rbarous disposition
towards his own friends. Accordingly, he forbade a great many of them to
come to court, and to those whom he had not power to punish actually
he spake harshly. But for Antipater, he insulted Alexander, now he was
under his misfortunes, and got a stout company of his kindred together,
and raised all sorts of calumny against him; and for the king, he was
brought to such a degree of terror by those prodigious slanders and
contrivances, that he fancied he saw Alexander coming to him with a
drawn sword in his hand. So he caused him to be seized upon immediately,
and bound, and fell to examining his friends by torture, many of whom
died [under the torture], but would discover nothing, nor say any thing
against their consciences; but some of them, being forced to speak
falsely by the pains they endured, said that Alexander, and his brother
Aristobulus, plotted against him, and waited for an opportunity to kill
him as he was hunting, and then fly away to Rome. These accusations
though they were of an incredible nature, and only framed upon the great
distress they were in, were readily believed by the king, who thought it
some comfort to him, after he had bound his son, that it might appear he
had not done it unjustly.

CHAPTER 25.

Archelaus Procures A Reconciliation Between Alexander
Pheroras, And Herod.

1. Now as to Alexander, since he perceived it impossible to persuade his
father [that he was innocent], he resolved to meet his calamities, how
severe soever they were; so he composed four books against his enemies,
and confessed that he had been in a plot; but declared withal that the
greatest part [of the courtiers] were in a plot with him, and chiefly
Pheroras and Salome; nay, that Salome once came and forced him to lie
with her in the night time, whether he would or no. These books were put
into Herod's hands, and made a great clamor against the men in power.
And now it was that Archelaus came hastily into Judea, as being
affrighted for his son-in-law and his daughter; and he came as a proper
assistant, and in a very prudent manner, and by a stratagem he obliged
the king not to execute what he had threatened; for when he was come to
him, he cried out, "Where in the world is this wretched son-in-law of
mine? Where shall I see the head of him which contrived to murder his
father, which I will tear to pieces with my own hands? I will do the
same also to my daughter, who hath such a fine h