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hat　they　will　enjoy　the　sweet　parts　of　government　as　rulers　themselves；　but　that　the　burden　of　administration　will　rest　upon　myself　whether　I　will　or　not。　And　let　every　one　consider　what　age　I　am　of；　how　I　have　conducted　my　life；　and　what　piety　I　have　exercised；　for　my　age　is　not　so　great　that　men　may　soon　expect　the　end　of　my　life；　nor　have　I　indulged　such　a　luxurious　way　of　living　as　cuts　men　off　when　they　are　young；　and　we　have　been　so　religious　towards　God；　that　we　＇have　reason　to　hope　we＇　may　arrive　at　a　very　great　age。　But　for　such　as　cultivate　a　friendship　with　my　sons；　so　as　to　aim　at　my　destruction；　they　shall　be　punished　by　me　on　their　account。　I　am　not　one　who　envy　my　own　children；　and　therefore　forbid　men　to　pay　them　great　respect；　but　I　know　that　such　＇extravagant＇　respects　are　the　way　to　make　them　insolent。　And　if　every　one　that　comes　near　them　does　but　revolve　this　in　his　mind；　that　if　he　prove　a　good　man；　he　shall　receive　a　reward　from　me；　but　that　if　he　prove　seditious；　his　ill…intended　complaisance　shall　get　him　nothing　from　him　to　whom　it　is　shown；　I　suppose　they　will　all　be　of　my　side；　that　is；　of　my　sons'　side；　for　it　will　be　for　their　advantage　that　I　reign；　and　that　I　be　at　concord　with　them。　But　do　you；　O　my　good　children；　reflect　upon　the　holiness　of　nature　itself；　by　whose　means　natural　affection　is　preserved；　even　among　wild　beasts；　in　the　next　place；　reflect　upon　Caesar；　who　hath　made　this　reconciliation　among　us；　and　in　the　third　place；　reflect　upon　me；　who　entreat　you　to　do　what　I　have　power　to　command　you；　…　continue　brethren。　I　give　you　royal　garments；　and　royal　honors；　and　I　pray　to　God　to　preserve　what　I　have　determined；　in　case　you　be　at　concord　one　with　another。〃　When　the　king　had　thus　spoken；　and　had　saluted　every　one　of　his　sons　after　an　obliging　manner；　he　dismissed　the　multitude；　some　of　which　gave　their　assent　to　what　he　had　said；　and　wished　it　might　take　effect　accordingly；　but　for　those　who　wished　for　a　change　of　affairs；　they　pretended　they　did　not　so　much　as　hear　what　he　said。

CHAPTER　24。

The　Malice　Of　Antipater　And　Doris。　Alexander　Is　Very　Uneasy　On　Glaphyras　Account。　Herod　Pardons　Pheroras；　Whom　He　Suspected；　And　Salome　Whom　He　Knew　To　Make　Mischief　Among　Them。　Herod's　Eunuchs　Are　Tortured　And　Alexander　Is　Bound。

1。　But　now　the　quarrel　that　was　between　them　still　accompanied　these　brethren　when　they　parted；　and　the　suspicions　they　had　one　of　the　other　grew　worse。　Alexander　and　Aristobulus　were　much　grieved　that　the　privilege　of　the　first…born　was　confirmed　to　Antipater；　as　was　Antipater　very　angry　at　his　brethren　that　they　were　to　succeed　him。　But　then　this　last　being　of　a　disposition　that　was　mutable　and　politic；　he　knew　how　to　hold　his　tongue；　and　used　a　great　deal　of　cunning；　and　thereby　concealed　the　hatred　he　bore　to　them；　while　the　former；　depending　on　the　nobility　of　their　births；　had　every　thing　upon　their　tongues　which　was　in　their　minds。　Many　also　there　were　who　provoked　them　further；　and　many　of　their　＇seeming＇　friends　insinuated　themselves　into　their　acquaintance；　to　spy　out　what　they　did。　Now　every　thing　that　was　said　by　Alexander　was　presently　brought　to　Antipater；　and　from　Antipater　it　was　brought　to　Herod　with　additions。　Nor　could　the　young　man　say　any　thing　in　the　simplicity　of　his　heart；　without　giving　offense；　but　what　he　said　was　still　turned　to　calumny　against　him。　And　if　he　had　been　at　any　time　a　little　free　in　his　conversation；　great　imputations　were　forged　from　the　smallest　occasions。　Antipater　also　was　perpetually　setting　some　to　provoke　him　to　speak；　that　the　lies　he　raised　of　him　might　seem　to　have　some　foundation　of　truth；　and　if；　among　the　many　stories　that　were　given　out；　but　one　of　them　could　be　proved　true；　that　was　supposed　to　imply　the　rest　to　be　true　also。　And　as　to　Antipater's　friends；　they　were　all　either　naturally　so　cautious　in　speaking；　or　had　been　so　far　bribed　to　conceal　their　thoughts；　that　nothing　of　these　grand　secrets　got　abroad　by　their　means。　Nor　should　one　be　mistaken　if　he　called　the　life　of　Antipater　a　mystery　of　wickedness；　for　he　either　corrupted　Alexander's　acquaintance　with　money；　or　got　into　their　favor　by　flatteries；　by　which　two　means　he　gained　all　his　designs；　and　brought　them　to　betray　their　master；　and　to　steal　away；　and　reveal　what　he　either　did　or　said。　Thus　did　he　act　a　part　very　cunningly　in　all　points；　and　wrought　himself　a　passage　by　his　calumnies　with　the　greatest　shrewdness；　while　he　put　on　a　face　as　if　he　were　a　kind　brother　to　Alexander　and　Aristobulus；　but　suborned　other　men　to　inform　of　what　they　did　to　Herod。　And　when　any　thing　was　told　against　Alexander；　he　would　come　in；　and　pretend　＇to　be　of　his　side＇；　and　would　begin　to　contradict　what　was　said；　but　would　afterward　contrive　matters　so　privately；　that　the　king　should　have　an　indignation　at　him。　His　general　aim　was　this；　…　to　lay　a　plot；　and　to　make　it　believed　that　Alexander　lay　in　wait　to　kill　his　father；　for　nothing　afforded　so　great　a　confirmation　to　these　calumnies　as　did　Antipater's　apologies　for　him。

