the antiquities of the jews-1-第292章

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promised　him；　but　made　him　amends　for　what　he　had　now　done；　for
when　afterward　Agrippa　was　come　to　the　kingdom；　he　took
particular　care　of　Thaumastus；　and　got　him　his　liberty　from
Caius；　and　made　him　the　steward　over　his　own　estate；　and　when　he
died；　he　left　him　to　Agrippa　his　son；　and　to　Bernice　his
daughter；　to　minister　to　them　in　the　same　capacity。　The　man　also
grew　old　in　that　honorable　post；　and　therein　died。　But　all　this
happened　a　good　while　later。

7。　Now　Agrippa　stood　in　his　bonds　before　the　royal　palace；　and
leaned　on　a　certain　tree　for　grief；　with　many　others；。　who　were
in　bonds　also；　and　as　a　certain　bird　sat　upon　the　tree　on　which
Agrippa　leaned；　（the　Romans　call　this　bird　bubo；）　＇an　owl；＇　one
of　those　that　were　bound；　a　German　by　nation；　saw　him；　and　asked
a　soldier　who　that　man　in　purple　was；　and　when　he　was　informed
that　his　name　was　Agrippa；　and　that　he　was　by　nation　a　Jew；　and
one　of　the　principal　men　of　that　nation；　he　asked　leave　of　the
soldier　to　whom　he　was　bound；　（22）　to　let　him　come　nearer　to　him；
to　speak　with　him；　for　that　he　had　a　mind　to　inquire　of　him　about
some　things　relating　to　his　country；　which　liberty；　when　he　had
obtained；　and　as　he　stood　near　him；　he　said　thus　to　him　by　an
interpreter：　〃This　sudden　change　of　thy　condition；　O　young　man！
is　grievous　to　thee；　as　bringing　on　thee　a　manifold　and　very
great　adversity；　nor　wilt　thou　believe　me；　when　I　foretell　how
thou　wilt　get　clear　of　this　misery　which　thou　art　now　under；　and
how　Divine　Providence　will　provide　for　thee。　Know　therefore　（and
I　appeal　to　my　own　country　gods；　as　well　as　to　the　gods　of　this
place；　who　have　awarded　these　bonds　to　us）　that　all　I　am　going　to
say　about　thy　concerns　shall　neither　be　said　for　favor　nor
bribery；　nor　out　of　an　endeavor　to　make　thee　cheerful　without
cause；　for　such　predictions；　when　they　come　to　fail；　make　the
grief　at　last；　and　in　earnest；　more　bitter　than　if　the　party　had
never　heard　of　any　such　thing。　However；　though　I　run　the　hazard
of　my　own　self；　I　think　it　fit　to　declare　to　thee　the　prediction
of　the　gods。　It　cannot　be　that　thou　shouldst　long　continue　in
these　bonds；　but　thou　wilt　soon　be　delivered　from　them；　and　wilt
be　promoted　to　the　highest　dignity　and　power；　and　thou　wilt　be
envied　by　all　those　who　now　pity　thy　hard　fortune；　and　thou　wilt
be　happy　till　thy　death；　and　wilt　leave　thine　happiness　to　the
children　whom　thou　shalt　have。　But　do　thou　remember；　when　thou
seest　this　bird　again；　that　thou　wilt　then　live　but　five　days
longer。　This　event　will　be　brought　to　pass　by　that　God　who　hath
sent　this　bird　hither　to　be　a　sign　unto　thee。　And　I　cannot　but
think　it　unjust　to　conceal　from　thee　what　I　foreknow　concerning
thee；　that；　by　thy　knowing　beforehand　what　happiness　is　coming
upon　thee；　thou　mayst　not　regard　thy　present　misfortunes。　But
when　this　happiness　shall　actually　befall　thee；　do　not　forget
what　misery　I　am　in　myself；　but　endeavor　to　deliver　me。〃　So　when
the　German　had　said　this；　he　made　Agrippa　laugh　at　him　as　much　as
he　afterwards　appeared　worthy　of　admiration。　But　now　Antonia　took
Agrippa's　misfortune　to　heart：　however；　to　speak　to　Tiberius　on
his　behalf；　she　took　to　be　a　very　difficult　thing；　and　indeed
quite　impracticable；　as　to　any　hope　of　success；　yet　did　she
procure　of　Macro；　that　the　soldiers　that　kept　him　should　be　of　a
gentle　nature；　and　that　the　centurion　who　was　over　them　and　was
to　diet　with　him；　should　be　of　the　same　disposition；　and　that　he
might　have　leave　to　bathe　himself　every　day；　and　that　his
freed…men　and　friends　might　come　to　him；　and　that　other　things
that　tended　to　ease　him　might　be　indulged　him。　So　his　friend
Silas　came　in　to　him；　and　two　of　his　freed…men；　Marsyas　and
Stechus；　brought　him　such　sorts　of　food　as　he　was　fond　of；　and
indeed　took　great　care　of　him；　they　；also　brought　him　garments；
under　pretense　of　selling　them；　and　when　night　came　on；　they　laid
them　under　him；　and　the　soldiers　assisted　them；　as　Macro　had
given　them　order　to　do　beforehand。　And　this　was　Agrippa's
condition　for　six　months'　time；　and　in　this　case　were　his
affairs。

