the antiquities of the jews-1-第255章

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they　were　in；　that　their　delay　to　make　their　defense　did　not
arise　from　any　consciousness　of　great　enormities；　but　from　their
unskilfulness　and　modesty。　They　were　also　commiserated　by　those
that　were　there　in　particular；　and　they　moved　their　father's
affections　in　earnest　till　he　had　much　ado　to　conceal　them。

3。　But　when　they　saw　there　was　a　kind　disposition　arisen　both　in
him　and　in　Caesar；　and　that　every　one　of　the　rest　did　either　shed
tears；　or　at　least　did　all　grieve　with　them；　the　one　of　them；
whose　name　was　Alexander；　called　to　his　father；　and　attempted　to
answer　his　accusation；　and　said；　〃O　father；　the　benevolence　thou
hast　showed　to　us　is　evident；　even　in　this　very　judicial
procedure；　for　hadst　thou　had　any　pernicious　intentions　about　us；
thou　hadst　not　produced　us　here　before　the　common　savior　of　all；
for　it　was　in　thy　power；　both　as　a　king　and　as　a　father；　to
punish　the　guilty；　but　by　thus　bringing　us　to　Rome；　and　making
Caesar　himself　a　witness　to　what　is　done；　thou　intimatest　that
thou　intendest　to　save　us；　for　no　one　that　hath　a　design　to　slay
a　man　will　bring　him　to　the　temples；　and　to　the　altars；　yet　are
our　circumstances　still　worse；　for　we　cannot　endure　to　live
ourselves　any　longer；　if　it　be　believed　that　we　have　injured　such
a　father；　nay；　perhaps　it　would　be　worse　for　us　to　live　with　this
suspicion　upon　us；　that　we　have　injured　him；　than　to　die　without
such　guilt。　And　if　our　open　defense　may　be　taken　to　be　true；　we
shall　be　happy；　both　in　pacifying　thee；　and　in　escaping　the
danger　we　are　in；　but　if　this　calumny　so　prevails；　it　is　more
than　enough　for　us　that　we　have　seen　the　sun　this　day；　which　why
should　we　see；　if　this　suspicion　be　fixed　upon　us？　Now　it　is　easy
to　say　of　young　men；　that　they　desire　to　reign；　and　to　say
further；　that　this　evil　proceeds　from　the　case　of　our　unhappy
mother。　This　is　abundantly　sufficient　to　produce　our　present
misfortune　out　of　the　former；　but　consider　well；　whether　such　an
accusation　does　not　suit　all　such　young　men；　and　may　not　be　said
of　them　all　promiscuously；　for　nothing　can　hinder　him　that
reigns；　if　he　have　children；　and　their　mother　be　dead；　but　the
father　may　have　a　suspicion　upon　all　his　sons；　as　intending　some
treachery　to　him；　but　a　suspicion　is　not　sufficient　to　prove　such
an　impious　practice。　Now　let　any　man　say；　whether　we　have
actually　and　insolently　attempted　any　such　thing；　whereby　actions
otherwise　incredible　use　to　be　made　credible？　Can　any　body　prove
that　poison　hath　been　prepared？　or　prove　a　conspiracy　of　our
equals；　or　the　corruption　of　servants；　or　letters　written　against
thee？　though　indeed　there　are　none　of　those　things　but　have
sometimes　been　pretended　by　way　of　calumny；　when　they　were　never
done；　for　a　royal　family　that　is　at　variance　with　itself　is　a
terrible　thing；　and　that　which　thou　callest　a　reward　of　piety
often　becomes；　among　very　wicked　men；　such　a　foundation　of　hope；
as　makes　them　leave　no　sort　of　mischief　untried。　Nor　does　any　one
lay　any　wicked　practices　to　our　charge；　but　as　to　calumnies　by
hearsay；　how　can　he　put　an　end　to　them；　who　will　not　hear　what　we
have　to　say？　Have　we　talked　with　too　great　freedom？　Yes；　but　not
against　thee；　for　that　would　be　unjust；　but　against　those　that
never　conceal　any　thing　that　is　spoken　to　them。　Hath　either　of　us
lamented　our　mother？　Yes；　but　not　because　she　is　dead；　but
because　she　was　evil　spoken　of　by　those　that　had　no　reason　so　to
do。　Are　we　desirous　of　that　dominion　which　we　know　our　father　is
possessed　of？　For　what　reason　can　we　do　so？　If　we　already　have
royal　honors；　as　we　have；　should　not　we　labor　in　vain？　And　if　we
have　them　not；　yet　are　not　we　in　hopes　of　them？　Or　supposing　that
we　had　killed　thee；　could　we　expect　to　obtain　thy　kingdom？　while
neither　the　earth　would　let　us　tread　upon　it；　nor　the　sea　let　us
sail　upon　it；　after　such　an　action　as　that；　nay；　the　religion　of
all　your　subjects；　and　the　piety　of　the　whole　nation；　would　have
prohibited　parricides　from　assuming　the　government；　and　from
entering　into　that　most　holy　temple　which　was　built　by　thee　（4）
But　suppose　we　had　made　light　of　other　dangers；　can　any　murderer
go　off　unpunished　while　Caesar　is　alive？　We　are　thy　sons；　and　not
so　impious　or　so　thoughtless　as　that　comes　to；　though　perhaps
more　unfortunate　than　is　convenient　for　thee。　But　in　case　thou
neither　findest　any　causes　of　complaint；　nor　any　treacherous
designs；　what　sufficient　evidence　hast　thou　to　make　such　a
wickedness　of　ours　credible？　Our　mother　is　dead　indeed；　but　then
what　befell　her　might　be　an　instruction　to　us　to　caution；　and　not
an　incitement　to　wickedness。　We　are　willing　to　make　a　larger
apology　for　ourselves；　but　actions　never　done　do　not　admit　of
discourse。　Nay；　we　will　make　this　agreement　with　thee；　and　that
before　Caesar；　the　lord　of　all；　who　is　now　a　mediator　between　us；
If　thou；　O　father；　canst　bring　thyself；　by　the　evidence　of　truth；
to　have　a　mind　free　from　suspicion　concerning　us　let　us　live；
though　even　then　we　shall　live　in　an　unhappy　way；　for　to　be
accused　of　great　acts　of　wickedness；　though　falsely；　is　a
terrible　thing；　but　if　thou　hast　any　fear　remaining；　continue
thou　on　in　thy　pious　life；　we　will　give　this　reason　for　our　own
conduct；　our　life　is　not　so　desirable　to　us　as　to　desire　to　have
it；　if　it　tend　to　the　harm　of　our　father　who　gave　it　us。〃

