　have？　Nay；　by　preserving　thee　safe；　I　was　a　terror　to　others。　Did　I　want　money？　No；　for　who　was　able　to　expend　so　much　as　myself？　Indeed；　father；　had　I　been　the　most　execrable　of　all　mankind；　and　had　I　had　the　soul　of　the　most　cruel　wild　beast；　must　I　not　have　been　overcome　with　the　benefits　thou　hadst　bestowed　upon　me？　whom；　as　thou　thyself　sayest；　thou　broughtest　＇into　the　palace＇；　whom　thou　didst　prefer　before　so　many　of　thy　sons；　whom　thou　madest　a　king　in　thine　own　lifetime；　and；　by　the　vast　magnitude　of　the　other　advantages　thou　bestowedst　on　me；　thou　madest　me　an　object　of　envy。　O　miserable　man！　that　thou　shouldst　undergo　this　bitter　absence；　and　thereby　afford　a　great　opportunity　for　envy　to　arise　against　thee；　and　a　long　space　for　such　as　were　laying　designs　against　thee！　Yet　was　I　absent；　father；　on　thy　affairs；　that　Sylleus　might　not　treat　thee　with　contempt　in　thine　old　age。　Rome　is　a　witness　to　my　filial　affection；　and　so　is　Caesar；　the　ruler　of　the　habitable　earth；　who　oftentimes　called　me　Philopater。　（47）　Take　here　the　letters　he　hath　sent　thee；　they　are　more　to　be　believed　than　the　calumnies　raised　here；　these　letters　are　my　only　apology；　these　I　use　as　the　demonstration　of　that　natural　affection　I　have　to　thee。　Remember　that　it　was　against　my　own　choice　that　I　sailed　＇to　Rome＇；　as　knowing　the　latent　hatred　that　was　in　the　kingdom　against　me。　It　was　thou；　O　father；　however　unwillingly；　who　hast　been　my　ruin；　by　forcing　me　to　allow　time　for　calumnies　against　me；　and　envy　at　me。　However；　I　am　come　hither；　and　am　ready　to　hear　the　evidence　there　is　against　me。　If　I　be　a　parricide；　I　have　passed　by　land　and　by　sea；　without　suffering　any　misfortune　on　either　of　them：　but　this　method　of　trial　is　no　advantage　to　me；　for　it　seems；　O　father；　that　I　am　already　condemned；　both　before　God　and　before　thee；　and　as　I　am　already　condemned；　I　beg　that　thou　wilt　not　believe　the　others　that　have　been　tortured；　but　let　fire　be　brought　to　torment　me；　let　the　racks　march　through　my　bowels；　have　no　regard　to　any　lamentations　that　this　polluted　body　can　make；　for　if　I　be　a　parricide；　I　ought　not　to　die　without　torture。〃　Thus　did　Antipater　cry　out　with　lamentation　and　weeping；　and　moved　all　the　rest；　and　Varus　in　particular；　to　commiserate　his　case。　Herod　was　the　only　person　whose　passion　was　too　strong　to　permit　him　to　weep；　as　knowing　that　the　testimonies　against　him　were　true。

4。　And　now　it　was　that；　at　the　king's　command；　Nicolaus；　when　he　had　premised　a　great　deal　about　the　craftiness　of　Antipater；　and　had　prevented　the　effects　of　their　commiseration　to　him；　afterwards　brought　in　a　bitter　and　large　accusation　against　him；　ascribing　all　the　wickedness　that　had　been　in　the　kingdom　to　him；　and　especially　the　murder　of　his　brethren；　and　demonstrated　that　they　had　perished　by　the　calumnies　he　had　raised　against　them。　He　also　said　that　he　had　laid　designs　against　them　that　were　still　alive；　as　if　they　were　laying　plots　for　the　succession；　and　（said　he）　how　can　it　be　supposed　that　he　who　prepared　poison　for　his　father　should　abstain　from　mischief　as　to　his　brethren？　He　then　proceeded　to　convict　him　of　the　attempt　to　poison　Herod；　and　gave　an　account　in　order　of　the　several　discoveries　that　had　been　made；　and　had　great　indignation　as　to　the　affair　of　Pheroras；　because　Antipater　had　been　for　making　him　murder　his　brother；　and　had　corrupted　those　that　were　dearest　to　the　king；　and　filled　the　whole　palace　with　wickedness；　and　when　he　had　insisted　on　many　other　accusations；　and　the　proofs　for　them；　he　left　off。

