the antiquities of the jews-1-第233章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


Accordingly；　she　wrote　to　Cleopatra　（a　musician　assisting　her　in
taking　care　to　have　her　letters　carried）　to　desire　her
intercession　with　Antony；　in　order　to　gain　the　high　priesthood
for　her　son。

6。　But　as　Antony　was　slow　in　granting　this　request；　his　friend
Dellius　（3）　came　into　Judea　upon　some　affairs；　and　when　he　saw
Aristobulus；　he　stood　in　admiration　at　the　tallness　and
handsomeness　of　the　child；　and　no　less　at　Mariarune；　the　king's
wife；　and　was　open　in　his　commendations　of　Alexandra；　as　the
mother　of　most　beautiful　children。　And　when　she　came　to　discourse
with　him；　he　persuaded　her　to　get　pictures　drawn　of　them　both；
and　to　send　them　to　Antony；　for　that　when　he　saw　them；　he　would
deny　her　nothing　that　she　should　ask。　Accordingly；　Alexandra　was
elevated　with　these　words　of　his；　and　sent　the　pictures　to
Antony。　Dellius　also　talked　extravagantly；　and　said　that　these
children　seemed　not　derived　from　men；　but　from　some　god　or　other。
His　design　in　doing　so　was　to　entice　Antony　into　lewd　pleasures
with　them；　who　was　ashamed　to　send　for　the　damsel；　as　being　the
wife　of　Herod；　and　avoided　it；　because　of　the　reproaches　he
should　have　from　Cleopatra　on　that　account；　but　he　sent；　in　the
most　decent　manner　he　could；　for　the　young　man；　but　added　this
withal；　unless　he　thought　it　hard　upon　him　so　to　do。　When　this
letter　was　brought　to　Herod；　he　did　not　think　it　safe　for　him　to
send　one　so　handsome　as　was　Aristobulus；　in　the　prime　of　his
life；　for　he　was　sixteen　years　of　age；　and　of　so　noble　a　family；
and　particularly　not　to　Antony；　the　principal　man　among　the
Romans；　and　one　that　would　abuse　him　in　his　amours；　and　besides；
one　that　openly　indulged　himself　in　such　pleasures　as　his　power
allowed　him　without　control。　He　therefore　wrote　back　to　him；　that
if　this　boy　should　only　go　out　of　the　country；　all　would　be　in　a
state　of　war　and　uproar；　because　the　Jews　were　in　hopes　of　a
change　in　the　government；　and　to　have　another　king　over　them。

7。　When　Herod　had　thus　excused　himself　to　Antony；　he　resolved
that　he　would　not　entirely　permit　the　child　or　Alexandra　to　be
treated　dishonorably；　but　his　wife　Mariamne　lay　vehemently　at　him
to　restore　the　high　priesthood　to　her　brother；　and　he　judged　it
was　for　his　advantage　so　to　do；　because　if　he　once　had　that
dignity；　he　could　not　go　out　of　the　country。　So　he　called　his
friends　together；　and　told　them　that　Alexandra　privately
conspired　against　his　royal　authority；　and　endeavored；　by　the
means　of　Cleopatra；　so　to　bring　it　about；　that　he　might　be
deprived　of　the　government；　and　that　by　Antony's　means　this　youth
might　have　the　management　of　public　affairs　in　his　stead；　and
that　this　procedure　of　hers　was　unjust；　since　she　would　at　the
same　time　deprive　her　daughter　of　the　dignity　she　now　had；　and
would　bring　disturbances　upon　the　kingdom；　for　which　he　had　taken
a　great　deal　of　pains；　and　had　gotten　it　with　extraordinary
hazards；　that　yet；　while　he　well　remembered　her　wicked　practices；
he　would　not　leave　off　doing　what　was　right　himself；　but　would
even　now　give　the　youth　the　high　priesthood；　and　that　he　formerly
set　up　Ananelus；　because　Aristobulus　was　then　so　very　young　a
child。　Now　when　he　had　said　this；　not　at　random；　but　as　he
thought　with　the　best　discretion　he　had；　in　order　to　deceive　the
women；　and　those　friends　whom　he　had　taken　to　consult　withal；
Alexandra；　out　of　the　great　joy　she　had　at　this　unexpected
promise；　and　out　of　fear　from　the　suspicions　she　lay　under；　fell
a　weeping；　and　made　the　following　apology　for　herself；　and　said；
that　as　to　the　＇high＇　priesthood；　she　was　very　much　concerned　for
the　disgrace　her　son　was　under；　and　so　did　her　utmost　endeavors
to　procure　it　for　him；　but　that　as　to　the　kingdom；　she　had　made
no　attempts；　and　that　if　it　were　offered　her　＇for　her　son＇；　she
would　not　accept　it；　and　that　now　she　would　be　satisfied　with　her
son's　dignity；　while　he　himself　held　the　civil　government；　and
she　had　thereby　the　security　that　arose　from　his　peculiar　ability
in　governing　to　all　the　remainder　of　her　family；　that　she　was　now
overcome　by　his　benefits；　and　thankfully　accepted　of　this　honor
showed　by　him　to　her　son；　and　that　she　would　hereafter　be
entirely　obedient。　And　she　desired　him　to　excuse　her；　if　the
nobility　of　her　family；　and　that　freedom　of　acting　which　she
thought　that　allowed　her；　had　made　her　act　too　precipitately　and
imprudently　in　this　matter。　So　when　they　had　spoken　thus　to　one
another；　they　came　to　an　agreement；　and　all　suspicions；　so　far　as
appeared；　were　vanished　away。