4。　When　Alexander　had　thus　spoken；　Caesar；　who　did　not　before
believe　so　gross　a　calumny；　was　still　more　moved　by　it；　and
looked　intently　upon　Herod；　and　perceived　he　was　a　little
confounded：　the　persons　there　present　were　under　an　anxiety　about
the　young　men；　and　the　fame　that　was　spread　abroad　made　the　king
hated；　for　the　very　incredibility　of　the　calumny；　and　the
commiseration　of　the　flower　of　youth；　the　beauty　of　body；　which
were　in　the　young　men；　pleaded　for　assistance；　and　the　more　so　on
this　account；　that　Alexander　had　made　their　defense　with
dexterity　and　prudence；　nay；　they　did　not　themselves　any　longer
continue　in　their　former　countenances；　which　had　been　bedewed
with　tears；　and　cast　downwards　to　the　ground；　but　now　there　arose
in　them　hope　of　the　best；　and　the　king　himself　appeared　not　to
have　had　foundation　enough　to　build　such　an　accusation　upon；　he
having　no　real　evidence　wherewith　to　correct　them。　Indeed　he
wanted　some　apology　for　making　the　accusation；　but　Caesar；　after
some　delay；　said；　that　although　the　young　men　were　thoroughly
innocent　of　that　for　which　they　were　calumniated；　yet　had　they
been　so　far　to　blame；　that　they　had　not　demeaned　themselves
towards　their　father　so　as　to　prevent　that　suspicion　which　was
spread　abroad　concerning　them。　He　also　exhorted　Herod　to　lay　all
such　suspicions　aside；　and　to　be　reconciled　to　his　sons；　for　that
it　was　not　just　to　give　any　credit　to　such　reports　concerning　his
own　children；　and　that　this　repentance　on　both　sides　might　still
heal　those　breaches　that　had　happened　between　them；　and　might
improve　that　their　good…will　to　one　another；　whereby　those　on
both　sides；　excusing　the　rashness　of　their　suspicions；　might
resolve　to　bear　a　greater　degree　of　affection　towards　each　other
than　they　had　before。　After　Caesar　had　given　them　this
admonition；　he　beckoned　to　the　young　men。　When　therefore　they
were　disposed　to　fall　down　to　make　intercession　to　their　father；
he　took　them　up；　and　embraced　them；　as　they　were　in　tears；　and
took　each　of　them　distinctly　in　his　arms；　till　not　one　of　those
that　were　present；　whether　free…man　or　slave；　but　was　deeply
affected　with　what　they　saw。　（5）

5。　Then　did　they　return　thanks　to　Caesar；　and　went　away　together；
and　with　them　went　Antipater；　with　an　hypocritical　pretense　that
he　rejoiced　at　this　reconciliation。　And　in　the　last　days　they
were　with　Caesar；　Herod　made　him　a　present　of　three　hundred
talents；　as　he　was　then　exhibiting　shows　and　largesses　to　the
people　of　Rome；　and　Caesar　made　him　a　present　of　half　the　revenue
of　the　copper　mines　in　Cyprus；　and　committed　the　care　of　the
other　half　to　him；　and　honored　him　with　other　gifts　and　incomes；
and　as　to　his　own　kingdom；　he　left　it　in　his　own　power　to　appoint
which　of　his　sons　he　pleased　for　his　successor；　or　to　distribute
it　in　parts　to　every　one；　that　the　di