if thou hast not
yet read the law about circumcision, and dost not know how great impiety
thou art guilty of by neglecting it, read it now." When the king had
heard what he said, he delayed the thing no longer, but retired to
another room, and sent for a surgeon, and did what he was commanded to
do. He then sent for his mother, and Ananias his tutor, and informed
them that he had done the thing; upon which they were presently struck
with astonishment and fear, and that to a great degree, lest the thing
should be openly discovered and censured, and the king should hazard the
loss of his kingdom, while his subjects would not bear to be governed
by a man who was so zealous in another religion; and lest they should
themselves run some hazard, because they would be supposed the occasion
of his so doing. But it was God himself who hindered what they feared
from taking effect; for he preserved both Izates himself and his sons
when they fell into many dangers, and procured their deliverance when
it seemed to be impossible, and demonstrated thereby that the fruit of
piety does not perish as to those that have regard to him, and fix their
faith upon him only. [4] But these events we shall relate hereafter.

5. But as to Helena, the king's mother, when she saw that the affairs
of Izates's kingdom were in peace, and that her son was a happy man, and
admired among all men, and even among foreigners, by the means of God's
providence over him, she had a mind to go to the city of Jerusalem, in
order to worship at that temple of God which was so very famous among
all men, and to offer her thank-offerings there. So she desired her son
to give her leave to go thither; upon which he gave his consent to
what she desired very willingly, and made great preparations for her
dismission, and gave her a great deal of money, and she went down to the
city Jerusalem, her son conducting her on her journey a great way. Now
her coming was of very great advantage to the people of Jerusalem; for
whereas a famine did oppress them at that time, and many people died
for want of what was necessary to procure food withal, queen Helena sent
some of her servants to Alexandria with money to buy a great quantity of
corn, and others of them to Cyprus, to bring a cargo of dried figs. And
as soon as they were come back, and had brought those provisions, which
was done very quickly, she distributed food to those that were in
want of it, and left a most excellent memo