the antiquities of the jews-1-第241章

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his　wife；　and　told　her；　and　her　only；　the　good　news；　as
preferring　her　before　the　rest；　on　account　of　his　fondness　for
her；　and　the　intimacy　there　had　been　between　them；　and　saluted
her；　but　so　it　happened；　that　as　he　told　her　of　the　good　success
he　had　had；　she　was　so　far　from　rejoicing　at　it；　that　she　rather
was　sorry　for　it；　nor　was　she　able　to　conceal　her　resentments；
but；　depending　on　her　dignity；　and　the　nobility　of　her　birth；　in
return　for　his　salutations；　she　gave　a　groan；　and　declared
evidently　that　she　rather　grieved　than　rejoiced　at　his　success；
and　this　till　Herod　was　disturbed　at　her；　as　affording　him；　not
only　marks　of　her　suspicion；　but　evident　signs　of　her
dissatisfaction。　This　much　troubled　him；　to　see　that　this
surprising　hatred　of　his　wife　to　him　was　not　concealed；　but　open；
and　he　took　this　so　ill；　and　yet　was　so　unable　to　bear　it；　on
account　of　the　fondness　he　had　for　her；　that　he　could　not
continue　long　in　any　one　mind；　but　sometimes　was　angry　at　her；
and　sometimes　reconciled　himself　to　her；　but　by　always　changing
one　passion　for　another；　he　was　still　in　great　uncertainty；　and
thus　was　he　entangled　between　hatred　and　love；　and　was　frequently
disposed　to　inflict　punishment　on　her　for　her　insolence　towards
him；　but　being　deeply　in　love　with　her　in　his　soul；　he　was　not
able　to　get　quit　of　this　woman。　In　short；　as　he　would　gladly　have
her　punished；　so　was　he　afraid　lest；　ere　he　were　aware；　he
should；　by　putting　her　to　death；　bring　a　heavier　punishment　upon
himself　at　the　same　time。

3。　When　Herod's　sister　and　mother　perceived　that　he　was　in　this
temper　with　regard　to　Mariamne　they　thought　they　had　now　got　an
excellent　opportunity　to　exercise　their　hatred　against　her　and
provoked　Herod　to　wrath　by　telling　him；　such　long　stories　and
calumnies　about　her；　as　might　at　once　excite　his　hatred　and　his
jealousy。　Now；　though　he　willingly　enough　heard　their　words；　yet
had　not　he　courage　enough　to　do　any　thing　to　her　as　if　he
believed　them；　but　still　he　became　worse　and　worse　disposed　to
her；　and　these　ill　passions　were　more　and　more　inflamed　on　both
sides；　while　she　did　not　hide　her　disposition　towards　him；　and　he
turned　his　love　to　her　into　wrath　against　her。　But　when　he　was
just　going　to　put　this　matter　past　all　remedy；　he　heard　the　news
that　Caesar　was　the　victor　in　the　war；　and　that　Antony　and
Cleopatra　were　both　dead；　and　that　he　had　conquered　Egypt；
whereupon　he　made　haste　to　go　to　meet　Caesar；　and　left　the
affairs　of　his　family　in　their　present　state。　However；　Mariamne
recommended　Sohemus　to　him；　as　he　was　setting　out　on　his　journey；
and　professed　that　she　owed　him　thanks　for　the　care　he　had　taken
of　her；　and　asked　of　the　king　for　him　a　place　in　the　government；
upon　which　an　honorable　employment　was　bestowed　upon　him
accordingly。　Now　when　Herod　was　come　into　Egypt；　he　was
introduced　to　Caesar　with　great　freedom；　as　already　a　friend　of
his；　and　received　very　great　favors　from　him；　for　he　made　him　a
present　of　those　four　hundred　Galatians　who　had　been　Cleopatra's
guards；　and　restored　that　country　to　him　again；　which；　by　her
means；　had　been　taken　away　from　him。　He　also　added　to　his　kingdom
Gadara；　Hippos；　and　Samaria；　and；　besides　those；　the　maritime
cities；　Gaza；　and　Anthedon；　and　Joppa；　and　Strato's　Tower。

