his companions and friends, who abode with him as his
scholars, in order to learn the art of foretelling things to come?
"That it was good for him to die now, since he had spoken falsely about
Antigonus, who is still alive, and I see him passing by, although he had
foretold he should die at the place called Strato's Tower that very day,
while yet the place is six hundred furlongs off, where he had foretold
he should be slain; and still this day is a great part of it already
past, so that he was in danger of proving a false prophet." As he was
saying this, and that in a melancholy mood, the news came that Antigonus
was slain in a place under ground, which itself was called also Strato's
Tower, or of the same name with that Cesarea which is seated at the sea.
This event put the prophet into a great disorder.

3. But Aristobulus repented immediately of this slaughter of his
brother; on which account his disease increased upon him, and he was
disturbed in his mind, upon the guilt of such wickedness, insomuch that
his entrails were corrupted by his intolerable pain, and he vomited
blood: at which time one of the servants that attended upon him, and
was carrying his blood away, did, by Divine Providence, as I cannot but
suppose, slip down, and shed part of his blood at the very place where
there were spots of Antigonus's blood, there slain, still remaining; and
when there was a cry made by the spectators, as if the servant had on
purpose shed the blood on that place, Aristobulus heard it, and inquired
what the matter was; and as they did not answer him, he was the more
earnest to know what it was, it being natural to men to suspect that
what is thus concealed is very bad: so upon his threatening, and forcing
them by terrors to speak, they at length told him the truth; whereupon
he shed many tears, in that disorder of mind which arose from his
consciousness of what he had done, and gave a deep groan, and said, "I
am not therefore, I perceive, to be concealed from God, in the impious
and horrid crimes I have been guilty of; but a sudden punishment is
coming upon me for the shedding the blood of my relations. And now, O
thou most impudent body of mine, how long wilt thou retain a soul
that ought to die, in order to appease the ghosts of my brother and my
mother? Why dost thou not give it all up at once? And why do I deliver
up my blood drop by drop to those whom I have so wickedly murdered?" In
saying which last words he died, ha