CHAPTER XIX. 517 his will, but in a very little time he procured him tobe drowned, under pretence of bathing. 9. Q. What became of Hyrcanus all this while ? A. Though he hadbeen banished for so many years among the Par- thians and Babylonians, yet he returned to Jerusalem upon the advancement of Herod, presuming that the marriage . of his grand-daughter, and his own former merits toward him, would secure to himself a peaceful oldage in his own countryunder He- rod's protection. _ 10. Q. How didHerod deal with him ? A. He received him at first with all respect, but some time after found a pretence to put him to death, when he was above eighty years of age, lest one time orother, beingof the family of the Maccabees or As- moneans, he should be restored tothe kingdom. 11. Q. Besides all these confusions, what other calamity happened to the Jews about this time ? A. A terrible earth- quake ran through the whole land of Judea, and huried thirty thousand of the inhabitants in the ruin of their houses, in the seventh of Herod's reign ? a grievous pestilence followed it in a little time, and a desolating famine a very few years after, at which time Herod was very liberal to thepeople, but he could not gain theia hearty affection. 12. Q. Did Herod maintain his government when bis great friend Mark Antony was ruined and vanquished by Octavius ? A. He took care to make early submission to Octavias, he laid aside his diadem when he waited on him, and with open heart he confessed his former friendship for Antony, but he now assured Octavius of thesame faithful friendship and obedience, if he might be trusted : upon which Octavius, who now assumed the name of Augustus Cresar, bid him resume his diadem, con- firmed him in the kingdom, and was his friendand protector even to his death. 13. Q. Did he then continue to reign in perfect peace ? A. Domestic troubles broke the peace of his mind, threw him into violent grief and rage, which furthersoured his temper for all his life after. 14. Q. What were these domestic troubles ? A. He was jealous lest any man should possess so great a beautyas Mari- amnehis queen after his death, and lest any remains ofthe fami- ly of the Asmoneans should hinder the succession of his own family to the kingdom of Judea ; and for these reasons he gave private orders, that in case he died, both hiswife and her mother should be put to death whichdreadful secret being communica- ted to his queen, she resented it to such a degree, that she would never afterwards receive him : but notwithstanding all kind ad- dresses and importunities, she perpetually followed himwith sharp reproaches of the murder of her relations, by which he secured the crown to himself, and upbraided his mother and his
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=