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[168]
But now Herod's distemper greatly increased upon him after a severe
manner, and this by God's judgment upon him for his sins; for a fire glowed
in him slowly, which did not so much appear to the touch outwardly, as
it augmented his pains inwardly; for it brought upon him a vehement appetite
to eating, which he could not avoid to supply with one sort of food or
other. His entrails were also ex-ulcerated, and the chief violence of his
pain lay on his colon; an aqueous and transparent liquor also had settled
itself about his feet, and a like matter afflicted him at the bottom of
his belly. Nay, further, his privy-member was putrefied, and produced worms;
and when he sat upright, he had a difficulty of breathing, which was very
loathsome, on account of the stench of his breath, and the quickness of
its returns; he had also convulsions in all parts of his body, which increased
his strength to an insufferable degree. It was said by those who pretended
to divine, and who were endued with wisdom to foretell such things, that
God inflicted this punishment on the king on account of his great impiety;
yet was he still in hopes of recovering, though his afflictions seemed
greater than any one could bear. He also sent for physicians, and did not
refuse to follow what they prescribed for his assistance, and went beyond
the river Jordan, and bathed himself in the warm baths that were at Callirrhoe,
which, besides their other general virtues, were also fit to drink; which
water runs into the lake called Asphaltiris. And when the physicians once
thought fit to have him bathed in a vessel full of oil, it was supposed
that he was just dying; but upon the lamentable cries of his domestics,
he revived; and having no longer the least hopes of recovering, he gave
order that every soldier should be paid fifty drachmae; and he also gave
a great deal to their commanders, and to his friends, and came again to
Jericho, where he grew so choleric, that it brought him to do all things
like a madman; and though he were near his death, he contrived the following
wicked designs. He commanded that all the principal men of the entire Jewish
nation, wheresoever they lived, should be called to him. Accordingly, they
were a great number that came, because the whole nation was called, and
all men heard of this call, and death was the penalty of such as should
despise the epistles that were sent to call them. And now the king was
in a wild rage against them all, the innocent as well as those that had
afforded ground for accusations; and when they were come, he ordered them
to be all shut up in the hyppodrome, 1
and sent for his sister Salome, and her husband Alexas, and spake thus
to them: "I shall die in a little time, so great are my pains; which
death ought to be cheerfully borne, and to be welcomed by all men; but
what principally troubles me is this, that I shall die without being lamented,
and without such mourning as men usually expect at a king's death." For
that he was not unacquainted with the temper of the Jews, that his death
would be a thing very desirable, and exceedingly acceptable to them, because
during his lifetime they were ready to revolt from him, and to abuse the
donations he had dedicated to God that it therefore was their business
to resolve to afford him some alleviation of his great sorrows on this
occasion; for that if they do not refuse him their consent in what he desires,
he shall have a great mourning at his funeral, and such as never had any
king before him; for then the whole nation would mourn from their very
soul, which otherwise would be done in sport and mockery only. He desired
therefore, that as soon as they see he hath given up the ghost, they shall
place soldiers round the hippodrome, while they do not know that he is
dead; and that they shall not declare his death to the multitude till this
is done, but that they shall give orders to have those that are in custody
shot with their darts; and that this slaughter of them all will cause that
he shall not miss to rejoice on a double account; that as he is dying,
they will make him secure that his will shall be executed in what he charges
them to do; and that he shall have the honor of a memorable mourning at
his funeral. So he deplored his condition, with tears in his eyes, and
obtested them by the kindness due from them, as of his kindred, and by
the faith they owed to God, and begged of them that they would not hinder
him of this honorable mourning at his funeral. So they promised him not
to transgress his commands.
1 A place for the horse-races.
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