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[332]
When this thing was told Caesar, he did not believe it, because Herod
was not easily to be imposed upon in such affairs as were of great concern
to him; yet, having some suspicion it might be so, he sent one Celadus,
a freed-man of his, and one that had conversed with the young men themselves,
and bade him bring Alexander into his presence; so he brought him, being
no more accurate in judging about him than the rest of the multitude. Yet
did not he deceive Caesar; for although there was a resemblance between
him and Alexander, yet was it not so exact as to impose on such as were
prudent in discerning; for this spurious Alexander had his hands rough,
by the labors he had been put to and instead of that softness of body which
the other had, and this as derived from his delicate and generous education,
this man, for the contrary reason, had a rugged body. When, therefore,
Caesar saw how the master and the scholar agreed in this lying story, and
in a bold way of talking, he inquired about Aristobulus, and asked what
became of him who (it seems) was stolen away together with him, and for
what reason it was that he did not come along with him, and endeavor to
recover that dominion which was due to his high birth also. And when he
said that he had been left in the isle of Crete, for fear of the dangers
of the sea, that, in case any accident should come to himself, the posterity
of Mariamne might not utterly perish, but that Aristobulus might survive,
and punish those that laid such treacherous designs against them; and when
he persevered in his affirmations, and the author of the imposture agreed
in supporting it, Caesar took the young man by himself, and said to him,
"If thou wilt not impose upon me, thou shalt have this for thy reward,
that thou shalt escape with thy life; tell me, then, who thou art, and
who it was that had boldness enough to contrive such a cheat as this. For
this contrivance is too considerable a piece of villainy to be undertaken
by one of thy age." Accordingly, because he had no other way to take,
he told Caesar the contrivance, and after what manner and by whom it was
laid together. So Caesar, upon observing the spurious Alexander to be a
strong active man, and fit to work with his hands, that he might not break
his promise to him, put him among those that were to row among the mariners,
but slew him that induced him to do what he had done; for as for the people
of Melos, he thought them sufficiently punished, in having thrown away
so much of their money upon this spurious Alexander. And such was the ignominious
conclusion of this bold contrivance about the spurious Alexander.
1
1 HOW ARCHELAUS UPON A SECOND ACCUSATION, WAS BANISHED TO VIENNA.
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