the wars of the jews-第31章

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rea　beyond　Jordan；＇　and　sware　that　there　should　be　but　one　end　put　to　his　flight；　and　that　should　be　Herod's　death；　and　that　he　would　never　return　while　he　was　alive。　Nor　indeed　would　he　return　when　his　brother　was　sick；　although　he　earnestly　sent　for　him　to　come　to　him；　because　he　had　a　mind　to　leave　some　injunctions　with　him　before　he　died；　but　Herod　unexpectedly　recovered。　A　little　afterward　Pheroras　himself　fell　sick；　when　Herod　showed　great　moderation；　for　he　came　to　him；　and　pitied　his　case；　and　took　care　of　him；　but　his　affection　for　him　did　him　no　good；　for　Pheroras　died　a　little　afterward。　Now　though　Herod　had　so　great　an　affection　for　him　to　the　last　day　of　his　life；　yet　was　a　report　spread　abroad　that　he　had　killed　him　by　poison。　However；　he　took　care　to　have　his　dead　body　carried　to　Jerusalem；　and　appointed　a　very　great　mourning　to　the　whole　nation　for　him；　and　bestowed　a　most　pompous　funeral　upon　him。　And　this　was　the　end　that　one　of　Alexander's　and　Aristobulus's　murderers　came　to。　　CHAPTER　30。

When　Herod　Made　Inquiry　About　Pheroras's　Death　A　Discovery　Was　Made　That　Antipater　Had　Prepared　A　Poisonous　Draught　For　Him。　Herod　Casts　Doris　And　Her　Accomplices；　As　Also　Mariamne；　Out　Of　The　Palace　And　Blots　Her　Son　Herod　Out　Of　His　Testament。

1。　But　now　the　punishment　was　transferred　unto　the　original　author；　Antipater；　and　took　its　rise　from　the　death　of　Pheroras；　for　certain　of　his　freed…men　came　with　a　sad　countenance　to　the　king；　and　told　him　that　his　brother　had　been　destroyed　by　poison；　and　that　his　wife　had　brought　him　somewhat　that　was　prepared　after　an　unusual　manner；　and　that；　upon　his　eating　it；　he　presently　fell　into　his　distemper；　that　Antipater's　mother　and　sister；　two　days　before；　brought　a　woman　out　of　Arabia　that　was　skillful　in　mixing　such　drugs；　that　she　might　prepare　a　love　potion　for　Pheroras；　and　that　instead　of　a　love　potion；　she　had　given　him　deadly　poison；　and　that　this　was　done　by　the　management　of　Sylleus；　who　was　acquainted　with　that　woman。

2。　The　king　was　deeply　affected　with　so　many　suspicions；　and　had　the　maid…servants　and　some　of　the　free　women　also　tortured；　one　of　which　cried　out　in　her　agonies；　〃May　that　God　that　governs　the　earth　and　the　heaven　punish　this　author　of　all　these　our　miseries；　Antipater's　mother！〃　The　king　took　a　handle　from　this　confession；　and　proceeded　to　inquire　further　into　the　truth　of　the　matter。　So　this　woman　discovered　the　friendship　of　Antipater's　mother　to　Pheroras；　and　Antipater's　women；　as　also　their　secret　meetings；　and　that　Pheroras　and　Antipater　had　drunk　with　them　for　a　whole　night　together　as　they　returned　from　the　king；　and　would　not　suffer　any　body；　either　man…servant　or　maidservant；　to　be　there；　while　one　of　the　free　women　discovered　the　matter。

3。　Upon　this　Herod　tortured　the　maid…servants　every　on　by　themselves　separately；　who　all　unanimously　agreed　in　the　foregoing　discoveries；　and　that　accordingly　by　agreement　they　went　away；　Antipater　to　Rome；　and　Pheroras　to　Perea；　for　that　they　oftentimes　talked　to　one　another　thus：　That　after　Herod　had　slain　Alexander　and　Aristobulus；　he　would　fall　upon　them；　and　upon　their　wives；　because；　after　he　Mariamne　and　her　children　he　would　spare　nobody；　and　that　for　this　reason　it　was　best　to　get　as　far　off　the　wild　beast　as　they　were　able：　…　and　that　Antipater　oftentimes　lamented　his　own　case　before　his　mother；　and　said　to　her；　that　he　had　already　gray　hairs　upon　his　head；　and　that　his　father　grew　younger　again　every　day；　and　that　perhaps　death　would　overtake　him　before　he　should　begin　to　be　a　king　in　earnest；　and　that　in　case　Herod　should　die；　which　yet　nobody　knew　when　it　would　be；　the　enjoyment　of　the　succession　could　certainly　be　but　for　a　little　time；　for　that　these　heads　of　Hydra；　the　sons　of　Alexander　and　Aristobulus；　were　growing　up：　that　he　was　deprived　by　his　father　of　the　hopes　of　being　succeeded　by　his　children；　for　that　his　successor　after　his　death　was　not　to　be　any　one　of　his　own　sons；　but　Herod　the　son　of　Mariamne：　that　in　this　point　Herod　was　plainly　distracted；　to　think　that　his　testament　should　therein　take　place；　for　he　would　take　care　that　not　one　of　his　posterity　should　remain；　because　he　was　of　all　fathers　the　greatest　hater　of　his　children。　Yet　does　he　hate　his　brother　still　worse；　whence　it　was　that　he　a　while　ago　gave　himself　a　hundred　talents；　that　he　should　not　have　any　intercourse　with　Pheroras。　And　when　Pheroras　said；　Wherein　have　we　done　him　any　harm？　Antipater　replied；　〃I　wish　he　would　but　deprive　us　of　all　we　have；　and　leave　us　naked　and　alive　only；　but　it　is　indeed　impossible　to　escape　this　wild　beast；　who　is　thus　given　to　murder；　who　will　not　permit　us　to　love　any　person　openly；　although　we　be　together　privately；　yet　may　we　be　so　openly　too；　if　we　have　but　the　courage　and　the　hands　of　men。〃