5。　Then　Varus　bid　Antipater　make　his　defense；　but　he　lay　along　in　silence；　and　said　no　more　but　this；　〃God　is　my　witness　that　I　am　entirely　innocent。〃　So　Varus　asked　for　the　potion；　and　gave　it　to　be　drunk　by　a　condemned　malefactor；　who　was　then　in　prison；　who　died　upon　the　spot。　So　Varus；　when　he　had　had　a　very　private　discourse　with　Herod；　and　had　written　an　account　of　this　assembly　to　Caesar；　went　away；　after　a　day's　stay。　The　king　also　bound　Antipater；　and　sent　away　to　inform　Caesar　of　his　misfortunes。　　6。　Now　after　this　it　was　discovered　that　Antipater　had　laid　a　plot　against　Salome　also；　for　one　of　Antiphilus's　domestic　servants　came；　and　brought　letters　from　Rome；　from　a　maid…servant　of　Julia；　＇Caesar's　wife；＇　whose　name　was　Acme。　By　her　a　message　was　sent　to　the　king；　that　she　had　found　a　letter　written　by　Salome；　among　Julia's　papers；　and　had　sent　it　to　him　privately；　out　of　her　good…will　to　him。　This　letter　of　Salome　contained　the　most　bitter　reproaches　of　the　king；　and　the　highest　accusations　against　him。　Antipater　had　forged　this　letter；　and　had　corrupted　Acme；　and　persuaded　her　to　send　it　to　Herod。　This　was　proved　by　her　letter　to　Antipater；　for　thus　did　this　woman　write　to　him：　〃As　thou　desirest；　I　have　written　a　letter　to　thy　father；　and　have　sent　that　letter；　and　am　persuaded　that　the　king　will　not　spare　his　sister　when　he　reads　it。　Thou　wilt　do　well　to　remember　what　thou　hast　promised　when　all　is　accomplished。〃

7。　When　this　epistle　was　discovered；　and　what　the　epistle　forged　against　Salome　contained；　a　suspicion　came　into　the　king's　mind；　that　perhaps　the　letters　against　Alexander　were　also　forged：　he　was　moreover　greatly　disturbed；　and　in　a　passion；　because　he　had　almost　slain　his　sister　on　Antipater's　account。　He　did　no　longer　delay　therefore　to　bring　him　to　punishment　for　all　his　crimes；　yet　when　he　was　eagerly　pursuing　Antipater；　he　was　restrained　by　a　severe　distemper　he　fell　into。　However；　he　sent　all　account　to　Caesar　about　Acme；　and　the　contrivances　against　Salome；　he　sent　also　for　his　testament；　and　altered　it；　and　therein　made　Antipas　king；　as　taking　no　care　of　Archclaus　and　Philip；　because　Antipater　had　blasted　their　reputations　with　him；　but　he　bequeathed　to　Caesar；　besides　other　presents　that　he　gave　him；　a　thousand　talents；　as　also　to　his　wife；　and　children；　and　friends；　and　freed…men　about　five　hundred：　he　also　bequeathed　to　all　others　a　great　quantity　of　land；　and　of　money；　and　showed　his　respects　to　Salome　his　sister；　by　giving　her　most　splendid　gifts。　And　this　was　what　was　contained　in　his　testament；　as　it　was　now　altered。

CHAPTER　33。

The　Golden　Eagle　Is　Cut　To　Pieces。　Herod's　Barbarity　When　He　Was　Ready　To　Die。　He　Attempts　To　Kill　Himself。　He　Commands　Antipater　To　Be　Slain。　He　Survives　Him　Five　Days　And　Then　Dies。

1。　Now　Herod's　distemper　became　more　and　more　severe　to　him；　and　this　because　these　his　disorders　fell　upon　him　in　his　old　age；　and　when　he　was　in　a　melancholy　condition；　for　he　was　already　seventy　years　of　age；　and　had　been　brought　by　the　calamities　that　happened　to　him　about　his　children；　whereby　he　had　no　pleasure　in　life；　even　when　he　was　in　health；　the　grief　also　that　Antipater　was　still　alive　aggravated　his　disease；　whom　he　resolved　to　put　to　death　now　not　at　random；　but　as　soon　as　he　should　be　well　again；　and　resolved　to　have　him　slain　＇in　a　public　manner＇。　　2。　There　also　now　happened　to　him；　among　his　other　calamities；　a　certain　popular　sedition。　There　were　two　men　of　learning　in　the　city　＇Jerusalem；＇　who　were　thought　the　most　skillful　in　the　laws　of　their　country；　and　were　on　that　account　had　in　very　great　esteem　all　over　the　nation；　they　were；　the　one　Judas；　the　son　of　Sepphoris；　and　the　other　Mattbias；　the　son　of　Margalus。　There　was　a　great　concourse　of　the　young　men　to　these　men　when　they　expounded　the　laws；　and　there　got　together　every　day　a　kind　of　an　army　of　such　as　were　growing　up　to　be　men。　Now　when　these　men　were　informed　that　the　king　was　wearing　away　with　melancholy；　and　with　a　distemper；　they　dropped　words　to　their　acquaintance；　how　it　was　now　a　very　proper　time　to　defend　the　cause　of　God；　and　to　pull　down　what　had　been　erected　contrary　to　the　laws　of　their　c