right for you to be living as you are
living. 'Thou shalt not commit adultery.'"

Every hearer stood aghast. A death-like hush fell on the assembly,
which probably broke up in dismay. So paralyzed was every one that no
hand was laid on the preacher. We are expressly told that "Herod _sent
forth_ and laid hold upon John" (Mark vi. 17); from which we infer that
the fearless preacher passed out through the paralyzed and
conscience-stricken assemblage, leaving dismay, like that which befell
the roysterers in Belshazzar's court, when the hand of the Almighty
traced the mysterious characters on the palace wall in lines of fire.

The first feeling of awe and conscience-stricken remorse would,
however, soon pass off. Some would hasten to condole with Herodias;
some to sympathize with Herod. Herodias would retire to her
apartments, accompanied by her high ladies, vowing fiery vengeance on
the preacher--a very Jezebel, thirsting for the blood of another
Elijah. Throughout Herod's court there would be an effort to dismiss
the allusion as "Altogether uncalled for;" as "What might have been
expected from such a man;" as "A gross breach of manners," as "An
affront against delicacy of taste."

But Herodias would give her paramour no rest; and, perhaps one evening,
when John had retired for meditation and prayer, his disciples being
off their guard and the people absent, a handful of soldiers arrested
him, bound him, and led him off to the strong castle of Machaerus.

II. JOHN'S IMPRISONMENT AND ITS OPPORTUNITIES.--The castle of
Machaerus was known as "the diadem," or "the black tower." It lay on
the east side of the Dead Sea, almost on a line with Bethlehem. The
ruins of the castle are still to be seen, in great masses of squared
stone, on the top of a lofty hill, surrounded on three sides by
unscaleable precipices, descending to such depths that Josephus says
the eye could not reach their bottom. The fourth side is described as
only a little less terrible. Wild desolation reigned far and near. A
German traveller mentions the masses of lava, brown, red, and black,
varied with pumice-stone, distributed in huge broken masses, or rising
in perpendicular cliffs; whilst the rushing stream, far below, is
overgrown with oleanders and date-palms, willows, poplars, and tall
reeds. Here and there, thick mists of steam arise, where the hot
sulphur springs gush from the clefts of the rocks.

On this impregnable site, Dr. Geik