4。　These　things　were　said　by　the　women　upon　the　torture；　as　also　that　Pheroras　resolved　to　fly　with　them　to　Perea。　Now　Herod　gave　credit　to　all　they　said；　on　account　of　the　affair　of　the　hundred　talents；　for　he　had　no　discourse　with　any　body　about　them；　but　only　with　Antipater。　So　he　vented　his　anger　first　of　all　against　Antipater's　mother；　and　took　away　from　her　all　the　ornaments　which　he　had　given　her；　which　cost　a　great　many　talents；　and　cast　her　out　of　the　palace　a　second　time。　He　also　took　care　of　Pheroras's　women　after　their　tortures；　as　being　now　reconciled　to　them；　but　he　was　in　great　consternation　himself；　and　inflamed　upon　every　suspicion；　and　had　many　innocent　persons　led　to　the　torture；　out　of　his　fear　lest　he　should　leave　any　guilty　person　untortured。

5。　And　now　it　was　that　he　betook　himself　to　examine　Antipater　of　Samaria；　who　was　the　steward　of　＇his　son＇　Antipater；　and　upon　torturing　him；　he　learned　that　Antipater　had　sent　for　a　potion　of　deadly　poison　for　him　out　of　Egypt；　by　Antiphilus；　a　companion　of　his；　that　Theudio；　the　uncle　of　Antipater；　had　it　from　him；　and　delivered　it　to　Pheroras；　for　that　Antipater　had　charged　him　to　take　his　father　off　while　he　was　at　Rome；　and　so　free　him　from　the　suspicion　of　doing　it　himself：　that　Pheroras　also　committed　this　potion　to　his　wife。　Then　did　the　king　send　for　her；　and　bid　her　bring　to　him　what　she　had　received　immediately。　So　she　came　out　of　her　house　as　if　she　would　bring　it　with　her；　but　threw　herself　down　from　the　top　of　the　house；　in　order　to　prevent　any　examination　and　torture　from　the　king。　However；　it　came　to　pass；　as　it　seems　by　the　providence　of　God；　when　he　intended　to　bring　Antipater　to　punishment；　that　she　fell　not　upon　her　head；　but　upon　other　parts　of　her　body；　and　escaped。　The　king；　when　she　was　brought　to　him；　took　care　of　her；　（for　she　was　at　first　quite　senseless　upon　her　fall；）　and　asked　her　why　she　had　thrown　herself　down；　and　gave　her　his　oath；　that　if　she　would　speak　the　real　truth；　he　would　excuse　her　from　punishment；　but　that　if　she　concealed　any　thing；　he　would　have　her　body　torn　to　pieces　by　torments；　and　leave　no　part。　of　it　to　be　buried。

6。　Upon　this　the　woman　paused　a　little；　and　then　said；　〃Why　do　I　spare　to　speak　of　these　grand　secrets；　now　Pheroras　is　dead？　that　would　only　tend　to　save　Antipater；　who　is　all　our　destruction。　Hear　then；　O　king；　and　be　thou；　and　God　himself；　who　cannot　be　deceived；　witnesses　to　the　truth　of　what　I　am　going　to　say。　When　thou　didst　sit　weeping　by　Pheroras　as　he　was　dying；　then　it　was　that　he　called　me　to　him；　and　said；　My　dear　wife；　I　have　been　greatly　mistaken　as　to　the　disposition　of　my　brother　towards　me；　and　have　hated　him　that　is　so　affectionate　to　me；　and　have　contrived　to　kill　him　who　is　in　such　disorder　for　me　before　I　am　dead。　As　for　myself；　I　receive　the　recompence　of　my　impiety；　but　do　thou　bring　what　poison　was　left　with　us　by　Antipater；　and　which　thou　keepest　in　order　to　destroy　him；　and　consume　it　immediately　in　the　fire　in　my　sight；　that　I　may　not　be　liable　to　the　avenger　in　the　invisible　world。〃　This　I　brought　as　he　bid　me；　and　emptied　the　greatest　part　of　it　into　the　fire；　but　reserved　a　little　of　it　for　my　own　use　against　uncertain　futurity；　and　out　of　my　fear　of　thee。〃

7。　When　she　had　said　this；　she　brought　the　box；　which　had　a　small　quantity　of　this　potion　in　it：　but　the　king　let　her　alone；　and　transferred　the　tortures　to　Antiphilus's　mother