the antiquities of the jews-1-第234章

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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　have　her　accused；　on　account　of　her　hatred　to　him；　but
made　a　show　as　if　it　were　rather　the　generosity　of　his　soul；　and
his　great　moderation；　that　made　him　forgive　them。　However；　he
fully　proposed　to　himself　to　put　this　young　man　out　of　the　way；
by　one　means　or　other；　but　he　thought　he　might　in　probability　be
better　concealed　in　doing　it；　if　he　did　it　not　presently；　nor
immediately　after　what　had　lately　happened。

3。　And　now；　upon　the　approach　of　the　feast　of　tabernacles；　which
is　a　festival　very　much　observed　among　us；　he　let　those　days　pass
over；　and　both　he　and　the　rest　of　the　people　were　therein　very
merry；　yet　did　the　envy　which　at　this　time　arose　in　him　cause　him
to　make　haste　to　do　what　lie　was　about；　and　provoke　him　to　it；
for　when　this　youth　Aristobulus；　who　was　now　in　the　seventeenth
year　of　his　age；　went　up　to　the　altar；　according　to　the　law；　to
offer　the　sacrifices；　and　this　with　the　ornaments　of　his　high
priesthood；　and　when　he　performed　the　sacred　offices；　（5）　he
seemed　to　be　exceedingly　comely；　and　taller　than　men　usually　were
at　that　age；　and　to　exhibit　in　his　countenance　a　great　deal　of
that　high　family　he　was　sprung　from；　…　a　warm　zeal　and　affection
towards　him　appeared　among　the　people；　and　the　memory　of　the
actions　of　his　grandfather　Aristobulus　was　fresh　in　their　minds；
and　their　affections　got　so　far　the　mastery　of　them；　that　they
could　not　forbear　to　show　their　inclinations　to　him。　They　at　once
rejoiced　and　were　confounded；　and　mingled　with　good　wishes　their
joyful　acclamations　which　they　made　to　him；　till　the　good…will　of
the　multitude　was　made　too　evident；　and　they　more　rashly
proclaimed　the　happiness　they　had　received　from　his　family　than
was　fit　under　a　monarchy　to　have　done。　Upon　all　this；　Herod
resolved　to　complete　what　he　had　intended　against　the　young　man。
When　therefore　the　festival　was　over；　and　he　was　feasting　at
Jericho　（6）　with　Alexandra；　who　entertained　them　there；　he　was
then　very　pleasant　with　the　young　man；　and　drew　him　into　a　lonely
place；　and　at　the　same　time　played　with　him　in　a　juvenile　and
ludicrous　manner。　Now　the　nature　of　that　place　was　hotter　than
ordinary；　so　they　went　out　in　a　body；　and　of　a　sudden；　and　in　a
vein　of　madness；　and　as　they　stood　by　the　fish…ponds；　of　which
there　were　large　ones　about　the　house；　they　went　to　cool
themselves　＇by　bathing＇；　because　it　was　in　the　midst　of　a　hot
day。　At　first　they　were　only　spectators　of　Herod's　servants　and
acquaintance　as　they　were　swimming；　but　after　a　while；　the　young
man；　at　the　instigation　of　Herod；　went　into　the　water　among　them；
while　such　of　Herod's　acquaintance；　as　he　had　appointed　to　do　it；
dipped　him　as　he　was　swimming；　and　plunged　him　under　water；　in
the　dark　of　the　evening；　as　if　it　had　been　done　in　sport　only；
nor　did　they　desist　till　he　was　entirely　suffocated。　And　thus　was
Aristobulus　murdered；　having　lived　no　more　in　all　than　eighteen
years；　（7）　and　kept　the　high　priesthood　one　year　only；　which　high
priesthood　Ananelus　now　recovered　again。

