ch as
died on that account; while the mean-spirited, and those that were not
wise enough to show a right love of their souls, preferred a death by a
disease, before that which is the result of a virtuous behavior.

3. At the same time that these men made this speech to their disciples,
a rumor was spread abroad that the king was dying, which made the
young men set about the work with greater boldness; they therefore let
themselves down from the top of the temple with thick cords, and this at
midday, and while a great number of people were in the temple, and cut
down that golden eagle with axes. This was presently told to the king's
captain of the temple, who came running with a great body of soldiers,
and caught about forty of the young men, and brought them to the king.
And when he asked them, first of all, whether they had been so hardy as
to cut down the golden eagle, they confessed they had done so; and when
he asked them by whose command they had done it, they replied, at the
command of the law of their country; and when he further asked them how
they could be so joyful when they were to be put to death, they replied,
because they should enjoy greater happiness after they were dead. [48]

4. At this the king was in such an extravagant passion, that he overcame
his disease [for the time,] and went out, and spake to the people;
wherein he made a terrible accusation against those men, as being guilty
of sacrilege, and as making greater attempts under pretense of their
law, and he thought they deserved to be punished as impious persons.
Whereupon the people were afraid lest a great number should be found
guilty and desired that when he had first punished those that put them
upon this work, and then those that were caught in it, he would leave
off his anger as to the rest. With this the king complied, though not
without difficulty, and ordered those that had let themselves down,
together with their Rabbins, to be burnt alive, but delivered the rest
that were caught to the proper officers, to be put to death by them.

5. After this, the distemper seized upon his whole body, and greatly
disordered all its parts with various symptoms; for there was a gentle
fever upon him, and an intolerable itching over all the surface of his
body, and continual pains in his colon, and dropsical turnouts about
his feet, and an inflammation of the abdomen, and a putrefaction of his
privy member, that produced worms. Besides which he had a