which reason every one heard what he said with pleasure; and
although they first took care of their own safety by keeping silent
themselves, yet did they kindly receive the great freedom he took; for
the expectation they were in of so great an affliction, put a force upon
them to speak of Tero whatsoever they pleased.

5. This man had thrust himself into the king's presence with the
greatest freedom, and desired to speak with him by himself alone, which
the king permitted him to do, where he said this: "Since I am not
able, O king, to bear up under so great a concern as I am under, I have
preferred the use of this bold liberty that I now take, which may be
for thy advantage, if thou mind to get any profit by it, before my own
safety. Whither is thy understanding gone, and left thy soul empty?
Whither is that extraordinary sagacity of thine gone whereby thou hast
performed so many and such glorious-actions? Whence comes this solitude,
and desertion of thy friends and relations? Of which I cannot but
determine that they are neither thy friends nor relations, while they
overlook such horrid wickedness in thy once happy kingdom. Dost not thou
perceive what is doing? Wilt thou slay these two young men, born of thy
queen, who are accomplished with every virtue in the highest degree, and
leave thyself destitute in thy old age, but exposed to one son, who hath
very ill managed the hopes thou hast given him,' and to relations, whose
death thou hast so often resolved on thyself? Dost not thou take notice,
that the very silence of the multitude at once sees the crime, and
abhors the fact? The whole army and the officers have commiseration on
the poor unhappy youths, and hatred to those that are the actors in this
matter." These words the king heard, and for some time with good temper.
But what can one say? When Tero plainly touched upon the bad behavior
and perfidiousness of his domestics, he was moved at it; but Tero went
on further, and by degrees used an unbounded military freedom of speech,
nor was he so well disciplined as to accommodate himself to the time. So
Herod was greatly disturbed, and seeming to be rather reproached by this
speech, than to be hearing what was for his advantage, while he learned
thereby that both the soldiers abhorred the thing he was about, and the
officers had indignation at it, he gave order that all whom Tero had
named, and Tero himself, should be bound and kept in prison.

6. When this was over,