8。　But　for　Tiberius；　upon　his　return　to　Caprein；　he　fell　sick。　At
first　his　distemper　was　but　gentle；　but　as　that　distemper
increased　upon　him；　he　had　small　or　no　hopes　of　recovery。
Hereupon　he　bid　Euodus；　who　was　that　freed…man　whom　he　most　of
all　respected；　to　bring　the　children　（23）　to　him；　for　that　he
wanted　to　talk　to　them　before　he　died。　Now　he　had　at　present　no
sons　of　his　own　alive　for　Drusus；　who　was　his　only　son；　was　dead；
but　Drusus's　son　Tiberius　was　still　living；　whose　additional　name
was　Gemellus：　there　was　also　living　Caius；　the　son　of　Germanicus；
who　was　the　son　（24）　of　his　brother　＇Drusus＇。　He　was　now　grown
up；　and　had　a　liberal　education；　and　was　well　improved　by　it；　and
was　in　esteem　and　favor　with　the　people；　on　account　of　the
excellent　character　of　his　father　Germanicus；　who　had　attained
the　highest　honor　among　the　multitude；　by　the　firmness　of　his
virtuous　behavior；　by　the　easiness　and　agreeableness　of　his
conversing　with　the　multitude；　and　because　the　dignity　he　was　in
did　not　hinder　his　familiarity　with　them　all；　as　if　they　were　his
equals；　by　which　behavior　he　was　not　only　greatly　esteemed　by　the
people　and　the　senate；　but　by　every　one　of　those　nations　that
were　subject　to　the　Romans；　some　of　which　were　affected　when　they
came　to　him　with　the　gracefulness　of　their　reception　by　him；　and
others　were　affected　in　the　same　manner　by　the　report　of　the
others　that　had　been　with　him；　and；　upon　his　death；　there　was　a
lamentation　made　by　all　men；　not　such　a　one　as　was　to　be　made　in
way　of　flattery　to　their　rulers；　while　they　did　but　counterfeit
sorrow；　but　such　as　was　real；　while　every　body　grieved　at　his
death；　as　if　they　had　lost　one　that　was　near　to　them。　And　truly
such　had　been　his　easy　conversation　with　men；　that　it　turned
greatly　to　the　advantage　of　his　son　among　all；　and；　among　others；
the　soldiery　were　so　peculiarly　affected　to　him；　that　they
reckoned　it　an　eligible　thing；　if　need　were；　to　die　themselves；
if　he　might　but　attain　to　the　government。

9。　But　when　Tiberius　had　given　order　to　Euodus　to　bring　the
children　to　him　the　next　day　in　the　morning；　he　prayed　to　his
country　gods　to　show　him　a　manifest　signal　which　of　those
children　should　come　to　the　government；　being　very　desirous　to
leave　it　to　his　son's　son；　but　still　depending　upon　what　God
should　foreshow　concerning　them　more　than　upon　his　own　opinion
and　inclination；　so　he　made　this　to　be　the　omen；　that　the
government　should　be　left　to　him　who　should　come　to　him　first　the
next　day。　When　he　had　thus　resolved　within　himself；　he　sent　to
his　grandson's　tutor；　and　ordered　him　to　bring　the　child　to　him
early　in　the　morning；　as　supposing　that　God　would　permit　him　to
be　made　emperor。　But　God　proved　opposite　to　his　designation；　for
while　Tiberius　was　thus　contriving　matters；　and　as　soon　as　it　was
at　all　day；　he　bid　Euodus　to　call　in　that　child　which　should　be
there　ready。　So　he　went　out；　and　found　Caius　before　the　door；　for
Tiberius　was　not　yet　come；　but　staid　waiting　for　his　breakfast；
for　Euodus　knew　nothing　of　what　his　lord　intended；　so　he　said　to
Caius；　〃Thy　father　calls　thee；〃　and　then　brought　him　in。　As　soon
as　Tiberius　saw　Caius；　and　not　before；　he　reflected　on　the　power
of　God；　and　how　the　ability　of　bestowing　the　government　on　whom
he　would　was　entirely　taken　from　him；　and　thence　he　was　not　able
to　establish　what　he　had　intended。　So　he　greatly　lamented　that
his　power　of　establishing　what　he　had　before　contrived　was　taken
from　him；　and　that　his　grandson　Tiberius　was　not　only　to　lose　the
Roman　empire　by　his　fatality；　but　his　own　safety　also；　because
his　preservation　would　now　depend　upon　such　as　would　be　more
potent　than　himself；　who　would　think　it　a　thing　not　to　be　borne；
that　a　kinsman　should　live　with　them；　and　so　his　relation　would
not　be　able　to　protect　him；　but　he　would　be　feared　and　bated　by
him　who　had　the　supreme　authority；　partly　on　account　of　his　being
next　to　the　empire；　and　partly　on　account　of　his　perpetually
contriving　to　get　the　government；　both　in　order　to　preserve
himself；　and　to　be　at　the　head　of　affairs　also。　Now