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[80]
When these letters were brought, the women left off their attempt
for flying to the Romans, which they thought of while Herod was supposed
to be dead; yet was not that purpose of theirs a secret; but when the king
had conducted Antony on his way against the Partnians, he returned to Judea,
when both his sister Salome and his mother informed him of Alexandra's
intentions. Salome also added somewhat further against Joseph, though it
was no more than a calumny, that he had often had criminal conversation
with Mariamne. The reason of her saying so was this, that she for a long
time bare her ill-will; for when they had differences with one another,
Mariamne took great freedoms, and reproached the rest for the meanness
of their birth. But Herod, whose affection to Mariamne was always very
warm, was presently disturbed at this, and could not bear the torments
of jealousy, but was still restrained from doing any rash thing to her
by the love he had for her; yet did his vehement affection and jealousy
together make him ask Mariamne by herself about this matter of Joseph;
but she denied it upon her oath, and said all that an innocent woman could
possibly say in her own defense; so that by little and little the king
was prevailed upon to drop the suspicion, and left off his anger at her;
and being overcome with his passion for his wife, he made an apology to
her for having seemed to believe what he had heard about her, and returned
her a great many acknowledgments of her modest behavior, and professed
the extraordinary affection and kindness he had for her, till at last,
as is usual between lovers, they both fell into tears, and embraced one
another with a most tender affection. But as the king gave more and more
assurances of his belief of her fidelity, and endeavored to draw her to
a like confidence in him, Marianme said, Yet was not that command thou
gavest, that if any harm came to thee from Antony, I, who had been no occasion
of it, should perish with thee, a sign of thy love to me?" When these
words were fallen from her, the king was shocked at them, and presently
let her go out of his arms, and cried out, and tore his hair with his own
hands, and said, that "now he had an evident demonstration that Joseph
had had criminal conversation with his wife; for that he would never have
uttered what he had told him alone by himself, unless there had been such
a great familiarity and firm confidence between them. And while he was
in this passion he had like to have killed his wife; but being still overborne
by his love to her, he restrained this his passion, though not without
a lasting grief and disquietness of mind. However, he gave order to slay
Joseph, without permitting him to come into his sight; and as for Alexandra,
he bound her, and kept her in custody, as the cause of all this mischief.
1
1 HOW CLEOPATRA, WHEN SHE HAD GOTTEN FROM ANTONY SOME PARTS OF JUDEA AND ARABIA CAME INTO JUDEA; AND HOW HEROD GAVE HER MANY PRESENTS AND CONDUCTED HER ON HER WAY BACK TO EGYPT.
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