2。　By　these　methods　Herod　was　inflamed；　and　as　much　as　his　natural　affection　to　the　young　men　did　every　day　diminish；　so　much　did　it　increase　towards　Antipater。　The　courtiers　also　inclined　to　the　same　conduct；　some　of　their　own　accord；　and　others　by　the　king's　injunction；　as　particularly　did　Ptolemy；　the　king's　dearest　friend；　as　also　the　king's　brethren；　and　all　his　children；　for　Antipater　was　all　in　all；　and　what　was　the　bitterest　part　of　all　to　Alexander；　Antipater's　mother　was　also　all　in　all；　she　was　one　that　gave　counsel　against　them；　and　was　more　harsh　than　a　step…mother；　and　one　that　hated　the　queen's　sons　more　than　is　usual　to　hate　sons…in…law。　All　men　did　therefore　already　pay　their　respects　to　Antipater；　in　hopes　of　advantage；　and　it　was　the　king's　command　which　alienated　every　body　＇from　the　brethren＇；　he　having　given　this　charge　to　his　most　intimate　friends；　that　they　should　not　come　near；　nor　pay　any　regard；　to　Alexander；　or　to　his　friends。　Herod　was　also　become　terrible；　not　only　to　his　domestics　about　the　court；　but　to　his　friends　abroad；　for　Caesar　had　given　such　a　privilege　to　no　other　king　as　he　had　given　to　him；　which　was　this；　…　that　he　might　fetch　back　any　one　that　fled　from　him；　even　out　of　a　city　that　was　not　under　his　own　jurisdiction。　Now　the　young　men　were　not　acquainted　with　the　calumnies　raised　against　them；　for　which　reason　they　could　not　guard　themselves　against　them；　but　fell　under　them；　for　their　father　did　not　make　any　public　complaints　against　either　of　them；　though　in　a　little　time　they　perceived　how　things　were　by　his　coldness　to　them；　and　by　the　great　uneasiness　he　showed　upon　any　thing　that　troubled　him。　Antipater　had　also　made　their　uncle　Pheroras　to　be　their　enemy；　as　well　as　their　aunt　Salome；　while　he　was　always　talking　with　her；　as　with　a　wife；　and　irritating　her　against　them。　Moreover；　Alexander's　wife；　Glaphyra；　augmented　this　hatred　against　them；　by　deriving　her　nobility　and　genealogy　＇from　great　persons＇；　and　pretending　that　she　was　a　lady　superior　to　all　others　in　that　kingdom；　as　being　derived　by　her　father's　side　from　Temenus；　and　by　her　mother's　side　from　Darius；　the　son　of　Hystaspes。　She　also　frequently　reproached　Herod's　sister　and　wives　with　the　ignobility　of　their　descent；　and　that　they　were　every　one　chosen　by　him　for　their　beauty；　but　not　for　their　family。　Now　those　wives　of　his　were　not　a　few；　it　being　of　old　permitted　to　the　Jews　to　marry　many　wives；　（39）　and　this　king　delighting　in　many；　all　which　hated　Alexander；　on　account　of　Glaphyra's　boasting　and　reproaches。

3。　Nay；　Aristobulus　had　raised　a　quarrel　between　himself　and　Salome；　who　was　his　mother…in…law；　besides　the　anger　he　had　conceived　at　Glaphyra's　reproaches；　for　he　perpetually　upbraided　his　wife　with　the　meanness　of　her　family；　and　complained；　that　as　he　had　married　a　woman　of　a　low　family；　so　had　his　brother　Alexander　married　one　of　royal　blood。　At　this　Salome's　daughter　wept；　and　told　it　her　with　this　addition；　that　Alexander　threatened　the　mothers　of　his　other　brethren；　that　when　he　should　come　to　the　crown；　he　would　make　them　weave　with　their　maidens；　and　would　make　those　brothers　of　his　country　schoolmasters；　and　brake　this　jest　upon　them；　that　they　had　been　very　carefully　instructed；　to　fit　them　for　such　an　employment。　Hereupon　Salome　could　not　contain　her　anger；　but　told　all　to　Herod；　nor　could　her　testimony　be　suspected；　since　it　was　against　her　own　son…in…law　There　was　also　another　calumny　that　ran　abroad　and　inflamed　the　king's　mind；　for　he　heard　that　these　sons　of　his　were　perpetually　speaking　of　their　mother；　and；　among　their　lamentations　for　her；　did　not　abstain　from　cursing　him；　and　that　when　he　made　presents　of　any　of　Mariamne's　garments　to　his　later　wives；　these　threatened　that　in　a　little　time；　instead　of　royal　garments；　they　would　clothe　theft　in　no　better　than　hair…cloth。

4。　Now　upon　these　accounts；　though　Herod　was　somewhat　afraid　of　the　young　men's　high　spirit；　yet　did　he　not　despair　of　reducing　them　to　a　better　mind；　but　before　he　went　to　Rome；　whither　he　was　now　going　by　sea；　he　called　them　to　him；　and　partly　threatened　them　a　little；　as　a　king；　but　for　the　main；　he　admonished　them　as　a　father；　and　exhorte