CHAPTER　3。

How　Herod　Upon　His　Making　Aristobulus　High　Priest　Took　Care　That
He　Should　Be　Murdered　In　A　Little　Time；　And　What　Apology　He　Made
To　Antony　About　Aristobulus；　As　Also　Concerning　Joseph　And
Mariamne。

1。　So　king　Herod　immediately　took　the　high　priesthood　away　from
Ananelus；　who；　as　we　said　before；　was　not　of　this　country；　but
one　of　those　Jews　that　had　been　carried　captive　beyond　Euphrates；
for　there　were　not　a　few　ten　thousands　of　this　people　that　had
been　carried　captives；　and　dwelt　about　Babylonia；　whence　Ananelus
came。　He　was　one　of　the　stock　of　the　high　priests　（4）　and　had
been　of　old　a　particular　friend　of　Herod；　and　when　he　was　first
made　king；　he　conferred　that　dignity　upon　him；　and　now　put　him
out　of　it　again；　in　order　to　quiet　the　troubles　in　his　family；
though　what　he　did　was　plainly　unlawful；　for　at　no　other　time　＇of
old＇　was　any　one　that　had　once　been　in　that　dignity　deprived　of
it。　It　was　Antiochus　Epiphanes　who　first　brake　that　law；　and
deprived　Jesus；　and　made　his　brother　Onias　high　priest　in　his
stead。　Aristobulus　was　the　second　that　did　so；　and　took　that
dignity　from　his　brother　＇Hyrcanus＇；　and　this　Herod　was　the
third；　who　took　that　high　office　away　＇from　Arianflus＇；　and　gave
it　to　this　young　man；　Aristobulus；　in　his　stead。

2。　And　now　Herod　seemed　to　have　healed　the　divisions　in　his
family；　yet　was　he　not　without　suspicion；　as　is　frequently　the
case；　of　people　seeming　to　be　reconciled　to　one　another；　but
thought　that；　as　Alexandra　had　already　made　attempts　tending　to
innovations；　so　did　he　fear　that　she　would　go　on　therein；　if　she
found　a　fit　opportunity　for　so　doing；　so　he　gave　a　command　that
she　should　dwell　in　the　palace；　and　meddle　with　no　public
affairs。　Her　guards　also　were　so　careful；　that　nothing　she　did　in
private　life　every　day　was　concealed。　All　these　hardships　put　her
out　of　patience；　by　little　and　little　and　she　began　to　hate
Herod；　for　as　she　had　the　pride　of　a　woman　to　the　utmost　degree；
she　had　great　indignation　at　this　suspicious　guard　that　was　about
her；　as　desirous　rather　to　undergo　any　thing　that　could　befall
her；　than　to　be　deprived　of　her　liberty　of　speech；　and；　under　the
notion　of　an　honorary　guard；　to　live　in　a　state　of　slavery　and
terror。　She　therefore　sent　to　Cleopatra；　and　made　a　long
complaint　of　the　circumstances　she　was　in；　and　entreated　her　to
do　her　utmost　for　her　assistance。　Cleopatra　hereupon　advised　her
to　take　her　son　with　her；　and　come　away　immediately　to　her　into
Egypt。　This　advice　pleased　her；　and　she　had　this　contrivance　for
getting　away：　She　got　two　coffins　made；　as　if　they　were　to　carry
away　two　dead　bodies　and　put　herself　into　one；　and　her　son　into
the　other　and　gave　orders　to　such　of　her　servants　as　knew　of　her
intentions　to　carry　them　away　in　the　night　time。　Now　their　road
was　to　be　thence　to　the　sea…side　and　there　was　a　ship　ready　to
carry　them　into　Egypt。　Now　Aesop；　one　of　her　servants；　happened
to　fall　upon　Sabion；　one　of　her　friends；　and　spake　of　this　matter
to　him；　as　thinking　he　had　known　of　it　before。　When　Sabion　knew
this；　（who　had　formerly　been　an　enemy　of　Herod；　and　been　esteemed
one　of　those　that　laid　snares　for　and　gave　the　poison　to　＇his
father＇　Antipater；）　he　expected　that　this　discovery　would　change
Herod's　hatred　into　kindness；　so　he　told　the　king　of　this　private
stratagem　of　Alexandra：　whereupon　be　suffered　her　to　proceed　to
the　execution　of　her　project；　and　caught　her　in　the　very　fact；
but　still　he　passed　by　her　offense；　and　though　he　had　a　great
mind　to　do　it；　he　durst　not　inflict　any　thing　that　was　severe
upon　her；　for　he　knew　that　Cleopatra　would　not　bear　that　he
should　hav