4。　When　this　sad　accident　was　told　the　women；　their　joy　was　soon
changed　to　lamentation；　at　the　sight　of　the　dead　body　that　lay
before　them；　and　their　sorrow　was　immoderate。　The　city　also　＇of
Jerusalem＇；　upon　the　spreading　of　this　news；　were　in　very　great
grief；　every　family　looking　on　this　calamity　as　if　it　had　not
belonged　to　another；　but　that　one　of　themselves　was　slain。　But
Alexandra　was　more　deeply　affected；　upon　her　knowledge　that　he
had　been　destroyed　＇on　purpose＇。　Her　sorrow　was　greater　than　that
of　others；　by　her　knowing　how　the　murder　was　committed；　but　she
was　under　the　necessity　of　bearing　up　under　it；　out　of　her
prospect　of　a　greater　mischief　that　might　otherwise　follow；　and
she　oftentimes　came　to　an　inclination　to　kill　herself　with　her
own　hand；　but　still　she　restrained　herself；　in　hopes　she　might
live　long　enough　to　revenge　the　unjust　murder　thus　privately
committed；　nay；　she　further　resolved　to　endeavor　to　live　longer；
and　to　give　no　occasion　to　think　she　suspected　that　her　son　was
slain　on　purpose；　and　supposed　that　she　might　thereby　be　in　a
capacity　of　revenging　it　at　a　proper　opportunity。　Thus　did　she
restrain　herself；　that　she　might　not　be　noted　for　entertaining
any　such　suspicion。　However；　Herod　endeavored　that　none　abroad
should　believe　that　the　child's　death　was　caused　by　any　design　of
his；　and　for　this　purpose　he　did　not　only　use　the　ordinary　signs
of　sorrow；　but　fell　into　tears　also；　and　exhibited　a　real
confusion　of　soul；　and　perhaps　his　affections　were　overcome　on
this　occasion；　when　he　saw　the　child's　countenance　so　young　and
so　beautiful；　although　his　death　was　supposed　to　tend　to　his　own
security。　So　far　at　least　this　grief　served　as　to　make　some
apology　for　him；　and　as　for　his　funeral；　that　he　took　care　should
be　very　magnificent；　by　making　great　preparation　for　a　sepulcher
to　lay　his　body　in；　and　providing　a　great　quantity　of　spices；　and
burying　many　ornaments　together　with　him；　till　the　very　women；
who　were　in　such　deep　sorrow；　were　astonished　at　it；　and　received
in　this　way　some　consolation。

5。　However；　no　such　things　could　overcome　Alexandra's　grief；　but
the　remembrance　of　this　miserable　case　made　her　sorrow；　both　deep
and　obstinate。　Accordingly；　she　wrote　an　account　of　this
treacherous　scene　to　Cleopatra；　and　how　her　son　was　murdered；　but
Cleopatra；　as　she　had　formerly　been　desirous　to　give　her　what
satisfaction　she　could；　and　commiserating　Alexandra's
misfortunes；　made　the　case　her　own；　and　would　not　let　Antony　be
quiet；　but　excited　him　to　punish　the　child's　murder；　for　that　it
was　an　unworthy　thing　that　Herod；　who　had　been　by　him　made　king
of　a　kingdom　that　no　way　belonged　to　him；　should　be　guilty　of
such　horrid　crimes　against　those　that　were　of　the　royal　blood　in
reality。　Antony　was　persuaded　by　these　arguments；　and　when　he
came　to　Laodicea；　he　sent　and　commanded　Herod　to　come　and　make
his　defense；　as　to　what　he　had　done　to　Aristobulus；　for　that　such
a　treacherous　design　was　not　well　done；　if　he　had　any　hand　in　it。
Herod　was　now　in　fear；　both　of　the　accusation；　and　of　Cleopatra's
ill…will　to　him；　which　was　such　that　she　was　ever　endeavoring　to
make　Antony　hate　him。　He　therefore　determined　to　obey　his
summons；　for　he　had　no　possible　way　to　avoid　it。　So　he　left　his
uncle　Joseph　procurator　for　his　government；　and　for　the　public
affairs；　and　gave　him　a　private　charge；　that　if　Antony　should
kill　him；　he　also　should　kill　Mariamne　immediately；　for　that　he
had　a　tender　affection　for　this　his　wife；　and　was　afraid　of　the
injury　that　should　be　offered　him；　if；　after　his　death；　she；　for
her　beauty；　should　be　engaged　to　some　other　man：　but　his
intimation　was　nothing　but　this　at　the　bottom；　that　Antony　had
fallen　in　love　with　her；　when　he　had　formerly　heard　somewhat　of
her　beauty。　So　when　Herod　had　given　Joseph　this　charge；　and　had
indeed　no　sure　hopes　of　escaping　with　his　life；　he　went　away　to
Antony。

6。　But　as　Joseph　was　administering　the　public　affairs　of　the
kingdom；　and　for　that　reason　was　very　frequently　with　Mariamne；
both　because　his　business　required　it；　and　because　of　the
respects　he　ought　to　pay　to　the　queen；　he　frequently　let　himself
into　discourses　about　Herod's　kindness；　and　great　affection
towards　her；　and　when　the　women；　especially　Alexandra；　used　to
turn　his　discourses　into　feminine　raillery；　Joseph　was　so
over…desirous　to　demonstrate　the　kings　inclinations；　that　he
proceeded　so　far　as　to　mention　the　charge　he　had　received；　and
thence　drew　his　demonstration；　that　Herod　was　not　able　to　live
without　her；　and　that　if　he　should　come　to　any　ill　end；　he　could
not　endure　a　separation　from　her；　even　after　he　was　dead。　Thus
spake　Joseph。　But　the　women；　as　was　natural；　did　not　take　this　to
be　an　instance　of　Herod's　strong　affection　for　them；　but　of　his
severe　usage　of　them；　that　they　could　not　escape　destruction；　nor
a　tyrannical　death；　even　when　he　was　dead　himself。　And　this
saying　＇of　Joseph＇　was　a　foundation　for　the　women's　severe
suspicions　about　him　afterwards。

7。　At　this　time　a　report　went