4。　Upon　these　new　acquisitions；　he　grew　more　magnificent；　and
conducted　Caesar　as　far　as　Antioch；　but　upon　his　return；　as　much
as　his　prosperity　was　augmented　by　the　foreign　additions　that　had
been　made　him；　so　much　the　greater　were　the　distresses　that　came
upon　him　in　his　own　family；　and　chiefly　in　the　affair　of　his
wife；　wherein　he　formerly　appeared　to　have　been　most　of　all
fortunate；　for　the　affection　he　had　for　Mariamne　was　no　way
inferior　to　the　affections　of　such　as　are　on　that　account
celebrated　in　history；　and　this　very　justly。　As　for　her；　she　was
in　other　respects　a　chaste　woman；　and　faithful　to　him；　yet　had
she　somewhat　of　a　woman　rough　by　nature；　and　treated　her　husband
imperiously　enough；　because　she　saw　he　was　so　fond　of　her　as　to
be　enslaved　to　her。　She　did　not　also　consider　seasonably　with
herself　that　she　lived　under　a　monarchy；　and　that　she　was　at
another's　disposal；　and　accordingly　would　behave　herself　after　a
saucy　manner　to　him；　which　yet　he　usually　put　off　in　a　jesting
way；　and　bore　with　moderation　and　good　temper。　She　would　also
expose　his　mother　and　his　sister　openly；　on　account　of　the
meanness　of　their　birth；　and　would　speak　unkindly　of　them；
insomuch　that　there　was　before　this　a　disagreement　and
unpardonable　hatred　among　the　women；　and　it　was　now　come　to
greater　reproaches　of　one　another　than　formerly；　which　suspicions
increased；　and　lasted　a　whole　year　after　Herod　returned　from
Caesar。　However；　these　misfortunes；　which　had　been　kept　under
some　decency　for　a　great　while；　burst　out　all　at　once　upon　such
an　occasion　as　was　now　offered；　for　as　the　king　was　one　day　about
noon　lain　down　on　his　bed　to　rest　him；　he　called　for　Mariamne；
out　of　the　great　affection　he　had　always　for　her。　She　came　in
accordingly；　but　would　not　lie　down　by　him；　and　when　he　was　very
desirous　of　her　company；　she　showed　her　contempt　of　him；　and
added；　by　way　of　reproach；　that　he　had　caused　her　father　and　her
brother　to　be　slain。　（11）　And　when　he　took　this　injury　very
unkindly；　and　was　ready　to　use　violence　to　her；　in　a　precipitate
manner；　the　king's　sister　Salome；　observing　that　he　was　more　than
ordinarily　disturbed；　sent　in　to　the　king　his　cup…bearer；　who　had
been　prepared　long　beforehand　for　such　a　design；　and　bid　him　tell
the　king　how　Mariamne　had　persuaded　him　to　give　his　assistance　in
preparing　a　love　potion　for　him；　and　if　he　appeared　to　be　greatly
concerned；　and　to　ask　what　that　love　potion　was；　to　tell　him　that
she　had　the　potion；　and　that　he　was　desired　only　to　give　it　him；
but　that　in　case　he　did　not　appear　to　be　much　concerned　at　this
potion；　to　let　the　thing　drop；　and　that　if　he　did　so；　no　harm
should　thereby　come　to　him。　When　she　had　given　him　these
instructions；　she　sent　him　in　at　this　time　to　make　such　a　speech。
So　he　went　in；　after　a　composed　manner；　to　gain　credit　to　what　he
should　say；　and　yet　somewhat　hastily；　and　said　that　Mariamne　had
given　him　presents；　and　persuaded　him　to　give　him　a　love　potion。
And　when　this　moved　the　king；　he　said　that　this　love　potion　was　a
composition　that　she　had　given　him；　whose　effects　he　did　not
know；　which　was　the　reason　of　his　resolving　to　give　him　this
information；　as　the　safest　course　he　could　take；　both　for　himself
and　for　the　king。　When　Herod　heard　what　he　said；　and　was　in　an
ill　disposition　before；　his　indignation　grew　more　violent；　and　he
ordered　that　eunuch　of　Mariamne；　who　was　most　faithful　to　her；　to
be　brought　to　torture　about　this　potion；　as　well　knowing　it　was
not　possible　that　any　thing　small　or　great　could　be　done　without
him。　And　when　the　man　was　under　the　utmost　agonies；　he　could　say
nothing　concerning　the　thing　he　was　tortured　about；　but　so　far　he
knew；　that　Mariamne's　hatred　against　him　was　occasioned　by
somewhat　that　Sohemus　had　said　to　her。　Now　as　he　was　saying　this；
Herod　cried　out　aloud；　and　said　that　Sohemus；　who　had　been　at　all
other　times　most　faithful　to　him；　and　to　his　government；　would
not　have　betrayed　what　injunctions　he　had　given　him；　unless　he
had　had　a　nearer　conversation　than　ordinary　with　Mariamne。　So　he
gave　order　that　Sohemus　should　be　seized　on　and　slain
immediately；　but　he　allowed　his　wife　to　take　her　trial；　and　got
together　those　that　were　most　faithful　to　him；　and　laid　an
elaborate　accusation　against　her　for　this　love　potion　and
composition；　which　had　been　charged　upon　her　by　way　of　calumny
only。　However；　he　kept　no　temper　in　what　he　said；　and　was　in　too
great　a　passion　for　judging　well　about　this　matter。　Accordingly；
when　the　court　was　at　length　satisfied　that　he　was　so　resolved；
they　passed　the　sentence　of　death　upon　her；　but　when　the　sentence
was　passed　upon　her；　this　temper　was　suggested　by　himself；　and　by
some　others　of　the　court；　that　she　should　not　be　thus　hastily　put
to　death；　but　be　laid　in　prison　in　one　of　the　fortresses
belonging　to　the　kingdom：　but　Salome　and　her　party　labored　hard
to　have　the